Grand Lies (The Promise Duet Book 1)

by JC Hawke

  “Who?”

  “Just a friend.” I wave him off.

  “You’re not going to die, Nina,” he tells me.

  “That’s what they told Lexie’s mum!”

  Closing my eyes, I take a big breath in and hold it. I can feel his eyes on me, but I need to get rid of my hiccups so I don’t dare look at him.

  “Breathe, Nina, Jesus Christ! You will die if you hold your breath for too long.” He cups the back of my head, and I snap my eyes open, instantly getting lost in his.

  There is so much between us, so much in that one look.

  I don’t know how we could ever be done. How do you walk away from someone who impacted you so profoundly and in such a short space of time? A little over two months. It’s all it took, and I am head over heels in love with him.

  “Why do you have to hurt me, Mase?” I ask, looking at him through my lashes.

  “Pix.”

  “Take me home.” I turn my head, pulling from his grip and looking out the window.

  I just need my bed.

  My mouth is dry when I wake, and my head pulses as if it has its own heartbeat.

  Sitting up, I notice I am in my pyjamas, but I don’t remember getting dressed. I don’t remember anything after Mason picked me up.

  Mason.

  He brought me home.

  Climbing from the bed, I make the short walk to the kitchen, spotting two socked feet hanging off the end of my sofa. My tiny kidney-shaped sofa. I should feel sorry for him—I don’t.

  I fill a glass with water as quietly as I can, then peek over the top of the counter.

  “Hi,” I squeak out when I find him staring up at me.

  “You’re up early. Considering the state you were in last night.” He pops a brow as if I need reminding.

  “I needed water. You slept out here?”

  He sits himself up, reaching for his T-shirt. It gives me the perfect view of his chiselled abs as they ripple beneath his tan skin. “Yeah, you told me to.”

  “I did?”

  Drunk Nina is smart. I give her an internal high five.

  “You don’t remember?”

  “No,” I answer warily, not sure if I want to know.

  He snickers, shaking his head. “I’m going to go. Do you need anything?”

  “You’re leaving?”

  My body feels tired, and I have no idea what time it is. This hangover might just be the death of me today.

  He frowns, raking his eyes over me. “You want me to stay?”

  I shrug. “I have questions.”

  “I know that,” he says with pity in his tone.

  “Will you answer them?”

  “Will you ever trust me without answers?”

  “No.” I shake my head vehemently. “I deserve better than that.”

  He steps forward, cupping my face in his sprawled hand. I lean into the touch. I have missed him so much these last few days.

  How would it feel to miss him forever?

  His thumb brushes my cheek as he searches my eyes. “Walk away, my beautiful girl. Please.” Leaning in, he kisses the space between my brows, his soft lips lingering there for a beat before stepping away.

  He slips on his shoes, and then he is gone.

  Mase

  It’ Saturday night and the guys are at my place tonight. Elliot’s neighbour is getting married, and he has been asked to be the best man. Ridiculous if you ask me. The only reason they’re friends is because they go out picking up women together. That and the fact Elliot is game for pretty much fucking anything. It’s why I know the stag he is attempting to plan is going to be an absolute shit show.

  They are here to finalise the details, and honestly, if this was my stag, I already know Nina would have my balls.

  I let that thought settle. Marriage. I never wanted it before now.

  Why would I want a piece of paper that tied me to someone for life? It always seemed like a pointless tradition, but now? Now I would scour the ends of the earth for the last remaining tree if it meant getting that piece of paper. Being with Nina and feeling the contentment she brings, I suppose at some point marriage became inevitable with her. Not an option, just necessary.

  “Tits, he loves big tits.”

  “Find me a man who doesn’t.” Lance waggles his brows at Elliot over the top of the laptop.

  “Lowell, what was the one in Soho called?” Lance asks.

  “Vue’s,” I offer.

