Sick Remedies (Pretty Lies, Ugly Truths Duet Book 2) Read online

  Copyright

  Sick Remedies by Natalie Bennett/BB Books

  © 2019 by Natalie Bennett. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. KU100

  Editing By: Pinpoint Editing

  Cover Design: Jay Aheer—Simply Defined Art

  Synopsis

  Obsession. Heartbreak. Turmoil.

  That's how this story begins

  Sick fixation…

  Wicked temptation…

  Cracked facades slowly expose everything we hid from the other.

  All the pretty lies bleed into ugly truths.

  Rhett Sullivan?

  He doesn't exist.

  And Nova Markov?

  She's dead.

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  Playlist

  (Spotify)

  Eminem, Joyner Lucas—Lucky you

  Karmin—Didn’t Know You

  Nina Nesbitt—Black and Blue

  Halsey--Gasoline

  Post Malone—Take What You Want

  Kurt Hugo—Silence Is All I Have Now

  Juice WRLD—Wasted

  Jutes—Pretty When U Cry

  Mariah Carey—H.A.T.E.U

  Ryan Caraveo--Paradise

  X Ambassador—Confidence

  Lostboycrow—Devil’s In The Backseat

  Tessa Violet--Games

  Motionless In White—Another Life

  Anna Clendening—If I’m Being Honest

  BANKS—Till Now

  Blackbear—Hot girl bummer

  DeathbyRomy—Problems

  Halsey--Colors

  Ellie Goulding—Hate Me

  Blackbear—Idfc

  Halsey—Graveyard

  Witt Lowry--CRASH

  P!nk—Happy

  Ali Gatie—Remedy

  Charlotte Lawrence—Navy Blue

  John Legend—What You Do To Me

  Lana Del Rey—Happiness Is A Butterfly

  Three Days Grace—Painkiller

  K Flay—High Enough

  Ali Gatie—It’s You

  Sasha Sloan—Version Of Me

  Jutes—Start Over

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Synopsis

  Dedication

  Playlist

  Epigraph

  Hell sent us the most evil disease, and we humans called it “love”.

  —Conny Cernik

  CHAPTER ONE

  RHETT

  His eyes had a sunken look to them, the whites so scarlet it was almost impossible to see the natural blue surrounding dilated pupils. Keeping my gun pressed to his temple, I brought the liquor bottle to swollen lips and forced him to take another drink. He swallowed audibly, slumping even further into himself.

  He’d stopped begging nearly twenty minutes ago, which had been twenty minutes too long. I could think of a million better ways to pass my time. If not for Nova, the issue between the two of us wouldn’t be considered personal.

  He’d never been a problem until he started continually toeing the non-existent line that was my tolerance when it came to her. There was no enjoyment in doing this, but because of Nova, it was necessary.

  “He’s done.” I tucked my gun away so that I could use both hands. “Let’s get him into the driver’s seat.”

  With a nod, Callum pulled open the car door, watching as I lifted Mickey from the ground, grabbing just beneath his arms, leaving his feet to drag. His head lolled, and a breath of pungent liquor blew across my cheek. Disgusted, I shoved his ass inside without care, causing the top of his forehead to bounce off the upper frame of the car.

  A low groan emptied from the back of his throat. Filthy, drunken fingers attempted to grab at me. I easily shook them off.

  Melody Parker, his rebound girl, was still out cold in the passenger seat.

  The knot on her head was hidden by a curtain of messy blonde hair. We’d knocked her out as soon we’d retrieved her from the old woodshed Tripp had stashed her in. Not an easy task when the entire town was on one helluva manhunt for her. It wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle, though. We’d been down this road once or twice before.

  Like with Mickey, this wasn’t personal. This chick was a nobody, the unfortunate daughter of a man on my list that had needed to be handled quickly and efficiently. It just so happened that she was useful for what I had decided to do with her boyfriend.

  I made sure the front two windows of the car were cracked a decent bit, leaving the back pair up. Then, crouching, I pressed down on the gas pedal with one hand and shifted the car into drive with the other.

  Due to the slight incline, it immediately began to roll forward, needing no assistance from me or Callum.

  I slammed the door and moved a step back, watching it go over the peak of the cliff we were on. Its front end tilted downward, causing it to plummet a rapid rate. The noise from the falls drowned out the sound it made as it impacted Legacy Lake, sending ripples across its glass-like surface.

  It could take seconds or a few minutes to sink, though that was irrelevant now. The average person could only hold their breath for thirty to sixty seconds. Neither Mickey nor Melody were in any state to save themselves, and no one was around to help them.

  There was a hint of irony in killing them here. This peak was the first place I brought Nova so that we could be alone.

  It wasn’t all that long ago, but things hadn’t been the same between us since that day. They never would be.

  “How much time we got left?” Callum asked, his attention trained on the tail end of the car.

  “Enough to get our shit together and bounce.”

