Pretty Lies (Watch Me Burn Book 1)

by R. E. Bond

  “No.”

  “Oh,” she frowned as Caden strolled around the corner and leaned against the wall, mischief swimming in his green eyes.

  “We just fuck, Mom. Besides, she’s still fucking Skeeter.”

  “Caden!” Josie hissed, but he shrugged casually.

  “What? Sometimes me and Ty get bored and wanna get laid, so…”

  I rolled my eyes at him, playfully swatting his arm.

  “Don’t wind your mother up, asshole.”

  “Oh, he’s joking?” she laughed with confusion, but I just snorted again, letting Caden drape an arm around my shoulders.

  “Well, no. You just don’t need to know what we get up to. That’s weird.”

  Caden smirked, leading me back into the other room without being dismissed, and dumping me straight into Jensen’s lap.

  “Hey!” I laughed, Jensen instantly ruffling my hair with a shit-eating grin.

  “Everyone but me seems to be getting your attention, so I complained until Caden got sick of hearing about it. He delivered you to me. Neat huh, baby?”

  “I spend heaps of time with you!” I grinned back, watching as he shrugged lazily, pretending not to be too bothered.

  “Not lately. If you aren’t running off with Caden and Ty, you’re off with Skeet. You used to spend nearly all your time with me, so I miss you.”

  Oh.

  My expression softened as I ran my fingers through his chocolate hair affectionately.

  “I miss you too. Can I stay at yours tonight?”

  Caden and Tyler exclaimed their objections loudly, but Jensen smiled and ignored them.

  “Course you can, babe.”

  Lukas raised an eyebrow at Caden, who was throwing the tantrum of the fucking year.

  “Holloway, you and Ty spend the most time with her, get over it.”

  He scowled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

  “Yeah, well, she’s meant to be here with me all the time. She lives here.”

  “Surprised you still wanna fuck her to be honest. I mean, she isn’t your sister anymore,” Tyler teased, earning a thump to the leg from him, but Lukas laughed and gave me a cheeky smile.

  “Hey, you wanna move in with me, Rory? I’ll keep these animals away from you.”

  I rolled my eyes, nuzzling into Jensen’s neck to get comfortable.

  He basically lived with Jensen, anyways.

  “I kind of like them fighting over me. Makes me feel special and all that shit.”

  “Well, it’s about to get worse. Skeet just showed up,” Tyler stated over the racket just as Skeeter strolled through the door, instantly frowning at Jensen.

  “Play fair, Gilbert. Give her here.”

  I rolled my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, but climbed off Jensen’s lap, walking over to Skeeter and hugging him tightly.

  I knew we had a lot to talk about, but I also knew he’d refuse to fix our relationship.

  I’d just have to try and convince him with sex and my charming skills.

  We moved over to one of the loungeroom chairs, and he instantly pulled me into his lap, earning a smirk from Caden.

  “Aw, Skeet, you got room on your lap for me too? Sharing’s caring.”

  Skeeter chuckled with amusement, his tattooed fingers running through my hair absently.

  “She bends over for me, you don’t. No special treatment for you, Holloway.”

  Caden flipped him off as we all laughed, but Skeeter leaned back in the chair more, not moving his eyes from Caden as he raised an eyebrow and spoke.

  “Afternoon, Josie.”

  We all glanced up to find Josie peering around the doorway at us, embarrassment on her face.

  Caden groaned. “Mom, how long have you been spying on us?”

  She stepped into the room with red cheeks, glancing at me with confusion.

  “Are you guys all in one relationship?”

  I thought we’d stated that we just fucked when we’re bored?

  Then again, Caden only mentioned Skeeter and Tyler.

  Skeeter barked out a laugh, “Like, the six of us date? Don’t think so, Josie. I love your son, but not like that.”

  She blushed even harder. “No, I mean are you all dating Rory?”

  I looked thoughtfully at Caden.

  We hadn’t really talked about labelling that shit.

  “Well, I guess? Dating’s a strong word though.”