  Vue’s is a high-end strip joint in the West End. It offers some of the best dancers in the city. Again, Nina would have my balls if she heard me say that out loud.

  Elliot snaps his finger to Lance. “Write that down. The girls were fucking good in there.”

  I sit and peel the sticker off my bottle, thinking about Nina and the look on her face when I left the other morning.

  I already know I won’t stay away, even if she wants me to.

  “You spoke to her?” Charlie asks.

  He is sprawled out on my sofa, still in his suit. You’ll rarely catch him in anything else.

  Charlie has known me for years. There used to be nothing he didn’t know, but that changed last year. He is probably still pissed at me, but I wouldn’t take it back, even if that meant I took the blame and suffered the consequences.

  “Yeah, she went to Melders Tuesday night. Jim called me.”

  He nods his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. “I presume you didn’t sort things out?”

  Elliot and Lance are hyping each other up about the stag, bouncing ludicrous ideas around and not paying us any attention. I nod my head to the kitchen and stand, Charlie following behind.

  “I don’t know, Aldridge.” I cross my arms over my chest, resting my head back against the fridge. “Nina had a shitty time growing up. She built the studio from nothing to a fully functioning business, and then I came in and fucked it all up. I don’t know how she will get over me selling her studio, and to taint her with the truth unnecessarily seems wrong when she already has the twisted shit that she does in her head.”

  “I get it, I do. But can you see yourself not being with her? Like, if she met someone else and moved on. You could accept that?”

  “No,” I grit out, ready to brawl with any man who’d dare to look in her direction. “Absolutely fucking not.”

  “I know,” he smiles. “I liked Nina from day one. She isn’t like anyone you’ve dated before. Which is why you can’t let my mistakes screw your future. I made the call, Mase, not you. Yeah, you fucked up, but you did what I couldn’t. You did what you knew I wanted.” He shrugs as if it’s simple. “I think you should tell her.”

  “I already told you I’m not telling her, Charles. The more people who know, the more chance of it coming out.”

  “You sound like a fucking broken record! What do you think she is going to do? Go to the police?”

  “No, but if anyone else does…” I grit my teeth, not wanting to go there. “She can’t know.”

  “Well, then here’s to you.” He raises his bottle in the air, and I lift mine to his, unsure. “To more stupid fucking mistakes.” He bashes my bottle with his and walks out of the kitchen.

  Fucking sensitive prick.

  Nina

  I’ve been mopey—walking around feeling sorry for myself, and mad at the world when I should be on a mission to find a new studio. Maggie and John have covered the next two months on my rent and I have just about enough to cover my bills, but that’s not going to last long.

  Today, I am doing something for myself. I have an induction at a new gym that Logan told me about and insisted I check out. I am so ready to get my ass moving again.

  After everything with the studio, Mason, and his dad, I feel like I’ve let myself go. I’m ready to get me back—nothing like a girls’ weekend to pull me out of my funk.

  There’s a spring in my step as I exit my apartment, feeling better than I have in weeks.

  Sliding my key in the lock, I do a little happy dance, my excitement
too much to contain.

  I’m actually going to work out!

  “Nina.”

  “Holy fuck!” I scream, my hands grasping my chest as my keys clunk to the ground.

  Charlie’s broad smile beams at me from his spot against the wall. He must have been waiting for me. “Charlie, you scared the life out of me. Why didn’t you knock?”

  “Sorry.” He chuckles, but his face quickly grows solemn. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say to be honest.”

  My eyes are still wide, and my heart pounds. “Is everyone okay?”

  “Yeah. But I do have some things to tell you.” He scratches his brow. “If you’re not busy, of course.”

  “Sure, come in.”

  Unlocking the door, I pray I didn’t leave anything incriminating out. I don’t think I did, but I also wasn’t expecting visitors.

  I search the room discreetly but don’t spot anything out of place.

  “Do you want a drink?” I ask, unsure why he is even here.

