Twisted Truth (Truth Vs Lie Book 1)

by Maria Macdonald

  On that thought, the music changes to Janet’s ‘Anytime, Anyplace,’ and I groan. I can’t help thinking about Isaac, he’s been in my thoughts for years, but his unexpected arrival a few days ago has once again put him front and centre. Although I ran away shocked, it doesn’t deter from the fact that my hungry eyes took in every delicious bit of him. I think of him as my hand slips down my stomach. Closing my eyes, I remember how his shoulders were broader, and how the muscles he couldn’t hide if he wanted to, were obvious under his jumper. His chocolate hair, which was short when he came back from the Army, is longer now. And the clean-shaven look is gone replaced by a sexy as hell short beard. His dark blue eyes, almost like the blue-black of the ocean, are the same, though. No matter the shields I try to hold up, those eyes penetrate all my defences, they always have.

  My head drops back against the tiled wall as I play with my clit and imagine his now bearded face between my legs as I ride him. We never experienced that on the one night we had. I was a virgin, and he knew it. He was gentle, careful, and everything about that night was loving. I think that’s why when he left, then ignored me for so long, I went wild. It was always meaningless sex—one night, sometimes two, but just sex. Every dirty thing you could imagine I did, with nameless, faceless men, and I never thought of Isaac once. I swear.

  “All done,” I say sulkily, walking in the living room still drying my hair with a towel. “Are you watching Jeremy Kyle?” I splutter as I notice the TV show and take in Helena gawking at the screen.

  Without moving her eyes from the TV, she mumbles, “Uh huh, this guy is sleeping with his girlfriend’s mother, you couldn’t write this shit.”

  “Hmmm, I think you probably could,” I offer back.

  “Seriously, there was a woman on there who said her boyfriend killed her hamster. This show is beyond fucked up… and I love it!”

  “Seriously?” I deadpan.

  Helena nods her head vigorously. “Yep, it sure as hell makes me feel better about my life.”

  I stare at the screen and wonder what my Jeremy Kyle tagline would be.

  ‘Mum, Dad, I’m in love with my cousin. Oh, and he took my virginity.’

  Or maybe,

  ‘Why did you take my virginity then ignore me for years?’

  Or ding ding ding… we have a winner!

  ‘I took her virginity. Now she won’t leave me alone. Stalker Exes.’

  “What’s that weird look on your face?” Helena asks, her body now twisted around on the sofa facing me.

  “What weird look?”

  “I don’t know.” She rubs her chin in thought. “Kind of a mixture between Father Christmas has shat in my fireplace, and my dog just pissed on my favourite shoes kind of look.”

  I shrug but burst into laughter, it’s the balm I need to feel marginally better.

  “You ready to go?” Helena asks after I finish laughing.

  “Let me grab my phone,” I say rushing back to my bedroom. I pull it from the charger and go into my messages. I can see he’s replied, but I purposely look to the side as I scroll up to the top using only my peripheral vision. I need to remember what I sent before I see his reply.

  Me: Why did you show up yesterday after all this time? Was it to fuck with me?

  Okay, so my first message is pretty put together. I vaguely remember typing this out. I must have only had a couple of glasses of JD at that point.

  Isaac: I don’t know why I came back.

  Me: That’s not a fucking answer.

  Isaac: It’s all I got.

  Me: Fuck you, Isaac.

  Isaac: Nice mouth.

  I notice there is a gap of about an hour between that text and his next one.

  Isaac: I’m sorry.

  Me: Sorr forr wat???

  Hmmm, seems JD and me had become close friends in that lost hour.

  Isaac: Are you drunk?

  Me: Nont your bissnessss

  Isaac: Are you out somewhere? Where are you? Are you with friends?

  Me: Shhhh 2 much talking

  Isaac: Olivia!

  Me: Isssaaack hehehehe

  Okay, so I’m obviously finding myself funny at this point.

  Isaac: We need to talk. Call me.

  The last text was sent this morning. Shit.

  I stand staring at the phone then before I can change my mind, I tap out a text.

