The Starkest Truth (A Breaking Insanity Novel Book 2)

by Courtney Lane

  Contents

  THE STARKEST TRUTH

  Copyright

  Dedication

  PREFACE

  Dear Reader

  PROLOGUE

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THIRTY

  COMING SOON

  Acknowledgements

  The Starkest Truth

  Copyright © 2015 by Courtney Lane

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

  This book is licensed for your personal use only. Sharing, copying, reselling, or redistributing this eBook is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, download it through a legal lending service, or receive it as a gift through an approved vendor, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author, and enabling them to continue to publish their works.

  Edited By:

  Kristen Switzer

  Holly Blackstone

  DEDICATION

  For Emma and Annmarie

  PREFACE

  Dear Reader:

  This work of fiction contains themes that some may find offensive. If you are not a fan of erotic, dark, twisted, and dimensional stories, this story may not appeal to you—it also deals with mental health issues, sadomasochism, abuse, murder, sexual assault, self-harm, and the like.

  Please note that this book is a work of fiction and is only meant for entertainment purposes. It is not meant to be a manual for relationships, condone the activities portrayed, nor serve as inspirational literature for any of the topics listed here, or contained within.

  Thank you for reading.

  Courtney Lane, Author

  http://facebook.com/AuthorCourtneyLane

  http://twitter.com/AuthorLane

  http://redcherrypunch.com

  Dear Reader:

  I began writing this continuation of The Sordid Promise in March of 2014 before The Sordid Promise was released. It mostly consisted of the end (what is now the end of Book 3) and contained around 90 pages in Eric's point of view. I had an outline for Eric’s back story while writing The Sordid Promise, but because I wanted him to remain a mystery, I didn’t include much of it in the story.

  I was on the fence about releasing this followups, because I knew it would be expected to be similar to The Sordid Promise. I cannot write the same story twice, and I will always stay true to the characters and their journey.

  I continued to write even though I didn’t exactly love the way things were going. I knew certain things had to happen, and I included other things based upon expectations. I felt, sadly, that too many external opinions affected the story. In the end, I became very unhappy and disconnected with the finished result. To avoid disappointing readers and myself, I shelved the story completely.

  After some time away from Nikki and Eric's world, I reworked the story and I can now say it is 100% my vision for the story.

  The continuation is not a romance—it is arguably a nontraditional love story. What it is at the core, is the dissection of Dr. Eric Brenton. It won't be smooth-sailing and there will be many detestable, heartbreaking scenes, but it is all necessary to the journey.

  Mild spoiler alert: If you are someone who needs a tidy hollywood ending to enjoy a read, then I implore you to pass on reading this novel.

  Thank you for reading.

  I KNEW WHAT Nikki was thinking when I slipped her coffee in her hands. She had a million questions, and I wasn’t going to answer a single damn one. She obeyed her mother when she was told to give us few minutes alone.

  After the door closed, I turned to Mrs. Givens, who mirrored my smile.

  “Come here, young man.” As I crouched over her bed, she kissed me on the forehead. She held my head, looking at me as though she thought her daughter’s future was going to be as brightly gray as it could be with me at her side. “Thank you for bringing my daughter back.”

  I pulled up a seat to sit close to her bedside. “I…,” I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to frame the thought without sounding like I’d lost my shit over Nikki. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.”

  “Because of your past? Or because you’re scared of the feelings you’re developing?”

  I was kidding myself. Mrs. Givens was some kind of a clairvoyant. It didn’t matter what I said, she knew before I uttered one damn thing—nothing gets past her. I’d never met a woman who almost equaled me in the way she could sway all situations. It was a dick-slash-pussy swinging contest that never ended. I should’ve been scared of her—it was a good thing I wasn’t capable of the emotion. “You see all, right?”

  “I see a light shading over your heart that needs a closer look.” She squinted at me like she was waiting for a reaction; she wouldn’t get one. “She’s getting in there, isn’t she?”

  Keeping up my stone-faced expression, I checked out the drop ceiling and tossed my head back on the headrest of the chair.

  “Keep your secrets, Dr. Brenton,” she chuckled like an evil witch concocting my demise. “You and I both know they aren’t truly secrets.”

  I dropped my head and searched her face to see if she was serious. “You really don’t know shit about me,” I shot back.

  “I know you kill people, Eric.” She flourished her hand in the air and shifted in her hospital bed. “I’m not speaking of your ventures with Suicide Angels. I’m speaking of your adventures with Victor Mejía—a man with a real estate investment business that serves as a cover. He grew up in Turbo, Colombia, didn’t he? He fled here for some reason or another. It’s very interesting how he’s never tripped the FBI’s radar.”

