Series: Shame On You Series by Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51495 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51495 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
More importantly, betrayal ripples through me. Who did it? Who dared to call her a rat? I have no way of knowing if it’s even true but in the pit of my stomach…I believe it is and it kills me. All of this is like a knife to my throat, as I slowly bleed out.
“They said you know she’s a rat.”
They poke-poke-poke, hoping for a reaction. They’ve certainly earned one but it will take time before I can follow through with recourse.
As my blood pounds in my ears, it takes everything in me not to say a damn word.
“They said she must be a good lay for you to turn on your brothers for her.”
Just as I nearly snap and tell him to shut the fuck up and leave her alone, the door slams open.
“This ends now.” My lawyer’s voice is firm, firmer than normal. I’m all too aware that nothing about what has happened this weekend is normal. I swallow down every emotion, waiting for my lawyer to tell me to get up and follow him out. Just as he has every other time.
This time feels different though. It’s heavier…
“We have forty-eight hours to hold–”
“You have a complaint filed against both of you on behalf of several of my clients,” McHale says sternly and that gets my attention. It’s more than obvious that someone has changed the rules of the game, and we’re only just now catching on to that. My lawyer’s gaze never reaches mine. In a cold tone he adds, “I assume you’re done here?”
Braelynn
Michael McHale is kind on the surface, professional and quiet. He turns the heat up in his car, a top-of-the-line Lexus, but my body stays numb and shivers run down my spine. My throat is thick with shame and a confusion I can’t seem to shake loose. Outside the car, everything blurs and time passes too quickly; there are streetlights every so often. Blocks go by in darkness. Some houses have lights on, and I wonder about all those people living different lives. People lie to each other all the time, which is to be expected.
Declan wasn’t supposed to lie to me.
If there’s real love there, if he truly loves me, then why does he lie to me?
I’m glad to be away from the jail, but all too soon the lawyer pulls into the driveway in front of the house and I’m reminded of the fear.
“I’ll help you out.” A protest nearly rises to my lips. Somehow it seems like it would be better if he just drove me around until I could figure things out. I don’t trust any of my own thoughts though. I don’t know what’s real or what’s going to happen to me when I step through those doors.
There’s no way to figure it out without speaking to Declan, though. I’ve faced worse things than a conversation, but it feels like the ground has been forcibly moved under my feet.
I wouldn’t mind falling asleep in the car and waking up where nobody knew my name, and all the secrets and lies were far behind me. I wouldn’t mind if I forgot it all. Every reason I had to just jump. To start over. My head falls back as I try to remove that thought. I don’t want to die. I turn my gaze back to the house, but I also don’t know that I want to go back. I’m trapped and I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore.
If I left now though, I’d never find out why Declan lied, and I’d never find out if he really loved me, and I’d have to live the rest of my life not knowing.
That hurts more than anything else. I still don’t exactly want to get out of the car when the lawyer opens the door and waits expectantly.
“Thank you.”
The lawyer keeps his hand above my elbow on the walk to the front door, more than likely because my legs wobble, and I’m sure many of my thoughts can be read on my face. My heart races. The truth is behind that door, somewhere. It’s a matter of getting Declan to give it to me, and if he doesn’t…that means our love is a lie, too.
The lawyer knocks lightly on the door, then opens it without hesitating. It’s not locked. They’re waiting for us.
We step inside.
A false sense of relief washes over me, but it’s quickly replaced by the cold, numb feeling I had before. Carter’s waiting for us near the front door with his arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face. Declan is nowhere to be seen.
Shivers run down my spine as my gaze drops down the crisp suit and lands on the floor. Breathing is harder feeling his eyes on me.
“Where is Declan?” I manage to whisper to the lawyer, my hand rushing to land on his and keep Carter from holding me. But he doesn’t allow that. He slowly lets me go in the grand foyer of the estate. Handing me over to Carter Cross.