All the Lies We Tell

by M. Skye

  She walked the trail back to the main house and was surprisingly excited when she heard the music. She could tell the party was still in full swing, and when she hit the door, she saw the one person who always made any day brighter.

  Leaning over and placing a kiss on Tyree’s cheek, she pulled back as he shot her a questioning look. “How’s Chloe?”

  “I have so much to tell you, but it can wait. Right now, I want a dance with the most handsome man in the room.”

  “Well, damn, babe, let me get Jake for you.”

  “Tyree,” she scolded, not liking his joke. “There could be a roomful of underwear models in here and you would still be my number one choice. I love you.”

  “I love you, kitten,” he replied, twirling her out to the dance floor. “Let’s show all the wannabes how a real couple dances.”

  They moved together like they were one, once again being observed by the room. Tyree took his hand, slid it down her back, and leaned to her ear. “You look beautiful, kitten. I can’t wait to get you home and under me.” She let out a small giggle, and he claimed her lips. They were lost in the moment, only seeing each other. They entranced the room, so much so that no one saw the couple sneaking out the side door.

  * * *

  Chloe woke slowly, swearing she heard voices. Looking around the comfortable bed, she lowered her feet to the floor, feeling the cool wood. She scanned the room, swearing that she had never slept so good. She was a little angry that she had been awoken. Making her way to the door, she pulled it open quietly, trying to make out the voices, and she instantly recognized Whitney’s.

  Letting out a small yawn, she stepped out into the hallway, making her way to the stairs. She was halfway down the staircase when she heard Whitney’s voice yelling. Running back to the top, she leaned against the wall, listening to the heated discussion.

  “You promised it would end there. I can’t keep doing this!”

  She heard the man’s voice, and her eyes widened, realizing she knew who it was on the other end of the argument. She had suspected as much when she saw his name on her caller ID the other day, but she had pushed it out of her mind. She thought she had just imagined it. “We had a deal, and you can’t back out just because you’re feeling sentimental. Do I need to remind you that they shipped you off? They haven’t given a damn about you until now, and that’s only because your little boyfriend is dead.”

  Chloe heard a loud slap and whimpered.

  “Jude was better than you could have ever been to me. He loved me.”

  “Stop acting like you miss him. You sat there and let me do whatever I wanted to him. Face it, you love me.”

  She could hear the pain in Whitney’s voice as she spoke. “I don’t. I made a mistake with you, and now I’m done. I’m out.”

  She looked down in time to see him grab her and force her against the wall. “You’re not out until I say you’re out. You are going to finish what we started. I want them to suffer.”

  “I can’t! How could you do that to her? How could you rape my aunt?”

  “She asked for everything she got, and you will get worse if you try to quit on me now.”

  The tears were streaking Whitney’s cheeks, and Chloe pulled out her phone to text Mia. Without trying to, she pushed a button, and the phone made a loud noise. His head snapped over to where she stood. With fury in his eyes, he marched over and grabbed Chloe, dragging her down the stairs. She was only able to send off a two-letter text before he snatched her phone.

  “Looks like we have an audience, Whit. Now it looks like none of us are going anywhere.”

  “You can’t keep me here. Mia and Tyree know where I am and will come looking for me.”

  “Oh, I’m counting on it. I want Mia to find you. She and I have unfinished business. I wanted to wait, but it looks like I’m going to have to kick things into gear early.”

  “You can’t hurt her. You love her. Jake, stop this.” Chloe was pleading with him, but she could see that nothing she said was affecting him.

  “Still with the Jake shit,” he laughed. “Stop pretending like you don’t remember me.”

  Chloe tilted her head to the side and searched his face. She always thought there was something familiar about him, but she still wasn’t sure where they knew each other from. Whitney was looking at them questioningly, and when she saw Jake turn, completely facing Chloe, she tried to reason with him.

  “Come on, Jake, let her go. She’s just a kid, and she’s pregnant. She has nothing to do with this.”

