Bad Influence (Seven Deadly Sins #2) ✅ Completed

Chapter Five: The Crawford Residence

The Crawford Residence

“Thanks for the ride, Mr. Crawford,” I said, unbuckling my seat belt as Chase’s dad pulled into his driveway. He threw his work truck in park in his driveway, but didn’t bother to turn off the ignition. When I’d walked into the hardware store looking for Chase, Justin, his dad, had been minding the store on his own. He’d offered to give me a ride to their house when he ran out to make a delivery. I readily agreed and waited for him to finish loading up the bed of his vehicle with concrete mix. It took a little longer than expected, but the last thing I needed was to have Dante give me a lift.

Chase was not a Dante fan. Something had happened between them years ago. I didn’t know what exactly but it was enough to make Chase wary of anything Dante-related. The fight between the two at the Gift Emporium several days ago didn’t help the situation any. Dante seemed convinced Chase didn’t remember much, but the last thing I wanted to do was jog any recent memories loose – especially the one where he’d attacked me a few minutes after Dante had left him seemingly unconscious while he ran out to take care of a some loose ends.

Thankfully Dante had returned before Chase could really hurt me but it was not something I wanted either one of us to revisit. It hadn’t been Chase’s fault – not the true Chase. It was the sin he carried inside him that had turned him into a raving, sex-crazed lunatic. The very sin that I was now carrying around like some unwanted monkey on my back, only worse since this monkey had the power to turn me into a sex-crazed lunatic too, only I wouldn’t be obsessed with Chase. Oh no. Lust had set its sights on Dante and I couldn’t think of a worse person to become even more obsessed about.   

“Sure thing, Eliza,” Justin smiled at me before his eyes grew a little concerned. The cab of the truck was spacious but there was a feeling in the air, of words yet unspoken, words that were definitely going to come out whether I liked it or not. Knowing Chase’s dad had something he wanted to tell me made the inside of the truck feel a lot smaller. I touched the handle of the door just as he exhaled and spoke, “I think Chase will appreciate you coming by to check on him. He hasn’t been feeling so well these last couple of days.”

“I can imagine,” I nodded solemnly. Chase had most definitely had a rough week, mostly thanks to me. The guilt I was feeling over it all was astronomical.  

Justin turned to face me as he continued, “Eliza, I just want you to know that I knew your mother once, a long time ago…you remind me of her in some ways.”

I shifted uneasily in the leather seat but kept my mouth shut. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to really like anything that came next but it wasn’t like me to hide from the truth, even if it was a painful one.

“She was smart, lovely, and had a heart as big as the moon,” he smiled remembering. “I’m not ashamed to say she had me wrapped around her little finger quicker than I could spit.” He laughed as he shook his head. Justin glanced at me once more and I felt as if he could see right through me. I felt my heart rate kick up a notch as he continued, “But she wasn’t very strong. There was something about this town, about her aunt...your mother…she needed someone to protect her in some ways. I tried but it wasn’t enough. I don’t think she thought I was strong enough to help her…”His voice trailed off for a moment.

“Mr. Crawford, I don’t…” But I didn’t get to finish my thought since he spoke right over me.

“You got iron in you, girl,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s true, you remind me of your mother in some ways but you got something that’s all you, something that’s strong enough to survive whatever it was that scared your mother right out of Blackwater.”