Page 25 of Sinful Little Lies

Hooks hang from the ceiling and my dick twitches just at the thought of Leo dangling from them, the hooks piercing his skin with blood dripping down his body.

That image of Verena pops into my mind again. Covered in crimson, she looks so beautiful, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

Leo begins to stir, bringing me out of my daydream. I make quick work of tying his wrists behind his back with rope. Once his hands are secured, I hoist him up and align his shoulder blades with the hooks on the ceiling. With force, the hooks rip through his skin and embed themselves underneath his flesh. Iwiggle his body to make sure he’s not going anywhere, and he lets out a roar.

“Oh! You’re awake, awesome! You can hang out with my friend Braxton until I get back,” I say enthusiastically.

Leo’s eyes flutter open and he groans groggily. His head falls from side to side until, finally, he’s able to focus on the rotting corpse in front of him.

“WHAT THE FUCK?! LET ME GO NOW, GRIMM!” he screams at the top of his lungs. I laugh. Did he think using his sorry excuse of a stern voice was going to make me obey him?

My phone pings and I whip it out. A text from Eli came through.

Eli

Verena woke up.

My heart beats with a primitive urge to see my girl as I say, “I have to run. Don’t go too far!” Chuckling, I rear my fist backward and slam it into his stomach, for good measure, of course.

As good as it feels to take out my frustrations out on Leo, my heart begins to beat fiercely in my chest. Verena is awake. She can tell us what happened.

We can end him once and for all. Together.

15

VERENA

I wakeup in a dark room, confused. My body aches and my mind is clouded, groggy. I attempt to push myself out of bed, but the room starts spinning. Lying back down, I close my eyes and try to jog my memory.

What the fuck happened? Where the hell am I?

There’s a squeak on the floorboard and I turn to see a hooded figure sitting in the corner of the room. Before I can say anything, it speaks. “Hey, don’t freak out. No sudden movements. It’s Eli. Grimm is on his way.”

My head hurts too much to question him any further. Rolling over gently, I shut my eyes and bury my face into a pillow, breathing in that familiar, musky scent. My eyes shoot open at the realization. I’m in Grimm’s bed. How the fuck did I get in Grimm’s bed and why isn’t he here?

As if he could hear my thoughts, his bedroom door bursts open and he stands in the frame. His chest rises and falls, his breathing rapid. “I got here as fast as I could. Is she alright?” he asks Eli.

Eli stands and walks over to the door, giving Grimm a slight nod and a pat on the back. “She’s good. I’ll be in my room if you need me. Try not to need me.”

I sit up slowly in the bed, gripping the covers and holding them close to my chest. The room starts to spin and I close my eyes, waiting for the dizziness to settle down. When I open them again, Grimm is standing next to the bed, staring down at me.

“May I sit?” he asks quietly.

“It’s your bed.” I deadpan. “What am I doing here? What time is it? Why was Eli watching me sleep?” I question, determined to get answers now that he’s here with me.

Grimm pulls out his phone and shows me a text message that I had sent to him. I sent him my location and said I needed help. Looking at the pin, I realize it’s Leo’s address and the maddening memory begins to trickle back to me.

The pregnancy test and an angry Leo flash through my mind.

“Verena,” Grimm starts, his expression the most serious I’ve ever seen on his face. The big goofball looks nothing like his usual self right now. His eyes are tired and sunken, with purple bags underneath. His worry lines are so pronounced, I’d recommend my mom’s plastic surgeon but have a feeling now isn’t the best time. “I know you’re going through a lot right now, emotionally, mentally, and physically. But I need you to tell me what happened at Leo’s. I’ll tell you why you’re here, but you need to give me something too,” he begs.

I nod and take a deep breath before I begin. “My memory is still a bit fuzzy, but I was at my house and stressed about my period being late. There were no pregnancy tests there, but I remembered I stashed one at Leo’s, so I went to take it.” Grimm’s expression hardens, and I’m hesitant to give him the gruesome details. “He came home and saw the test and we just had a fight. I’m okay, really. I’m sorry I worried you.”

He grabs my wrist and brings my hand to lie flat over his heart. It’s pounding so hard I fear it’ll explode. His eyes darken and he speaks, his voice raspy and low. “Verena Losado, I will give you one more chance to tell me the truth. Leo’s door camedown because of my fucking foot. I carried you out of his house and brought you back here. The Brotherhood doctor came to examine you and diagnosed you with a concussion. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I need you to be fucking honest with yourself and with me for once in your life.”

Standing and turning on his heel, he retreats to the bathroom. After spending what felt like hours inside, Grimm finally reemerges, water droplets covering his shoulders, and his impossibly chiseled chest, taunting me. The tiniest towel clings to his waist and rests low enough for me to have the perfect view of the godly Adonis belt he sports.

Sighing, he grabs clothes out of his dresser and tosses them onto the edge of the bed. We make eye contact and it feels as if time stops completely. My thighs clench instantly and all I can think about is how I want to be under him, on top of him, and everything else in between. But his words bring me back to reality.

---