  “She has everything to do with this.” He turned, snapping in Chloe’s face, “Look at me, dammit.”

  “Stop this! Just let her go. She’s scared, and it’s not good for her babies.”

  “She is staying right the fuck here.” He laughed sinisterly. “I suggest you start cooperating.”

  “No, not like this. I can’t hurt her. I can’t hurt Aunt Mia or Uncle Ty.”

  “You weren’t worried about hurting her when you were bouncing on my dick. You can get all forgetful and act like you care so much about them now, but where was all that concern when you were helping me?”

  “Whitney.” Chloe’s body was trembling as she looked at the girl she was beginning to see as a friend. “What have you done?”

  She reached over, and the girl snatched her arm away. “Chloe, I thought they didn’t love me. I thought they didn’t care. I wanted them to see me, and when I thought they didn’t, I wanted to make them pay. I blamed Aunt Mia the most because she was the one who always got all the attention. I thought that if I could be like her, people would see me the way they see her. I thought if he looked at me like he did her, it would make me feel special, too.”

  “You’re crazy. They love you. All she does is brag on you.”

  “I know. I know that now. I always wanted a man to look at me the way Uncle Ty sees her. He loves her so much.”

  “He loves you too.”

  “Not the way he loves her. She always got everyone. I met him”—she pointed at Jake, and he smiled wickedly—“and he made me feel like a woman. I knew it was wrong to be with him, and when I found out about him and Aunt Mia, I should have walked away, but he’s like an addiction to me. I couldn’t walk away until now. No matter how he makes me feel, I can’t hurt them any longer.”

  “Do you honestly think it’s that easy?” Jake snarled. “Do you really think that your perfect aunt and uncle will accept you after she tells them everything you just said? You have been fucking me for six years behind their backs, and don’t forget everything you’ve helped me do.”

  “I didn’t mean . . . I never thought we would be this close.”

  “All you had to do was fuck Tyree and make sure Mia found out about it, but you screwed that up just like everything else. Anyway, now me and little Miss Chloe have unfinished business.”

  “What are you talking about?” Whitney’s eyes bucked.

  Instead of answering her, he turned back to face Chloe and pulled a gun from his waist. “Now I’m going to ask you again. Do you remember me?”

  Looking at him again, she shook her head, slinging tears away. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

  “You leave, you take the last piece of my Angie, and you act like you don’t know me?” He cocked the gun back and aimed it at her face. “You better say my name. You better acknowledge me.”

  Chloe’s mind was in overdrive, and suddenly it all clicked to her. He had changed his hair, and his eye color was different, but it was definitely him. She had only seen him in pictures, but she recognized him now and felt the fear rising in her chest. Blinking her eyes with the realization, she whispered his name. “Anderson?”

  “Yes, they know me by Jake, but you know who the real Anderson is. Now get comfortable because we’re not leaving until the guest of honor gets here.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “They took everything from me. Now I’m taking it back, starting with my niece and nephew. How in the fuck did you thi
nk it was okay to make that dude their godfather?”

  “They’ve been there for me. I owe them.”

  “They’re nothing, and as soon as you give birth, we won’t need you.”

  “What did I ever do to you?”

  “You ran off with the last piece of her.”

  “I don’t know Angie. I swear I don’t.”

  “Angie was Will’s sister. She was my wife. She killed herself and my kid, and now all I have to hold on to from her are those two kids. I won’t lose them too. You see, I came here for you. You let that bitch filling your head convince you to come here not knowing I know this place like the back of my hand. I have eyes here.” He winked at Whitney, and she cringed. “I will always find you.”

  “You can’t tell him where I am. He will kill us,” Chloe cried.

  “He can’t do anything. He’s dead. It’s funny, you ran from him, and all he wanted to do was protect you from me. He died trying to protect you.”

  “He was your friend.”

