Page 70 of Sinful King

“Good morning,” I greeted, eyes briefly meeting Sean’s for a little strength as he took a seat in the first row. “I know you all are wondering what’s happening. But it’s been a while and I think it’s only right I re-introduce myself before we get started…” I stared at the casket before continuing. “For those of you who don’t know, my name is Blair and I am indeed Nathaniel Phillips daughter. You’ve probably seen a younger version of myself in pictures littered throughout this building with my brothers and mother—who happen to be in the casket you’re all wondering about.”

The uproar was much more satisfying than I expected. But only a few stood to leave, mostly parents with their children. Everyone else was too nosy to retreat.

“I figured,” I went on, waving for Liam to let the families leave. “Since no one cared she was missing, it was best to bring her to you. That being said, today we are going to have a home going service for first lady Kendra Phillips, the wife of Pastor Nathaniel Phillips. Who wants to do the first musical selection? My mother loved music.”

I turned and looked at my dad.

“You’ve always had a soulful voice.”

Everyone was watching.

And now they all knew his wife was dead and he hadn’t made an announcement, that he’d been about to go on with Sunday service as usual without acknowledging her at all.

Well, fuck him and everybody in this room for knowing he was scum and still listening to his interpretation of the bible anyway.

“Come sing something for your late wife.”

I held the microphone out for him and waited.

Eventually, he stood, buttoned his custom fitted Brioni suit jacket and stepped forward.

“This is only the beginning,” I whispered, brushing past him to take a seat beside Blake.

“My daughter hasn’t been around for a while,” my father said into the microphone, the start of his lie rolling off the tongue with ease. “We, admittedly weren’t on speaking terms. I had no way of informing her…” he walked down the steps and stood at the side of my mother’s casket, resting his hand upon it as if he fucking cared. “Kendra didn’t want a sendoff and I had intended to honor that. But now that we are here together and in front of all you, please indulge my daughter.”

Blake leaned over as my father bellowed the lyrics to what should’ve been my mother’s favorite gospel song. Instead, he’d chosen his.

“I see your plan clear as day,” he murmured. “There’s a board meeting in a week, you should come.”

Our eyes met and he hiked his brows, the challenge clear.

“Mmm,” I hummed, looking away. “Where’s your brother?”

Caden’s absence in all this worried me and only getting rid of him would combat the feeling.

“You finally caught up, huh?”

I bit back a scoff.

“Why would I know anything about this family? Have I ever been a part of it?”

My problem with Blake was he’d never treated me as his sister. Never took up or looked out for me. His answer to everything had always been silence and now he was talking a little too much.

“You were more protected than you think,” he said, standing afterward as if to leave me confused.

But I called bullshit.

And fuck him for making it out to be exactly what the fuck it wasn’t.

“I have to be honest,” Blake said, when he took the microphone and my father sat beside me. “Kendra wasn’t my biological mother but she treated me as her own and for that I’ll forever be grateful.”

His confession was unexpected and the low growl my father released meant he hadn’t prepared for my brother to betray him, too.

“Do you think I can’t kill you and be back here next Sunday as if none of this happened?” he asked, gaze forward and expression dead.

I rolled my eyes.

“Your threats don’t hold as much weight as they used to,” I said, crossing my feet at the ankle. “I’d love to see you try though. Killing me and actually living to see that next Sunday is an unachievable goal, Nathaniel. Have you met my husband?”

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