Reveling in Sin Read online

  “I’m going to marry Cricket come hell or high water, and we’re going to have a houseful of kids. Whether what Karma says is true or not, you’re risking a hell of a lot if you keep going.” Hunter’s tone leaves absolutely no room for argument, but Mrs. Havalin just can’t take the hint.

  “I can’t believe you still want to marry that girl—”

  “Woman, enough. We’re going home.” Mr. Havalin finally speaks again, and then looks at his son. “What do you want us to do? Do you want us to tell everyone the wedding is off?”

  “I need to talk to Cricket first,” Hunter replies.

  I take that as my cue. “Cricket told Whitney there won’t be a wedding tomorrow. She’d like a few days to sort everything out. I’m really sorry, man. So fucking sorry.”

  “Fuck!” Hunter turns, no doubt looking for a wall to punch.

  Surprisingly, Asa joins us and helps me try to talk Hunter down. “Give her a few days, man. Cricket can’t hold a grudge. She’s got too soft of a heart. She’s not going to let this stop you guys from having a future.”

  “I just want to fucking talk to her!” Hunter roars, and I empathize.

  I’ve been there. After the accident, all I wanted was to get to Whitney, and no one would let me. I glance at Asa, and his expression tells me he’s not going to let Hunter see Cricket unless she agrees. Fucker.

  “If she loved you enough to agree to marry you, she’s not going to shut you out for long,” Asa says.

  My best friend is going to hit the roof when he realizes he won’t have a choice. I have to tell him now.

  “They’re going to Blue House.”

  “What?” Hunter asks as he turns to face me.

  “The chopper is coming. I told her I wouldn’t be able to keep you away for long.”

  “You motherfucking—” Hunter lunges at me, and shockingly, Asa steps in the way.

  “Let her go, Havalin. Get the paternity test done. Then you’ll know where you stand. Right?”

  My friend spins around and jams his hands into his hair. “Fucking hell!”

  35

  Whitney

  The chopper touches down on the landing pad, and its lights shine out on the ocean waves crashing in the darkness beyond the sea wall. This is as far as I got last time, before Lincoln and I were called back to Gable. I’m almost afraid to set foot on the ground because of what could possibly happen this time, but for Cricket’s sake, I say nothing as we climb out. Thankfully, the torrential rain stopped halfway into our flight, and now a woman stands on the edge of the helipad and waves us over.

  “Hi!” she says over the beating rotors. “I’m Janelle. My husband and I are the caretakers here. Welcome to Blue House.”

  “Thank you so much,” I yell.

  “We’ll get your bags. Please feel free to head inside. We have light refreshments waiting for you. I’ll show you around as soon as you’ve had a chance to relax.”

  Cricket follows beside me, a stunned expression on her face as we walk toward the gorgeous house. It’s blue, as its name would suggest, but a dark grayish tone that no doubt matches the color of the ocean on stormy days.

  “Wow. This is . . . incredible,” she says as Janelle shows us to a living area with a massive picture window that must have the most incredible view of the sea during the day. A white sectional sofa forms a U shape around a table with chilled white wine, fruit, and a charcuterie board.

  “Let me know if there’s anything else at all I can get you. I’m a chef, so there’s pretty much nothing I can’t make, even when we’re low on provisions.”

  “Cricket? Is there anything specific you want?”

  My cousin shakes her head, continuing to stare out the window. “This is great. Thank you so much.”

  “You can find me in the kitchen.” Janelle points toward a doorway across the room. “Which is through there, whenever you’re ready for your tour. I’ll have your bags stowed in your rooms right now.”

  “Thank you,” I tell her again, and she disappears through the doorway she indicated moments ago.

  When we’re alone, I touch Cricket’s arm. “Do you want food?”

  I gesture to the table, falling into the hostess role easily, which should be strange, but it’s not. Even though I’ve never been in this house, I feel totally at ease.

  Lincoln was right. This place is special.

