“They want to please him,” I surmise.
Sawyer nods. “And they were kind of brainwashed into believing all Mannings were the scourge of the Earth.”
“Gee, thanks.” I roll my eyes.
“Apart from you, it’s not far off the mark,” Jackson says.
“Drew isn’t like that,” I quietly say, feeling the need to defend my brother, even if I’m torn over his loyalty. Jackson and Sawyer exchange a loaded look, and I glare at them. “No more fucking secrets. If you’ve something to say, just say it.”
“Drew’s…acting a little strange,” Sawyer says. “And no one knows what the fuck he’s up to.”
“You’ve spoken to him?” Because the last I remember the old elite and new elite weren’t on speaking terms.
“Not directly, but we have people watching stuff for us back in Rydeville,” he confirms.
“Word on the street is your twin is your father’s newest bitch,” Jackson adds with a bite to his tone, his knee tapping up and down.
“If that’s the case then he’s playing some angle.”
“You really believe that or you’re trying to convince yourself,” Sawyer asks.
“My whole life Drew has been there for me. I don’t understand what he’s up to now, and I’m still pissed at him for not protecting me in the office that day, and for keeping shit from me, but I’ve had time to think about it, and I think it’s part of some bigger plan.”
“For your sake, I hope that’s true,” Jackson says.
“Stop.” I clamp my hand down on his knee. “Why are you so jittery? You were like that last night too.”
“Because going cold turkey sucks.”
Shock splays across my face. “You’re giving up your stoner ways?”
“Don’t get too excited,” he says. “It’s only temporary until Harley and Joaquin go back to school.”
“Ah, I get it. Kai and Rick don’t want you setting a bad example.” He nods. “Wow. They really are protective of them.”
“You’ve no idea,” Sawyer says. “They would take a bullet for their brothers, and they’ve done everything to keep them shielded from this world.”
“But it’s more than that,” Jackson says.
“Lauder.” Sawyer silences him with a warning tone.
“What else don’t I know?”
“Tons, beautiful. There’s tons of stuff you don’t know.”
Sawyer rolls his eyes. “I think I preferred you when you were a non-interfering stoner.”
“Can’t say I enjoy having a clear head, but it’s brought some perspective,” Jackson admits.
“Like what?” Kai drawls, emerging on the deck in a black puffy jacket similar to the one Jackson’s got on. His long legs are encased in dark jeans and he’s wearing scuffed black boots on his feet.
Jackson glances over his shoulder. “Like Abby shouldn’t be kept in the dark any longer. She deserves to know the full truth.”
“Says you and whose army?” he asks, standing in front of us with his usual disapproving scowl.
“Look at what all the secrets and lies have done to our families,” I say. “Do we want to continue that tradition?”
Kai props his butt against the railing, a muscle tensing in his jaw as he eyes me huddled in between his two best friends. “No, but what Lauder fails to understand is that sharing certain truths places you in grave danger, and I will not do that.”
“You’d rather keep lying to me.” My mouth pulls tight.
“I will tell you when it is safe to do so.”
“That’s fucking bullshit! Keeping me in the dark puts me in more danger because I can’t see the trap until I’ve fallen in. At least if I knew what to look out for, I could avoid it!”
“I’ll tell you what you need to know, and the rest of the time I’ll be the one watching your back. I’ll ensure you don’t fall into any traps.”
I snort, tossing the blanket off and rising. “Don’t do me any favors, Cam!” I snap, and he flinches. “What?”
“You called him Cam,” Jackson says.
“Because it’s all I knew for months.” I rein my anger in, curiosity getting the better of me. “How did your cousin die, anyway?” I ask, softening my tone. “All your father said was he’d died when he was two. What happened?”
“He had a rare heart defect,” he says. “My aunt put him to bed one night, and the next morning, she found him dead in his crib. They’ve never recovered from it, and they were too afraid to risk having any more kids.”
“I’m sorry. That’s so sad.”
