“It’s the truth.”
I curl into a ball on my side. “I don’t want to hear it.”
The bed dips as he sits down beside me. “Give him a chance to explain, Abby.”
“Why should I?” I bark, rolling onto my side so I’m facing him. “He betrayed me in the worst way.”
“Things are never as they seem.”
I glare at him.
“That’s on your list too?”
“What do you think?”
He chuckles. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for everything you’ve gone through. You were innocent in all this, and you should never have been hurt.”
“I’m used to being hurt. It’s part of normal life for me.” My voice is devoid of all emotion. At this stage, I’m numb to it all.
“That’s horrible, and Kai doesn’t want that for you. It’s why he sent us to get you.”
I raise a palm. “It’s been a long day, Rick. And it will be a long few days if you keep this up. The only person I want to hear an explanation from is Kai, so please. Just. Stop.”
He nods, glancing over his shoulder and I notice his younger brothers standing by the door, quietly listening.
“Joaquin will come with me,” Rick says, leveling me with a serious expression. “Can I trust you not to try anything if I leave you here with Harley?”
“What the hell am I going to do? We’re in some hick town in the middle of Nebraska, and I’ve no car, no cash, no cell, and no clothes besides the ones on my back. It’s not like I have any options,” I lie.
He inspects my face like a drill instructor inspecting a line of new recruits. I hide my true intentions behind a familiar mask, and he nods. “Okay.” He stands, hovering over me like a giant although he’s not as tall as Joaquin who is the tallest of all the Anderson brothers. He’s like a beanpole on steroids with his long, lean frame, wide shoulders, and bulging biceps. “Do not make me regret this,” Rick says.
I flip him off, and Harley chuckles.
“Behave.” Rick pins warning eyes on Harley.
“Relax, big bro. We’re just going to watch TV and maybe grab some snacks.” Harley looks to me for approval, and I nod.
“Sounds like a plan.” I slant a genuine smile in Harley’s direction, because he’s the only Anderson who hasn’t hurt me.
“We should be back in a couple hours,” Rick says, grabbing Joaquin into a headlock as he hauls ass out of the door. The door slams shut behind them, and silence engulfs the room.
“So, um, what movies do you like?” Harley asks, shuffling nervously on his feet.
“I’m in the mood for something violent and bloody. Mafia or action adventure. I don’t mind. Just something that’ll give me ideas for my reunion with your brother.” I flash him an evil grin, and he laughs uncertainly as he scrolls through the movie options on the TV.
I get up and walk toward him, thrusting my hand out. “I’ll grab some snacks from that store in reception. You got cash?”
His brows knit together, and he purses his lips for a moment. “I’ll get the snacks, and you can pick the movie.”
I yank my sweater up over my head, letting my shirt ride halfway up my stomach. Then I make a show of stretching my arms up over my head, ensuring my shirt pulls tight across my ample chest. “I could use the walk and the fresh air after hours being cooped up in a car.” I slide my hands across my stomach. “I need to exercise to stay fit and healthy for the baby.” I flutter my eyelashes at him, and his cheeks redden.
This will be too easy.
He rubs a hand along the back of his neck, piercing me with his beautiful brown eyes, looking utterly torn. His eyes aren’t as dark as Kai’s, but they have the same little amber flecks. “You won’t run away, will you? Rick would blow a gasket, and Kai will literally kill me if we return without you.”
“Hey.” I rub my thumbs across his brow, smoothing out the little lines denting his skin. “I meant what I said to Rick. I’ve nowhere to go, and I wouldn’t do that to you,” I lie, imagining my black, black soul bursting into flames. “How old are you, Harley?” I’ve been trying to figure out a few things on the ride here.
“I’m fifteen.”
“And Joaquin is, what, sixteen?”
He nods.
“You got a girl?” I ask, trailing my fingers down his face. His cheeks flush again as he shakes his head, and he’s adorably cute. He may look all man, but he’s still so innocent.
This will be like taking candy from a baby.
A pang of guilt washes over me, but I shove it away. This is no time to grow a conscience.
