Read Online Bound by the Past by Mari Carr - Free Book Online

fellow leaders to life.
    “Rex stayed behind at Cassandra’s insistence.” Jon recalled the conversation he’d overheard the night she left. “They didn’t know it was you. Cassandra assured Rex they’d catch the infiltrator and be back in business in a matter of days. I think she knew the end was in sight. Rex was her fall guy.” It still made him sick to his stomach to think of his mother’s heartless betrayal. She’d sold Rex Thomas down the river to save her faithless neck and Rex, fool that he was, had swallowed her lies like candy.
    “You weren’t to blame for Sarah’s death,” Jon added quietly. That blame lay solely on his shoulders—and it was the one secret he’d never told another living soul, not even Night.
    “Neither were you.” His mentor seemed determined to have the last word on the subject and, unwilling to discuss it further, Jon let the subject drop.
    “What happens when Carly starts to ask questions about your past?”
    “Like a dog with a bone, aren’t you? She doesn’t need to know anything about that.” His voice wavered as he spoke. Fact was, Carly was inquisitive and she did deserve to know what kind of man she was getting involved with, but he couldn’t tell her the truth. The whole truth.
    “You would lie to the woman you love for the rest of your life? How do you expect to keep something like that up?”
    “For Carly,” Jon insisted, “I can do anything. Even lie.” Despite the strength of his conviction, Reilly’s words echoed in his conscience. Could he lie to her? Forever?
    “And what happens if Cassandra calls you? There’s a good chance she will, you know. She still believes you were true to her cause until the end. That you are the son she raised in her image. She’ll want you with her in this venture.”
    “And when I turn her down, she’ll call Night. He was there beside me all the way, and as Rex’s son, she’ll see the potential in involving him. You know as well as I do, he’s praying he gets the call.”
    “You were partners in that dungeon, Jon. Cassandra won’t be happy with only one of you. She’ll want the pair.”
    His temper rose again. “She’ll have to make do. I’m not throwing away everything I’ve worked so hard for. I really don’t give a shit about Cassandra Walker. As far as I’m concerned, she’s dead.”
    Reilly shook his head. He could see that, as far as his former boss was concerned, this conversation was far from finished. “Dammit. We need your help to crack this case. Night can’t go in there alone. It’s too dangerous. I agree with one thing you’ve said tonight. It is time to move on. Stop wallowing in self-recriminations and guilt. Bring down Cassie and it all goes away.”
    “Don’t you think I wish that was true? But it’s not, Reilly. You’ve been dangling that fucking forgiveness carrot in front of our noses for years. Solve this case and all your sins will be absolved. Fuck that! Maybe Cassandra goes to jail. What happens when five or ten years from now, another former cult member crawls out of the woodwork and starts wreaking havoc? I’m bound to my past forever. There is no escape.”
    “You’re wrong. Cassie is it. She’s the end.”
    “She won’t let us back in as easily as you think, Reilly. Cassandra trusts no one. Not even me or Night. You know that. She’ll demand a test of our loyalty.”
    “She’ll ask us to train one of the women sexually as proof we’re still committed to her, that we’re not averse to joining her in her life of crime.” Night’s words came from the stairs. He glanced over and noticed his friend had helped himself to a pair of his sweatpants and a T-shirt. “If she’s starting up some sort of prostitution ring, she’ll definitely use sex as the test.”
    “We don’t know for sure that anything sexual is going on in there. It could be just what the sign says—a retreat.” Even as he spoke the words, Jon knew them for the farce they were.
    Night didn’t