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

  The hardening of my nipples and throbbing of my clit had a small moan flowing between us. Angry, terrified, and aroused all at once, I was pinging around with emotional whiplash.

  He increased the fervor of our kiss, easing two fingers inside me, opening them into a V, curling them upward to press against my G-spot.

  I whimpered, moaned, and spread my legs further, kissing him harder. He had a mouthful of candy-coated poison, and I wanted to ingest every morsel of it.

  Our tongues tangled in tandem, him taking complete control. With my hands bound, I was at his mercy. His thumb moved faster, working over my clit as he fucked me with his fingers urging me towards a peak of bliss. Another whimper caught in my throat, my pussy clenched around his digits, a spurt of liquid trickling between the folds.

  Rhett—Rhys—leaned back slightly and glanced down.

  “Look at that, a psycho makes your pussy wetter than it’s ever been before.”

  His words hit me like a bucket of ice water. What was I doing?

  His eyes bore into mine as he raised his fingers to his mouth, sucking them in with a loud pop. “Your pussy is by far the best delicacy I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Get. Off,” I commanded, anger and embarrassment giving my voice the base it had been lacking before.

  He gave me a smug smile. “We both know that’s not what you really want. If I were to fuck you right now, you’d beg me not to stop, craving the very person you’re trying so hard to hate.”

  He moved away abruptly, his disposition switching back to stoic as he stared me down, making me feel incredibly vulnerable beneath his dagger-like gaze.

  My chest rose and fell, nipples straining against the same sheer fabric that matched my underwear. My body was hot, aching for what he dangled in my face.

  I sizzled with humiliation and anger. He’d been toying with me, proving he knew exactly where to touch me and how.

  Needing to save face, I swallowed and coolly stated, “I’m never going to tell you where the flash-drive is. It doesn’t matter what you do to me.”

  “That’s a strong proclamation. In due time, you’ll see things my way and tell me whatever I want to know.”

  “And if I don’t, then what? Are you going to kill me?”

  He thumbed his chin, eyeing me with an air of bored indifference. “Do you have a death wish? Is that it? How many ways can I tell you that you’re safe with me? You’ll never die by my hand or anyone else’s.”

  I scoffed. “You can drop the caring boyfriend act.”

  “Boyfriend?” Amusement littered his tone. “I’m much more to you than a boyfriend, baby-girl.”

  “That was loose terminology. Nothing we shared matters when it wasn’t real.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “You think I could fake what I feel for you? I may not have told you certain things, but everything but my name was—is--real, especially where you’re concerned.”

  He closed the space between us and lifted my chin with the tip of his fingers’. “Now that you mention it, I wasn’t the only one pretending to be someone else. You know that they say about people who live in glass houses?”

  I turned my head to remove his touch. I’d walked right into that one.

  “Don’t worry, your secrets couldn’t be safer than they are with me.” He moved away again, this time heading for the exit.

  “Wait! Where are you going? You can’t leave me tied up like this.”

  “Be grateful that’s all I’ve done. I initially wanted to waterboard you.”

  “I thought you said I was safe with you?”

  “You’re alive, aren’t you?”

  I glared at the back of his head. What the hell did that even mean?

  “I have some things to take care of. I’m going to give you twenty-four hours to reconsider your decision.”

  He grasped the doorknob and paused. “There’s something I’ve been wondering, but I don’t want you to say anything until you’ve taken time to really think about the answer. Why are you so hellbent on protecting something you don’t understand, for a man that wouldn’t do the same for you?”

  With those heavy parting words, he exited into what looked like a ridiculously long hallway, shutting the door behind him. I stared at the empty space he’d just occupied, conflicted on how to feel, unsure what I was supposed to do.

  I was fumbling with my restraint when Angel walked in carrying a small silver tray loaded with a handheld Campbell’s Soup, and bottle of water.

  “Hey, how are you feeling?” she asked, way too cheerfully given the situation. I recognized her voice as the one Rhett/Rhys had spoken to before I was injected with whatever made me pass out.

  “Is that a rhetorical question?”

  “Nope. I’m genuinely concerned.”

  “I’ve been kidnapped. Someone undressed me without my consent, and I’m tied to a chair in a house full of strangers. And you keep drugging me. How do you think I’m feeling?”

  She sat the tray down, and snorted with laughter, which seemed so out of character for her. Not that I knew her all that well.

  “Aw, come on. I’m not a stranger. I’m your friend. Rhys isn’t a stranger either. He’s the same great guy who wooed you back in Legacy Falls. As for your clothes, they were removed for your benefit.”

  “How does being dressed in nothing benefit me?”

  “Well,” she drawled, carrying the soup over to me. “Besides you showing my brother that amazing body you’ve got? The clothes needed to be thrown out. Not only were they filthy, but now that you’ve joined the family, you have to dress to fit the role you’ve been given.”

  I tried to gauge if she was being serious. I didn’t have the slightest clue what she was talking about. I was not part of their freakshow.

  “Where did Rhett…Rhys go?” God. It was so weird to suddenly call him by something else.

