Sinners 01 - Branded Read Online Free PDF

find Cole leaning
     against the wall, almost asleep. His usual stern expression melts away as he nods
     forward and catches himself. Blinking back sleep, he looks around, eyes me, and retires
     back to his room, shutting the door completely this time.
    I lie back down on my mattress, breathing deeply to calm myself, and then curl up
     like a kitten. The heavy fingers of rest push my eyelids down only to be interrupted
     by an unfamiliar voice. Half asleep, I think the voice comes from within my dream,
     but when it repeats itself, I startle into consciousness.
    “Skank! We know you’re in there,” says a screechy voice.
    “Slut! Open the door,” says a second voice. “We’ve been dreaming about touching you
     all night… We promise to be gentle.” They laugh.
    I sit up, my heart pounding against my chest, and press against the wall. Do I sit
     tight or call Cole? Their hands fiddle with the door, and I swallow hard, trying to
     decide what to do.
    “I’m gonna ride you till the sun comes—”
    “Leave!” Cole’s voice demands from the other side of my door. “Now.”
    The men chuckle. “Oh, I almost forgot,” the deep voice says with sarcasm. “The guards
     get the first lay… How could we forget? Damn, she must be number—”
    “Get the hell out of here before I smash in your skulls,” Cole says.
    “All right… all right… chill… Just be sure to let us know when she’s back on the market.”
     Their laughter fades away. “That body of hers is to die for.”
    The door opens from the main hallway, and I shrink into the shadows, but instead of
     strangers, Cole walks in. He gives me a tired look of annoyance as he places a small
     paper bag onto my windowsill.
    “Out of all the sins, you had to go and pick lust?”
    His question irritates me. I have to swallow the dry lump in my throat before I can
     answer. “You know nothing about me.”
    “Well, then, enlighten me.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and cocks his head.
     “If I’m supposed to keep these lunatics off you, then I deserve an answer.”
    “Why? No one else believes me.” I breathe deep, trying to stem the tide of emotions
     that surge over me. “When you look at me… like everyone else, you see nothing but
     blue.”
    His eyes dart to the floor. “What happened to you?” His question catches me off-balance
     and the muscles in my neck tighten. I wrap my arms around myself, waiting for the
     darkness.
     
    I’m in a closet. Waiting, waiting, waiting. What I’m waiting for is always the unknown.
     The sharp stab in the pit of my stomach causes me to double over. I feel his presence.
     I hear his breathing. I want to run, but there’s nowhere to go. I want to scream,
     but no one can hear me.
    And there’s my mother, standing in her sequined dress, decorated in that gaudy jewelry
     he bought her. She’s jealous of me for some warped reason. I’d give anything to change
     the past—to be free of this pain. I never wanted to be the focus of my stepfather’s
     attention—his adoration. I’ve done nothing wrong, but my mother doesn’t see it that
     way. She wants me dead. He wants me alive so he can control me.
     
    “Snap out of it!” Cole’s voice brings me back. My hands shake as I rub my eyes and
     crawl onto my mattress. “Geez, I only asked what happened to you and you go all psycho
     on me.”
    I take a deep breath. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I’ll never tell anyone
     about it again, especially you.”
    Cole stares at me with a knowing look and raises his eyebrow. “Let me see if I can
     remember… My report says you were caught having premarital sex and your partner jumped
     out of your window. But you refused to turn him in.” His voice sounds inquisitive.
     “Leaving you the only one to brand for the sin.”
    “Believe what you want,” I say with a shaky voice. I’ve never been good at masking
     my emotions, although I try really hard.
    “So, you’re not gonna defend