Page 118 of Sins of the Heart

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all the same.

She’d chosen to become a member of the Asetian

Guard, and she’d never regretted it. It had kept her

sane. Kept her safe. Given her a purpose and a place.

Given her a chance to be part of something bigger than

herself, to be part of a sisterhood and atone in a sort of

bizarre, twisted way for other choices she’d made, ones

she regretted to the core of her soul.

For a second, she could smell the acrid scent of the

hospital, hear the machines and the labored rasp of

Rhianna’s every breath.

Her fists curled into the pillow, just as they’d done

that day in the hospital.

She could see Rhianna’s face, her dark skin faded

to a terrible yellowish-gray, her brown eyes pleading,

sliding from Roxy’s face to the pillow clutched in her

hands.Don’t…please…

Memories. Ugly, stinking memories.

EVE SILVER

125

Fuck, she wasn’t going there.

Waste of time and energy to wonder what the outcome would have been if she’d taken the other fork in

the road.

She sighed, headed for the bathroom and got ready

for bed. When she was done, she flipped off the lights

and made her way in the dark. Familiar territory. She

didn’t need a light.

She flopped on her side, tugged on the blankets and

shoved the pillow under her head.

Hunger coiled in her belly. Not the kind that could

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