  She smiled down at me, looking so much like him in that moment, it was disturbing. “So, he told you his name then?”

  “If he hadn’t, you just said it.”

  She pursed her lips and nodded. “That’s true, but Rhett isn’t too far off Rhys, so it’s not that big of a deal.”

  She brought the soup to my lips. “Here. I know you’ve gotta be starving.”

  She was right, I was starving. I greedily accepted the soup. If they wanted to get rid of me by poison, job well done.

  “Slow sips,” Angel cautioned. “You don’t wanna get sick. Rhys would kill me.”

  I swallowed a mouthful of warm, chicken noodle goodness, and laughed. “Was that a joke?”

  She frowned, lowering the container down to her side.

  “No. My brother really likes you Nova. And I mean really likes you. If he didn’t, well, sweetie you would be dead. Honestly, I would have offed you myself.”

  Those weren’t the words you wanted to hear from someone responsible for feeding you. I licked my lips and leaned as far away from her as I could.

  “Oh, no! Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that now. I like you too much. You’re going to fit right in. Even Daddy can’t wait to meet you.”

  “Your…dad?” Had I heard her correctly? There was no way I’d misheard that. Mom had been right. All of us really were a few genetics away from being insane. Clearly, Rhys’ bloodline didn’t skip any generations.

  Why would I meet their father? They couldn’t be serious about me joining their family. It wasn’t possible. I couldn’t comprehend that.

  An uncomfortable silence settled between us, stretching on with each passing minute, filled only by the sound of me slurping down soup.

  “Would you like some water?” she asked suddenly, changing the subject.

  I nodded; the movement feeling sluggish.

  Angel gave me a bright, toothy smile and rose to her feet, patting the top of my head as if I were a dog.

  “Don’t worry about a thing. You’ll be safe here with us.”

  What was she talking about?

  “I’m sorry,” she said s
oftly.

  For what? Why was my body getting heavier?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  RHYS

  My home was the one thing I made sure remained intact and plush. It was the one constant that remained steady. The décor never changed, the neighbors were still the same, and I could relax in comfort after spending weeks or months away.

  Usually.

  I had never taken this long to get a job done before. I was efficient and meticulous in my line of work. I liked to get and get out, stay the straight and narrow no matter how violent and bloody things got.

  One woman was causing me more issues than I’d had in years. She was worth it, though.

  She unraveled my carefully controlled chaos. I couldn’t hate her for it, not when she herself was beautifully chaotic.

  I tapped the end of my blunt to drop off the ash and took another sip of my drink. Situated on one side of the living room on a suede lounge, I watched the stare-down between Callum and Emery continue.

  Twenty minutes with this girl, and it was plain to see she didn’t know shit about what Nova got up to, or what she’d been involved in. We were wasting our time questioning her. I’d much rather of been upstairs, deep inside the gorgeous woman tied up in my room, but I was a patient man.

  “I want to see Nova,” Emery repeated for the hundredth time.

  “You have to give to receive,” Callum sung.

  “I already told you, I don’t have anything to give! I don’t know what it is you’re looking for.”

  “You had plenty to give the other night.”

  Her entire face screwed up, turning a deep shade of red. “And you’ll have plenty to give when you’re rotting in a prison cell somewhere. You are a disgusting piece of--.”

  He laughed, loudly. I hid my own grin behind the rim of my glass.

  She glanced between the two of us, a frown creasing her brow. Thus far she’d been putting on a brave front. The slight tremble of her hands gave away she was scared. That was normal.

  This girl wasn’t like Nova, or us. She wasn’t weak by any means, but just by watching her I knew she wouldn’t be able to handle our lifestyle.

  “You think this will end with me going to prison? Do I look like I belong in a jail cell?” Callum waved a hand up and down his person.

  “Yes,” she replied flippantly.

  “And with kidnapping, murder, and fraud on your docket, that’s more than enough for a prison sentence.”

  “You’re right,” he nodded, taking a seat on the couch right across from her. “But the person who committed those crimes would have to be caught.”

  “Which is impossible because the person who committed those crimes doesn’t exist,” Evie cut in.

  Emery turned her head in the direction Evie’s voice had come from. She walked into the room with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. “What did Mr. Thanatos say?” she asked, claiming a spot on the sofa beside me.

  “He hasn’t put anyone else in place. Someone got wind of what was going on and moved on their own. He’s handling things on his end, but we need to move faster on ours.”

  “This job should have been a cake-walk,” Callum said. “But somebody had to go and fall in love with the mark.”

  “A mark? So, you already knew who Nova was? You’re like one of those unsub freaks who stalk their victims.” She aimed a pointed glare my way.

  I wasn’t going to acknowledge her stupidity with a response. She watched too much television. I never stalked Nova. I simply kept tabs on her for research purposes.

  “Your friend has twenty-four hours to decide if your life is more important than the secret she’s guarding.”

  My words must have driven home the severity of her situation. She swallowed, and made a point to look at her lap, worry over-taking her features. Callum watched her closely, not giving away anything he was thinking or feeling. That was his way. He used sarcasm and cruelty as a shield.

