Page 63 of All Your Lies
“I’ll call this in. Why don’t you go get cleaned up?” I say, looking at his shirt and slacks, red splatter covering his entire front.
He nods his head as he walks to the door. He hesitates before looking back at me.
“I’m sorry.” Those are his only departing words before he leaves me with the dead pile of shit.
I sit on my father’s dark leather sofa and light a blunt. I need serenity to replace my anxious elation. Even though I feel a weight lift as I take in my father’s lifeless form, another sits with more pressure at the prospect of something worse waiting to take us out.
My thumb hovers over Alexa’s father’s number, but I hesitate, deciding to check Alexa’s location instead, as I do several times a day. The necklace was a special gift but also included a tracker. As long as she keeps it on, I have peace of mind, to an extent.
After everything Marco informed us of, it seems the necklace was fitting. As was the anklet I gave Rosie as a wedding gift, which also carries a tracker that Vic monitors.
The only time either of the trackers don’t work are in Alexa’s place, thanks to her not-so-stupid friend.
Trey asked for Jenna’s details, and I gave him what I had to offer, which was limited. I’m glad she caught his eye. Now he can do some of the work and report back to me with his findings. Something isn’t right. She doesn’t exist from what I’m able to find. It’s like she fell from the sky or some shit.
Alexa’s currently at home since I’m unable to see her. I daydream about what she’s doing. Probably cursing me to the pits of hell.
I’ve been racking my brain at what I can do to get her to come around. At some point, she will need to help me run everything. Especially her father’s legacy, which I know she cares about deeply, but refuses to do so with me by her side.
I linger over the candid wedding photos I took, her unawareness making them even more precious. She’s breathtakingly beautiful. I tried to persuade her to come home with me last night, with no success.
My finger hovers over her father’s number. I need to inform him and the rest of the heads about the findings. I will not keep them in the dark like my father did. That’s not how I want to roll.
As a boss, I thrive off respect and honesty. How can I expect that of them if I don’t give it in return?
twenty
Alexa
Iregard the small black box in my hands with trepidation. An innocent red bow sits at the top, but I’m sure there’s nothing innocent in the box.
Another gift from Gage.
One he handed to me as I left Rosie’s wedding last night.
I’m still in shock at how amazing everything turned out. And to think it was Gage who helped with all the festivities. I could almost kiss him for making Rosie so happy. Almost.
Each interaction with him is one unfortunate event after another. I’ve been attempting to play hard to get like a seasoned pro, but when he’s near, it’s like I can’t stand on solid ground.
My legs turn to jelly, as if knowing he’ll be there to sweep me up in his warm, muscular arms.
Some of it can be attributed to the familiarity and closeness we’ve always shared, but now there’s an undeniable sexual chemistry that can’t be ignored, even though I’ve tried.
When we were younger, it simmered just under the surface, a gentle, manageable boil. But this—this is different. It’s consuming me.
And while I’m caught in the trap that is Gage himself, I don’t want to get out. If anything, I want to be bound further to him. It’s unsettling and dangerous to my heart.
Jenna captures my attention as she enters my room, her tired face drawing my gaze as she climbs into bed beside me. Dark circles cast shadows on her otherwise flawless porcelain skin, revealing restless nights. Her absence has become more frequent lately, which concerns me, especially coupled with how exhausted she’s been.
“Someone left this by the door,” Jenna says as she holds up another red rose. I swear they keep on popping up everywhere I go. What is it now? Number nine? Ten?
“Throw it away. I don’t want it.”
Now, knowing what I do, it’s probably from Gage.
“I’ll keep it for myself since no one buys me shit,” she says as she smells it deeply.
The dark circles and bags are even more pronounced the closer she gets.