  He snorted, “I had you first, so you’re mine. Nice try, baby.”

  “Doesn’t mean shit,” Jensen muttered, causing Skeeter to grin slyly, not being able to help himself as he tried to provoke an argument.

  “True, my man. She loved you first, right?”

  Argh, seriously?

  I stood, moving into my own chair and giving him an unamused glance.

  “No one likes a troublemaker, Skeet.”

  “I happen to know you like troublemakers quite a lot, Donovan,” he replied in a low voice, his grin turning naughty.

  Asshole.

  I flipped him the bird before glancing up at Josie again, needing to shut the conversation down, pronto.

  “I’m not technically dating anyone. Ever again, if this keeps up.”

  Tyler’s foot tapped mine under the table, but I ignored him as Skeeter and Caden argued, no one realizing Josie had snuck off until I stood and dumped my empty coffee cup in the sink and headed up to my room without a word.

  Boys, I’m telling you.

  I got dressed, shoving my hair into a ponytail and lacing up my black boots, before jogging down the stairs and colliding with a solid chest as I turned into the loungeroom.

  Jensen backed me into the wall, a sly smirk on his face.

  “Going somewhere, cupcake?”

  Fuck.

  I scowled. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Well, where are you going? Thought we were heading to mine for the night?” he pouted, as if that would change my mind.

  “It’s lunchtime, so I have hours till tonight,” I argued, a small smile hitting my face as he lifted me and pressed my back against the wall.

  I could lick his biceps, honestly.

  Goddamn, he used the gym perfectly in my opinion.

  Bruised back?

  What bruised back?

  Drool.

  “Well, I wanted to have the afternoon with you too, so give me a good reason why I should let you go?” he murmured as I snaked my arms around his neck to lean closer and kiss him.

  “What did you wanna do then?”

  “I want to know where you were going in such a hurry,” he chuckled, placing my feet back on the ground.

  “The shed,” I replied honestly, his eyes narrowing on me.

  “Why?”

  “I need to see Slash about something,” I shrugged and went to walk off, but his hand pulled me back before I got two steps from him.

  “Nuh-uh.”

  “Damnit, Jense, don’t do this shit. Come with me if you fucking have to, but I have to talk to Slash.”

  “Talk to Slash about what, hot stuff?” Skeeter asked, sweet as honey, from close by.

  I rolled my eyes, knowing he was going to over analyse it.

  He was always fucking eavesdropping, too.

  “That you guys are apparently taking me with you somewhere?”

  He frowned, suddenly not looking amused anymore.

  “Where the fuck did you hear that?”

  “Apparently, Slash just strolled up to Josie today and told her you guys were taking me somewhere. She’s a bit shitty about being approached, so I’m going to talk to Slash, since she thinks he was the person that spoke to her.”

  “Don’t even bother,” he growled, earning a filthy look from me as I went to fight him on it, but he pinned me against the wall carefully, his voice soft. “I don’t know shit about it, so let me find out what the fuck’s going on. I won’t put you in danger. This is either a lack of communication, or Slash is up to something. Stay with the guys until
I find you. Please.”

  Well, he did actually say please, this time.

  I sighed in defeat, tucking myself under Jensen’s arm as Skeeter turned to him.

  “Keep her in your sights, no matter what. She needs to shit, you sit in there too. Got it?”

  I rolled my eyes, but Skeeter’s concerned gaze hit mine.

  I knew he was seriously worried.

  “Rory, this isn’t a game. For once in your life, do as you’re fucking told. I’ll call you when I know what’s going on, okay? Maybe go to Lukas’s house or some shit. Somewhere you don’t usually go.”

  Jensen tightened his arm around me protectively, and I couldn’t lie, I swooned a little.

  “We were heading to mine. She hasn’t been there many times.”

  “Your main house, or the one she stayed at after the shit with Holloway’s dad?” Skeeter asked with his jaw set hard, but Jensen replied calmly.

  “Main house. She’s only been there once or twice.”

  “Good. Keep your eye out. If Slash shows up and you haven’t heard from me, call me,” he ordered before pressing a kiss to my forehead and taking off.

