Shades of Sins (New York Sinner Series Book 2)

28| Distraction

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Distraction

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Chapter 28: Distraction (Dante's POV)

A sigh of exhaustion escaped me as I swung the bathroom door open and stepped out into my room, rough-drying my hair with a towel before tossing that in the hamper behind me. As I grabbed a t-shirt out of my closet and tugged it over my head, I heard the doorbell ring.

Today had been a rather demanding day, but in this city and this profession, that wasn't unusual. This morning, I had to run out of Anastasia's apartment when an old client reached out, asking for help.

It wasn't a huge task, and the client had been loyal to me for the past few years, so I did the job without asking too many questions and secured my paycheck.

I'd gone to The Veil afterward to see Tristan since he was back from the trip he and Amara had taken. Since Kai invited himself to join us, I had plenty of company.

I didn't see Anastasia much or at all today. Neither one of us went to work, but we had our own things to do. I knew she would be at dinner with her parents tonight. Her reaction to that invitation left me slightly perplexed.

On the surface, I only knew a few things about her father since he often supervised cases and was involved with the FBI, being one of its largest investors and having a lot of connections with the government.

Something didn't sit right with me when she mentioned her family dinner. She seemed uneasy about it, almost reluctant to go. Anastasia's past had always intrigued me, but she respected my privacy enough to never question my history, so the least I could do was return the favor.

But at times like this, when something seemed to be bothering her, and I couldn't do anything to help, I realized just how little we truly knew each other. I knew Anastasia's body and mind like the back of my hand after being with her and working with her for years, but I knew nothing about her heart.

She was so hard to read, I could never know what she was thinking or feeling.

When my doorbell rang for a second time, I headed downstairs and to the front door. I wasn't anticipating anyone's arrival, but I certainly didn't expect hers. As I swung the door open and my eyes met hers, a charged beat passed between us. "What are you doing here?" I questioned, observing her.

At first glance, she looked as put together and elegant as she always did. Her hair fell over her shoulders and cascaded down her back in loose waves with a black velvet hairband sitting up top, while a black full-sleeve top hugged her tight. The golden buckle of her black leather belt went around her waist, separating her top from the black maxi skirt that stopped just above her stilettos.

She looked... perfect. Almost too perfect.

I would have missed the redness rimming her eyes if I hadn't looked hard enough or the way the tip of her nose had turned a little pink, along with the flush in her cheeks.

She let out a deep breath. "Dinner ended early," she simply said with a slight scratch to her voice. "And I didn't want to go home."

I glanced at her up and down one more time, trying to read her body language, but she stood there completely rigid. Her shoulders were lined with tension, her face had tear stains coating her cheeks that were still shiny and damp. I had so many questions itching to crawl up my throat, but I bit my tongue.