  She didn’t know all of it, but she knew too much. Victor fled to the States to escape extortion, and well, death. Due to some of his family members already being in the States, he was protected here. The protection he had in Colombia ran out pretty fast when he crossed someone he shouldn’t have…It beats the fuck out of me who that person is; Victor only disclosed what he wanted you to know. If you tried to dig, you’d wind up on his bad side. Getting in good with Victor was an ideal place to be—his enemies tended to have a very short expiration date. “How the fu—how the hell do you know any of that?”

  “Don’t worry. There are no paper trails.” She dismissed me. “I have resources and research skills. I knew of some things, drew conclusions on the things I didn’t. You recently confirmed the unknown.”

  Fuck. The woman was tricky. I folded my arms and curved a brow, because I didn’t believe her.
As usual, she was fucking with me.

  “Don’t forget who my husband was, Dr. Brenton.”

  “You were vague.” I leaned forward, crossing my hands over the edge of her bed. “Being a hustler can mean a lot of things.”

  “Then, I will speak plainly. He was a high-level drug dealer disguised as a legitimate hustler. His former connections are what led me to some of your well-guarded secrets. Granted, they were tiny morsels of truth that any normal person would think nothing of. I dug into what I knew to be true and formulated my own opinions.

  “While my husband was into the illegal, he never willingly allowed his less savory activities concerning the law to touch me.” She toyed with her hands and muttered something so low I could barely hear her, but I was glad I caught it. “It touched my daughter once, and it will never touch her again.”

  The moment she reengaged eye contact, I cleaned up my expression so she wouldn’t know I’d heard her little slip up. I’d find out what she meant on my own.

  What I thought I couldn’t do earlier became something I had to do.

  “Will you allow it touch my daughter?”

  I sat up with my best posture, making sure she saw every inch of how deadly serious I was before I said the word. Nothing would hurt Nikki. I meant it more now than I did when she asked me about it several months back. “Never.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I gave you my word I would protect her my way,” I assured her. “You bet your ass I meant it.”

  She pointed a shaky, bone-thin finger at me. “She’s never to know or involve herself in those activities, understood? You are in her life to curtail her darkness, not exacerbate it.”

  “I understand completely,” I asserted.

  “Careful around Victor, Dr. Brenton,” she warned me with a stark expression. “There is no camaraderie amongst criminals. I’d go so far to tell you if you haven’t gotten yourself straight at this point, now would be the time.”

  “Can’t wrap my mind around how…” I shook my head, slightly fucked over the fact I had yet to figure the woman out. “…no matter how deep my secrets are—how dangerous they are—you never once said something to draw me away from your daughter.”

  “Sacrifices. We all have to make them a time or two. Am I concerned about what you do, and if it may, in fact, involve her? Very much. It certainly has more to do with the man you speak of with stars in your eyes, than what you promised me.” She paused for effect.

  I was hanging on her every word. Because…what the fuck did she mean? There went the feeling of being lost in the sauce. Fuck, I hated that feeling. It seemed like since I had met Nikki, I felt it a lot more than I’d like to. Shit, that’s hard to admit.

  “But, you’ve survived this long,” she added quickly. “That speaks volumes about the amount of protection you have. Knowing someone from a very young age doesn’t mean you should maintain trust. Always look behind your back while keeping a steady, protective hand to your front, Dr. Brenton.”

  I nodded. “Why are you pressing the warnings about Vic? Something you want to share?”

  She gave me a shit-eating grin, shutting down any possibility I’d get my answers.

  I cleared my throat, adjusting my posture, pressing her to become more pliant toward me. “I believe there is more to the reason you wanted to get Nikki and me together.”

  “You could be right. You could be wrong. My time clock is running out and won’t give me time to convince you. Thankfully. Be careful around Victor and keep him the hell away from my daughter. I mean that. I will haunt you in death if you betray your promises to me, Dr. Brenton.”

  I rolled my eyes. Her warnings were becoming redundant. Besides, it was clear she didn’t really know Vic—the guy had done a lot for me. If I were ever in a bind, he would continue to do a lot for me. A man with connections who wasn't afraid to get dirty to solve your issues was one you always want to have on your side. I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for him.

  He was the one who gave me advice to help me get rid of the biggest problem in my life—my family. When they were dead, he made sure my uncle’s tragic murder-suicide story was believed. He made damn sure my father’s friends never came after me. He had a lot to earn in Eamon Brae’s death. Brae Industries became Mejía Enterprises, and he’d been living high off the fucking hog ever since.

