CHAPTER THIRTY
SIN
I LOOK AT the man who is glaring at my girl as she sashays away. “You need to control—”
“If she wants to watch this house burn, I’ll hand her the fucking matches.” I yank them from his hand and pocket them in my dress slacks. Then I follow her.
She stumbles in her heels, and I come up beside her, wrapping my arm around her waist to stabilize her.
I watched the way she stared at the staircase. I remember my mother bringing her home to stay the night with us. She was a wreck. Cried for hours in my sister’s room. The sounds she made broke my heart. It took everything in me not to run in and hold her in my arms. To tell her everything would be okay. But I knew that would be a lie. I knew that there were more storms to come before things calmed down. And I’m not only talking about the fact that she had lost her father.
He had been a well-respected Lord, making her mother a Lady. She would be given to another Lord. Elli’s life was about to change in more ways than one. And honestly, my little demon hasn’t been the same since.
We enter the ballroom to see all the round tables covered with white tablecloths, expensive crystal vases full of flowers. White leather chairs sit at each one. Silver and white balloons float over our head, covering the ceiling.
“Elli. Sin.” A man nods at us dressed in a suit. “Let me show you to your table.”
We follow him to the front of the room, and he sits us at one of the round tables that is directly next to a long table that faces the room.
I pull out her chair and she falls into it. I sit next to her.
“What can I get you?” he asks.
“A bottle of champagne,” she answers.
“A water, please,” I say, gripping a hold of her chair and pulling her closer to me. Then I slide my hand into the slit of her dress and grab her thigh.
She looks over at me and you can’t mistake she’s on something. Her eyes are heavy and dilated but she still looks every bit of the gorgeous woman I’m addicted to.
Ellington Asher is my drug. I’d never tell her she can’t do something, but she won’t do it without me by her side. She can’t protect herself. Not like I can.
The server brings her bottle of champagne and a Markham crystal decanter filled with water. He places a champagne flute in front of her seat and a glass in front of mine. He fills hers with the champagne and she stops him. “I don’t need that.” She grabs the bottle from his hands and drinks from it.
I hide my smile while he fills my glass full of water with the decanter. “Thank you,” I nod to him, and he walks away, frowning at her.
My eyes scan the room and I see my parents enter. They make their way to our table. I stand, hugging my mother and greeting my father. My sister and Corbin enter next. They too come over to sit with us.
I haven’t spoken to Corbin since I found out he’s fucking my sister. I get it. She’s old enough to do what she wants, but he kept it from me. Would I have freaked out had he come to me and told me what was happening? Honestly, I’m not sure, but we’ll never know now.
“Hey, guys. I was told that this is my table.”
I look up to see Chance Beckham pulling out a seat and sitting down. He’s a Lord. Attends Barrington and is a senior with us this year. He grew up with me, Jayce, and Corbin. We’ve never been close friends, though.
Not very many Lords know who he really is. But I do.
My hand is still on Elli’s thigh, and I feel her stiffen. I look over at her, and her face has paled. Leaning into her ear, I whisper, “Are you going to get sick?” I watched her take two Mollies and now she’s drinking. I can only imagine what her body is feeling right now.
Pulling away, I look over her face and she makes no move to acknowledge I spoke to her. “Elli?” I shake her leg a little. “You okay?”
She blinks, her eyes dropping to the table, and she nods, but I know she’s lying.
Letting go of her leg, I grip her hand in mine. “Come on—”
I’m in the process of pulling her to stand, when the room bursts out into cheers and applauds. Everyone is on their feet, and I know her mother and Lincoln have entered the room from the other side. Making their grand entrance to walk down the aisle and sit at the head of the room.
Falling back into my seat, I turn to face her. I grip her face, forcing her to look at me. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine.” She swallows.