Sick Remedies (Pretty Lies, Ugly Truths Duet Book 2)

by Natalie Bennett

  “That’s not right. She’s still your--.”

  “She was never my friend. And if you defend what she did, neither were you. Jesus Christ. We’re not talking about some boy I had a crush on, or even Mickey. We’re talking about my dad. The selfish asshole who raised me!” I stood from the chair, sending it sailing into the wall.

  Emery flinched, taking a step backward. It made me want to wring her damn neck. Clearly, I wasn’t as capable as I thought because I wasn’t ready to deal with this yet. It wasn’t simply because someone I considered a friend had been doing god knows what with my father.

  I just…

  I missed him so damn much.

  I hated him too, more than I’d ever hated anyone. I needed him to tell me what to do and he wasn’t here. No one was here that could help me. I’d always been alone on some level, carrying a sense of not belonging, but never like this.

  I didn’t want a pity party or to feel sorry for myself, but it would’ve been nice to have someone I could talk to, share my problems and secrets with. At this point, I didn’t have the friends I thought I did, and the first man I fell for came with a whole cesspool of problems.

  I jammed the palms of my hands into my eyes, rubbing furiously and trying not to cry.

  “Nono,” Emery stressed, sounding as helpless as I felt. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how.”

  “I know, but I—I can’t talk about this with you. Okay? Not now.”

  “So, let’s not talk right now. We just drove for, like, ever. I’m sure we’re both tired and I’m starving. Are you hungry?”

  At the mention of food, my stomach replied with a tiny cry for help. Scrubbing my hands over my face, I smoothed down my hair and nodded, pretending that mini break down didn’t just happen.

  “I didn’t bring any food. Did you?” I asked, clearing my throat after I heard how strange my voice sounded.

  “No, but there’s a gas station advertising pizza dogs and slushies just down the street.”

  “You’re driving,” I tossed over my shoulder, already heading for the door.

  I was near comatose when Em pulled into the lot of a green and white gas station.

  As soon as I seen the food ads plastered all over the window, I knew this had been the right move. Eat, sleep, and then we could talk. It’d been a long day. Maybe I’d wake with a clear mind. I needed one to be able to piece together some kind of agenda.

  “What took you so long to get here?” Emery asked, parking alongside a pump.

  I smothered a yawn and reached for the door handle. “I had to drop something off.”

  The quick glance she shot me indicated she wanted to know what that something was. Thankfully she didn’t question it. We entered the gas station together, both surveying the various aisles.

  “Good evening,” the attendant greeted us cheerfully. A plastic badge deeming him as Henry was affixed to his polo shirt.

  “Evening,” Em replied with a small wave. Turning to me, “Do you know what you want?”

  I shook my head. “I’m gonna check over there.”

  “Okay.”

  We separated, her going to the right, me the left.

  I perused the chips, snagging a bag of barbeque twist, and then a bottle of water. Rounding the endcap, I caught back up to Em. There was a hot dog carton cradled in her right hand, loaded with two buns.

  “Figured you might want one of these.”

  “Thanks.”

  After we grabbed her a drink, we carried everything to the front. The attendant smiled warmly at us, the freckles on his cheeks squishing into creases. I waved Em off before she could attempt to pay.

  “I got it.”

  “You sure?” she checked.

  “Yeah.” I dug in my purse, removing Tony’s credit card with discretion. If anyone thought to check his activity as a hint of where he could be, this would be the last place that came up. I declined the receipt and helped Em gather our things. We were nearly to the door when she froze.

  “Shit,” she cursed. Her hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist, leaving the dogs to drop to the faded linoleum floor. With a tug on my arm, I was forced to crouch down behind one of the shelves.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered.

  “I saw a black pick-up pull in.”

  “Em. There’s got to be hundreds of those.”

  “Not like the one Callum drives.”

  Good point, but how would he have found us so fast? And why was she so willingly going along with this?

  The doors swooshed open, I picked up on multiple footsteps.

  “Good evening,” Henry greeted. Bless his heart for sound completely casual. There was no way he missed the two women dropping to their knees in one of his aisles.

  “It is a nice night, ain’t it?”

  The first word out of the newcomer’s mouth had Em’s body going rigid. It had to be Callum.

  “It’d be even better if you could help us out,” a softer voice added. “We’re looking for two of our friends. That car outside belongs to one of them.”

  Em and I shared a look. An alarm began going off in my head, screaming that this was bad. Very bad. We needed to get the hell out of here. I leaned forward and peered around the shelf. Yep. That was certainly Callum. Angel was with him, giving Henry a smile that could topple empires.

  Most gas stations had a rear exit, I hoped that was the case for this one because it was our only option.

  We couldn’t waltz right out the front. I glanced at Em and nodded my head towards the restrooms. That’s where the back door would be. She caught on instantly, giving a nod in response.

  As Callum and Angel moved on to harmless interrogation, we crept around the corner and down the far aisle. I held a hand up, flashing three twice so she understood.

  I counted with my lips, one…two…three.

  On the last number we both jumped up and made a run for it. Once more, Callum called for her and she ignored him. Luckily for us, there was in fact a back door. We scampered down the short hall and burst through it. I was surprised no one was waiting for us on the other side.