  “And what about Nova? You sure you’re ready to take her on for a lifetime? That’s a big responsibility.”

  I thumbed my chin, glancing up at the rapidly lightening skyline. I didn’t know how to answer that outright. It was a complex question. Was I sure she was coming with me? Yes. I had been more than patient when it came to our relationship. I’d drag her ass out of Legacy Falls kicking and screaming if I had to. I needed her, wanted her in all the ways there was to want someone. Wholly. Possessively. Diabolically.

  “We should head back,” I finally replied, turning around to begin the trek to where we’d stashed our ride. There wasn’t time to fumble over feelings or rationalize anything.

  The outcome wouldn’t change. I’d made a choice, and now there was only one way this could end.

  Nova Markov had to die.

  CHAPTER TWO

  NOVA

  He locked me inside his room.

  Hours ago.

  The sun was coming up and he had yet to come back. I paced. I yelled. No one came to help.

  I returned to his closet, thinking it might hold something that could remove a door from its hinges or break through it altogether. My big toe caught the corner of something wooden and I hissed, hopping on one foot. When I could wiggle it again, I crouched down and shoved a pile of pressed T-shirts to the side, revealing an oak box with an infinity symbol carved into the top.

  It looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I lifted
the lid and stared down at my new findings. There were stacks of cash, fresh and banded together. That wasn’t too alarming. The gun gave me a little more concern. I lifted it and checked the clip, counting three bullets.

  I’d keep it.

  You’d think it’d have been the passports that disturbed me the most. There were six in total. All were of Rhett—or versions of him. Each had a different name, none matching the next. From what I could see, my Rhett didn’t exist. He wasn’t even twenty-four.

  I dropped the books as if they’d burned me, and that’s when I saw it wedged in a corner of the box. My hand was trembling, making me miss its silver chain a total of three times before I was successful. The bold red butterfly spun in a circle, its wings catching in the light.

  Why did he have this?

  None of the reasons my mind presented made any sense. Even if there was a feasible explanation, what did it matter? He had lied to me about everything. My father had kept this pendant in his wallet. He was going to fix the clasp for me.

  The sound of the lock clicking had me rising swiftly to my feet, tears be damned. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew I needed to get away from him.

  When he stepped into the room, I was struck again by the realization that I had no idea who this person was. He had a gun in his hand. I tightened my grip on mine, wondering if he could hear how loud my heart was thundering in my chest.

  I could have painted us right then, frozen in this exactly as we were.

  Rhett Sullivan.

  Mysterious boy dripping in shades of red.

  The color of blood and love. War and passion. Dangerous and cunning. When I looked at him, it’s all I saw.

  And then myself.

  Nova Markov.

  Eccentric girl dripping in sunshine.

  I was yellow. Full of melancholy.

  Venomous.

  Crazy.

  Insane.

  The only thing left to determine, what I couldn’t see, was what happened when you mixed those two colors together. I pointed the gun at him and lifted my necklace so that it dangled between us, asking the most important question first.

  “Why do you have this?”

  “You know, you shouldn’t aim a gun at someone unless you’re planning to use it?” He stepped into the room and nudged the door shut with his boot, never taking his eyes off me.

  I tightened my grip on the gun’s handle to keep it steady, feeling my palm begin to sweat. My entire body was on fire, raging emotions stoking the flames within me higher and higher.

  “Answer me!” I gave the necklace a shake. The butterfly pendant spun in the air, its red wings’ catching a beam of light.

  Rhett leaned back against the door, keeping his own piece clutched in his right hand as he crossed his arms. “You gonna shoot me Nova?” His tone was flat, his face void of any emotion.

  I grit my teeth and widened my stance. “Last time I’m asking. Why the fuck do you have this?”

  Silence.

  Silence so loud you could hear a pin drop from a mile away. He wasn’t going to answer me. His head tilted slightly to the side, and he continued to regard me with an air of indifference.

  “Are you sure you know how to use one of those?”

  This asshole. I glared, checked the safety, and then pulled the trigger.

  The wall imploded to the right of him--my left, the bullet missing his face by a few mere inches. My ear canal restricted protectively, but the sound was still painfully loud. Not even Rhett remained unaffected. Ignoring the ringing now echoing inside my head, I went for the door, keeping the gun pointed in the direction Rhett had moved.

  The necklace in my hand carried a million implications. The box in his closet proved he wasn’t who he claimed to be. My heart was turning to dust. But I didn’t want him dead….

  I just needed to get the hell out of here, and as far away from him as possible so I could think properly. Logically and not emotionally.

  I threw open the bedroom door and stepped out into the hall, keeping my back to the wall as I moved towards the room Emery should have been in. Rhett didn’t speak or attempt to stop me. Or maybe he did, but I couldn’t hear anything clearly right then.

  A split second before I reached the adjacent door, Emery emerged into the hall with Callum right behind her. He stopped to take in the scene while she came towards me with an air of caution. Ridiculous. As if I would ever hurt her. I clutched the necklace so tightly; I felt its thin chain imprinting onto the flesh of my palm.

