The Lies We Tell Ourselves (A Southern Heroes Novel Book 3)

by Michelle Heard

  The last time I was with a man, it was Hunter. Actually, that was the only time, and it wasn’t like we dated. Although I was in love with him, I’m not sure what he felt for me.

  Pulling back, Alec says, “We’re just gonna sleep.”

  I almost pout with disappointment. “We are?”

  “Yeah.” He smiles tenderly. “There’s no rush.”

  I’m glad he thinks so. My virginity is about to grow back.

  Clay Roberts

  When my bail is granted, I glance over my shoulder and smirk at Alec.

  In your face, fucker.

  It’s fucking awesome what money can do for you, like paying off a judge.

  I get up, and straighten my jacket, then shake hands with my attorney. He’s damn expensive but well worth every cent.

  Doug’s bail hearing was first which was granted as well. I mean come on, we’re talking about good ole’ Pastor Doug. There’s no way he’ll be doing time. Not if I can help it. Our story is solid, and we have the people of Lyman eating out of our hands. No one will ever know Doug’s one of the founding members of the drug business, and even though we’ll have to lay low for a while, we need him to run the transportation side of things.

  Joe owed my father for when he took the fall years ago, and besides, that’s how our business operates. Dad will be released next year, and we’ll need a new man on the inside to work with the prison gangs.

  Confidently, I walk out of the courthouse and get in the back of the town car with my attorney, Brian Brown.

  Glancing at him, I ask, “Did you get the paperwork done?”

  “Yes.” He opens his briefcase and takes a file from it. “I’ll contact Miss Nicolson today to set a date to meet with her so she can sign the house over into your name.”

  I take the file from him. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll get her to sign.”

  Leaning back against the car seat, I smile while looking out the window.

  I let Reece have her little tantrum, but it’s time for her to come home. I’m not letting her, and her family’s wealth, slip through my fingers.

  CHAPTER 27

  “Sometimes a lie contains a powerful truth.”

  ALEC

  With Roberts and Liles out on bail, there’s not much we can do but wait for the prosecutor’s office to do their work.

  “I have a shitty feelin’ Pastor Doug might get off with just a slap on the wrist,” Wyatt complains.

  We’re all out grabbing a beer after work. Having worked closely on the case with them, we’ve become friends.

  “He was pretty convincin’ in court today,” Aiden comments.

  “Yeah, and after all he’s done for the community, and takin’ care of Birdie and Clay, he has the people of Lyman’s support.

  “That pisses me off the most,” Wyatt grumbles, as he finishes his beer.

  We place an order for another round.

  “At least Randall and Clay will be doing time,” Zac adds.

  “You think?” I ask. “Clay’s got some pretty deep pockets when it comes to money.”

  “Fuck that shit. You wanna tell me only Randal will be doing time?” Wyatt snaps. I’m learning even though Wyatt is a joker, he can also lose his temper.

  “Enough talk of work,” Aiden says. “We need to plan a bachelor’s party for Cole.”

  Wyatt instantly relaxes. “Can we bring strippers?”

  Aiden gives him a look that says no-chance-in-hell.

  “Just two?” Wyatt tries again.

  “You gonna explain that to Emma?” Aiden asks.

  “How about one? We can tell Em she was my date and after drinkin’ too much, we couldn’t stop her from strippin’.’

  Zac starts to laugh. “As long as I’m not around when you tell her.”

  I listen to the men bantering, and my thoughts turn to Reece and the future. Things have been progressing slowly between us, and it has me thinking what’s next. Will I be moving back to her place? Hell, are we even serious about each other?

  “What are you thinkin’ about?” Wyatt suddenly yanks my attention back to the conversation around the table.

  “Reece,” I answer honestly.

  “Yeah? What about her?” A mischievous smile curves around his mouth.

  “We’re seein’ each other,” I admit.

  “Hey, at least one of us is gettin’ some,” Wyatt says, looking happy for me.

  “Dude, you’re the only one not gettin’ some,” Aiden comments.

  “No, Zac’s been out of the game longer than I have,” Wyatt argues. “Hold on, you’ve been married a year and Em’s pregnant.”

