Saved by Sin [Paladin Protection Agency 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Susan Hayes Read Free Book Online

because they wouldn’t listen to him. Not ever again.
    Her eyes widened slightly, and she didn’t answer right away. When she finally nodded in agreement, he felt the knot in his chest loosen. “I’ll do as you say. No arguments.” She flashed him a half smile, but behind it, he sensed a new wariness.
    “But before you agree to help me, you should probably know what I was running from.” She took a deep breath and then blurted out, “What do you know about ghosts?”
    “What?” He knew he was staring at her, but he couldn’t help it. Had she just said ghosts? “What do you mean, ghosts? This might go better if you started at the beginning, baby.”
    She took a slow breath, before saying, “I thought maybe I was losing my mind, but you heard it, too, and if you did, then we’re both hearing the voice of a dead man.”
    “That can’t be the beginning,” he pointed out as he tidied up the towels and repacked the first aid kit. “I’m going to put this away, and when I come back you can explain what the hell is going on, and why you think we’re hearing a dead man talk.”
     
    * * * *
     
    She watched him leave the room, unable to tear her eyes away from his beautifully sculpted back and the lines of muscles that vanished into the waistband of his gray track pants.
    He’d come running to her rescue half-dressed, and she was going to reward him by dragging him into the nightmare her life seemed to have become. It didn’t seem fair, but she didn’t have much choice. It had taken everything she had to get away from Robert when he was alive, and she had no idea at all how she was going to escape from his ghost.
    Sinjin returned with two opened bottles of beer and handed her one with an apologetic shrug. “I don’t have much in the way of supplies, and I figured we could both use a drink.” He kicked off his shoes and went around to the far side of the bed, stretching out on his side with his head propped up on one elbow as he faced her. “Come here, sweetheart, and tell me what you think is happening to you.”
    She took a drink of the beer and rearranged herself beneath the quilt so she was facing him, her position mirroring his. “Until a month ago I was living with someone. When I left… he, well, let’s just say he didn’t take it well. He was rich, arrogant, and used to getting his way. He had a really bad temper.” Her mouth went dry as she recalled just what Robert’s temper had been like. She took several quick swallows of her beer before she started speaking again, part of her noting with surprise that her hands were shaking as she held the bottle to her lips.
    “He hurt you?” Sinjin’s voice was soft, but there was something about his expression, a gleam in his eye that made her feel certain he didn’t like hearing she’d been hurt.
    “He hurt me,” she confirmed simply, a nightmare’s share of memories summed up in those three short words. “He’d hurt me, and then I’d try to leave and he’d always be so apologetic, so sorry. He always promised me he’d never do it again. He’d swear that he’d get help, that he loved me. He always found me. Always wore me down. And I always went back to him. I was such a fool.” Anger rose up in her again as she talked. She was angry at him for the lies, and at herself for believing them.
    “No one deserves to be treated that way.” Sinjin reached out and took her hand, his strong fingers curling around hers, offering comfort.
    “No, they don’t. I finally realized that he was never going to change, and I started planning a proper escape. It took me some time to arrange everything. I worked at one of his companies, so I needed a new job. I had to find a new place to live, somewhere he wouldn’t know to look for me. I went to see a lawyer and found out what I should do to get a restraining order, how to protect myself legally, the works. I even ditched the cell phone he paid for. He’d tracked me down with it before so I knew I had