Sinless (Deadly Omen Book 1) Read online

Focus! I reprimanded myself while gently closing the door. Penis later, mission impenisable now. I mentally smacked myself. Impossible. I really did mean impossible. God, myself was such a dirty-minded weirdo.

  As I tiptoed toward my bedroom door, I could smell my favourite lavender and vanilla oils, and the seductive sound of Enya echoed around the first floor, just loud enough to mask my footsteps.

  Halfway past the dining table, I saw something that made me nearly drop all of my things in a heap. I put them down gently (and intentionally) as I examined the glittery, white, faux fur scarf that hung leisurely over the back of the chair nearest me.

  I stroked it once, delicately, eyes glued to it like it might fly away.

  Most of Lex’s gifts he had given me had been relatively inexpensive, but meaningful. This, though. I knew exactly how much this gem cost, and I also know he knew how much I wanted it.

  He must be going all out since we would be married in two days. I had never met a more perfect man before I met Lex; he was thoughtful, he was kind, he was loving, he was hot as hell, and he was faithful. He basically ticked every little relationship checkbox that I had, and that was certainly a first.

  A tremor of excitement skittered down my spine, and I couldn’t contain myself for a minute more. I rushed to the bedroom door, flung it wide, and promptly froze in my tracks, all feelings of joy fleeing me as the image before me started to sink in. I felt cold, then hot, then cold again. I was having trouble processing the horrifying, obvious scene before me, it was like it was just refusing to sink in. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t figure out how I was still standing when the whole world just seemed to tilt on its axis before my very reliable eyes. Then I did what any rational young woman would do.

  I screamed like a banshee.

  2

  Ria

  My voice sounded shrill and psychotic, even to my own ears, as my screaming subsided. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Everything I loved, everything about my new life, up in smoke. And the man I loved, the man that I gave myself to completely… he… he…

  He was a filthy, disgusting, rotten cheater.

  “Get out.” My words were almost a whisper, like the rage inside me had swallowed them whole, wrapping them in its fiery inferno.

  Lex was sitting in the bed, his eyes wide and hands in front of him as though he was warding off an attack. If I wanted to attack him, these stilettos would make some excellent holes in his excellent target of a face, and his hands wouldn’t stop them. “Babe, listen,” he started, his voice shaking. “It’s not- “

  “It’s not what it looks like?” I snarled, my voice finally returning to me. “Because it looks like you’re laying naked in my bed, with my best friend.” I had been trying so hard to ignore the soft, angelic face that was peeking up from beneath the covers, but the words were out, and I couldn’t ignore it now. It wasn’t even a pretty face. It was a horrible face. She had a horrible, homewrecking face that I would love to punch, and I loved acting on instinct.

  So that’s what I did.

  I leapt across the bed with all my might and slammed my fist into her not-pretty face. Before I could land another solid blow, strong arms wrapped around me and I was suddenly flying backward against a somewhat squishy wall of flesh. He wasn’t even that hot. He had flab. I was better than flab. Flab didn’t have any room to go cheating on their sexy fiancées.

  I kicked back as hard as I could, but I couldn’t seem to find a good vantage point from my current position. “Let me go!” I screamed, hitting octaves that I’m sure would have landed me an award or five. I threw my head backwards into his and felt a satisfying crunch behind the throbbing in my skull. Lex wailed and released me as I spun on my heel to see his bleeding face. Looked like I got the nose. It was a shitty nose, anyway. “Get out!” I repeated, more forcefully, before turning on Mercedes and her rapidly swelling eye. “And you…” I started, lowering my voice as I stalked toward her.

  She let out a frightened squeal as she jumped up from the bed, black hair flying and grabbing pieces of clothing as she went. She made it look like she was a pro at picking up clothes in a hurry, and considering the circumstances, I’d guess she was. She seemed to have a lot of experience in this particular field. I watched her grab the scarf on her way out and I had to fight down the despair and heartbreak that was threatening to overtake me.