  Me: I can’t today. I’m not sure I can at all.

  I don’t wait for his response. I turn my phone off and throw it into my bag, work will keep me busy tonight and hell, the distraction will be more than welcome.

  ISAAC

  “I don’t care what you have to do, just get this shit done,” I command.

  “They ran from the safe house. What do you want me to do, Kane?” Darwin asks.

  “Find them,” I order then cut the call.

  Darwin is my number two. We don’t use first names, it’s safer that way. My name was assigned when I joined. It’s my middle name, now it’s my life.

  Kane. Black Ops.

  Kane gets his hands dirty, doing things others… Isaac would never dare. I used to take on Kane as a persona to separate the bad from the good. Now I think I lose a little Isaac every day and become a little more Kane.

  Black Ops was something I got into easier than you’d imagine. Outside of my work, there are only five people who know I’m Black Ops, and four of those people think I got into it because I was kicked out of the Army when I went to prison. Only my Uncle Dane knows the truth—that I was already planning on moving into the field before all that happened. I’d spoken to Dane’s contacts and was going to make my transition from light to dark. That was why I was home for Via’s eighteenth birthday, because it had been organised for my meet to happen with them the day after.

  I was fucking ecstatic, seeing her again, but when that prick, Charlie, joined us, I had to bite back my frustration. I knew she wouldn’t stay single, she’s fucking beautiful, inside and out. But it didn’t stop the frustration at seeing her with him, it just spurred me on. I couldn’t help myself. I loved her then, I always had, so I took her that night. I’d like to say I would have stopped if I had known beforehand she was a virgin, but the truth is… I’m a selfish bastard. When I realised I was her first, all I felt was fucking elated. I know that probably makes me a prick, but I don’t feel bad. It’s the one thing I’ve done right in my life. I just wish I could claim her as mine.

  But I can’t, my life is my work, and it dictates the choices I make. I can’t have her no matter how much I want her. The decision is out of my hands.

  I’ve kept my life structured. Only once did I waiver and second guess my decisions. I considered missing the meeting and not moving into Black Ops when I slipped inside Via, I knew with her was where I truly belonged. I was ready to change the course of my life. Forever. Only for her. That morning I felt calm, peaceful. I wanted to kiss every inch of her and intended to wake her with my tongue until I saw her skin covered in fucking cuts and bruises. Primal rage engulfed me, splintering any hold I had on myself.

  I went rogue that day, not from what the Army had taught me, but from my own rules. I lost all control, I wanted to kill him. I tried. Fuck, I nearly succeeded. Even now, after all these years, I feel no remorse. All I feel is gutted that he’s still walking. It’s like an open wound knowing I was in prison, and the only thing I could give Via was safety, but by doing that, I had to take away the one thing she wanted—me. As I said, I’m a selfish bastard, in the end I chose to keep her safe and that was the only thing that got me through.

  My office door flies open and slams against the wall. “What the fuck happened?” shouts a red faced Shelly.

  “Nicola ran, Craig followed,” I answer, leaning back in my chair.

  “Darwin?” she questions, dumping herself on the edge of my desk.

  “He’s looking for them right now.”

  “Fuck!” she shouts again.

  “Calm down, he’ll find them.”

  �
��How can you sit there so calmly? Like this isn’t possibly three months of work down the fucking shitter?” she growls and stands up, prowling across the room and back again.

  “Because I know where they are,” I tell her casually.

  “Excuse me?” she whispers turning to face me.

  “We have a leak. I needed to smoke them out. You passed by the way,” I tell her smirking.

  “Fuck you, Isaac, fuck you.” She stalks back out the room slamming the door behind her. Shelly’s the only one who calls me by my real name.

  I sigh and find the remote to my stereo. Pressing a button, I lay back and close my eyes, as the smooth voice of John Mayer singing ‘Gravity’ caresses my ears. My mum once showed me a video of Via dancing to this song. I can’t get the images out of my mind. We used to dance together. Mum taught all her boys, but Olivia was always my partner. Now she fucking hates me, but fuck, I still love her.