  I needed to clear up what it was he intended to do with this girl.

  It wasn’t like taking in a stray dog, we couldn’t drop her off at a pound somewhere if things didn’t work out. She’d go to the morgue. It was the way things had to be when someone knew too much. We’d lost a few acquaintances over shit like this.

  This wasn’t the first chick he’d gotten involved with on a job. It was the first time he’d ever had to go to this extent because of one, though. Usually he left them behind without ever having to look back. He’d been different with Emery from the get-go.

  Angel poked her head around one of the structural pillars and waved for me to come to her. I placed my glass on an end table and stood, walking over to where she was.

  “Any problems?”

  “Nope. She’s out cold again. Expect to be cursed out when she wakes.” She looped her arm around mine and tugged me further down the entry hall.

  She looked like she had something to say, so I allowed her to guide me.

  “What is it?”

  “What’s what?” she pretended to be oblivious.

  “You’ve been my shadow since you could walk. I know when you have something to say Angel.”

  “Okay, you’re right. It’s about Nova.”

  “What about her?”

  “Ya know, when you first mentioned this girl, I thought you were into her because she reminded you of Halle. But she’s nothing like her. At all.”

  I raised my brows. “That’s what you wanted to tell me? That isn’t anything I don’t already know.”

  “I was worried at first, but now…”

  “Now you know it isn’t like that,” I finished for her. “Halle had issues beyond our control, Angel. And she isn’t why I like Nova.”

  “Halle was still alive when we first got wind Evie had a sister. She was there the night I first saw Nova on that pier. I wasn’t looking for a replacement when I made the decision to pursue her. I’d never disrespect Nova in that way by making her think she was one.”

  She gave me a cheeky grin. “Is my big brother, the unobtainable Rhys Barron finally smitten?” “Do I need to update the entire social hierarchy and let the thots know to begone?”

  “I think they’ll get the hint once Dad breaks the news about us.” I laughed, turning serious as we drew closer to the stairway. “You don’t have to worry about what happened before, happening again. I could never put a bullet in Nova’s head.”

  Her smile faded and she turned to face me. She knew how powerful that admission was.

  Plenty of times in our family, in the world we came from, it was necessary to dispose of loved ones. I’d done it before, with Halle. I killed her in cold blood when she started to stray from the oath she made.

  I knew from a few hours ago I wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger if it ever came to that with Nova. She was my something special. She had too much to live for to die. I never wanted to see those eyes empty of life.

  “You’re for real?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  Angel groaned dramatically. “You two are going to give me so many heart attacks.”

  “How is that?”

  “Together you’re like gunpowder and lead, explosive and dangerous.”

  “Nice analogy.”

  She flashed me another smile.

  “Joking aside, I’m happy for you, and for me. I needed another kickass girl on team Barron.”

  “I wouldn’t get that far ahead of yourself. It’s going to take time for her to transition.”

  “I know,” she chirped. “But you do want that, right?”

  “I need that. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t fit in with our lifestyle.”

  “Don’t think you need to worry about that,” Tripp interjected, coming up behind us. He didn’t bother hiding the fact he’d been eavesdropping. “That girl is something else.”

  “I know.” I grinned, feeling another weight lift from my shoulders.

  It was vital to me that they accepted her. We’d be together until the very end, there wasn’t space for the
smallest rift. I wanted Nova to thrive and blossom by my side. She deserved the kind of life I intended to give her.

  Getting her to accept all these changes and the world I’d implemented her into, well, that was another task entirely.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  NOVA

  I was getting pretty damn tired of being knocked out so Rhett could change up my scenery. Was it even safe to drug someone this often, in such a short span of time?

  I’d been moved to the massive bed. Still in nothing but my bra and underwear, a light throw was covering my body. I sat up just as a door on the far side of the room swung open, giving me a full-frontal view of Rhys.

  He’d obviously just come from the shower. His hair was darker than usual, and his skin was damp. My eyes traveled from the lotus flower on his neck to his inked torso.

  The goddess scrawled across his abs and sticking her tongue out, mocked my momentary awed state. The imprint of his cock made a very noticeable bulge beneath the towel wrapped around his waist. He cleared his throat, and my gaze flew back to his. A wolfish smile was in place.

  I scowled at him. “How many times are you going to have me drugged?”

  “I do it for your own good.”

  “You drug me for my own good?” Bitter sarcasm dripped from my words.

  He ate up the distance between us with predatory steps. “The first time, I didn’t want to man-handle you the entire drive to our destination or put you in the trunk. The second time, you were trying to escape me. And you wouldn’t have let yourself be examined. The last time, I knew you wouldn’t be compliant once I freed you from the chair.”

  “You didn’t know anything. You assumed.”

  He got to the end of the bed, and I brought my knees to my chest, huddling against the headboard.

  “I don’t base anything I do on assumptions, baby-girl. You’re unpredictable and looking for a chance to run. Unfortunately for you, I know your moves before you make them.”