Page 85 of Beautiful Lies
I watched helplessly as Ava climbed into the passenger seat of Keira’s Porsche. Two seconds later, engine roaring, Keira shot out of the parking space and rocketed down the street like a Formula One race car driver. The girl was a loose cannon. If Ronan had wanted to keep her on a short leash, he had failed miserably.
Universe, do you hate me? No matter how hard I tried to put the past behind me, it always caught up. And this time, there was no way to outrun it. Trouble was headed my way. Again.
I swiped my phone and called Deacon Ramsey.
25
Ava
Ihad a million questions I wanted to ask Keira, but I had no idea where to begin. She didn’t look anything like Connor and Killian. Her eyes were amber-brown, and her hair was a few shades lighter, cut in long layers and highlighted with caramel and honey. She had perfect bone structure, high cheekbones, a wide, full mouth, and a set of perfect white teeth. She was stunning, not to mention that her Moncler jacket and the Louis Vuitton bag sitting at my feet, probably cost more than everything I owned.
She shifted and floored the accelerator, something you couldn’t do in Brooklyn. A car pulled out in front of us and she hit the brakes, screeching to a halt. My head flew back against my seat, and her bumper kissed the car’s in front of us. The driver shot her a look in his rear-view mirror and she gave him a little wave and a brilliant smile.
“Who taught you to drive?” I asked.
“Anthony,” she said. “He works security for my dad.”
“What does your dad do?”
She side-eyed me. “He runs a nightclub.”
I had a feeling that running a nightclub was not the only thing he did. She floored the accelerator again only to slam on the brakes at the next traffic light. This ride was giving me whiplash.
“Take it easy, Mario. This is Brooklyn. You need to share the road with others.”
She laughed and eased off the accelerator. Slightly. “You need to take the next right,” I said, directing her to the pawn shop I’d Googled. According to the reviews, it was the most honest one and paid the fairest prices. Having never stepped foot inside a pawn shop, I had no idea what that meant.
“How long have you known Connor?” she asked, hanging a right and narrowly missing a cyclist. If we got to the pawn shop in one piece, I’d consider it a victory.
“Ten years. We were friends first and started dating when we were sixteen.”
“Wow. I didn’t even realize he had a girlfriend.”
“We broke up for a few years, but we got back together a little while ago.” Although, at this point, I was seriously questioning that decision. He’d lied to me. He’d lied to everyone. Why?
“I didn’t know I had brothers until a week ago,” she said.
I looked at her in surprise. “Connor didn’t tell you?”
She shook her head.
“And your parents…”
“Kept it from me. I should have seen it though. Connor looks so much like my mom. If I’d known, it would have made everything so much less… awkward.”
“Awkward?” I asked.
“When I met him, I thought he was just a hot guy on vacation in Miami. So, I went for him.”
“You went for Connor?”
“Big time. My ego took a bruising. He pushed me away like the very idea of being with me was repulsive. But now I know why.”
“Where did you meet him?”
“At a coffee shop near campus. I misread the signs and thought he was flirting with me. We exchanged numbers and met up for lunch. And I loved hanging out with him. Plus, he’s hot.”
“Yeah, he is. And when he’s not being a dickhead, he’s great to hang out with.” The pawn shop passed by in a blur. “You just drove right past it. Turn down the next street.”