  After taking a few calming breaths, I turned back toward Lex and fixed him with the glare that my mom used to give me when she caught me sneaking food into my room. It was a scary look, I swear it. And I was apparently doing it well, because the cheating scum before me dropped to his knees and started wringing his hands.

  “Babe, I’m sorry, j-just hear me out!” He stammered. He looked so sad and pitiful, that I almost dropped to my knees beside him, but his words started to hit home and I regained my center. I was strong, beautiful, successful, and I sure as hell didn’t need to depend on this sorry excuse of a man to make me happy. Myself made me happy. My outer self and... place internal exasperated sigh here… and my bitch of an inner self.

  After my little internal pep talk monolog, I squared my shoulders and pulled myself up to my full height of five feet and two inches. Plus six inches, because stilettos. “I don’t want to hear one more fucking word from your sorry ass. I just want you gone.” I told him, locking my eyes with his.

  All of a sudden, he seemed to have decided that the sad and pathetic act wasn’t working, so he stood up to his full height as well, which wasn’t much taller than me when I was in my heels. His bland, brown eyes stared straight back at me. How had I never noticed how bland they were? They were like wet cardboard, and no one liked that colour. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll work this out, I promise, and I’m not leaving you until we do.” The seemingly heartfelt sentiment sounded like it had an underlying threat, because I’m paranoid that way and I’m a woman, so when he reached out as if to cup my chin, all I could do was swing my leg up as hard and fast as it would go.

  Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner, folks!

  I watched him crumple to the floor like the toys from Toy Story when Andy showed up. On that note, I was done. I whirled around and made a mad dash for my closet where I started throwing essentials into my big red suitcase. He wanted to play hard ball? Fine. He didn’t want to leave? Fine. He didn’t want me? Not fine, but whatever. I was a big girl. After I finished throwing half the contents of my closet into the unreasonably large suitcase, I moved for my shoes and underwear. I didn’t even bother with toiletries; I could grab more later.

  Suitcase in tow, I marched toward the door, not daring to even sneak a peek back at the man who had not only ripped my heart out, but stomped it into the ground like a cigarette butt. My chest definitely hurt, but it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as the sudden grip on my wrist. I hissed at the nails digging into the sensitive flesh and dropped my suitcase to turn and drag my nails across Lex’s face. Why couldn’t he take a hint? His grip budged slightly, and I yanked my arm free, feeling the pins and needles of blood rushing back into the limb. I yanked up my suitcase once more and looked my former love dead in the eye. “You can stay here, I don’t care, but I don’t want you anywhere near me.” I said flatly. I couldn’t even muster the energy to glare anymore. “And if you touch me again, it will be the last thing you ever do.” With that, I spun on my heel and stalked toward the kitchen sink, where I ripped off my previously beloved engagement ring and tossed it down the drain. I heard Lex’s yelp behind me, which only made me more sadistic. So, of course, I turned on the garbage disposal.

  Have fun with that, dickhead.

  I didn’t look back again as I closed the front door behind me with a slam.

  * * *

  The sun was starting to come up by the time my eyes finally felt too heavy for me to keep going much longer. I kept telling myself just to find a hotel, and that would be okay. I could sleep on the… Nope. I shuddered at the idea of sleeping on a mattress that had been used and abused too many
times to count. Not happening. I wasn’t a clean freak or anything, the idea of sleeping on a used mattress just majorly freaked me the fuck out. I couldn’t do it. No, I could just sleep in my car once I found a comfortably populated area.

  Not a moment after the thought had crossed my mind, I approached a sign saying that I was entering a town called Willow Tree, the sign boasting a hearty population of 1, 777. Large enough to get lost in, and small enough to not feel crowded. It seemed perfect.

  I kept driving, perked up by the sudden possibility of a new town. Just when I thought that the sign was placed as a joke, I started seeing little signs of civilization; a quaint-looking farmhouse that I’d never be caught dead in, a little gas station that wasn’t even open yet. As I continued a little farther, I passed a tiny little church that was set into the trees like it was trying to be forgotten, but the sprawling cemetery attached made it a little difficult to miss. A chill ran up my spine and I turned back to focus on the road again. I avoided churches like the plague since rebelling against my parents nearly four years ago; they just made me wholly uncomfortable for some reason. I actually knew the reason, but I was stubborn.

