All Chapters of Sanctified Sin: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

He saw him.Didn’t react. Not right away.Just sipped his coffee on the front porch like he did every Sunday morning, legs stretched out, Eden’s oldest muttering something about Lego pieces inside, and the girls squabbling over which animal mug to use.But his eyes?They never left the silver pickup parked three houses down.Dusty.He sat behind the wheel like a man watching a movie he used to star in—smug, bitter, and just far enough away to pretend it wasn’t intentional. Like maybe he thought he was invisible. Like maybe he didn’t realize that Callum knew exactly what it looked like when someone was pretending not to watch.Callum didn’t move. Just studied him from over the rim of his mug, letting the burn of the coffee keep his temper down.This wasn’t the house Eden shared with Dusty. That place was gone—left behind with everything else she’d peeled off like old skin. This one was hers. Quiet. Small. Full of mismatched furniture, burned pancakes, and kids who knew how to make chao

Eden agreed to meet at the park. Neutral ground. Middle of the afternoon. Plenty of families. Plenty of witnesses.She told herself it was for the kids.Told herself it was okay. That it was just one visit.Dusty had texted the night before:“I just want to see them. No drama. Let’s meet somewhere public. You can bring whoever you want.”She had stared at the message for over an hour before replying.“1 hour. No pickups. Public space only.”And now here she was. Watching her children play in the mulch-covered playground while Dusty leaned against the picnic table like he hadn’t missed a damn thing.He wore his old baseball cap backwards, a too-white t-shirt clinging to him like a fresh persona. He brought juice boxes and gummies, like a walking cliché of fatherly effort. He squatted to talk to Beckett like he knew his favorite superhero, but mispronounced it twice. Katie offered him a dandelion and he called her “sweetheart” like it meant something.And Eden sat six feet away, her arm

The house was still.Too still.Eden lay awake in the dark, her cheek pressed to Callum’s chest, her body curved into his like it had been shaped to fit there. The quiet wasn’t peaceful. It wasn’t the kind that lulled you into sleep.It was thick. Heavy. The kind of quiet that made your own thoughts sound too loud.She’d spent years living in silences like this. Only back then, it was because Dusty had slammed a door. Because she’d said too much or not enough. Because every sound risked waking the beast.But tonight was different.The man beneath her didn’t radiate danger. He didn’t grip or demand or expect. Callum’s arm was draped loosely around her, his chest rising and falling in the even rhythm of a man at ease.And yet… her heart wouldn’t settle.⸻“You awake?” Callum’s voice was low, sleep-rough.“Yeah.”“You’re overthinking.”“Always.” She hesitated. “I can’t shut it off.”“You don’t have to.” His thumb brushed absentmindedly across her shoulder. “Just let it run out.”But it w

The clock on the wall ticked louder than usual.Or maybe it only felt that way because Eden couldn’t stop hearing his voice in her head.Tick tock, Edie.She sat cross-legged on the couch, staring at her phone like it might spit out another threat. Callum was pacing near the window, his gaze sweeping the street every few seconds.“Still nothing,” he muttered.Eden nodded absently, her thumb rubbing the edge of her phone. She hated this waiting—the quiet before impact, the pause before a predator struck.“I should’ve called the police already,” she said.“You don’t have to justify anything,” Callum said, his voice steady but tight. “This isn’t paranoia. This is him testing you. Testing us.”Eden’s lips pressed into a thin line. “He’s always testing. Always pushing. He’s not going to stop.”Callum finally stilled, turning to face her fully. His jaw flexed once before he crossed the room and knelt in front of her, his hands covering hers.“Then we push back.”Something in his tone sent a

The house creaked with movement—pipes ticking, walls settling, wind pushing against the eaves. It wasn’t silent. Not anymore. Every sound made Eden’s skin prickle, every shadow in the corner of her vision felt like it was holding its breath.She stood at the kitchen sink staring out into the black yard, her reflection faint in the glass. Beyond that—nothing but trees, swaying in the wind. No headlights. No movement. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was out there, watching.The kids’ sound machine hummed faintly down the hall, a soft rush of static that should have been comforting. It wasn’t. It felt like a thin barrier between them and whatever waited outside.Behind her, Callum’s boots scuffed against the floorboards. He wasn’t trying to be quiet—he never did—but she knew him well enough now to hear the difference in his pace. Measured. Heavy. The walk of a man coiled tight and ready to spring.She didn’t turn as he came into the kitchen. She kept her eyes fixed on the