  When we were within reaching distance of one another, Emery’s entire demeanor changed. She moved so that we were side by side, mouthing the words, “let’s go.”

  After a quick perusal of our audience to make sure they weren’t going to do anything stupid, I grabbed hold of her hand and did precisely that.

  Callum called after her as we descended the stairs, taking them two at a time. She didn’t so much as glance back, not even when we breezed past a set of confused faces lingering near the bottom.

  Outside, the air had a heavy moistness to it while the woodland surrounding the lodge was ominously silent. Not even our footsteps registered. A touch of paranoia had me abruptly glancing behind us, but no one was giving chase. I faced forward again, tossing a glance over my shoulder every other step.

  I was a little surprised to see my car right where I had left it the night before. Then again, what would Rhett have done with it?

  “You drive,” I told Em, hoping my keys were still in the ignition.

  I went to the passenger side and opened the door, not getting in until I heard the Camaro’s engine roar to life, just in case.

  Even during those few seconds, no one came outside. No faces peered from windows. There had to be a reason why we weren’t being pursued. I didn’t know what it was. Right then, I couldn’t say I cared all that much.

  Perhaps I should have.

  Maybe it would have changed the outcome of my entire story.

  CHAPTER THREE

  RHETT

  I eyed my bedroom wall, laughing softly to myself. My question had been rhetorical. I should have known Nova would respond by pulling the trigger.

  “Either you two fight super dirty, or she found your box of dirty secrets.” Angel mused, walking into my room. She eyed the bullet-hole, then turned to face me. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. I wanted her to find it.”

  “Why?” Evie questioned, following right behind my sister. She glanced from the wall to me, shock washing over her face.

  “That psychotic bitch seriously just tried to shoot you? What the hell is going on? And why’d you let her leave?”

  “That psychotic bitch is going to be family soon,” Angel reminded her. “And she’s my friend,” she added sweetly.

  With no snarky response, Evie made a point to stare at the hole that had put a decent crack in my drywall, trying not to let on how much that still got under her skin. I couldn’t fault her for the way she felt. We would all feel the same way if it were us in her position.

  “So why did you want her to find that box?” Tripp asked, joining our discussion from the hall.

  “To by us some more time,” Callum answered, back to his usual disposition. He was playing his role with Em so well, I couldn’t discern if he liked the girl for temporary entertainment or had genuinely developed feelings for her.

  “That’s why you let them go?” Evie turned to look at me.

  “If we wanted them here. They’d be here. I wanted to fuck with her head, and as you can see, I succeeded.”

  I walked over to my closet and grabbed the box in question. I’d planted everything inside of it accordingly, tiny hints at the truth. That’s all they were though. Hints. Nothing solid enough to prove anything other than what Nova and I both subconsciously already knew.

  Neither of us were who we claimed to be. Yet, that didn’t change the fact she’d already fallen for me, all the genuine parts of myself I let her see. My being alive right then solidified
that fact. If Nova wanted me dead, I was ninety-nine percent positive I’d have a hole in the center of my forehead, and my brains would be all over the fucking wall.

  “What’s the deal with her friend then?” Tripp asked.

  “Em had to go too. Nova wouldn’t have left here without her and they’d only be in the way for what we need to do next.”

  My sister nodded, beginning to see the bigger picture. “So, in the meantime, what do we do now? I mean, what exactly is the next move?”

  “Now?” I placed the lid back on the infinity box. “We pack our shit and erase all evidence we were ever here. Then we grab the girls and go home to start on plan B.”

  Tripp shuffled in place, rubbing the back of his neck. “Does plan B include you keeping all of us in the loop now? Cuz only Callum seems to know what the fucks going on anymore.”

  “You know it’s nothing personal,” Callum responded before I could.

  I shot him a look, and then turned so that it was clear I was addressing every single one of them.

  “I think you’re all forgetting that I don’t have to keep anyone in the loop about anything. I do that out of respect for all of you.”

  The room fell silent. No one daring to argue—unable to. Our families had decided my role before I could talk, I’d surpassed their expectations by the time I was sixteen. I had never wanted to be a leader, I’d always considered myself a lone wolf, but it was something that came naturally the older I got.

  I did whatever the hell I wanted to, choosing to control the course of my life. However, I still took care of the tasks my father needed my assistance with. That was the reason I wound up in Legacy Falls to begin with. Not that my interest wasn’t self-serving. After all, there was a peculiar brunette I’d caught wind of two years ago that lived here.

  I could be an asshole, but I would never be ungrateful for all the man had done, and still did, for me. Same with this lot. The four of them were irreplaceable.

  I could keep them in the dark, it wouldn’t hurt me any. I chose to make sure they knew what we were walking into. Being a loner was nice, but sometimes having another person on your side could make all the difference.