  Cricket shakes her head. “I’m not hungry. But the wine, on the other hand . . .”

  Do I think my cousin getting trashed right now is the best idea ever? No, not really, but then again, she did just find out her fiancé has two kids with her sister, who tricked him into sleeping with her.

  “All the wine for both of us,” I say.

  We make ourselves comfortable on the couch and reach for the glasses of white. The crisp, tart flavor is refreshing after the flight, and Cricket drains hers quickly and reaches for the bottle for a refill.

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her to slow down, but that’s not what we’re here for. We’re here so she can escape, and however she needs to do that is her choice. I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke out her own stash and rolled a joint right here.

  I pick at the food because it seems like a shame to let it go to waste, and wait for her to speak.

  “I guess if I had to run away from my own wedding, we could’ve picked a worse place.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cricket.” I kick off my sandals and curl my feet beneath me on the large sectional sofa. I lean into her and wrap an arm around her shoulders.

  She shakes her head. “Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do it. My sister fucked me. Or should I say, fucked me and Hunter.”

  I swallow the bile that rises in my throat at the thought. If Karma had done that to me, I’d have been hard-pressed not to shred her face with my claws. Latent jealous instincts push to the forefront when I think of her potentially putting her hands on Lincoln.

  “Actually, I should say she fucked both our men.”

  Cricket’s comment takes me aback, because I’d already forgotten to care that Karma had been cheating with Ricky—while we were married. I can’t actually muster up a single drop of jealousy to waste on that.

  Huh. So that’s the difference when you find the right man. You’re willing to go to war to keep the one you love.

  If I needed any further proof that what I have with Lincoln is completely and totally different, that would be another piece.

  But tonight isn’t about me. It’s about Cricket.

  “I know, but I still hate it most for you. Tonight and tomorrow were supposed to be everything you’ve ever wanted, and she ruined it.”

  Cricket shrugs, and I release her. “If you want to know the truth . . . it all felt wrong.” She glances away, but I catch the guilty look on her face.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The Gables, the fancy setup, all those people Mrs. Havalin invited that I didn’t know. I didn’t want that. I just wanted Hunter and me and something simple.” She pauses to take another sip. “Maybe Karma did me a favor. This wasn’t going to be the wedding of my dreams. It was turning into a nightmare. You heard how she was at the rehearsal. It was awful. It took everything I had not to run out and call it off then.”

  Guilt that I didn’t stand up sooner to Mrs. Havalin swirls in my belly. But part of me wonders if there’s something more important that Cricket isn’t saying.

  “Do you still want to get married?” I ask, and her forlorn expression crushes me. “Oh, Cricket.” I wrap both arms around her as tears tip over her lids.

  “I just let it get too far. I absolutely want to marry Hunter, if he still wants me after tonight. But not like that. It wasn’t me. But I didn’t want to give Mrs. Havalin any more reason to disapprove of me, so I just let her do what she wanted. I didn’t want to rock the boat.” She hiccups as she finishes.

  “I’m so sorry, babe. I did a terrible job standing up for you and making sure you weren’t getting steamrolled. That’s why you wa
nted me here, and I failed you.”

  Cricket shakes her head. “No, because I shouldn’t have needed someone to speak up for me. I should’ve been able to do it myself. But I was so afraid that Hunter would be disappointed in me. That he’d realize I wasn’t the person he was supposed to be with, because I was too different from what his mother wanted for him.”

  “Oh, honey. Don’t say that.” Even as I console Cricket, I can relate to her feelings perfectly. If Mrs. Riscoff were still alive, her presence would definitely impact my relationship with Lincoln.

  “All those reasons you’re giving are exactly why he loves you. And if Hunter were dumb enough to ever to listen to his mother over your express wishes, he wouldn’t deserve you.”

  My cousin looks down at her clasped hands. “I know. But I still can’t shut down that voice in my head telling me it’d be easier if we weren’t together.”

  “But would it make you happier if you weren’t together?”