  Jensen sighed, already apparently over the drama that I’d bestowed on them.

  “See why we talk about things before doing them? Let’s get going.”

  I wanted to argue, but words never came.

  I just nodded, letting him have his way this once.

  Chapter fifteen

  Rory

  Jensen: Where the fuck are you, Aurora? Answer the fucking phone!

  Guilt ate at me as I read Jensen’s text.

  I’d waited until he’d gone to sleep before prying his arms from around myself and sneaking out, heading straight to the shed on foot.

  I walked for an hour before reaching the turn-off, just as Jensen’s text came through, so I knew I didn’t have a lot of time before people turned up looking for me.

  I jogged up to the door and let myself in, making my way towards the office and coming face to face with Slash, who chuckled with pure amusement.

  “I fucking told Skeet you wouldn’t stay put.”

  I sat my ass on his desk and stole a cigarette, raising an eyebrow.

  I could kill the piece of shit.

  “So, you did corner Josie in the street? Careful, Slash, that’s not your fucking business.”

  “No offense, but you are my business. I needed to keep all your fucking guys busy at watching you. Got you a gift, Killer.”

  I scowled at the nickname, taking a drag of my cigarette as I lit it.

  “For me? You shouldn’t have, seriously. Where’s Skeet at?”

  “Busy, but he’ll be here once Gilbert tells him you’ve gone M.I.A.”

  The fuck?

  That put me on alert instantly as I demanded, “How do you know Jense knows I’ve vanished?”

  “If you think we’d let you run around all this time as Skeet’s girl and not had a tracking device on your phone to track texts and calls, you’re really stupid. Anyways, I’ll take you to your gift, and I promise I’m not kidnapping you. Go slide your delinquent ass into my ‘stang.”

  “How do I know you aren’t kidnapping me?” I scoffed, but he shrugged.

  “Well, you don’t know that I’m not, but I’ve got bigger fish to fry, babe.”

  I warily followed him out to his car, holding back the urge to just tackle him and run.

  He was totally kidnapping me, wasn’t he?

  I frowned when we’d driven a few blocks away and he pulled into a parking lot beside an abandoned building, parking close to the door.

  Again, why did I keep doing stupid shit?

  “This screams kidnapped to me, Slash. Just saying,” I snorted, not at all amused, earning a genuine laugh as he climbed out.

  “Can’t kidnap someone who’s willing, babe. You’ll like this gift, trust me.”

  “I’m not trusting any shit that comes out of your mouth, boss man.”

  “Just follow me,” he sighed impatiently and rolled his eyes, waiting for me to follow him inside and along the dark hallway, before stopping in front of a door at the end.

  He unlocked it, startling me as he grabbed the back of my pants, his cool fingers brushing against my skin.

  He chuckled at my panic. “Relax. It’s just part of the gift.”

  I went to yell, praying that someone would hear me, but I hesitated when I felt cold metal slide down the back of my pants.

  “Slash, is that a fucking gun?”

  “Yep, fully loaded. You’re welcome,” then he opened the door and gave me a small shove, locking me inside.

  The room was bright, causing me to squint as the panic rolled through me.

  He’d actually fucking kidnapped me and locked me in an abandoned building, and I’d been stupid enough to just get in the car with him.

  Skeeter was going to fucking kill me.

  A noise sounded from across the room, and I looked up to meet eyes with a panicked Tristan Holloway.

  I instantly froze up.

  How the fuck could Slash do that to me?

  How much did he pay Tristan to do this?

  Or did Tristan pay Slash?

  Fuck, I’d been set up.

  “What the fuck?”

  Tristan’s eyes went wide in fear, and I realized he wasn’t there on his own accord.

  Slash had fucking taken him.

  “Aurora, you have to help me. Your boyfriend’s crew…”

  “Don’t think for a second that I’d ever fucking help you,” I gritted out, taking a step back as he moved closer.

  He’d been beaten, which made me smile a little.

  Hang on, Slash had given me a gun.

