Read Online A Taste of Sin by Fiona Zedde - Free Book Online Page B

abandoned by the rest of the family, and treated them both to a towering strawberry shortcake and ice cream concoction.
    Dez spread her fingers wide over the stone steps leading up to Aunt Paul’s tomb and refocused on the reason she and Claudia was at the cemetery so late at night.
    “You told Derrick about the cancer.” It wasn’t a question.
    “Yes.” Claudia’s eyes flickered away and she briefly looked ashamed. “He was here and I thought he could handle it better.”
    “Since he’s a lawyer and everything?” She didn’t bother to hide her sarcasm.
    “Darling, don’t.”
    Dez took a breath. “It’s hard not to. Not when you kept something so important from me and I had to find out by stupid accident.”
    “I guess that means that you were destined to find out.”
    “Otherwise known as ‘you shouldn’t keep important things like that from your children, no matter how incompetent you think they are.’ ” Tears burned, but she bent and poured some tea for herself, making the preparation of it slow so that by the time she looked up, the threat of tears was gone. “How could you trust Derrick over me? I’m not reliable enough? What would have happened if you had died when I was on the road?”
    “I was preparing myself to tell you.”
    “And after all this preparation, when would you have finally let me know?”
    Again, Claudia looked away.
    Dez shook her head. This was so fucking hard. “Every night I dream about you dying.”
    “I thought I was doing the right thing, letting you be free without having to worry about me. I thought that you would only come back to Miami if you knew.”
    “And I did. I’m here for you.”
    “You’ve always been, darling. I just don’t want you to be here because of some misguided notion of filial loyalty. I don’t want you to give up your life for me.”
    “I’m not, Mama. There’s nothing—”
    A beam of light cut through their darkness. “What are you two doing here?”
    The official-sounding voice made Dez glance up sharply. “Take the light out of our faces and I might tell you.” She put up a hand to block the light.
    Across from her, Claudia quietly put her teacup down on the marble steps of the tomb and squinted up at the officers. “Is it against the law to visit loved ones in the cemetery?” she asked quietly. The light on her face moved away.
    “Do you have ID?”
    Dez cursed.
    “Keep your hands where I can see them, sir.”
    “Desiree, please don’t antagonize these people.” Her mother’s voice was low with warning.
    “Can I see your identification?” Dez said, standing up and keeping her hands in plain sight. Despite her annoyance at whoever these two assholes were, she was no fool. The beam from the flashlight went south, down her body, following the stark lines outlined by her white T-shirt, black leather jacket, and black jeans; then it fell away.
    “It’s not safe for two women to be out so late, especially in the cemetery.”
    The smaller officer made a vague gesture with his flashlight. “You ladies might want to do your visiting in the daytime.” His gravelly Southern accent threatened to scrape her nerves raw. “Vandals and other undesirables have been known to come through here at night. We’re just looking out for your interests.”
    His partner only nodded, looking grim in her dark uniform. Why would anyone need to wear sunglasses in the pitch black of night?
    Everyone exchanged IDs and thanked one another. Then the officers escorted the women to their vehicles. Dez thanked them again with a meaningful look. The officers didn’t budge.
    “I’ll be fine, love. Call me when you get home, okay?”
    “Okay.” She waited until her mother pulled off in her little convertible before she got on her bike and cruised out of the cemetery, ignoring the twin stares at her back.
     
    She didn’t call when she got back home. It was after three and she was exhausted. Tomorrow, she promised herself. But the day came and went.