Page 1 of SINS & Riley
PROLOGUE
RILEY
The Past
The closet reeks of stale sweat and rot.
It’s disgusting.
And still, this is our safe space. Me and Kennedy.
As safe as we ever get from Step-monster Jimmy.
Her fingers lock around mine, tight.
“Riley, stop. Don’t.” Her whisper trembles.
I barely register the plea. I’m too busy.
My fingers are raw, sticky with blood as I drag them over splintered wood.
R-I?—
Kennedy yanks my hand away, sharper this time, her eyes blazing in the slivers of light from the slats.
“Enough. You’re hurting yourself.”
Hurting myself?
She doesn’t get it. It doesn’t hurt at all.
“I need to finish the L,” I snap, the sound grating out of me as I dig in just a little more.
“Look. I brought your favorite book.”
“It’s too dark to read it.” She knows that. She thinks Da’s last Christmas gift will keep me distracted.
It won’t. E’s take a lot of work. I dig in more on this letter.
She flips a page, nudging me. “Look,” she coaxes.
“What’s the point? Jimmy tore out the last pages, Kennedy. The beast doesn’t turn back into a prince. He just stays a beast.”
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The sound of work boots slamming against wood jerks us both silent. Heavy. Getting closer.
Kennedy freezes, panic sparking in her eyes. She peeks through the crack, then snatches an old jacket, draping it over me in a frantic rush. Her breath comes in harsh, ragged whispers. “Stay underneath.”
I shove it off, tears burning hot, my chin tilting in defiance.
“I’m not scared of him.”
The truth is, I’m scared—of everything. The dark. The scrape of boots on the floor. The terrible things he’ll do when he finds us.