  “So?” Aiden asks. “You’ve never been around a pregnant woman before.”

  We can all read between the lines, and Wyatt’s eyebrows shoot into his hairline.

  “Wait, we’ve gone way off track here,” Zac jumps in. “So, you and Reece are a couple?”

  “I’m still figurin’ that part out.”

  “Hey, guys,” someone says behind me, and then Cole takes a seat next to Aiden.

  “Have you guys met?” Wyatt asks.

  “Not officially,” Cole says. He reaches over the table, and we shake hands. “Cole Trenton.”

  Before I can introduce myself, Wyatt jumps in. “This here is my new best friend, Alec Taylor. See what happens when you cancel with me? I replace your ass at the speed of light.”

  “Yeah, until you’re drunk and you need someone to drive your ass home,” Cole says.

  “How’s Birdie holdin’ up?” Aiden asks.

  Cole takes a deep breath, then asks, “Are you askin’ as my cousin or as a detective?”

  “I wouldn’t ask you somethin’ like that as a detective,” Aiden growls, apparently not happy about Cole even mentioning it.

  “She’s better. I just wish we could have a couple of months without some kind of shit going down.”

  “Tell me about it,” Aiden agrees.

  “But seriously,” Wyatt interrupts. “Have you spoken to your soon-to-be father-in-law?”

  Aiden takes hold of Cole’s shoulder. “Hold on, before you answer that, I have to get going.”

  Zac stands up with him. “You’re not leavin’ me behind. The last thing I wanna do tonight is scrape Wyatt off the pavement once Cole’s done with him.”

  “Don’t hit him too hard,” Aiden jokes, then they leave.

  Wyatt shoots his chair closer to mine when Cole glares at him. “Let me tell you about Alec’s fightin’ skills.”

  “That’s my signal to go home,” I laugh when he practically throws me under the bus. “It was nice officially meetin’ you, Cole.” I look at Wyatt. “Good luck, I’ll call you tomorrow to hear whether you survived.”

  “You’re seriously leavin’ me?” Wyatt asks, slapping his hand over his heart. “And here I thought we’ve been bondin’ and ready to move from best friends to being brothers. You sure know how to shoot a man down.”

  Looking at Cole, I say, “Looks like you’re the one who will be needin’ the luck.”

  Cole lets out a burst of laughter. “I’ve learned to throw a deaf ear when he becomes too much.”

  “Ouch.” Wyatt gives Cole a disgruntled look. “That hurts, bro.”

  “Anyway, I’ll see you guys around.” I wave and then make my way to the exit.

  When I get into the car, I quickly text Reece goodnight, then start the car.

  After arriving home, I get ready for bed, but before I turn out the light, I decide to check in on Reece since she didn’t message me back. I settle on the bed and pull the laptop closer. Opening it, I check the feed of Reece’s house, and not seeing anything out of place, I begin to close the lid when movement catches my eye, and lean closer to get a better look.

  “Fuck!”

  Jumping off the bed, I put on shoes and rush out of the house as I dial Wyatt’s number.

  “Hey, miss me –”

  I cut him off. “Get to Reece’s place. NOW!”

  CHAPTER 28


  “What if I dare hope Alec is the one truth amongst all the lies, I’ve been telling myself?”

  REECE

  I’m lying in bed, thinking about Alec and how things have turned out between us. Who would’ve thought he’d end up showing me the truth to the lie I’ve been living?

  The biggest lie I told myself was that this was my life and I had to settle for it. Alec taught me to fight for what I wanted, and look at us now, starting a relationship. I’m filled with excitement for the first time in years.

  A noise pulls me out of my thoughts, and not knowing what it is, I decide to go check. Wearing a pair of sleep shorts and a t-shirt, I walk to Mom’s room. Seeing she’s asleep, I glance down the hallway and tilt my head to listen for a moment.

  I hear a stair creaking, and a cold shiver races down my spine. Not having much of a choice, I walk toward the stairs, and when I look down, my eyes widen with surprise.

  “Clay?” I ask, wondering what the hell he’s doing here. “How did you get inside?”