“Taking his identity never felt right to me.” He comes closer, and his chest brushes against mine. “And it never felt right hiding who I was with you, either. But there were good reasons for it. I know you’re pissed. But I meant what I said to you that night, Abby. You mean everything.” He palms my face, peering deep into my eyes. “And I won’t apologize for doing what I believe is right to protect you and our unborn child. You just need to trust me.”
I remove his hands from my face and take a step back. “How can I after everything you’ve hidden from me? And now you stand here, blatantly confirming you’re continuing to conceal things and you expect me to just trust you?” I shake my head. “Trust must be earned, Kaiden, and all you’ve done is earn my wrath.” I walk toward the sliding doors, turning at the last second. “And I don’t know if there is any way to return from that.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Please let me call him.” I send doe eyes at Sawyer. “I know you have a way of communicating that’s safe. Xavier will go crazy because he hasn’t heard from me.”
Kai walks into the living room with a box in his hand.
“And I need to make sure Charlie is okay. I’m worried about my fiancé.” I am worried for my friend, because I’m sure the bastard blames him for losing me, but I tagged that on the end purely for Kai’s benefit.
Predictably, Kai slams the box down on the coffee table, sending daggers in my direction. “For the last time, you are not marrying that asshole.” His eyes flit to the glistening diamond on my hand. “And take that fucking ring off before I pry it from your finger.”
I’ve been wearing it to piss him off, and I love that it’s working. “You’re not involved in this decision.” I curl my feet up under me, smiling sweetly at him as I prepare to deliver the blow. “I love him, and I will marry him.” I shrug, as if it’s no biggie. “And we’ve already consummated our relationship anyway.”
Tension bleeds into the air, and Kai’s eyes flash with a dark warning. “That better be a lie.”
“It is,” Rick says, glancing up from the book he’s immersed in. “We tailed her all the way from Parkhurst, and she wasn’t out of our sight.”
I smirk. “It happened Friday night when he showed up at my room with my father.”
“You’re lying.” Kai’s jaw is taut as he glares at me.
“I’m not.” I stare him straight in the eye and blatantly lie. “You’ve been gone for years. You’ve no idea what we mean to one another.”
“Enlighten me,” he says, cracking his knuckles.
“He was my first kiss,” I truthfully admit, “and I’ve spent years wishing my father had chosen him for me instead of Trent.”
Another fact.
“And I’d always secretly hoped the reason Charlie never fucked around at Rydeville High or had a steady girlfriend was because he shared my feelings.”
Now, that part is most definitely a lie.
Well, the part about me hoping that was the reason. After Charlie’s declaration, there’s a part of me that now believes it might be true.
Whether it’s the truth doesn’t matter though. Because it’s a plausible statement, and Kai is buying it.
Planting his large palms on either side of me, he leans down, caging me in and fixing me with a menacing look. “Charlie is a dead man walking if he has laid a finger on you.”
“I guess now isn’t a good time to mention he kissed her. Repeatedl
y,” Rick supplies.
Kai jerks his head up, shooting an exasperated look at his brother. “And you were going to tell me this when?”
“It’s obvious she’s not into him, so I didn’t think it mattered.”
“I’m into him,” I blurt. “I’m really into him. He’s the only one I want.”
Kai thumps the arm of the couch, and a vein pops in his neck. “You are mine, and we both know it.”
“I’m his now. And I’ve never been happier.”
Kai rolls his neck from side to side, pounds his fist into the couch, and grits his teeth in a way that looks painful as he contemplates my words. His dark eyes stab me in warning, and I’ve never seen him so enraged. “That motherfucking, double-crossing, two—”
“We don’t have time to waste on Charlie Barron,” Sawyer says, cutting across whatever Kai was about to say. He levels him with one of those intense looks I’ve seen all three of them share.
“What is that?” I ask. “What are you silently communicating?”
“Nothing.” Sawyer dismisses it with a wave of his hand, and my blood boils.
“God, you’re infuriating.”