  Her face lifts to mine, and sadness is etched into her features. “No. I already hate myself for running away from him, but there was no way I could stay and face everything for another minute without breaking.”

  Cricket bursts into tears again, and I hold her tight, letting her cry out all of her confusion and despair.

  “We’re going to figure it out. I promise.”

  “But if Karma’s telling the truth . . .”

  “Shhh,” I tell her as she hiccups again. “Let’s just worry about one thing at a time. You love Hunter, and he loves you. You can figure out everything else later.”

  After we finish our wine and Cricket passes out on the couch, I find a blanket and use it to cover her. I tuck myself in at the other end and pull out my phone.

  * * *

  Whitney: Bring Hunter tomorrow. Cricket needs him.

  Lincoln: I wouldn’t be able to keep him away even if I tried. Love you and miss you already.

  36

  Lincoln

  I’ve never seen Hunter so calm and controlled as I did last night when he spoke to Karma, and she basically told him that if Ricky Rango hadn’t died, she never would have told Hunter the twins were his. She was too busy collecting her payment for “child support” every month from the idiot rock star because she’d been sleeping with him on and off for ten years.

  It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to pick her up and shake her for that. How is it possible for one woman to cause so much destruction?

  And then there was Hunter’s mother. Mrs. Havalin had to be removed from the premises at The Gables under threats of being sedated after Mr. Havalin rushed her out of the room where the rehearsal dinner was being held. She left the hotel ranting that no one was allowed to jilt her son, and the entire Havalin family would be humiliated by the fact that the wedding was canceled.

  No one gave a single damn what she thought, especially her son.

  The only thing Hunter cares about is Cricket, and that has never been clearer as we approach Blue House in the chopper.

  My best friend sits across from me, his hands clenched into fists. Waves of stress roll off him, and I can’t say I blame the man. He knows he’s got the fight of his life on his hands.

  “I love her,” Hunter says, his voice hoarse. “I fucking love Cricket more than I thought I could ever love someone in my life, and I fucked it up by sleeping with her sister—when I thought I was with her.” He glances toward the window. “How can she ever forgive me for that?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t know. She loves you too, man. You both just need time to process this and figure out how to move forward.”

  “I have two fucking kids, and I didn’t know it!”

  “And Cricket loves those little girls like crazy already because they’re her nieces.”

  Hunter drops his head into his hands, his elbows braced on his knees. “And so did I, because they were her nieces. But they’re mine. Jesus, fuck. I can’t believe I have two daughters. Twin girls. And with Karma fucking Gable. You know she’s going to use them to fuck with me and Cricket, if Cricket will even see me again. Karma won’t hesitate to manipulate both of us by using them.”

  I know my friend is dead-on. Karma Gable is a narcissistic opportunist. Nothing is ever her fault. Everyone owes her something. She’ll never hesitate to use an opening, even her own children, for her own gain. That has already been proven by the way she played Rango.

  “How did I not know she wasn’t Cricket? I should’ve known.”

  “She’s a great actress, man. Trust me, I can tell you all about it. She fooled me too. I was trying to get a letter to Whitney the day of her parents’ funeral. I thought I was giving it to Cricket, but it was Karma. She deliberately misled me. This isn’t a new game for her. You didn’t have a chance.”

  “I should’ve known something was wrong. When I tried to talk to Cricket after that and she seemed confused, how could I not have picked up on it? I thought she was playing hard to get. And then when I finally manned up to try again a few years later, it should’ve occurred to me that Cricket would never have played those kinds of games. How could I have been so fucking stupid?”

  Hunter turns toward the window, but I catch the look of anguish on his face. He’s tearing himself apart over this, and there’s nothing I’ll be able to say to make him stop. Cricket is the only one who can do that.

  “Look, what happened in the past is over and done with. Now it’s time to move forward. You have two kids who need a dad, regardless of what Karma might say, and you and Cricket are going to be fine. You just have to give her a little time.”

