Page 16 of Sweet SIN Slaughterhouse

Sitting on the soft brown leather couch, anxiety courses through my veins and my heart continues to race. I avoid eye contact and stare at his glass of whiskey and burning cigar instead.

I feel him move, his rings scraping against the hard wood desk tell me he is now leaning, still only focusing on me.

Papa knows this shit makes me uncomfortable, but hedoesn’t give a fuck. Family is his priority, but I don’t care to be that priority right now.

His tone is low, serious, and downright bone chilling. “Talk.”

Closing my eyes, I try to muster the courage. Everything inside of me screams that he will be disappointed, and think I am an embarrassment. To be fooled byherwould make our name a disgrace. The thought of it all causes tears to well in my eyes. Blinking rapidly, I force them away. What did that one movie always say, thou shall not pass? Neither will these tears.

Clearing his throat, Papa’s approach changes, this time it’s more warm, encouraging, and concerned. “Get out of your head, baby Sin. Talk to me, girl.”

Leaning forward, I curl into myself, images of what I saw on the VHS flashing before my eyes. Shaking, I whisper, “I’m sorry.”

“I need more than that. Nothing you could have done would make me disappointed in you. Have you met your father?” He chuckles to himself. I smirk, I mean, he isn’t wrong. And he loves dad, so fucking much, but my dad can be a tad unhinged.

Sitting with that, my sadness and shame start to transition into pure fucking rage, because how dare she play me for a fool? I am a fucking Sinclair.

Spitting my words out, I reveal, “She’s not with us. She is against us. Anyone who fucks a pest is forever an enemy.”

Papa passes me his glass of whiskey, and says, “Tell me more.”

Reaching out, I take his drink and down the amber liquid back in one go. It’s fire on my throat going down and warms my cheeks further as I spit out the traitor whore’s name for the last fucking time. “Abi.”

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Papa lets that marinate for a moment. “Baby Sin, I say this out of love, but fuck that bitch.”

He’s calm and I’m wondering if this is some sort of trick. Eyeing him up, I question, “What do you mean?”

“Fuck her. This is business now. Handle it.” His bluntness catches me off guard, but he’s right. The relationship is over, not only did she betray me but the entire society. Getting in bed with the enemy is the greatest sin, and she committed it… and because of her I have sinned too.

Still worried, drenched in shame, “You’re not mad at me?”

Papa relaxes and walks toward me, placing his hand on my exposed shoulder, and squeezing it, he reassures me, “Never.”

I needed to hear this so fucking bad, but I am finding it hard to believe it. “But I didn’t even suspect anything. I feel like a failure.”

“We all get played from time to time. What matters is how you get back up and never allow it to happen again, that’s what people watch for in leaders.” He pauses, allowing that to sink in before continuing, “Cheaters are experts in manipulation and gaslighting. Plus, this wasyour first real relationship, you were engulfed in the magic of it all. Fuck, I didn’t even suspect anything, Sid. She played us all. You will learn from this and it will be the first and only time something like this happens.”

As much as this stings so fucking bad, his words bring me comfort in an evening of self-loathing and pity. I can’t believe I thought she could have been my forever, I’m so fucking stupid.

“So you’re not going to take Diablo away from me?”

Chuckling, both his hands cup my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes. “No, you earned it, sweetie.”

Grinning from ear to ear, I get excited. “So, can I kill her?”

“I would expect nothing less from you, baby Sin”

I don’t know what I would ever do without this man. He has been a source of strength, comfort, and wisdom in my life. I’m the luckiest girl around to be able to spend quality time like this with her grandfather and to have such a strong bond with one another, there is no price tag on that.

“We do have some business to discuss, can you handle that?”

“Absolutely. Fuck that bitch, right, Papa?” He joins me in laughter while stepping back and returning to his chair.

“To be a leader, you cannot be nice, it’s a weakness that if the wrong person sees, it will destroy your reign. They will walk right over you, Sid. Our team may be grown adults, but who doesn’t like getting what they wantwhen they want it?” He makes a valid point. He’s repeated this several times to me, ensuring it’s instilled in my brain. “It’s about listening to your people, making them feel heard while also making firm decisions and sticking with them. Believe in yourself and they will believe in you.”

“Understood.”

“And I see them believing in you more and more each day. I think it's time. Five days from now, during the next full moon, because I know you're into that weird shit.”

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