“Why is that?” I ask. “You’re hot and sweet and easy to talk to.” Harley kept the conversation going in the car, and it’s clear he’s the peacemaker or the catalyst for keeping the peace.
He shrugs, and his cheeks are on fire. I drop my hands, figuring I’ve tortured him enough for now. “Kai says I’ve to concentrate on school and there’ll be plenty of time for girls later.”
My face contorts unpleasantly. “What a fucking hypocrite!” During one of our bedtime conversations, Kai admitted he’d lost his virginity to a high school senior when he was fourteen. And, thanks to the gossip doing the rounds at school, I know he’s no angel with women. He’s the screw them and leave them type. Perhaps I should’ve paid more attention to the rumors and not started anything with him. “And he’s not your father. He doesn’t get to tell you what to do.”
Harley shrugs, pulling his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. “He kinda was growing up, and he’s only looking out for me. He doesn’t want me making the same mistakes he did.”
Now, that’s interesting.
“By the way, what happened to your dad? Did my father kill him that night?” Can’t say I’d lose any sleep if Atticus Anderson was ten feet under. But he’s the only surviving parent the guys have, and I wouldn’t wish that on any of them. Besides, if Atticus is alive, he’ll continue his vendetta against my asshole father, and I’m all for that, provided Atticus is finished using me as a pawn.
Harley pales. “He would have if it wasn’t for the Kevlar vest he was wearing.” He rubs a hand across his chest. “He has a few broken ribs, and he’s bruised all over his chest, but he’s okay.”
“I hope he’s still going after my father.”
“He’s more determined than ever,” Harley confirms, extracting a fifty and handing it to me. “Get me Doritos, M&Ms, Hershey’s, Skittles, and Twizzlers.”
I look him up and down. “If I ate all that crap, I’d have a belly to rival Homer Simpson’s.” I pat his rock-solid abs. “Where do you put it all?”
His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he attempts a casual shrug. “I work out a lot.”
I trail my hands up his defined chest, licking my lips provocatively, and look at him through hooded lashes. “I can tell.”
His chest is heaving, and the bulge in his pants is growing more pronounced as I continue caressing his upper body. “I think I’ll need more cash.”
“More than fifty? We’re only buying snacks.” His brows knit together.
“I’m starving,” I lie, smiling seductively at him. “And I’m eating for two.” Reaching around, I remove his wallet from his back pocket, giving his ass a cheeky squeeze for good measure, hoping it will distract him from his suspicion. He looks frozen on the spot, unsure of how to handle this situation, and I almost feel bad.
Almost.
Harley is sweet, and I don’t want to trick him, but this may be my only chance to contact Xavier, and I’m not passing up the opportunity because I feel guilty for seducing Kai’s younger brother.
If these were different times, they’d probably burn me at the stake for this.
I pull back abruptly, removing another fifty as I smile at him. I repocket his wallet, patting his ass this time, and his cheeks are so red I reckon I could warm my hands off them.
Kai should have taught his little brother better.
It’s not my fault he’s so clueless w
ith the opposite sex.
“Pick a movie. I’ll be back soon.” I press my lips to his warm cheek and take my time walking to the door, swaying my hips, knowing full and well his eyes are glued to my retreating form. The second I’m outside, I race along the path toward the reception area, scanning over the vehicles in the parking lot until I spot what I’m after.
The bell jingles as I walk into the dingy lobby. “Hey.” I greet the girl with dreadlocks behind the counter. “Is the store still open?”
“Have at it,” she says, not even lifting her head up from whatever she’s engrossed in behind the counter.
I push the door to the small store open, quickly locating the snacks Harley wants. I add a bottle of tequila and frantically search the limited shelves for cell phones, but I’m shit out of luck. It was always a long shot. Guess it’s time to invoke Plan B.
“I’ll take these,” I say, plonking my items down on the counter at reception.
She calculates the cost on a small calculator while keeping one eye on the movie on her cell phone. “You know any place in town that sells cell phones at this hour?” I ask.