  “No, I’m good.” He rubs his hands together, looking anywhere but at me.

  My stomach knots, nerves twisting me up inside. “Is everything okay, Charlie?”

  He swallows hard, nodding. “There are some things I think you deserve to know, but I want to make sure you understand what knowing the truth means.”

  We both stand in my tiny apartment, looking at one another. I feel like a deer in headlights, not knowing what to do.

  “Do you want to sit down?” he asks.

  “Sure. Sorry.” I move to sit on the sofa and he follows me.

  “Don’t apologise. I should have called ahead.”

  He seems uncomfortable, which makes me feel awkward. Charlie has always been the easiest one for me to talk to out of all the guys. “Does Mason know you are here?”

  “No.” His brows lift as he thinks on that. “He will be pissed at me, no doubt, but I know he won’t tell you.” He looks at me and gives me a tight smile. “You seem to be doing good. You look well.”

  If only he knew.

  “I’ve always been good at blocking out the bad. But I was about to head out to the gym before, and I’m going to find a studio so I can build my business again. Get myself back on track.”

  “That’s fantastic.” He smiles at me, but it’s forced and I can tell he is anxious.

  “What is it, Charlie?” I ask, needing him to spit it out.

  “It’s about Mason and the studio, and Cara,” he mutters, looking down at his feet.

  Cara?

  “You mean the reason he sold it?” I frown, waiting for him to explain. “Charlie, none of this makes sense to me.”

  “If I tell you and you choose to leave him for good, that’s fine. But what I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room. You cannot tell anyone, not even Lucy and Meg. I’m very serious about this, Nina. You cannot tell anyone else.”

  I nod, desperate for him to give me a reason to stay.

  He readjusts himself on the sofa, sliding to the edge so he is barely braced against it.

  He’s so uncomfortable, and it makes me nervous.

  “My sister’s name was Phoebe. She was six years younger than me. She was sweet and loving, and everything good in the world.” His hand shakes as he rubs it over his mouth, and I reach over and take his other hand, sensing he needs the support. “When she was eighteen, she was raped.” He turns his head away, composing himself for a moment before looking back down at his hands. “I didn’t know. She didn’t tell anyone. Not until it was too late.”

  “Charlie—”

  “Mason didn’t want to tell you because he didn’t think you would be able to handle it, that you have too much from your past to deal with.”

  He’s not wrong.

  “I get why he chose not to tell you. It wasn’t his truth to tell, and I didn’t understand that until now. Mason did what he thought would protect the most people. Even if that meant losing you.”

  “Protect people from what?”

  He nods, then continues. “Phoebe didn’t tell me until two years after it happened. She spiralled into depression and cut me and her friends off. It wasn’t until I cornered her and demanded she told me one day that she broke down and told me everything—his name included.” Charlie’s body bristles with anger, his shoulders sharp and his knee bouncing. I squeeze his hand tighter. “I was young and stupid and didn’t know what to do. I was in the middle of taking my bar and knew this was the exact scenario I’d want to represent one day. But it was my little sister, so it was different. She wouldn’t go to the police.”

  “But you know who did it?” I state.

  “Yeah.” He looks at me with so much hurt in his eyes, my own fill with tears. “Phoebe committed suicide three months after I found out. No note, nothing. Just gone.”

  “God, I’m so sorry, Charlie—”

  “I hated him. She was so innocent, never messed around, went to school. She had dreams and he came along and ripped it all out from under her.”

  I sit silently, knowing there aren’t any words that can take Charlie’s pain away or bring his sister back.

  He is back in the moment, reliving the hurt, and I feel it. I feel it all.

  “I asked Mase if he would help me.” His voice shakes and then he stands, dropping my hand before walking to the window.

  I link my hands in my lap, not liking the loss of connection. I think I needed it just as much as he did.

  “I hired a friend of Vinny’s. He was ex-special forces like him.”

  I close my eyes, not wanting to hear the rest of the story.