  Standing, I examined her. “Are you sure about this?” I slid my hands in my pockets and rolled my shoulders back. “Me and her?”

  She smiled a little too widely for me to feel comfortable. It was a wicked witch sneer, not a ‘you’re in for the best time of your life’ smile. “Are you certain?”

  I looked down at a loose thread in her blanket. In that moment, I made my final decision on what I would do with Nikki when I had her. “You’re not the only one who can see things.”

  “What do you think you know about my daughter?”

  “The way she speaks…” My eyes fell back on hers. “She wasn’t sheltered, but I can tell she didn’t have a lot of social interactions before.”

  “And?”

  I took in a breath, wondering if this was just a test. I didn’t like the way she commanded the conversation and tried to steer control. She didn’t do it with an arrogant confidence, she did it with finely milled finesse. “She’s….transparent to me—some of her, anyway.”

  “You see a lot of yourself in her, don’t you?”

  I searched the floor. “I see…the guy I used to want to be as a kid. She digs at him. I also see…me. Eric”

  “You split yourself into halves of a whole? Why? It’s all a part of you.”

  “I need that separation,” I said.

  “Because it offers you balance and control?”

  I wiggled under my collar, unable to detach my eyes from the goddamn floor. “We need to talk about something else. Now.”

  “I know I make you uncomfortable, Dr. Brenton. As you should be. I’m a ruthless woman when crossed.”

  Her statement caught my undivided attention. I have never taken well to threats—not from anyone.

  She looked back at me like she was staring straight through me. “You would do well to remember that.”

  “I know you’re not a woman of pure virtues,” I said with a curled-lip smile. “Why the hell else would you, a self-made smart, successful woman, marry a man like Samuel Givens?”

  “Many reasons—we’ve discussed this before. There is a difference between wisdom and intelligence,” she said, her eyes wandering off to something that didn’t exist behind me. “It’s rare to have both in equal parts. The Givens women are known for loving dangerous men; my daughter is no different.”

  “Do you think Nikki can love?” I asked, keeping up my indifference. It was all a bullshit front to throw her off. In fact, I was very interested in her answer.

  “Of course she can. I believe you can, too…and it worries me most of all.”

  I didn’t understand it. Wasn’t that what she would’ve wanted for her daughter? I couldn’t believe she wanted me to be a glorified bodyguard. It didn’t make a damn shit of sense. “Why are you concerned, Mrs. Givens? Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Because when you do fall in love, it will mean you’ve lost complete control. You’re not the kind of man who would do well in that situation. I’m almost certain you will lose what little of your mind you have left, Dr. Brenton.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek, no longer in the mood to smile. “You’re right about a lot. Wrong about some.”

  “I wish it were true.” I could see it in her eyes. The pain was becoming too much for her. I’d seen in a million times. She didn’t have a lot of time left. “Well, Dr. Brenton. What if this is the last time we lay eyes on one another? Are there any last words you would like for me to take to my deathbed?”

  “Just seven.”

  “Well?” She gave me a faint smile. “Out with it.”

  “When will you ever call me Eric?”

  With a bi
gger smile, she held out her hands, waiting for me to jump at her nonverbal demand.

  I leaned forward, letting her hold my head as I kissed her forehead. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll keep my promise. By any means necessary, she will be protected.”

  “I knew you’d be perfect for her.” She slipped one hand from my jaw and touched the tip of my nose with her index finger. “I’m glad I was able to see this before I no longer could.”

  “See what?”

  “It grants me a small amount of joy to know one of my schemes will work out well, even if all else goes to hell in the end. Recall all of my warnings, Dr. Brenton. Don’t fall in love with her. Care deeply for her. Protect her. Make her happy.”

  I wasn’t in the mood to fall down the rabbit hole and question what she just said, so I just replied, “Goodbye, Mrs. Givens.”

  “Stay well, Dr. Brenton.”

  When the door began to close behind me, I heard her real last words to me, “I won’t call you by a name that’s not your own.”

  I turned to look at her from over my shoulder and stared at the closed door.

  Shrugging it off, I headed toward the cafeteria to find Nikki.

  I really should’ve said two words to Mrs. Givens: I’m sorry. But I could count on one hand the number of times I’d ever apologized to someone. It was never because I meant it, it was only to get from one point to the next. If I were a good man, I’d apologize to Mrs. Givens. I couldn’t say I didn’t warn her the first time; there is nothing more enticing to a predator than wounded prey.