“The mini-mart across from the park is open twenty-four hours, and they sell disposables.”
I silently fist pump the air while she shoves our snacks in a bag. Her fingers curl around the tequila bottle, and she finally lifts her head, eyeing me with big brown eyes. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one,” I lie, not expecting it to work, because I could pass for nineteen, maybe twenty, at a push, but there’s no way I can pull off twenty-one without a full face of makeup.
“That works.” She smirks at me before totaling everything up, and I hand over the cash.
“One other thing. Do you know who owns that Honda out front?” I inquire.
Her eyes narrow in suspicion. “Why you asking?”
“I was hoping to borrow it to ride to the mini-mart.”
She looks me up and down, and a muscle ticks in her jaw. “It’ll cost you.” She folds her arms, gauging my reaction.
I unbuckle my watch, placing it down on the counter. It’s the only item of value I have on me. I’d happily trade my diamond ring, but my bastard father will string me up if I return home without it. “They can have that. It’s Gucci. Retails at two thousand.”
Her eyes go out on stalks as she examines it. “This the real deal?”
“It is.”
Her gaze flits to the massive diamond on my finger, and that’s all it takes to convince her. She slips the watch on her wrist, removing a set of keys from a drawer. “The ride’s mine. You can take it, but you put a scratch on her, and I’ll gut your pretty body from head to toe.” Her eyes penetrate mine. “We clear?”
“Crystal.” You’d swear it was a vintage Harley the way she’s talking about it, not a cheap Honda. But I keep my mouth shut, taking the keys from her outstretched hand. “I’ll have her back by midnight.”
“Hey, girl,” she calls out after me. “You know how to ride?”
I grin, and images of riding my Kawasaki Ninja 300 float through my mind. “I’m good.”
She smiles. “Sweet.”
I race back to the room, stuffing the keys down the front of my jeans so Harley doesn’t notice.
“I got tequila!” I sing, bursting through the door and waving the bottle at him.
He frowns. “I don’t drink.”
“Oh, come on.” I sit on the edge of the bed beside him, nudging him in the ribs. “Live a little. We’re on a road trip. Tequila is basically an essential.” I press my mouth close to his ear. “And it’s a rite of passage. One you can’t pass up.”
“Rick will freak out.”
What the fuck did these guys do to their brother? They might as well wrap him in cotton wool and be done with it.
“You’re not afraid of your brother, are you?” I quirk a brow, sending him a challenging stare.
He puffs out his chest. “Course not.”
“Good.” I grab two glasses from the bedside table, pouring a generous measure in Harley’s while I heavily dilute mine with water. “You find a movie?”
“The Godfather okay?”
“Hells yeah.” I hand him his drink. “The last time I watched it, after this stupid party your brother dragged me to, I visualized Kaiden in place of every victim. Imagining his face getting blown to bits never got old.”
Harley looks at me like I’ve grown ten heads, and I realize I just fucked up. He’s fiercely protective of Kai and thinks the sun shines out of his backstabbing ass.
I mess up his hair, giggling. “I’m kidding!” I drop beside him again. “Drink that and tell me it doesn’t feel good.” I clink my glass against his. “Cheers!” I drain mine in one go, and not to be outdone, Harley knocks his back too.
His face pulls into a grimace and he sticks his tongue out. I can’t help laughing, but it’s genuine this time. “It’d be better with salt and lime, but beggars can’t be choosers.” I grab his glass and refill it. “Another couple and you’ll be begging for it.”
He looks warily at me, so I sit closer, pushing my body right up beside his, and lick up the side of his neck. “You smell gorgeous,” I murmur. “I’m glad Rick left you here and not Joaquin. He’s too grumpy and no fun at all.”
My words do the trick, and soon, we’re barely paying any attention to the movie as I ply poor, innocent Harley with shot after shot while I basically drink water.
“I don’t feel so hot,” he slurs after a while, and thank fuck, because I’m running out of time. I have forty, maybe fifty, minutes, tops, before the others arrive.