  I rush down the stairs to stop Clay from coming up so our voices won’t wake Mom. He doesn’t answer me, and I walk to the living room and switch on the light.

  Clay takes a seat on the couch and throws a file on the coffee table. “I came to see the place you bought and to get you to sign the house over to my name.” Spreading his arms wide on the back of the couch, he glances around. “Not bad, but when are you comin’ home?”

  “What?” I ask, not believing my ears. “This is my home now.”

  “Like hell it is.” Clay gives me a look which means nothing good for me. “I’ve given you time to throw your little tantrum, but it’s time to get your shit together now.”

  “Little tantrum?” Anger bubbles in my chest and I’m so tired of letting things slide for the sake of peace. “I meant it, Clay. It’s over between us.”

  He lets out a chuckle, his lips pulling in a smirk. “Come on, Reece, we’ve had fights before. That’s what couples do.”

  “We were never a couple. We were friends, but you made sure there’s nothin’ left of that.”

  “I’m losin’ my patience.” Getting up, he stalks closer to me, and I take a couple of steps toward the kitchen. “Pack up all your shit and move back tomorrow.”

  “That’s not gonna happen,” I say. Standing still, I lock eyes with him. “You’re a narcissist, Clay. There’s nothin’ left of the best friend you used to be while we were growin’ up. You’ve become a horrible person. I was stupid stayin’ with you for as long as I did. Hell, my mom’s been doing so much better since I got her away from you.”

  “Stop pretendin’ you’re this fuckin’ princess I’ve kept locked up. You keep talkin’ shit about me, but I never hit you. Fuck, I practically carried you for years while you were mopin’ about your parents.”

  Moping? Never hit me?

  Is he fucking serious?

  My anger explodes from all the pent-up rage, and I slap Clay across the cheek. We both stare at each other with shock that I actually hit him.

  “I never hit you,” I sneer sarcastically because apparently, his definition of hitting is not the same as mine.

  Clay wipes the back of his hand over the red handprint, and before I can duck, he backhands me so hard, I stagger backward, slamming into the island in the middle of the kitchen.

  While regaining my balance, I see beams of light fall over the windows in the living room.

  God, I hope it’s Alec.

  Clay Roberts

  I stalk to where Reece is and grabbing her neck, I yank her closer.

  “You’re so fuckin’ ungrateful. After everythin’ I did for you, this is how you treat me?” I’m going to make her regret screwing me over.

  “Clay!” She gasps for air as I tighten my hold around her neck.

  Suddenly she swings something at me and slams it against the side of my face. Blinding pain shoots through my head, and I stagger backward as my vision blurs.

  “Are you okay, Reece?” I hear Wyatt ask behind me.

  Holding my head, I blink a couple of times before I’m able to glare at Wyatt. “This has nothin’ to do with you, Holden. You can leave the way you entered.”

  “Reece?” Wyatt asks with a raised eyebrow, ignoring me which only pisses me off even more.

  “He broke in. I woke up and found him inside the house,” Reece starts to spout shit.

  “Don’t be so fuckin’ dramatic,” I snap at Reece. “I came here to have you sign the papers, and you lost your shit.”

  Wyatt looks at me, shaking his head. “Damn, that’s real stupid of you violatin’ the conditions of your bail.”

  “I didn’t violate shit,” I roar.

  Wyatt walks over to Reece and cups her cheek as if she’s made from glass. I’m just about to tell him not to touch her when I see the cast iron skillet in Reece’s hand.

  “You fuckin’ hit me with that?” Throwing my arms wide, I look at Wyatt. “You should arrest her for almost killin’ me.”

  Wyatt caresses a thumb over the red swelling on Reece’s jaw, then gives me a dark look.

  “Did he hit you, Reece?” he asks without taking his eyes off me.

  “It was a little tap,” I defend myself.

  Wyatt begins advancing on me and scared he’ll actually hit me, I quickly remind him, “If you touch me, I’ll have your badge. I’ll make sure you lose your fuckin’ job.”

  Wyatt grabs hold of the front of my shirt. “I don’t care about my fuckin’ job.” His fist connects with my jaw, and I bring my arms up to protect my face.

