Read Online Sinners 01 - Branded by Abi Ketner, Missy Kalicicki - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Abi Ketner, Missy Kalicicki
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and gasp for breath.
I keep my head down and try not to ogle him. It’s hard, really freaking hard. He has
the most defined chest, arms, and abdomen I’ve ever seen. Until this moment, I thought
of him only as my guard, but seeing him standing there half-naked makes me extremely
uncomfortable. I stop laughing and squirm under the weight of his eyes.
“I’m going to change and get some sleep,” he says.
“Yeah, me too,” I say, eager to get out from under his stare.
“I’ll see you first thing,” he says as he walks into his room.
“See ya.” Confusion takes over. At first, he seemed stoic and cold. But now, he seems…
human. Guards aren’t supposed to be human. They’re supposed to suck the life out of
sinners and enforce the laws of the commander. And yet he already saved my life twice.
Even if it’s his job, it seems hardly worth the trouble. I shake the thoughts from
my head.
I just can’t win. For one, I can never be alone. But the second reason, the one I
don’t want to admit, begins to torture me more…
Sleep eludes me. I need a release, so I pick up another piece of chalk.
CHAPTER 5
The screaming sound of the alarm wakes me. How long have I been asleep? The light filters through the window and I rub my eyes as they struggle to adjust.
An instant burn shoots through my shoulders as I prop myself to a sitting position.
I should’ve known I’d feel like this.
Two knocks bring me to my feet.
“Are you decent?” Cole peeks around the door.
“I guess so,” I say while throwing my hair into a messy ponytail.
Good thing because he certainly didn’t give me any time to get dressed.
I’m shoving my shirt into my pants when he struts in, staring at me. He gives me a
sly smile that melts into complete shock when he focuses on the walls of my room.
“What the hell is that?” He points at my wall.
“What?” I play ignorant.
“You know exactly what.”
“Oh, that. I could’ve sworn I told you I wanted to decorate.”
“I didn’t think you’d actually draw on your freaking walls,” he says.
“Do you have a better idea?” His face remains hard. “Don’t worry. It washes right
off.”
Please don’t make me.
He pauses, tracing the wall with his fingertips. “So you like the forest and the beach?”
“Not just any forest or beach. That’s the forest I grew up in before moving to High
Society, and that’s the beach I was named after—Lexington Bay.” I avoid eye contact
and point to the beach. “But this one’s definitely my favorite. The turquoise water
is crystal clear with bright, beautiful fish and soft, powder-white sand that goes
on for miles. It’s breathtaking, don’t you think?” I ask, getting lost in my memories.
Cole stares with his mouth slightly parted and his top lip curls up slightly at the
corner. He probably thinks I’m a lunatic.
“You’re telling me a place like that really exists?” He cocks his head and puts his
hands on his hips. “Where I come from, we have mountains stretching for miles, but
never have I seen a beach like this.”
I smile. “It’s farther south somewhere. My parents went there for their honeymoon
and it’s all they talked about for years. So you can imagine why I have such a detailed
picture tattooed in my head. My father said when I was born he looked into my eyes
and was lost in Lexington Bay.”
“Leave it… for now. Who taught you how to draw?”
“Myself.”
“Huh?”
“You asked me how I learned to draw—I taught myself.”
“Oh, right. Really? Damn, that’s pretty impressive. You’ve got talent.”
“No. Not really. Just a good memory, that’s all.” I don’t take compliments well. I
never have and especially not from a guard.
“We have to leave in about ten minutes. Think you can be ready by then?”
I spin around. “I am ready.”
He rubs the back of his neck. “No. Mentally ready.”
“That’s impossible. Death waits for
I keep my head down and try not to ogle him. It’s hard, really freaking hard. He has
the most defined chest, arms, and abdomen I’ve ever seen. Until this moment, I thought
of him only as my guard, but seeing him standing there half-naked makes me extremely
uncomfortable. I stop laughing and squirm under the weight of his eyes.
“I’m going to change and get some sleep,” he says.
“Yeah, me too,” I say, eager to get out from under his stare.
“I’ll see you first thing,” he says as he walks into his room.
“See ya.” Confusion takes over. At first, he seemed stoic and cold. But now, he seems…
human. Guards aren’t supposed to be human. They’re supposed to suck the life out of
sinners and enforce the laws of the commander. And yet he already saved my life twice.
Even if it’s his job, it seems hardly worth the trouble. I shake the thoughts from
my head.
I just can’t win. For one, I can never be alone. But the second reason, the one I
don’t want to admit, begins to torture me more…
Sleep eludes me. I need a release, so I pick up another piece of chalk.
CHAPTER 5
The screaming sound of the alarm wakes me. How long have I been asleep? The light filters through the window and I rub my eyes as they struggle to adjust.
An instant burn shoots through my shoulders as I prop myself to a sitting position.
I should’ve known I’d feel like this.
Two knocks bring me to my feet.
“Are you decent?” Cole peeks around the door.
“I guess so,” I say while throwing my hair into a messy ponytail.
Good thing because he certainly didn’t give me any time to get dressed.
I’m shoving my shirt into my pants when he struts in, staring at me. He gives me a
sly smile that melts into complete shock when he focuses on the walls of my room.
“What the hell is that?” He points at my wall.
“What?” I play ignorant.
“You know exactly what.”
“Oh, that. I could’ve sworn I told you I wanted to decorate.”
“I didn’t think you’d actually draw on your freaking walls,” he says.
“Do you have a better idea?” His face remains hard. “Don’t worry. It washes right
off.”
Please don’t make me.
He pauses, tracing the wall with his fingertips. “So you like the forest and the beach?”
“Not just any forest or beach. That’s the forest I grew up in before moving to High
Society, and that’s the beach I was named after—Lexington Bay.” I avoid eye contact
and point to the beach. “But this one’s definitely my favorite. The turquoise water
is crystal clear with bright, beautiful fish and soft, powder-white sand that goes
on for miles. It’s breathtaking, don’t you think?” I ask, getting lost in my memories.
Cole stares with his mouth slightly parted and his top lip curls up slightly at the
corner. He probably thinks I’m a lunatic.
“You’re telling me a place like that really exists?” He cocks his head and puts his
hands on his hips. “Where I come from, we have mountains stretching for miles, but
never have I seen a beach like this.”
I smile. “It’s farther south somewhere. My parents went there for their honeymoon
and it’s all they talked about for years. So you can imagine why I have such a detailed
picture tattooed in my head. My father said when I was born he looked into my eyes
and was lost in Lexington Bay.”
“Leave it… for now. Who taught you how to draw?”
“Myself.”
“Huh?”
“You asked me how I learned to draw—I taught myself.”
“Oh, right. Really? Damn, that’s pretty impressive. You’ve got talent.”
“No. Not really. Just a good memory, that’s all.” I don’t take compliments well. I
never have and especially not from a guard.
“We have to leave in about ten minutes. Think you can be ready by then?”
I spin around. “I am ready.”
He rubs the back of his neck. “No. Mentally ready.”
“That’s impossible. Death waits for
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