  “He was a liability. I claimed him as my brother, but he was soft. He caved for you, and I couldn’t have that. Now my only concern is those babies.”

  “You can’t have them. I’ll die before I let you have my babies.”

  He shrugged and cocked the gun. “Well, I guess that means you die then.”

  Chloe closed her eyes and heard Whitney’s high-pitched wail. “No, don’t!”

  After that, everything got quiet. Chloe took a deep breath, waiting for everything to be over. She exhaled deeply while the tears continued to pour down her face, and then she heard the gun go off and felt herself falling to the floor. Her hands were soaked with what she assumed was blood, and she lay there, waiting, waiting for the darkness to overtake her.

  * * *

  Mia and Tyree parted after a series of dances, and Mia swore her legs felt like they were about to give out. “Can we sit now?” she chuckled. “I am exhausted, baby.”

  “Anything you want.” He tugged at her hands, pulling her into a nearby seat. “You want something to drink?”

  “No, I’m okay.” She leaned in, catching her lips on his. “Just sit with me a minute.” He pulled her head to his shoulder. Leaning against him, taking in his scent, she closed her eyes until she felt her phone vibrating. She pulled it out of her bag and looked down at the screen, laughing quietly.

  “What is it?”

  “Chloe. She sent me a text with nothing but a couple of letters. She must be enjoying that bed.”

  “I can think of some other people who have enjoyed that bed.” He squeezed her thigh, and she squealed. “You texting her back?”

  “No. I think I’ll pop down there and make sure everything is okay. I just get nervous about her being alone.”

  “Here, come on.” He stood and offered his arm to her. “I’ll walk you down there, and then we can get ready to start wrapping this thing up. I mean, they can keep partying if they want, but I’m ready to make a quick exit with you.” He smirked.

  “That sounds like a plan.” They began to walk toward the foyer when they saw Rick and Rock walking briskly to the library. They could tell by the expressions they wore that something was up, and when Asha appeared, they knew there was more to it.

  “What’s going on, sis? Why are Rock and Rick looking so serious?”

  “I don’t know,” Asha sighed. “They asked me to clear the house and took off.”

  Tyree looked at the door to the library and then back at his sister. “Then do as they said.” He turned to Mia, and she nodded. “Go check on Chloe. You’ll be safe there until I come and get you.”

  “Be careful.” Mia kissed him.

  “Go ahead, get out of here, babe. I’ll be down there soon.”

  Tyree watched Mia walk out the door and ushered Asha to clear the party before heading toward the library. Once he reached the door, he felt his hands shake. He had no idea what was on the other side, but it made him anxious and afraid all at the same time. Pushing the door open and turning to close it, he felt his heart racing, and when he turned to see Rick and Rock, he knew something was off.

  “What’s going on?”

  Rock held his hand up. “Son, I need you to remain calm. No matter what happens next, remain calm.”

  “Tell me what’s going on,” Tyree snapped, feeling his anger taking over. When the side door to the library creaked open, Tyree flew off the handle. “Motherfucker! How could you bring your ass in here?” He rushed toward the older man, and Rock grabbed him.

  “Tyree, you don’t understand.”

  “Make me understand why you have this murdering bastard in here. Rick, how could you? He killed your mother and your sister!”

  Tyree was fighting through Rock’s restraint when he heard a familiar voice. He dropped to his knees when she came into view, and she ran her hand down his face.

  “Tyree, it’s good to see you.”

  He was shaking his head in disbelief. “No, you can’t be here. How can you be here?”

  “I’m here, brother. I’m here.” She wrapped her arms around him.

  He buried his head in her shoulder, whispering, “Janelle.” There she was in the flesh, Janelle Lenae Livingston, and Tyree was thrown.

  “I know this is crazy, but you have to believe me when I tell you that Dad had nothing to do with anything. He was set up. All of this was a setup.”

  “I don’t understand, J, what happened? How are you alive? We searched for you.”