“Why don’t you lie down.” I push him down flat on his back. “I’ll get you some water.”
“Need to sleep,” he mumbles, curling on his side and shutting his eyes. Two minutes later, he’s snoring softly, and I creep out of the room.
I sprint to the bike, pulling the helmet on and flooring it out of there. Thankfully, there’s a big sign for the mini-mart, and I find it easily. I have just enough cash left to pay for the disposable cell and some credit, and I call Xavier once I’m outside the store.
“Abby?” he asks before I’ve said a word.
“How’d you know it was me?”
“Thank fuck.” Air whistles down the line. “I’ve been praying you’d call.”
“This is the first opportunity I’ve had, and I don’t have long.”
“Are you okay? Are you hurt? I’ll tear those new elite fuckers from limb to limb after I’ve gouged out their eyeballs with pitchforks, pissed on them, and set them on fire.”
“Wow. That’s very specific.”
“I’ve had nothing but time to plan their deaths. I have lots of creative ideas.”
I smile even though he can’t see it. “I miss you.”
“Miss you too, but stop fucking around. Where are you?”
“I’m in a town someplace in central Nebraska. I have a plan. Listen carefully.”
“Shoot.”
“You have this number now, and you can track me, right?”
“Affirmative, Double oh-seven.”
I roll my eyes, grinning. “The Anderson brothers are taking me to Kaiden. They won’t tell me where, only that it will be Tuesday evening before we arrive. I need to speak to him. I want answers, but then I want you to come and get me the hell away from him.”
“Gladly, darling. Just turn your cell on once you arrive. I’ll track you and ride to the rescue.”
“Thanks, dude. I don’t want to waste a second longer in that asshole’s company than I have to.”
“I second that.”
“Is Charlie okay?” I ask, kick starting the engine.
“He’s fine. He flew home a few hours ago. He’s pissed they got the better of him, and he’s got a goose egg the size of a football on the side of his head, but he’ll survive.”
“Good. Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll text you Tuesday night.”
“Stay safe, babe, and if you run into trouble, switch that cell on
, and I’ll find you.”
“I will. See you soon.” I hang up before he can reply, hightailing it back to the motel.
I’m about a mile away when I spot Rick’s SUV behind me in the distance. “Fuck. Shit. Crap.” I curse under the helmet, pushing my foot to the metal until I reach the motel. I park the motorcycle in record time and race into reception, tossing the keys across the lobby to dreadlocks. “Thank you! And not a scratch!” I holler over my shoulder before racing out of there.
Thankfully, Harley is still out for the count when I reach the bedroom, but there’s no time to get him out of my bed and into his own room, so I make a rapid decision. I strip down to my undies, throwing my clothes across the floor, and climb under the covers. Keeping one eye on the door, I get Harley out of his shirt and jeans, and I fling them across the floor too.
The sounds of hushed conversation and the thump, thump of booted feet tickles my eardrums as I mess up my hair, scoot in under his arm, and rest my head on top of his warm chest. I place his other arm around me and close my eyes, literally two seconds before the door to the room opens.
“What the actual fuck?” Rick shouts, and I fight a smile.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Rick is shaking my shoulders, and I can tell it’s difficult for him to be gentle.
Because he most likely wants to strangle me.
“Abby!” he hisses, and I blink repeatedly, pretending to be half asleep.
“Wha?” I rub at my eyes as I sit up, letting the sheet pool at my waist.
Rick curses under his breath. “Cover yourself up, for fuck’s sake.”
“Wha?” I feign confusion, enjoying his discomfort way too much to make it easy on him.
He cusses again. “Stop staring,” he snaps. At Joaquin, I guess. “It’s bad enough we’ve found them like this. We don’t want to give Kai any more ammunition to go postal.”
“What’s going on?” I murmur, pushing strands of hair out of my eyes and staring at him.
“You tell me.” He folds his arms across his chest, pointedly looking from me to a still unconscious Harley. “And what the fuck is this?” He holds up the half-empty bottle of tequila.
Twisted Betrayal Page 6