  “I wanted him to be scared. I wanted him to feel every bit of the pain that she did.”

  “Charlie,” I mutter, agonising with him as I look up at him from the sofa.

  “I didn’t go through with it. We didn’t even know where he was at the time, and I knew it wouldn’t bring Phoebe back. I hoped one day I could put him away. That I would find him and do it the right way.”

  My shoulders sag, and I let out a deep sigh of relief.

  Charlie stands with his hands on his hips. His bottom lip pulled between his teeth. “I found out three days ago that Mason and Vinny never called it off.”

  My eyes widen. “What?!”

  He nods, then drops his head, eyes on the ground. “It went wrong, Nina. They were supposed to rough him up a bit, but it went to shit.”

  “What happened to him?” I ask, my voice shaking.

  Do I even want to know? This isn’t something I can just forget.

  “He died.”

  The air I pull into my lungs doesn’t feel filtered. It feels thick and jaded and makes tears burn the backs of my eyes. I swallow the bile that coats my throat, my stomach rolling.

  “Mason never told me. He didn’t want anyone involved in case it came out. He worried I could lose my job.”

  I open my mouth to speak, but nothing but air comes out.

  “Nina—”

  “Why are you telling me this, Charlie?” I finally ask, swiping the stray tear from my face.

  His jaw ticks, his mask slipping back into place. “Because the wrong person found out. Someone who saw it as an opportunity.”

  “What? Who?”

  “Cara. The women who owned your studio. She was the only other person who knew besides Mase, Lance and Vinny. Mason thought if you could be linked to Cara through the studio, it would look too convenient. If it came out, you could be seen to have been aware of the situation.”

  I shake my head, not understanding. “Cara? Do you mean Erin? Erin O’Connor who owns my studio.”

  Erin knew about this?

  “I can’t tell you the parts that aren’t mine to tell, Nina.”

  My mind races as I try to digest all that he has told me, but all I can think about is the conversation I had with Erin just a few days ago. She thought I knew. She told me to use the situation to my advantage.

  If you are clever, you can benefit from this.

  “Is she blackmailin
g him?” I ask, reading between the lines.

  “Not anymore,” Charlie tells me.

  “But she was?” Anger has my tone biting out the words.

  He nods, and I stand.

  “Where are you going? You can’t go to the police,” he warns.

  “I’m not going to the police, Charlie. I would never.” I shake my head. I would be lying if his lack of trust in me didn’t sting. “I’m going to Mase.”

  31

  Mase

  Locking the Bentley, I round the bonnet and make my way to the elevators, my mind a fucking jumble of thoughts.

  I haven’t heard from Nina. Not that I expected to, but not knowing where she is and what she’s doing drives me wild. Vinny refused to tail her. He has been far less compliant since he came back. It leaves me unable to function. I can’t eat, sleep and think about anything other than her.

  Pathetic.

  Inserting my key into the dial, I press the button to the penthouse, resting my head back against the cool glass mirror.

  I need her.

  The doors slide open, and I stride out, only making it a foot into the foyer before I stop short. My feet unable to move.

  Her chocolate hair is down and flows to her waist. She is wearing a pair of cycling shorts and a pale pink tank, a pair of running shoes adorning her feet. She spins on the spot, facing me with an uncertain look.

  “You ran here?” I ask, the last question I want an answer to. I can tell she did by the sheen of sweat that coats her heaving chest.

  She nods, looking up at me through her brows. I want to go to her, but something tells me to keep away.

  I can’t read her right now.

  She strides to me confidently, and I instantly regret not going to her first. She shows me her strength in her actions again and again. The fact she is here after I told her to walk away says everything about the woman that she is.

  I take her chin as she steps up to me like it’s the most natural thing in the world, but she already has it held high. A silent demand to hear the truths I don’t want to give her.

  “I know about Charlie’s sister, and I know what happened to her rapist.”