Kai barks out a laugh, straightening up. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Suck dick.” I flip him the bird and get up, jabbing him in the ribs as I push past.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” He yanks me back by my shirt.
“To my room.”
“You mean my room?” His look is suggestive in the extreme. “I can get behind that plan.”
My lips tug up. “Actually, I’ve changed my mind. I’ll hang out in Jackson’s room.” I shrug. “Maybe watch some pornos or play strip poker.”
“Get your annoying ass in the car,” he snaps, grabbing my elbow.
“Eat shit and die.”
“That muzzle suggestion is sounding more and more appealing,” Kai says to Sawyer. “Can you order one online and have it delivered?”
“I’m on it.” Sawyer smirks, and I flip him off too.
Kai slaps the keys in my hand. “Go wait for me.”
“I don’t take orders from you.” He slaps my butt, and I yelp, rubbing my sore ass as I glare at him. “I still don’t take orders from you.” I fold my arms across my body, daring him to slap me again.
He does.
Even harder this time.
I swing my fist, aiming for his face, but he takes hold of my wrist, stalling me. “You don’t want to push me, baby. Do what you’re told, or I’ll redden your ass and make it so you can’t sit down for a week.”
“I hate you.”
“Right now, the feeling is mutual. Get in the car.”
I stomp out of the room, mumbling obscenities under my breath the entire time. I’m halfway across the path between the house and the garage when I spy Jackson up ahead. He’s in his running gear, and he’s jogging straight toward me. “Sup, beautiful?” he pants, yanking the buds from his ears when he reaches me.
“You went running without me?”
He swipes his arm along his sweat-slickened brow. “Didn’t think you’d be up for it in your condition.”
I snort. “I’m pregnant, not incapacitated. And keeping fit is important.”
“Cool.” He shoves damp strands of hair back off his brow. “I go running every morning, and you’re welcome to join me. There are tons of good routes to run on the grounds.”
“It’s a date.”
“What is?” An angry voice barks at my back.
“Your misguided possessiveness is pathetic.” My lips curl into a sneer. “And you’ll give yourself an ulcer if you keep this up.”
“The only thing giving me an ulcer is you,” he retorts, grabbing my elbow and dragging me away from Jackson.
“You’re hurting her,” Jackson says, pinning angry eyes on his buddy as he takes a step forward.
“No, I’m not. And even if I was, it’s none of your business. I won’t tell you again, Lauder. Butt the fuck out.”
“Someone needs to remind you to remove your head from your ass,” Jackson says. “Before you fuck everything up.”
“Pot, kettle, black, dude.” Kai keeps a tight hold on me as he manhandles me toward the garage.
“Why are you pissed at him?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder. Jackson hasn’t moved from his spot, and he’s watching us as he sips from a bottle of water with steam practically billowing from his ears. Kai’s last retort got to him.
Kai ignores me at first, hauling me to a large Land Rover with blacked-out windows. He opens the passenger door, grips my hips, and sets me down in the seat, before strapping me in as if I’m a little kid and incapable of buckling a seatbelt.
He slides in behind the wheel, slamming his door shut with more force than necessary. His knuckles blanch white as he grips the wheel tightly, making no move to start the car. “Why aren’t you is a more interesting question.”
“Jackson hasn’t betrayed me.”
“Hasn’t he?” He swivels in his seat, facing me. “Hunt and Lauder were part of the plan too. They both kept stuff from you, but I’m the only one you’re mad at.”
“They weren’t concealing their true identities!! And they weren’t sleeping in my bed at night and holding me in their arms like it meant something.”
“Of course, it meant something.” He starts the engine. “And you fucking know it.”
I won’t dignify that with a response, so I stay quiet, pouting and sulking and plotting ways to hurt him.
Sawyer steps in front of the car, just as Kai is about to drive forward. He comes around to my window, gesturing at me to lower it. Kai presses the button from his side, lowering my window all the way. “What?” I snap.
“Wow. Someone’s in a good mood.”
I cross my arms and glare at him. “Did you want something?”