  “Why not? We can help each other escape, yeah? You can convince him to let us go, right?” he blabbered like an idiot.

  I smirked, manic laughter bubbling out of me as I realized what was actually going on.

  Slash was serious about giving me a gift.

  He’d literally brought me there so I could kill my fucking rapist.

  Holy shit, he did that for me?

  Tristan frowned at my psychopathic melt down, but I waved a hand at him to dismiss it through my laughter.

  “Oh, you think I’ve been kidnapped? My bad.”

  “But…”

  “I wasn’t kidnapped, I was brought in here to see you.”

  “For closure?” he asked with curiosity in his voice, making me grin.

  “Yep.”

  “They’ll just kill me, Aurora. Please help me…”

  His mouth snapped shut mid-sentence as I pulled the gun out, pointing it at him with a sinister smile.

  “I’d be pretty mad if they killed you, considering I’d called dibs. Final words, Tristan?”

  I was shitting my pants, but at least I sounded fucking badass.

  I needed theme music.

  “Caden would never forgive you! If you love my son, you won’t hurt him like this!” he begged, literally grovelling on his knees in front of me like the pathetic piece of shit that he was.

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Caden wants you dead, but if you really loved him, it wouldn’t have come to this. You didn’t do any of that shit for my father, you wanted me beyond damaged to keep me away from Caden, once you’d found out how close we were. News flash, all you did was bring us closer together. We’re stronger than ever, and he can’t stand the fucking thought of you. You touched what he sees as his, you know?”

  “You’ll never be able to live with yourself if you kill me! Having that kind of blood on your hands would destroy you!” he insisted, clasping his hands together, getting desperate.

  “I’ll just add it to my body count. You’ll be two, Max will be three. Lucky you guys, huh?” I grinned, starting to feel more in control as I watched him fucking fall apart at my feet.

  “You’ll kill your own fucking father? You’re a psychopath!”

  Power surged through me as I pointed the gun at his forehead, pressing it firmly against t
he skin and watching the panic cross his face as I smiled.

  “Caden did say Skeet had turned me psycho once, but you have no fucking idea,” then I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

  The sound echoed through the room as the blood splattered, spraying my shirt and neck from the close range.

  I heard the door unlatch, so I headed out of the room and gave Slash a nod of appreciation.

  I didn’t like the asshole, but I had respect for him now.

  He let me face my own demons, and I’d fucking won.

  Skeeter barrelled into the building, his eyes landing on the blood on my shirt, his expression changing from pure rage to something else in an instant.

  It almost looked like pity.

  I turned to Slash, letting him take the gun from my hand to dispose of, just as Caden and the guys showed up, but Skeeter put an arm out to block them.

  Caden’s eyes took in my appearance, not hesitating to shove past Skeeter to reach me, but I met his eyes and he instantly froze at the emotions he saw in them.

  I didn’t hide a thing from him as I spoke, my voice somehow sounding steady.

  “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you, Caden. I don’t fucking want that for you,” then I walked out, gently pushing the others out of my way as I left.

  No one followed me, but one of Slash’s guys pulled up beside me after fifteen minutes of walking, and I climbed in for a lift home.

  I was getting sick of burning my blood-stained clothes.

  This shirt? One of my favourites.

  The house was silent by the time I got there and burned the evidence before having a hot shower and managing to fall asleep quickly once I’d climbed into bed.

  The silky sheets on my bare skin always helped, I guess.

  An arm went around my middle a few hours later, jolting me awake, and I was surprised to find Caden curled up behind me.

  I rubbed my sleepy eyes with a frown.

  “Caden?”

  “Yeah. Just me, baby,” he mumbled softly, my frown deepening.

  I’d just killed his fucking dad, how could he want to be anywhere near me?

  “Why are you in here? When did you get home?”

  He was quiet for a moment, before kissing my bare shoulder.

  “I just got here. I need you, as much as I think you need me.”

  There was too much raw emotion in his voice, and I rolled over, placing a kiss on his chest, a bit confused by what he meant.