  “Dad found me after the accident and kept me safe. He has been keeping me safe for all this time. He figured out it was one of the companies he overtook that was plotting against us, but he didn’t know which one. If we had told you, we could have risked tipping them off. We needed you in the dark. Dad tried to talk to you, and you wouldn’t hear him out. None of you trusted him. I tried to tell him to talk to you guys the right way, but he’s stubborn. He’s still angry at you guys for kicking him out of the company, but he wanted you safe. That’s why he called Rock.”

  “Who did this? Who would try to kill you, sis?” She swallowed hard, and her eyes glistened with tears. He saw her hesitancy to tell him, and he stroked her face softly. “J?”

  “Jake.”

  “Jake?”

  “Jake.” She nodded.

  “Mia!” he yelled, remembering where she went.

  * * *

  “Chloe,” Mia called into the quiet house. “Chloe, you up?” She walked around the corner, and her eyes fell to the bright red stain on the floor. She bent down, looking at it closely, and ran her fingers over it just in time to hear the lock click behind her. She turned and saw Jake with bloody hands.

  “Mia,” he breathed out frantically. “I tried. I tried to stop her, but I . . . She just came at her. There was so much blood.” He was trembling, and she put her hand on his face.

  “Who did what? Where is Chloe?”

  “She’s in the living room. Mia, it’s bad.” She ran around the corner and felt her stomach grow weak as she looked at the blood-soaked floor and the two saturated bodies. She went to reach down, and he grabbed her hand, snatching her back, laughing harshly.

  “You can’t help them. You see, Mia, none of us are walking out of here.”

  “What did you do?” she screamed, swinging at him. “Whitney. Chloe! Get up!”

  “They can’t hear you.” He grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the couch. “You’re going to sit here, and you’re going to listen to every little detail. You’re going to hear the shit I’ve been holding in before I use these last two bullets. One for me and one for you.”

  She could smell the liquor on his breath and let the fear swell in her chest. “Why are you doing this?” Asking this, she saw Chloe move and let a joyful tear roll down her face. “You’re not like this. You can still save her. It’s not too late.”

  “She’s going to die. Whitney’s already dead. Stupid bitch jumped in front of the first bullet.” He tapped the gun across Mia’s face, and she felt the chill of
the cool metal. “Like I didn’t have more. Nobody is leaving this place alive, including you and me.”

  “I know you must hate me for leaving the way I did. I was wrong. I didn’t think of your feelings, and it wasn’t fair. I’m sorry,” she pleaded.

  “Shut up. Just shut up! You know as well as I do that’s not what this is about. You figured it out yesterday. It’s why you ran out of here.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Bullshit, bitch! You’re lying, and you know it! You remembered what happened. Stop lying and tell the truth for once in your life.”

  Mia thought she remembered something, but she wasn’t sure. The night was filled with hazy memories, and nothing jumped out at her until yesterday. When he touched her and laughed about the young girl he was sleeping with, the line he said stuck with her. Looking down at Whitney, things began to become clearer to her. “Say it again.”

  “What?”

  “What you said yesterday. Say it again.”

  His lips curved into a devious smile, and he gripped a handful of her hair, pulling her face to his lips, looking down at Whitney. “She was so good at making me feel good, just like her aunt. Just like you.”

  Mia’s lips trembled, and her throat got dry. “You . . . you were the one that night in the alley? You raped me? Why? Why did you do this? I thought you loved me.”

  “I love you. You better believe I do. If I didn’t love you, you would be dead right now, like your mother, like Jude, like Vincent.”

  “You killed them?” Mia shook her head as it filled with the realizations. She thought she knew this man. She had slept with him, told him things. He had sat by her bedside and held her hand and helped her through the destruction he caused. She felt herself getting dizzy and her eyes drooping. Just when she thought she would pass out, she felt him jerk her by the head.

  “Wake up! You don’t get to faint. You’re going to sit here and listen to me. Lord knows I’ve heard enough of your whining over the years.”