“Don’t call Xavier from town. Your father is most likely tracking him, and he can trace the call to here. I know you’re mad at Anderson, but don’t put his life in danger.”
“I would never put his life in danger,” I truthfully admit. “No matter how mad I am at him. Contrary to what you seem to think of me, I don’t condone violence or murder.”
He places his hand on my forearm. “I know that, but a friendly reminder of all that’s at stake can’t hurt.”
I offer him a curt nod. “I won’t call Xavier. I promise.” And I mean it.
I expect Kai to offer some commentary on that discussion as we drive away from the house, but he’s stubbornly silent. We don’t speak at all, even though I’m dying to know where we’re going. But it can’t be far, and I won’t give him the satisfaction of asking.
We emerge from the long driveaway onto the bumpy narrow road, and I pull my legs into my chest, wrapping my arms around them. He glances at me strangely.
“What?” He ignores me. “Why did you look at me like that?” I demand.
“No reason,” he coolly replies, and I scowl at him. His lips pull into a smile. “You hate not knowing, don’t you?”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
His good humor fades, and he tightens his grip on the wheel. “I know you’re winding me up about Barron, but I want to make myself absolutely clear. No other man is raising that kid but me.”
I snort. “Because you’re so qualified.”
His nostrils flare. “I basically raised my brothers, and they’ve turned out okay.”
“You’re hardly a worthy role model,” I scoff, pulling my mouth into a sneer.
The car lurches to the side of the road and slams to a halt. I bounce in my seat with the motion. “What the fuck does that mean?” he spits out.
“You’re not capable of raising a kid. You’re an abusive, bullying asshole who lies like it’s second nature. That’s hardly a sound moral compass to teach an impressionable child. God only knows how many ways you’ve fucked up your brothers. I feel sorry for them.”
Steam is practically billowing out of his ears, and his fingers twitch as his ga
ze drops to my throat. “You want to wrap your hands around my throat. Don’t you?” I taunt as I unbuckle my belt and climb across the console. “Do it.” I arch my neck, thrusting my face all up in his. “I already know the truth of who you are. Do it. You hate me because I’d rather kiss, fuck, and marry Charlie Barron than raise a kid with you.” I lick his cheek. “You want to hurt me,” I whisper against his ear. “I see it in your face.” I lick his other cheek, and he’s grasping the wheel so tight now I doubt any blood is flowing to his fingers. “I see it in the way your muscles are straining against your shirt.” I drop my hand to his lap, rubbing my palm against the growing bulge in his pants. “I feel it in your growing erection.” I nip at his earlobe. “You want to hurt me, so do it.”
I’m off his lap, and back in my seat, before I’ve even blinked. He radiates anger. Like, I can almost see it dripping off him in thick, gloopy lumps. “You don’t know what you’re saying.” His voice is guttural and low. “Heed this warning, Abby.” He grips my chin, tipping my head back. “This is the last time you’ll mention taking that baby from me.” He tightens his grip, and it hurts. His jaw clenches, and his chest is heaving, and I’ve definitely struck a nerve. “I want to fuck you up so bad for this,” he admits. The menacing look on his face and deathly quality to his voice work this time.
Now, I’m afraid.
But I’m not apologizing.
I’ll say sorry when he does.
He lets go of my chin, and I resist the urge to rub at it. “I’m not losing that baby.” His determined eyes drill into mine, and a shiver works its way through me. My heart races around my rib cage, and I’ve stopped breathing. “No one is taking him or her away from me.” His eyes glaze over, his entire body shakes with unrestrained anger, and he looks seconds away from losing it.
“Don’t move!” he barks before climbing out of the car and stalking across the road. He disappears into the forest, and I let out the breath I was holding.
Adrenaline still flows through my veins, and nausea churns in my gut, but my skin tingles all over, and a deep ache pulses between my thighs.
I wonder if Kai felt like that all the times he was pushing me. It’s a weird blend of arousal and sheer terror that is both exciting and shameful.
Twisted Betrayal Page 11
