Page 5 of Filthy Liar

Reid and Logan gave us a strange look as Zavier used his finger print to get into the house, and embarrassment washed over me when I noticed the living room was exactly how Reid and I had left it.

My bra was on the couch, and the cushions were scattered on the floor, the foil packet from the condom still on the carpet.

“What happened in here?” Logan asked with amusement, surprise filling his face when Reid grunted.

“Raven and I dealt with some shit.” He looked at me, his voice low. “You were literally taken the second I left?”

“Yeah. I thought it was you coming back because you forgot something.” I blew out a breath, knowing the next bit was going to piss him off. “Dante saw us kissing when you were leaving. Ander hadn’t told him anyone else was involved with me, so he thought I was cheating on him.”

“Dante’s the one who fucking took you?” Reid gritted out, taking my face in his hands again to continue inspecting me.

“I’m too tired to explain it all. Ander’s on the way, he can tell you.”

“I know, he told me to meet him here. I want you to fucking tell me though so I know whether to punch him the second he walks through the door or not.”

Zavier stepped closer, sliding his arm around my middle to tug me away from Reid. “Leave her alone. Ander can explain it when he gets here because honestly, I’m unsure how to.”

“Where is he?” Logan demanded, not liking being left in the dark.

“With Dante. Raven didn’t want to get in a car with either of them, so Ander gave her the keys to the Supra and said he’d get Dante to drop him off. He was punching Dante when we left, so it might be a few minutes,” Zavier said dryly, nudging me. “Did you want to go wash up?”

“No, I want Ander to hurry up and get here so he can tell me more lies and we can leave,” I huffed, Reid’s eyes narrowing.

“What the fuck did Ander lie about?”

“What didn’t he fucking lie about?” I muttered under my breath, trying hard not to focus on the pain in my chest as I added, “Ander’s been lying to us since the beginning. He seems to think he can talk his way out of it, but I don’t think he can explain how he’s Stefano’s son and didn’t tell us. Dante’s not his friend, he’s his brother. I don’t know what he thinks he can say to make up for the fact that he’s not who I thought he was.”

I was expecting pure fury to wash over both Logan and Reid, but both of them looked like I’d punched them both in the stomach. Ander’s bullshit didn't just affect me, he’d been friends with Logan and Reid first.

“Ander’s a Ricci?” Logan finally asked, flicking his eyes to Zavier, who nodded.

“He seems mad about it and said something about Stefano taking him from his mother, but we don’t know much else. We came here to hear him out, but that’s it.”

Reid’s eyes were glued to me, and I hated how he saw straight through me sometimes. He knew how much this had hurt me, and I never would’ve gotten so close to anyone unless I’d trusted them.

A car outside had all three of the guys stepping closer to me, all of us eyeing the front door as the car sped off and Ander appeared. No one spoke for what felt like forever until Zavier was surprisingly the one to snap.

“Well? Are you going to start fucking talking?”

Ander winced, shutting the door and leaning back against it as he crossed his arms.

“I don’t really know where to start.”

“Maybe at the first fucking lie?”

Ander’s eyes moved to me, and I stared him down until he sighed.

“I was born in the US. Mom said I was the consequence of an affair with Stefano on one of his trips, but I think she just didn’t want me to know that I was the result of rape. There’s no way my mom would’ve been swept off her feet by a man like that. I lived with her and my little sister until I was twelve. Then Stefano crashed into our lives and destroyed everything,” he said softly, dropping his eyes to the floor. “Kimberly was seven, but Stefano’s men didn’t give a shit about that when they gunned her and Mom down right in front of me. They were good people. Kimberly excelled in her classes and Mom worked multiple jobs so both of us kids could attend good schools. I was a year ahead than I should’ve been, and I’d just been accepted into Primrose Academy for my first year of high school. They had a good sports program, and I was good at football, so we hoped I could join the team and catch the eye of some colleges to get a scholarship or something.”

I couldn’t imagine Ander in a fancy academy uniform. I was almost wondering if this story was bullshit too, until his voice broke as he brought up his sister again.

“Kimberly was screaming as they broke in and shot Mom. I tried to get to them, but I was grabbed by one of Stefano’s men and hauled out of the way. The image of my sister’s terror as she ran to me for help and ended up shot multiple times in the face will always remain in my head. It never goes away, it’s always there.”

“As much as this story is touching,” Reid grunted, glaring at him. “How about you get to the part where you’re a fucking mafia prince and didn’t think to tell us? We let you into our home. You’ve literally been sleeping with Raven. You didn’t think a sob story would make us forgive you, right? We don’t even know who you are. Why did you come here in the first fucking place?”

“Originally, I came here to spy on the crews for Stefano. Felt like a good idea because I got some freedom. I’d been dying to get out of that goddamn house in Italy since the day Stefano forced me into it. I never wanted to join the mafia, I didn’t get a say in the matter. My defiance was beaten out of me the moment I arrived, and after a year, I stopped fighting him. I was the perfect soldier for him,” he said bitterly, shaking his head slightly. “So after proving myself for years, he offered for me to come here to spy on the crews and gather intel. I had no idea what he wanted to do with it, so I was a good puppet and did as I was told. It wasn’t hard once I got closer to Riley.”

“You motherfucker,” Logan bit out, but Ander put his hand up to silence him.

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