  CHAPTER 29

  “Shit, I think I love her.”

  ALEC

  The car comes to a skidding halt behind Wyatt’s. Throwing the door open, I run full out and entering the house, my eyes search for Reece first.

  When I get to her, I frame her face, checking to see if she’s okay. Her chin trembles but I can see she’s fighting to hold the tears back.

  “You okay?” I ask while hearing Wyatt beat the shit out of Roberts.

  Reece nods and taking in every inch of her face, I see the red swelling peeking from beneath my hand. Lifting my right hand, I brush the tips of my fingers over the bruise. It takes everything I have to let go of her so I can separate Wyatt from Clay.

  Turning around, I keep Reece behind me and look at the fight. Wyatt is on top of Roberts raining down hell on the man.

  “Wyatt,” I say, and stepping forward, I grab hold of his arm before he can land another blow. I pull Wyatt back and seeing the wild look on his face, I don’t bother checking on Roberts but crouch next to Wyatt.

  “Take a deep breath and calm down, man,” I say harshly, so I’ll get through his rage.

  Wyatt blinks a couple of times as if he’s coming out of a daze, and when he sees the damage he’s done to Roberts, a look of regret washes over his features.

  “Fuck,” he spits out.

  Yeah, fuck. That’s an understatement.

  I glance at Reece. “Can you go into the garden with Wyatt? Let me just clean up this mess.”

  Suddenly, Nurse Hensley calls from the top of the stairs, “Is everythin’ okay down there, dear?”

  Glancing up, I answer, “Yeah, don’t worry. Go stay with Mrs. Nicolson,”

  Taking hold of Wyatt, I pull him to his feet. Reece takes hold of his arm, and I wait for them to go into the garden before I glare down at Clay.

  “You’re a fuckin’ pain in my ass,” I growl at him, wishing I could pick up where Wyatt left off.

  “This is police,” he spits blood on the floor, then glares at me, “brutality.”

  “You’re under arrest for breakin’ and enterin’, and violatin’ the conditions of your bail. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions,” I begin reading him his rights as I bring out the handcuffs.

  “You’re not fuckin’ arrestin’ me for shit. I didn’t do anythin’ wrong,” he roars.

  He tries to kick at me, but I sidestep him, then go down onto one knee. Gra
bbing hold of his shoulders, I flip him onto his stomach, then pin his arms behind him. I cuff his wrists, seriously hoping this is the last time I have to arrest the idiot.

  I watch as officers escort Roberts out of the house after taking everyone’s statements.

  I wipe up the blood he spat on the floor before heading to the indoor garden so I can check on Reece and Wyatt. Reece is sitting next to Wyatt, resting her head on his shoulder while she’s still holding a cast iron skillet.

  Taking it from her hands, I ask, “You used this on Roberts?”

  She nods. “I’m gonna go check on Mom while you talk to Wyatt.”

  As she gets up, I take hold of her hand and press a soft kiss to her jaw. Letting her go, I say, “Thanks.”

  I watch her walk out of the room, then take a seat next to Wyatt. Leaning forward, I rest my forearms on my thighs and glance at him.

  “What happened? Why did you lose it?”

  “Ah, fuck it.” He shakes his head, looking defeated.

  Looking down at my hands, I wait for him to open up to me at his own pace.

  After a while, I look up, and I see Reece watching us from the kitchen. She holds up a mug and points to it. I shake my head and force a smile to my face, so she won’t worry.

  Wyatt stands up and rubs a hand over his eyes. “I fucked up.” He lets out a burst of cynical laughter I haven’t heard from him before.” I’ll be okay. I better head to the station. I’m pretty sure Cpt. Harris wants to kick my ass.”

  Rising to my feet, I place a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t try to bullshit me, you’re not okay. At the very least you’re facing suspension, but I get it if you don’t want to talk now. You have my number. Use it.”

  “We’re definitely at brother lever now,” he jokes, but this time I see through it. It’s all an act to cover whatever’s eating at him.

  “Yeah, after all, you’ve seen me take a leak. It doesn’t get any closer than that.” Knowing he needs it, I wrap my arm around his shoulder and walk him out.