  I sigh as the song comes to an end and pick up my phone. It connects almost immediately. “Bring me the car,” I snap and cut the call. I don’t have time for pleasantries, in this job I’ve found the fewer friends you have, the better. Friends die, and the pain is real, but scars heal. The heart never fucking does.

  I look over to Shelly, then to Marcus.

  “You don’t think it was me,” he sneers. It’s an act, all of it. I can see the beads of sweat just under his hairline. His pupils are dilated either because he’s lying or maybe he’s high. I know he’s been visiting Brandon lately, and I’m fairly sure it’s been for more than just a stash of weed. His eyes dart between Shelly and me. Occasionally, his gaze travels to Victor who stands near the door waiting to drive us back. I don’t answer his question. I know it was him. I have the evidence to back it up. This job is dangerous, we have enough enemies, so traitors in my own unit won’t be tolerated.

  My hand whips inside my jacket, and I pull my knife out of its sheath, throwing it across the room. Marcus doesn’t see it coming until it’s too late. By the time it pierces his windpipe, I’ve thrown another of my knives and it’s settled in his heart. His eyes widen as he drops to the floor and gurgles his last breath.

  “Damn you’re cold,” Shelly snorts before turning and walking out.

  “Call Clint for clean up,” I order Victor as I follow Shelly out the door.

  My job might be brutal sometimes, but I’m good at it. It’s what I know. And if Via ever found out, she’d never look at me with that love in her eyes again.

  I’m doing right by her. I’m giving her the safety she needs—away from me.

  LIV

  “He turned up, just like that? Out of the blue?” Toby questions me.

  My index fingers rub circles on my temples as I close my eyes. “That’s what I said, Tobias,” I mutter his full name and squeeze my eyelids together a little harder. “Have you met her?” I don’t want to ask, but I need to know.

  “Yeah,” he whispers.

  I nod and refocus on him. His face says it all—he likes her—but he has my back. He’s worried about me.

  “It’s okay. You can like her.” I force out a chuckle. We both know it’s fake, but neither of us says anything more.

  “You wanna dance?” he asks, diverting my attention.

  I grin and nod my head. “Yeah, okay, what track?”

  “Clean Bandit, ‘Rockabye,’” he answers and strides over to the stereo. I stand and move in front of the mirrors, stretching my arms and bending at the waist, allowing my spine to elongate. I feel his hand on my back. “You ready?” he asks. Pulling myself back up and turning to face him, I let my head drop back a little. Tobias is as tall as Isaac, and he looks eerily similar. There is only a year between them, with Isaac that little bit older. I often find myself doing a double take when I glance at Toby.

  “Yeah.” I smile, and he pulls me against him, wrapping the bunched muscles in his arms around my head until my nose is smushed against his chest.

  “It will be all right,” he informs me. Then, without warning, he lets me go, presses a button on the remote I didn’t see in his hand, and slides it across the floor as the first few notes of the song start.

  Toby and I have danced together for years, much like I used to with Isaac. However, with Toby, it’s all about the dancing, but with Isaac, the chemistry often led our movements.

  We fuse contemporary and street dance together. The hours fall away as song after song plays, and we move until we’re both too sweaty and tired to continue. Propping ourselves against the wall, we sit and breathe heavily as our chests try to keep up with our panting. We’re both exhausted, but smiling.

  “I got a call back to be a dancer on the X-Factor,” Toby tells me. I whip my head around and see he’s wincing. He’s worried about hurting my feelings.

  “That’s… that’s amazing,” I murmur, placing my hand on his shoulder, letting him know it’s okay.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, I was just…”

  “I get it. Honestly, I do. You never have to worry about me being upset, you deserve it, you’re an amazing dancer,” I comfort.

  “So are you,” he whispers. I smile wistfully and lean forward kissing his cheek.

  “Love you, Tobias.”

  “Love you too, Olivia.”

  We grin at each other, but there’s a tinge of sadness in both of us.

