Chapter 55: A thousand galaxies

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice low as my eyes darted across both of his. "Why do you still want to..."

"Shhh," he said, his long, slender finger resting on my lips. When he spoke again, his voice was a mere caress against my skin, so low I knew not even someone else who was in the same room would be able to hear. "I am seeing a connection somewhere, but I am not sure where. I need to know. From the man in my daughter's room to Aldo's sudden death..."

"I thought you already killed the man who did that?"

"Yes, but that does not make them the root causes. Aldo's sudden death... you think anyone in this city would be stupid enough to assume I wanted him dead when I had several chances to do it myself?"

I swallowed hard, that picture that I had lost flashing in the back of my mind. If only I could tell him about it. Maybe I should. Maybe this was the right time.

"Sin, I..."

He met my eyes, his hand resting on the wall above me as his body gently met mine, further placing me back on the wall, keeping me glued to his body and the wall at the same time.

"The envelope..." I trailed off, my chest heaving. "The envelope that...."

A sudden knock came on the door, causing me to jolt a little. I turned to the door, just as Sin put his hand under my chin and pulled my face back to him.

I didn't have the time to process what was happening, before the door suddenly opened, and Sin covered my face, his head cocking to the right, his lips hovering a mere half inch away from mine, his eyes holding mine in place.

I felt my breath leave me, my knees buckling as I slowly held his shirt, trying to keep my hands in place.

"Appeasing the mistress, I see," came Alejandro's voice from the door. "I was worried and didn't mean to barge in. I apologize."

Sin only nodded but didn't move, and I heard the man's chuckle as he closed the door, leaving us again. For a while, neither of us moved, and I found my hands slowly moving up Sin's arm to gently cup his neck.

My fingers fit the manly curves of his neck, so beautifully that for a split second, I believed I was always meant to be there.

"This isn't the right time," he whispered, but it felt like he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince me. "This isn't the right time," he said again, then pulled away, but I could see the deep resistance setting in his eyes, the reluctance, the need that matched my own and made me forget all about what I was going to say.

"We should go back," he said again, pushing his fingers through his hair. "We still have a bit more to do."

I nodded almost manically, my hand solely coming to rest above my heart. It was going wild, and I bit down on my lips, sighing a little.

Slowly, Sin led the way to the door and opened it, then turned to me, his calm slowly returning, but I could see the small dent in his armour, in his ice.

I couldn't believe I had put that there.

I walked slowly to the door and exited it, and I felt Sin come behind me, his hand gently resting in the small of my back. I turned to him, and his expression had solidified to his normal one, his eyes dark.

"I apologize, gentlemen."

"Oh, we understand," Alejandro said, laughing. "Our women will come first, no matter what."

"Not in business," Sin said as he led me to sit in his chair again, solidifying his earlier stance of investing. "If we already have an agreement, Alejandro, I believe you could excuse us now."

"For sure, Sin. Thank you very much. And madam, your husband has made a great choice. You should trust him."

"I trust my husband," I said, as Alejandro started to grab a briefcase from the table. "I have seen countless snakes try to bite his feet because that is the only way they know how to get to him. So I know how good he is at defanging."

Sin gave a small laugh as he straightened, then let his hand rest protectively on my shoulder, his head slightly raised, his eyes thin.

Alejandro didn't seem too fazed, however, and I knew it was probably because he thought he had an edge over Sin already since Sin had already agreed to give him the money.

"Yes, madam." There was a mocking undertone in his voice, but no one replied to him as he walked away, his chuckle reaching my ears right before he stepped out of the room.

There was steely silence for a long minute, with Sin's fingers gently moving against my shoulder.

"I do not trust him, Sin," a man suddenly spoke up from the very end of the table.

I turned to Sin, who didn't look too surprised.

"I know," Sin said simply.

"But why are you giving him the money?"

"I have my reasons," Sin said, fixing his jacket. "I am not stupid."

"We know, Sim, but..."

"Is there any news on Dante?" Sin asked, cutting them off.

There was a small pause before another man slowly cleared his throat. "Yes. He was with Callum."

Sin raised a brow. "Callum, is it? Is Dante planning to run?"

"You guessed that right. He has been selling the remaining drugs and tainted gallery pieces on a lowkey, probably scraping money. Why do you ask? Do you have something with him?"

Sin only shrugged. "I am thorough. Eroding the weeds from the leaves will do nothing. I sense danger somewhere, and before anything happens to me or my family or my money, I need to end things first."

"Do you need to know when they are leaving?"

Sin nodded, leaning to the table. "I want to know what Dante is doing, with as much precision as possible, and what Callum is doing to help. And Micheal?"

"Yes, Sin?"

Sin gave a sigh. "When Alejandro and his so-called boss come to my house tomorrow, tap into them."

Micheal nodded, and Sin sighed, turning to me. His eyes looked slightly worried, and I instinctively held his hand. I didn't expect him to appreciate it, but he immediately held me back, his eyes holding mine.

I gave him a smile, one that was meant to comfort him and offer a difference from all of the grim faces on the table.

Slowly, the edges of his lips pulled back, and he smiled too, a smile that reached his eyes and gave them a light that could compete with a thousand galaxies.