  It’s because they try to strip away everything you are. My inner self chimed in, uninvited but welcome. I was wondering where she had been this entire trip. But, she was right. I mean, I was right. Myself was right? Ugh, whatever.

  As I mentally opened my mouth to start bickering with myself, I saw the town itself begin to come into view.

  I breathed out a little gasp. “It’s perfect.” I whispered to myself. And perfect it was. It was like one of those small towns from Hallmark movies, the ones that are called small towns, but they’re actually really sizeable and stylish.

  I drove around the roundabout that circled a statue of a man I didn’t recognize and spotted my first target: a little coffee shop, aptly named “Little Coffee Shop”. Sounded like my kind of place. I drove around the back of the cute little building, where a hand-painted sign for parking directed me toward an adorable alcove with ivy covered walls and multihued leaves littering the ground.

  I grabbed my purse, checked my reflection in the rearview mirror, and brushed my hair out with the little compact brush that I never left home without. I started to walk inside when I wobbled a bit and realized I was still in my heels. Oops. I quickly exchanged my intimidating stilettos for a pair of heels that looked like Air Jordans - what can I say? I love heels. After the quick change, I finally deemed myself worthy of being seen by the public eye.

  The second I opened the door, I was greeted by a delightful jingling bell and the aroma of my drug of choice.

  Mmmm…coffee… I could see my inner self practically drooling over the idea of caffeine. I was right there with her.

  I walked up to the counter where a friendly-looking girl stood, patiently waiting for me to peruse the menu or whatever. It made me a little uncomfortable to just stand there, so I walked up to the counter and leaned my hip against it casually.

  “Hi!” The girl behind the counter said cheerfully. “What can I get you today?” She was seriously adorable, with long, curly brown hair, big hazel eyes, and those cute lips that always look curved up at the edges, like a cat. And oh god, she was so short.

  I decided to forego my initial urge to ask for her number. “I’d love your name.” I told her with a warm smile. Or at least, I hoped it was warm, since I was practically dying of caffeine withdrawals.

  The girl blinked once, slowly, before a giant grin took over her elfish features. “I’m Andrea! But everyone just calls me Drea.” She said while extending her hand over the counter. I took it and shook it gently.

  “I’m Ria, and no it’s not short for anything.” I told her, grinning back. I liked Drea. She seemed really cool, and I definitely could have chosen a worse person to make my first impression on.

  “Ooooh! That’s so exotic-sounding! I’m so jealous!” She seemed like the chatty type, and right now that was fine by me. “How about I get you something while we chat? The shop is always dead this early, but we always get the odd straggler that really needs their fix before they can face the day.” She giggled behind her hand like a little girl, and the tiny she-devil inside me was salivating at the chance to corrupt.

  Down, girl. First the coffee, then the sexploits.

  She seemed content with my argument. Not that there was any real argument since I was basically just talking to myself and answering myself like a complete and total nutjob. “I’ll take a venti vanilla frap with extra whip and caramel drizzle, please.” I said as not-crazily as possible. Which, in all honesty, probably made me look crazy as hell. But if it did, Drea wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it, which I seriously appreciated.

  She nodded her approval and got to work on my coffee, and didn’t even flinch when I interrupted her to add two extra espresso shots, she just nodded again and carried on her chatting. By the tome my coffee was placed in front of me with a flourish that I was pretty sure I could come to expect from Drea, I realized how eerily quiet the little shop was.

  “Hey,” I began, taking a sip from my Frappuccino. “Why is it so quiet in here?”

  Drea hopped up to sit on the counter, swinging her legs. “Sorry. I open the place most days, and it just feels so weird to have music going in here when I’m all by myself.” Her cheeks turned a sweet, pale pink as she said this. “But I’ll throw some on real quick. After all, the customer is always right.” She hopped off the counter with a wink and turned on the soundbar above the counter.

