Page 6 of Filthy Liar

Only then does Atomic lift his head, his eyes finding mine right before his brows snap together. “What’s wrong?” he demands.

He knows me just about as well as any of the men here. And he knows that I don’t just show up to shoot the shit. I’m here because there’s a problem, and there is that, indeed. So, I decide to just tell him what I know. All of it.

“Vixen came to me last night,” I begin. He continues to stare at me, waiting for me to continue. “She wants us to take her sister.”

“Take her sister?”

I hum. “Yeah, she’s signed a contract with the Southern Mafia. Vixen wants our help to get her out.”

“Fuck,” he hisses. “I was hoping to never use that contract. I wanted to be done with them before that even became an issue.”

I don’t blame him. It’s a fucking crazy situation. “And what does she want us to do with her?” he asks, his voice laced with hesitation. I don’t blame him. I felt the same way, still feel it. The whole thing is bizarre. She’s never even mentioned a sister before now.

“She didn’t say in detail. Just that she wants us to take care of her.”

He shakes his head a couple of times. “About all I could offer would be to send her to Corpus to work at the strip club unless she wanted to stay here and be a clubwhore. Then, to that degree, what would be the fucking difference?”

Clearing my throat, I shrug a shoulder. “No fucking clue. I think she just doesn’t want her sister to be sent off, never to be heard of or seen again. I don’t know shit about their dynamics. I don’t know why she didn’t warn her off from signing anything. I don’t know a goddamn thing, except she asked me to help her out.”

“Thanks for that,” Atomic murmurs. “Have you thought about when you’re taking possession of your own woman?” he asks, changing the subject.

“I’m having fun with things as they are. Maybe after the wedding.” I shrug a shoulder.

Atomic chuckles, but thankfully, doesn’t give me any more shit than that about it. I leave the Vixen shit in his court and walk out of the office, then the bar, and toward my bike. I’m not sure where I’m going, but I need to take a ride.

My sister gets married in about seven months. I don’t know if I can continue this with Dillion for that long, but I have to admit that I’m having way too much fun at this point to stop. I know I’ll need to reveal myself soon enough… just not yet.

CHAPTER

THREE

DILLION

The women introduce themselves.There’s Shawn, the bakery owner. Ryan, the quiet one who hasn’t said two words but has had plenty to say with her eyes alone. Then there is Spencer, who is the beautiful blonde, the one sitting at the table chatting with them.

Spencer is newly engaged. She shows me her stunning ring and tells me all about her fiancé, Evan. Shawn and Ryan are married. Shawn has a toddler and a baby. Ryan has a son in elementary school and a toddler, whom they gush about.

And if I had to guess, Ryan will be having another baby again. I don’t know why, but I feel like it’s going to happen. She clearly has baby fever all over again, and it seems as though both of them are completely and totally in love with their husbands.

I love that for them.

I can’t deny that I’m a bit envious of it as well.

All in all, they seem absolutely wonderful, but I’m still not sure why they’re giving me a free muffin and befriending me. The baristas in the café down the street didn’t give much of ashit about me for a long time…. I’m honestly not sure if they care now.

I open my mouth to ask them why they’re being so nice but decide against it. Maybe I don’t want to know. Maybe they’re just nice people, or maybe they pity me. If they do feel sorry for me in any way, I wouldn’t want to know that.

Popping some muffin into my open mouth, I chew instead of asking any questions. I don’t need to know the truth. I can just live in a state of denial. I’m good with that. I do it on a regular basis.

“What are you going to do for work? You’re new to town, right?” Ryan asks.

“I’m new,” I confirm with a single nod. “But I don’t know what I’m going to do. I went to college but didn’t have an area of study. I graduated, but my grades weren’t that great, and my degree is in general education because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. I still can’t.”

Shawn smiles. “Not everyone knows what they want to do. Maybe you can find something that pays the bills for now?”

She’s right. That’s exactly what I need to do. But I’m not sure what the reality is on that. I’m not sure I’m qualified for anything that can actuallypaythe bills. I’m afraid I’m going to be right where I was before I was willed this house, where I am right now—broke.

“What about Sal’s? They just opened after their expansion remodel and I’m sure they need help,” Ryan finally speaks. She’s stayed completely quiet the whole time, and I’m a bit taken aback by the sound of her voice. “We could ask Kyle. She’d know.”