  A blessing in disguise.

  We darted across the pavement, our shoes resounding with loud thumps. My heart beat quicker than my legs could carry me.

  Adrenaline surged through my veins, urging me to move faster, to get away. I made sure Em was doing okay, refusing to leave the girl behind no matter how pissed I was with her.

  Rhett wasn’t safe. Neither were his friends. We couldn’t get caught up with them. I pumped my arms, causing my purse to bounce all over the place.

  “Where…?” Em breathed loudly.

  I waved a hand in place of speech, no words able to form. I knew when running to never look back, or down. Just haul ass and hope for the best. Straight was our only option now.

  We zig zagged through the grassy lot sitting behind the gas station, emerging onto a long stretch of road on the other side. Only then did I spin around to check behind us.

  Seeing we weren’t being pursued, I placed my hands on my knees and keeled over. Em did the same, grabbing her hips.

  “Why aren’t they chasing us?” she asked between breaths.

  I shook my head and rose back to full height. “I don’t know. They didn’t come after us at the lodge either.”

  I checked left and right, tapping her arm gently when I spotted an older sedan coming our way.

  “I got it,” she said, standing beside me. She lifted both her arms in the air and began to wave them a bit overdramatically.

  As the car got closer, I could make out an older couple inside. They eyed us, slowing down to a gradual stop. A man rolled the driver side window down, but it was the woman in the passenger seat who spoke to us.

  “You girls okay?” she asked, her blue eyes peering at us from behind a pair of pop-bottle glasses.

  “We could really use a ride. Our motel is just down the street,” Em explained quickly.

  “Knights Inn? Of course.
Hop in,” the man said, adding with a small laugh, “Don’t mind the cat hair.”

  We hurried into the backseat, and I pulled the door shut behind us. I fastened my seatbelt, nudging Em so she would do the same.

  “Are you two alright?” the woman asked again, wise enough to know something wasn’t right.

  “Thank you for giving us a ride,” I replied politely.

  She took the hint and pursed her lips. I didn’t want to be rude, but it was better for everyone if they just dropped us off and went on their way.

  The sun was sinking lower and lower with every passing minute, casting a deep violet hue across the sky. I relaxed back against the seat, cognizant of the cat hair the man mentioned.

  He had the courtesy to fiddle with the radio, putting on an older song by the Beatles. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The second I dared relax Em hissed my name, causing my lids to flutter right back open.

  “What?”

  She pointed out the rear window. I knew before I bothered to look that someone was behind us. I turned, staring at the large pick-up that had managed to coast right up on us. No wonder they didn’t follow us out the back door. They already knew we were going to run for it.

  “We’re missing the other three,” I whispered to Em.

  “I know,” she replied. “Where do you think they are?”

  That was the million-dollar question. If they knew we’d gone to the gas station, chances were they knew about the room as well.

  “You can’t stop at the motel,” I stated calmly. “I need you to keep going.”

  The man started, his head swiveling to the rearview mirror. Murky brown eyes met with mine for a beat, flickering away so he could return his focus to the road.

  “You girls are in trouble then,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “Do you have your phone?” I asked Emery, ignoring him.

  She shook her head, still watching the truck behind us. “No. I left it in the car.”

  Damnit. I gnawed the inside of my lower lip. We approached an intersection, nearing the turn that would have taken us down the toll road to get to the front of the motel.

  The man did as I requested, making no indication he was going to turn off. There was another car idling at the stop sign, their brights shining. At the last possible second, it shot into the road, crossing over into our lane.

  The familiar roar of its engine sent a chill down my spine.

  “Look out!” the woman shouted, grabbing for her husband’s arm.

  He jerked the steering wheel, sending the car careening onto the opposite side of the road. Unable to keep it steady at the speed he was going, the vehicle surged completely off road. There was a loud bang as the front end dipped down, one of the front tires taking a crucial hit.

  We jolted along a grassy field, tires kicking up clumps of grass and dirt as the man slammed on the brakes. His wife’s body jarred; her head slammed against the passenger window.

  “Kathy!” the older man called to his companion.

  The Challenger and pick-up followed us off-road, both coming to a stop a few yards back.

  Hearing multiple doors open, I unbuckled my seat belt, undoing Em’s at the same time.

  “Go!” I yelled.

  She complied immediately, sliding across the seat to exit from the passenger side. Tripp appeared just outside the door, using his massive body to keep us inside. We pushed against it together managing to shove him out of the way and make a narrow escape.

  Unsteady on my feet, I lurched forward and stumbled, skinning my knees on tiny rocks hidden beneath the grass. Emery made it further ahead. She may have gotten away if she hadn’t made the mistake of turning back for me when she realized I wasn’t beside her.

  Behind me came the sound of breaking glass, followed by two loud pops, like a set of loud fireworks. I pushed myself onward, my pace not quite as fast as before.

  My muscles were beginning to feel the effects of everything that had transpired over the last twenty-four hours. I made it a few more steps before an arm circled around my waist.

  “Gotcha,” Rhett purred in my ear, hauling me back against his solid form.

  “Let go of me!” I wriggled my body from side to side.

