Page 109 of Liars and Liaisons

When he bites, my fist rears up, catching him in the back of the head.

He grunts, then backhands me with the gun.

Stars burst across my vision, and pain explodes along my jaw, throbbing in my cheek. My upper lip tickles, and it’s not until I manage to slide my tongue up that I realize my nose is bleeding.

“Goddamn, Vi, you do look good in blood. Guess my brother knows what he’s doing.”

I don’t know what he means by that—has he been…watchingus? Listening in?

As if reading the confusion on my face, he smiles, laving his tongue across my lips. “Oh, yes, I know all about your little deviant tendencies. Did Dad’s mask do anything for you? Or is it only if you’re being chased at night?” He shifts, digging his erection into my stomach. “It pays to have traitors on your payroll. Should’ve killed Janus when you had the chance. Your brother’s a big hotshot murderer, and you couldn’t even get that right. What a waste.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“Oh, you didn’t realize Janus was the one you gave a concussion at the lake? God, you really are an idiot. Maybe your gene pool didn’t mix with Kal’s after all. No wonder you couldn’t actually kill him.”

Willow lets out a little sob, and he blindly turns the gun toward her.

“Shut the fuck up. You’re next, sweetheart; don’t worry. Though my dad might want to have a go at you. I’m not sure.”

“Why are you doing this?” she cries.

Sighing, he turns his head, shooting her a dirty look. “BecauseI’m hoping it draws that Sydney bitch out of the woodwork.”

“Sydney’s dead,” I rasp, turning my head when he tries to capture my lips again.

He grips my chin, pinching it tight. My entire body aches in agony.

“She’s not dead, you stupid cunt. She’s beenhidingfrom us, and I know she’s here. Janus said so—that he saw her one day in the southern wing, before Grayson decided to lock it up. She’s alive, and she’s going to try and ruin our entire fucking lives with her lies.”

Shoving my thighs apart, Nate starts yanking at my pajama pants, sliding his fingers beneath the fabric and plunging them into me. It burns, and I twist to try and get away, but he just comes up the mattress with me, keeping his gun trained on Willow.

“I tried to help her, you know? Tried to keep her from getting in too deep and seeing too many things. She wanted to go to the parties, wanted in with the elite, and would’ve done anything she could to get there. Talent or no talent. When she got pregnant, I offered a solution. She didn’t like it.”

My mind whirls, tilting like a carnival ride.

“It wasn’t evenmine. The baby. When I asked what she wanted to do, she told me it wasn’t and she didn’t want my input.” A bitter laugh puffs against my skin, and he pumps his fingers slowly, adding another, increasing the burn. “It was mydad’s, and he wanted her to get rid of it. Said he couldn’t take the scandal that having a baby with a young woman would cause, not after Grayson nearly ruined his reputation by being born, and then becoming a boring ass teacher. And still, when I offered help in that free clinic on Aplana Island, she refused.”

“Her doctor,Kal Anderson, kicked me out of the exam room. Since I wasn’t the biological father, I had no right to be there if she didn’t want me to be. And as it turned out, she didn’t want me to be around for anything anymore. It drove me fucking crazy.”

I’ll say.No wonder he balked when he realized who my brother was.

“When she died, I figured my dad had just taken care of things. He’s done it before—dozens of times, to countless women. It’s a real bad habit of his, honestly, but at that point, I felt vindicated, so I didn’t give a shit. Plus, I had started seeing you and was morbidly curious about how much of a prude you seemed. After fast and wild with Sydney, I liked the slow pace you gave me. Clearly, I was the problem since you opened your legs for my brother pretty early on.

“But then Janus said he’d seen her. At the James estate. And I realized Grayson was just hiding her… keeping her from us because he didn’t want to share. His talented little star.” Nate scoffs, withdrawing his fingers finally before pushing them into my mouth. I retch as he breaches the back of my throat, too far for me to even taste. “So, I decided that if he wanted to play games with us, I could do that too. Ruining his life and getting to Sydney became my sole focus, which is why we’ve ended up here. I personally would’ve preferred much less gore, but my father is a bit dramatic. He didn’t want the bitch’s sister tattling.”

“You’re an idiot,” Willow spits, reaching for the knife again. “Sydney’sdead. I’ve lived here all this time, and I’ve never once seen her. Micah never saw her. Youmurderedmy best friend for nothing. You’ve ruined my life for nothing!”

She launches forward, sinking the knife into his shoulder blade; he releases me with an angry shout, spinning around and driving his fist into her face. She crumples immediately, knocked out cold.

The banging from down the hall becomes suddenly closer, and Nate walks over to it, pushing the dresser out of the way. He flips the lock, and then his father fills the doorway, that goat mask resting on top of his head.

A cruel smile takes over his mouth when he sees me half-naked on the bed. “Perfect. You didn’t fuck her yet, did you?”

Nate reaches around to his back, removing the knife there. He shoots me an irritated look, then answers his father, “No. Though I can’t promise Grayson didn’t.”

“Oh, that’s fine. It’ll hurt him more when he finds us then. You still have his security team and that Kohli bitch tied up outside, right?”

Nate nods, and his father claps him on the shoulder, beaming with pride. I almost throw up.

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