  “I love him, Liv, and I know you do too, but I don’t know if he’ll ever truly come back to us. He’s been gone for so long… and I don’t mean physically.”

  Shaking my head, I blow the few strands of sticky hair stuck to my forehead. “It’s okay, time to move on,” I lie.

  “Here.”

  “What’s that?” I poke at the weird looking fabric creation in Helena’s hands.

  “It’s a voodoo doll. The way I see it, this shit is long overdue. Here.” She pushes the creepy as fuck thing toward me. I pick it up by its hair? At least I think it’s supposed to be hair.

  “It has no eyes,” I whisper.

  Helena shrugs. “I asked Harry to make me one the other day.”

  “Harry!” I shout jumping out of my chair. “Please tell me you know another Harry, and it’s not our creepy pervert of a neighbour you’re referring to, Hel. Tell me!” I snap.

  She looks up at the ceiling innocently and bites down on her bottom lip.

  “Fuck me up the arse with a badger. What have you done? He’ll never leave us alone now,” I groan sitting back down.

  “At least now you can name it Isaac and stab it with pins. I suggest extra-large pins up his arse crack.”

  “It has an arse crack?” I question both stunned and queasy at the thought.

  “Yep, it also has a peen,” she confirms with a wink.

  “Fucking hell, what has my life become?” I mumble to myself.

  “Hey, I was trying to do something nice,” Helena grumbles folding her arms and turning her head away from me.

  “I’m going to work,” I say throwing the scary, doll-monster on the kitchen table and leaving it with Helena.

  “Hey Allegro,” I holler across the empty club as Dennis, one of the bouncers, lets me in.

  “Hey girl, you good to go tonight?”

  “Always,” I shout back before turning the corner and making my way into the changing rooms.

  Rolling my shoulders back, I put my iPod on and Coldplay’s ‘Hymn for the Weekend’ starts playing. I close my eyes and enjoy the quiet, unable to stop myself from singing along as I stand and dance around the empty changing room. As the song dies away and Adele’s ‘Send my Love (To Your New Lover)’ kicks in. I sigh and turn.

  “Wow, you’re wasted here,” Allegro tells me offering a slow clap.

  “Thank you, but no one else wants me, honey. Too many of these.” I point to the tats on my arm.

  “Well, then, they’re damn fools. I didn’t know you could sing,” she muses rubbing her chin.

  “Do not even think about it, this is not Moulin Rouge, and I am not getting on stage to lay on a p
iano and sing.”

  She laughs. “Yeah, I’m not sure our customers would appreciate that anyway, they’re not the classiest bunch.”

  I snort. “Don’t tell them that.”

  “Like they don’t already know what they are,” she scoffs.

  “True. So what do you want me to do tonight?” I ask.

  “Hmmm, I have a new outfit for you.”

  “You do?” I ask confused. We normally have to pick up our own clothes.

  “Yeah, I was out the other day and saw something I thought would be perfect for you. It’s not anything like normal,” she says and reaches into the bag I didn’t notice she was carrying. “I was thinking about your tattoos, and I saw this set. It would add an amazing contrast between this and the tats, but, as always, you can wear whatever you want,” she confirms pulling out the prettiest lace underwear set I think I’ve ever seen. It must have cost a fortune.

  “Fuck,” I hiss.

  “Here,” she says shoving the bag and underwear toward me before marching out.

  God, I love my boss.

  “Wow,” I whisper to myself touching the soft lace. My thoughts jump to Isaac and I wonder whether or not he’d like me in this. “Stop it,” I order myself before pushing the underwear back into the bag.

  ISAAC

  “You been walking around with a blindfold on or what?”

  I blink a couple of times and push my teeth against each other before I speak. “Why do you say that, Uncle D?”

  “I can’t believe I have to lay this shit out for you. Like father, like son.” Uncle Dane lets his head drop back, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” I snap. Family or not, I’m getting pissed, missing whatever point he has yet to make. There are other things playing on my mind right now. The last thing I needed today was to be summoned by him for a chat in the damn park.