  He placed a hand firmly over my eyes, blocking my vision entirely. “You ready?” he asked someone I couldn’t see.

  “Yeah, just keep her still,” a feminine voice replied.

  “You hear that? You need to calm down, princess. This will be over much faster if you behave.”

  He knew I loathed that pet name. I ignored him, continuing my attempt to break free. He held me tighter, securing me in an iron grip right before something pricked the side of my neck.

  I sucked in a breath as an unfamiliar sensation took hold of my senses.

  “There, all better,” Rhett soothed. He removed his hand so that I could see again, but kept his arm wrapped around my middle in an attentive fashion, holding me like a lover would.

  My limbs began to weigh me down at an alarming rate. I had no choice but to lean against him for support.

  “What did you do to me?” The question came out in a slur of words.

  “Gave you a small dose of medicine to keep you calm.”

  “No,” I protested feebly, pushing against him to no avail. When my legs started to tremble, he swooped me up as if I were a doll, cradling me against his chest.

  “I told you I was coming for you.”

  I swallowed a glob of saliva, my vision blurring as my lids lowered. “Fuck you Rhett.”

  His responding laugh echoed inside my head.

  CHAPTER TEN

  NOVA

  A frantic whisper woke me.

  My eyes opened to the sight of Emery’s concerned face hovering a few inches above mine. “Oh, thank god,” she breathed, releasing the death grip she’d had on my shoulders.

  I pushed myself up using my elbows, and licked my lips, trying to wet my mouth. My throat felt parched and brittle, a dull throbbing sensation came from between my brows. Everything came flooding back to me. I cupped a hand over the spot I’d been jabbed with a needle, proving to myself this wasn’t some screwed up nightmare, it was all real.

  Rhett had drugged me as if I were a wild animal and taken me against my will. I was transported back to the night I told him he was insane. He’d agreed with me. He told me he was unstable. And what had I done in response? Let him fuck me like the savage he was, screaming I was his.

  Taking in the unfamiliar room, I had to wonder if I’d brought this upon myself. Even if I had, Em didn’t deserve to be caught up in my sordid affairs. I’d warned her about sticking with me, but not for a reason such as this.

  One small table lamp was on, giving off a dim glow. The walls were painted a bold tangerine and fuchsia, covered in circus prints. When I was younger, I had a Victorian dollhouse. It reminded me of that.

  “Where are we?”

  “I’m not sure. I woke maybe fifteen minutes ago and have been trying to wake you ever since.”

  She took hold of my forearm and helped me sit all the way up. Something slammed from elsewhere in the house, what sounded like a door.

  “What’s through there?”

  “A closet?” she replied with uncertainty.

  I sighed and slid from the bed. “Come on,” I whispered, motioning for her to follow me.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To find a way out of this. I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

  She was quick to comply. I didn’t bother mentioning I had no idea what to do beyond getting away from here. One thing at a time.

  I avoided the door I had a good feeling led to the hallway beyond, trying one on the far-right side of the room. I grasped the old bronze knob and turned slowly to prevent any unnecessary noise.

  I lucked out, finding a small, dark bathroom with a basin, tub, and older style toilet.

  To the immediate left was a square window big enough for one of us to fit through at a time. Tiptoeing
towards it, I pressed my face to the glass and peered out.

  It was a little hard to see due to it being completely dark, but I could make out a hipped roof just outside the window. Gauging how far up we were, getting to the ground shouldn’t have been too difficult.

  “Nova!” Em screamed, the undertone of her voice panic stricken. I whirled around searching for whatever it was that had scared her, spotting it right away.

  She was still clutching the patterned shower curtain in her fist, eyes fixed on the two bodies stacked inside of the bathtub. It was the couple that had stopped to help us.

  The glow of light struggling to make it in from the bedroom gave them both a ghastly appearance.

  The man’s eyes were still open, blood from the hole in the side of his head dried around the right one. There was a jagged line running across his bone-y upper chest, one that could only have been made from a knife that went quite deep. So, he was stabbed and shot?

  As for Kathy, the companion he’d called for, the poor woman was missing the entire side of her face. There was nothing left of it but exposed bone and a mess of caved in flesh. What had they used to do that?

  Blood was dried into the grout of the shower-wall, and the floor of the tub. Emery stared at it all, an odd sound of distress falling from her mouth a split second before she began to vomit from fear or disgust, probably both, right onto the lower halves of the two corpses.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks. That couple with her screaming my name, there was no way anyone in the house hadn’t realized we were awake. I moved past her and slammed the bathroom door, frowning at its simple push lock. I engaged it, rushing back over to the window, grabbing hold of Emery’s wrist on the way.

  She’d been wiping her mouth. Unprepared for my ambush, she wound up on her ass, dragged the short distance across the tile.

  “What are you doing?” she yelled at me.

  “Helping you escape, get your shit together and get up. You can fall apart later.”

  The window was of the older variety, the kind that wasn’t going to stay up on its own. Hearing the bedroom door fly open, I knew any luxury we thought we’d had of time was gone.

  I gripped the wooden frame and shoved up, causing old paint to peel away in a storm of tiny flakes.