  The erotic, tantalizing sound of Florence + The Machine filled the space around us and I couldn’t help closing my eyes and swaying to the hypnotic sound. I always thought that music had some kind of power of premonition to it, like the music could sometimes tell us our future without us even being aware of it. Of course, sometimes it couldn’t be anything more than a really good song, but it was fun to imagine.

  I felt a little tap on my shoulder and opened my eyes to see Drea standing there with a meek smile, gesturing toward the tiny dancefloor with colourful lights shining down on it where I guessed they usually did things like karaoke night. “Wanna go?” She asked.

  I grinned and grabbed her hand. “Uh, duh.” I said as I dragged her along behind me. Seriously, like I would ever give up a chance to dance, regardless of my currently fragile emotional and mental state. We started swaying to the music, each of us finding our own little way to move just a couple of feet from each other. It wasn’t intimate like slow dancing, but it was nice to have someone let loose with you a little sometimes, to connect with on a deeper level than conversation ever could. Even if dancing with a stranger in an empty coffee shop was pretty damn weird.

  “Seven devils all around you…seven devils in my house…”

  It was so easy for me to just fall into the music, and I could tell that Drea was the same, despite her earlier statement about music in the empty space. Just as the song started coming to a close, I heard a familiar jingling sound.

  “Andrea, dear!” I turned to the source of the voice and found an old woman standing by the counter. She had long wispy, delicate white hair that made her appear almost mystical, bright blue eyes that could be defined clear across the shop, and a strong, angular face that was anything but hard or rough looking. She looked like she had worked hard her whole life, but wouldn’t dare touch a tool with her delicate, perfectly manicured hands. I don’t even know how I could call this woman “old”. She may have been up there in years, but she was spritely, standing tall, and dressed in a kaleidoscope of colours and long flowy skirts. I instantly loved her. “How about you get me a hot cup of tea? I feel like today is going to be a good one!” She stated with a beaming smile in my direction.

  Drea skipped to the counter and got to work. “Sure thing, Miss Clove!” She chirped.

  Miss Clove moved to the table nearest me and patted the chair beside her. I noticed that she was decorated on every visible part of her body with various, mismatched jewelry. I didn
’t feel alarmed or nervous, so I decided to comply, despite that fact that I maybe should have been reciting my mother’s lessons regarding “stranger danger”. I moved to sit in the chair next to her and stumbled over one of the mismatched rugs that were scattered around the shop. She caught my arm in a surprisingly firm grasp and helped me into the chair.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re going to snap your ankle in those, my dear.” She said with mock sternness. Then she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “it’s alright though, we can hold each other up.” She winked as she lifted the bottom of her skirts to reveal some of the most adorable wedges I had ever seen. We sat there and giggled together for a moment, and then Drea was there with Miss Clove’s tea.

  “Piping hot, two sugars!” She said, placing it on the table with the same flourish that I had noted earlier. She sat down opposite us and leaned her forearms on the table. “So, what are you two old hens gossiping about?”

  Miss Clove and I looked at each other and then back at Drea. “Shoes!” We said unanimously, falling into another fit of giggles. Miss Clove sounded so young when she laughed, that I wouldn’t have guessed she was any older than I was if I had heard her voice through a curtain, or any other device preventing face-to-face interaction.

  I wiped little tears from my eyes. “Miss Clove saved my life while you were off slacking.”

  Miss Clove gasped and placed a heavily decorated hand over her heart. “Darling, Andrea here calls me ‘Miss Clove’ because her parents are apparently set in their ways, but you may call me Clove. I’m not nearly as old as I look, so there’s no need for formalities.” She put her hand over mine on the table and gave me a small smile while Drea rolled her eyes and propped her chin on her hand, feigning boredom.

  I took a moment to wonder if this was normal for little towns, or if I just happened to be that approachable. I met Drea maybe twenty minutes ago and Clove probably five minutes ago, but they were both acting as though it was perfectly normal to dance around, sit, and talk with a complete stranger. I mean, I did it for a living, but that was different… Wasn’t it?