Read Online Darkest Fire by Tawny Taylor - Free Book Online Page A

slight tremors and her eyes had cleared that Rin looked in the narrow, dingy corridor for her husband.
    “He’s outside waiting,” Lei answered as she dragged the back of her hand across her face. “He said he wanted to give us some time. Privacy. Who is he? A detective?”
    “Not exactly.” Uneasy about Lei’s line of questioning, and hoping her sister wouldn’t be upset once she found out exactly how Rin had managed to free her, Rin admitted, “He’s my husband.”
    Lei’s gaze dropped to Rin’s left hand. Her expression sobered. She took Rin’s fingertips in hers and lifted to get a closer look at the ring. “You’re married? Really? I’ve missed so much. Your wedding.”
    “You won’t miss anything else. I promise.”
    Lei glanced up, rewarded her with a small smile, no doubt the best she could produce after living in hell for twelve months. “Then whose apartment is this?”
    “It was mine. I was just. . . moving some last-minute things.”
    Lei stepped into the dinky, sparsely furnished living room. “How long ago were you married?”
    “Not long.” She avoided Lei’s gaze.
    “What are you keeping from me?” Lei turned slowly. “You’re here in Detroit, not back home. Living in this dump . . . why?”
    “I had to find you. I’d do anything for you.”
    “Anything? How long have you known him? Where did you meet him? How long were you dating?” Lei strolled around the living room, checking tabletops, bookshelves. “Where are the pictures of you two together?”
    “Um. . .”
    “You were just married—when, today? Where’s your dress? Your flowers?”
    “Well . . .”
    “Rin, what’s going on?” Lei glared at her and stomped back across the living room, halting directly in front of Rin.
    Rin wanted to lie, but she knew it would be no use. If Lei was going to live with her, she’d figure it out soon enough. “We sort of struck an agreement.”
    “Rin!” Lei smacked her hands over her face.
    Rin grabbed her sister’s wrists and tried to pull her hands away from her face. “It’s no different from what grandmother did so many years ago. And her mother before her.”
    “It’s no different from what mother did to me.” Lei’s shoulders shook as she began crying again.
    “No, no, no, Lei! Oh, God, please don’t be upset. It’s not the same.” Rin dragged one of Lei’s hands down and stared into the one eye that was uncovered. “That man out there is a good, honest person. He’s nothing like the bastard mother sold you to. He’s not going to hurt me, sell me to someone else, or abuse me. And I went into the deal willingly. I had a choice.”
    Lei murmured something, her voice so soft, Rin couldn’t make out the words. Lei lifted a shaking hand, pressing fingertips to her lips. “I can’t believe this. You bought my freedom by selling yours.”
    “I got you away from criminals. I saved you from what had to be a living hell. And I did it by agreeing to become a man’s wife, not his slave.”
    “I don’t know. . . .” Lei dragged the back of her hand across her face.
    “There’s no going back now. What’s done is done,” Rin said, for both their sakes.
    “If he were such a good person, would he keep you to your promise after learning why you did it?”
    That was a good point, but one Rin couldn’t allow herself to dwell on. “Look, Lei, I don’t think it’s going to be hard to make the best of the situation. You saw him. He’s a very handsome man. He’s wealthy. And he was kind enough to walk into what might have been a dangerous situation to free you. That right there tells you something important about him.”
    Lei chewed on her lip while Rin went to her room to get the last box of her belongings and set it on the floor next to the door. “How long have you known him?”
    “Long enough.”
    “I hope so.”
    Rin gave her visibly troubled sister another hug. “I’ll be okay. We’ll be okay. Now that we’re together, and you’re free from that