Page 59 of The Lies That Shatter
The last week has been one of the hardest of my life. I’ve never thought of myself as emotional, and I’ve certainly never been reckless, but now that I have something to lose, I find myself looking at scenarios in a completely different way.
I’ve been practically vibrating with anger since I found out what transpired between Mac and Whitlock. There was shouting, pacing, even some object throwing, until Bree forced me to calm down. I wanted to pull McKenna out straight away, and get her as far away from any danger as possible, but I was outvoted—by Mac too.
I know logically that keeping her undercover until the end is the best option, but I can’t think clearly when it comes toher. The idea that he put his hands on her, flirted with her, even threatened her, makes my blood boil…and I’ve dreamt of countless ways to end him over the last week. But as my family keeps reminding me—patience.
Then there’s the overwhelming joy and happiness I feel now that I’ve finally got everything I’ve ever wanted since I was a kid. My relationship with Mac has gone from strength to strength, and we’re chatting like we’re best friends again. Only now I get to fuck her anytime I want.
I’m so close to having it all…the only thing left is to quit this fucking job. One more hurdle, and it will all be ours, and I can’t fucking wait.
The only problem with having your dream within reach is that until it’s in your hand, it can be taken away, and that’s the fear that’s currently consuming me. Every night I go to sleep dreaming of the life I want with McKenna, and each time I’m woken by the same nightmare—I lose her. I can’t let that happen. I need a plan to find out what Mel’s involvement is and end this assignment quickly.
Running has always been a way for me to clear my head, to help me think logically and dispel any excess energy I can’t seem to get a handle on. After having the thoughts ruminate around my brain for the last two hours, I attempt a run, hoping to claw back a little control. But after ten miles, they’re still there. I’ve never been more grateful for a text from Kellan asking me to meet as he’s found something.
I shower quickly and dress before heading to the warehouse where Kellan’s waiting. I wonder for a fraction of a second why we’re meeting in Bree’s warehouse, instead of the house, but I learnt a long time ago not to question Kellan’s motives. He’s probably hiding from Hallie.
As soon as I arrive at the abandoned warehouse, getting past security into the car park, I realise there are no othercars around, which is strange. I note Kellan’s motorbike off to the side, but no others. I thought this would be a full family meeting, and the fact it’s not leaves me feeling a little deflated. Whatever news Kellan has for me isn’t going to pull me out of this assignment, as everyone would be here for that decision.
After swiping the security pass to let myself into the building, I head straight towards the room Kellan uses as his office when he’s here. It’s basically a bigger version of the space he has at the house.
Taking up most of the space is a computer setup that is quite frankly mind-boggling to me. Kellan’s large black desk sits in the middle of the room, and he’s surrounded on three sides by rows of screens that he uses as monitors, with three larger ones in the centre of each wall. He’s too busy clacking away on his keyboard to notice me.
After a few seconds, I clear my throat, letting him know I’m here and he swings his chair around.
“Morning, Bro. You look chipper today. Good night with Mac?” he asks, throwing me a wink as his knowing smirk grows.
I can’t help the blush that spreads to my cheeks as I think about all the things me and Mac did last night. Not that I’m going to have that conversation with my brother, but I can still picture her tight cunt milking my cock as she rode me into oblivion.
Stop thinking about McKenna, unless you want a permanent erection in front of your brother, asshole.
“Fucking fantastic night, thank you. You, on the other hand, look like shit. Have you slept?” I ask, taking in the bags under my brother’s eyes that are darker than normal, and his generally paler complexion.
He’s a dad to a rowdy toddler, and probably hasn’t slept all night in years, but this is more than that. For the first time since entering the room, I really look at Kel, and I can see the worryetched across his face. He hides it with his sarcastic comments and general cocky persona, but it’s easy to tell when something is bothering him.
“Hallie woke me up around two, and I came here a couple of hours after. Liam is up with her now to let Mia sleep a little. She’s been a lot more tired recently,” he explains, suddenly sounding exhausted.
I approach his desk and pull out one of the spare computer chairs next to his before taking a seat beside him. We both twirl our seats until we’re facing each other, and the tension in the room is palpable, my heart races.
“What’s going on, Kel? Have you found something?”
He winces, his face giving him away. “I have.”
My eyes narrow with concern. “So why isn’t everyone here for the briefing? Why just me?”
He sighs, his shoulders sagging as he looks at me with the same blue eyes we both share. For a fraction of a second, I wonder how the hell we didn’t know he was our real brother, when it’s like looking into a mirror at my own eyes. “I wanted to run the information by you first. Honestly, I’m not sure what the hell to do with it.”
“Okay, who’s the info about?” I ask, trying to pull information out of him.
He seems hesitant to barrel into the conversation, which should‘ve been my first red flag. This must be bad, as Kellan’s not particularly known for his tact.
“Mel,” he says, before his gaze drops to where he’s holding his hands in his lap. He’s fiddling with his fingers, pulling at the skin around the edges like he always does when he’s anxious.
He seems reluctant to embellish, so I take pity on him and start the conversation. “She’s been a bit off with me the last week. She’s been so insistent on a repeat. Apparently it was the best night’s sex she’s had in a while, and she doesn’t want to waitany longer to do it again. Which is highly hilarious given nothing actually happened with her, yet she’s convinced it did. I keep stalling her, telling her I have a big project at work, but her last message implied I may be trying to blow her off now we’ve had sex. I’m going to have to meet with her soon, even though it’s the last thing on my mind.”
Now Kellan raises his gaze to meet mine, his eyes narrowing. “How did you make her believe you really had sex with her?”
Without going in to all the sordid details, I give my brother a brief explanation of how I fucked McKenna in Mel’s bed, with her unconscious in the next room, and used the condom as proof me and Mel fucked. For the first time since I arrived, my brother laughs—a lot—and the tension seems to leave his body.
“Women. They make you fucking reckless, don’t they?” Kel continues to chuckle, and I can only roll my eyes, as I nod in agreement.