  Over our headsets, the pilot announces our position to the tower. I know we’re almost to Blue House, where Whitney’s aware of our impending arrival, but Cricket isn’t. Which was Whitney’s idea.

  I just hope she’s right about this. I don’t want to see my friend shredded any more than he already has been. They were both victims of Karma’s scheming, and Whitney too.

  When the chopper approaches the helipad, I can see two women sitting by the pool in bikinis. One jumps up, wrapping a towel around herself. Hunter sees her too.

  We’re barely on the ground when Hunter throws open the door and vaults out of the helicopter, heading in a dead sprint toward Cricket’s shocked form.

  As I climb out, I hope like hell she isn’t going to run from him.

  She doesn’t.

  Cricket drops the towel and throws herself into Hunter’s arms, and I send up a little prayer of thanks to anyone who might be listening. As I walk over to them, Whitney rises and wraps a towel around her waist. She meets me on the path to the helipad.

  “You made it here a lot quicker than I expected.”

  “We left early. Someone was in a hurry. How is Cricket?”

  “She’s confused. Upset. Betrayed. But mostly she’s pissed at Karma and brokenhearted for Maddy and Addy that their mom has been using them to get money for all these years.”

  I pull her into my arms. “And you? How do you feel?”

  Whitney’s expression turns reflective. “I’m surprisingly a lot less upset than you would expect. I already knew Ricky was cheating. The fact that he was cheating with my own cousin . . . it’s a slap in the face, but I wouldn’t put anything past Karma anymore. If I loved him, it would’ve been a lot harder to swallow, but I’m actually pretty numb about the whole thing.”

  I press a kiss to her forehead. “I’m glad you’re not going to let it bring you down.”

  “No, but I do feel bad for the girls. They shouldn’t be used like pawns, and to find out about their dad that way . . .”

  “Brutal,” I add in agreement when she trails off.

  “Yeah. Not fair at all.”

  Ahead of us, Cricket climbs Hunter like a tree and is kissing him frantically. So frantically, it’s actually awkward to watch, but it’s better than the alternative.

  When he lowers her to the ground, she grabs his hand and drags him toward the house. Whitney and I watch as
they disappear inside.

  She presses her lips together, but the corners curve upward. “That went about as well as can be expected.”

  I laugh, because there’s nothing else to do in this situation. “Definitely.”

  I glance down at her bikini-clad body appreciatively. With everything that has happened recently, we haven’t had a chance to just be, and if Cricket and Hunter are going to hide away in the house, then I’m going to take every opportunity I have to spend time alone with Whitney.

  “You want to change into your suit?” she asks.

  While there are a lot of things I want to do with her, including get her out of her suit, right now, seeing the sunshine glint off her black hair is at the top of my list.

  “I’ve got clothes inside. Did Janelle show you to the master bedroom?”

  “This morning. We sort of passed out on the couch last night after Cricket drank a few glasses of wine.”

  I grasp Whitney’s hand, and together we walk toward the house.

  “Why did you call this Blue House?” she asks, her voice carrying a hint of shyness.

  I look down into her gorgeous blue eyes. “Why do you think, Blue?”

  Her shy smile widens. “Because you like the color?”

  “Because I love you.”

  I pull her into my chest as she wraps her arms around my neck.

  “So much that you named a house after me?”

  “It was my refuge. Just like you were,” I say, then correct myself. “Just like you are.”

  “I love it, by the way. But not as much as I love you.”

  37

  Whitney

  It takes us a couple of hours to re-emerge from Lincoln’s bedroom, and when we do, both of us are smiling. The noise from Cricket’s room finally quieted, but it’s safe to say that she and Hunter have made up, and will find a way to work this out.

  Janelle sets out lunch on the terrace by the pool, and Lincoln and I settle into the chairs. The view from every single place I’ve stood on this island and in the house is absolutely incredible. It’s truly a place that I could see us coming to for years. Our own safe haven away from the world where we can forget everything and just enjoy each other.