The Lies That We Tell

Chapter 22

My Tate, my poor, broken Tate. I hate that I made him feel like such a monster last night. I was scared and hurting, and feeling dirty when I found out who his biological father is. Was? I don’t know anymore. I planned to give him space, to give him time to forgive me, but it’s himself he needs to forgive.

I go through the closet, looking for something cute to wear for when I have all three of my guys back, safely in one place. Dev told me this morning that Tate left Aubree. In a heartless, cruel way too, I laugh to myself. It was over text. She fucking deserved it, the bitch.

But, the four of us need to talk. We need to figure out how to make this thing between us all work, because now that I have them, have their love, I refuse to let any of them go. I’ve lost so much in my life, I won’t lose them.

“We have about twenty minutes,” Tate says behind me, his hands wrapping around my hips, lifting me off the ground. I didn’t even hear him come in, I was so lost in the fear of losing him.

“What are you doing?” I ask with a giggle.

“Fixing this,” Tate growls, dropping me on the bed and fisting the hard cock between his legs. He’s completely naked, the thin cotton pants he was wearing downstairs discarded by the door. “I tried thinking of everything from puppies to Kathleen, but all I can see is your naked body seductively eating strawberries.”

“Oh,” I giggle.

“Right now, I’m going to fuck you hard and fast.” Tate grips my knees, spreading my legs to reveal my still wet pussy. “Tonight though, I’m going to make the guys watch as I eat this on the top of the piano, then I’m going to make love to you in front of them.” His thick fingers slide down my slit, pressing between the folds as he says the words.

My eyes grow wide with excitement. “Oh,” I breathe out.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Tate asks, pumping my pussy hard with his hand, a silent promise of what he’s planning to do any moment now. “You want them to watch me fuck you.” I bite my lip as he pulls his hand away and lines his cock up to enter me. “I need an answer, Rhyann.” He teases me with his slick head.

“Mmm hmm,” I nod, my lower lip between my teeth.

“Do you want me to bend you over the piano so you can watch them fuck their fists while I fuck you?”

Again, I nod. My face is flushed, and the smile on my face stretches to my ears despite how hard I’m biting my lip right now.

“Good little slut,” Tate growls, thrusting his hips, slamming his cock deep inside me.

I’m a little surprised by how turned on I am by the slur. If I was called a slut by any other guy at any other time I’d be pissed and I’d kick the guy in his crotch. But with Tate, him calling me a slut with his cock inside me has my inner muscles clenching around his thick organ.

“You like when I call you that, don’t you Rhyann?” Tate breathes out between thrusts. My head pushes forward and back with each thrust, my hair a tangled mess under me.

“I do,” I moan in pleasure as his thumb finds my clit and presses into the little bud.

“Then cum for me, my little slut, cum all over me so when Devon sucks my cock, all he can taste is you.” Tate growls as he thrusts faster and harder.

Tate”s thumb rubs rough little circles over my clit. His thrusting intensifies and I feel the pressure building inside me. I’ve never been so close to orgasm so quickly. But this has been a long time coming for me and Tate. The one man I’ve wanted, needed, but could never have.

The thoughts filling my head of the night he found me half dressed in the kitchen, coupled with the promise of being put on display in front of Liam and Devon, are just the push I need to send me over the edge, plummeting over a cliff into a ravine of pleasure when my orgasm hits.

My back spasms, the muscles around Tate”s cock tighten, and my legs shake beneath his strong hands. “Oh fuck,” I moan through the spasms.

“That’s it Rhyann,” Tate groans thrusting harder, his balls slapping against my ass. “That’s my good little slut.”

His last words drown me in a river of pleasure as I cum all over him, squirting proof of my orgasm on the mattress below me and across the soft brown curls that dust his groin. Tate lets out a growl and his fingers tighten around my knees when his back stiffens, his eyes roll to the back of his head and his cock throbs deep inside me.

Spent and breathless, Tate pulls out and helps me sit up on the bed. “You should shower,” he tells me before grabbing a pair of Devon”s— or maybe Liam”s, I really can’t tell whose clothes are whose anymore— jeans off the floor and puts them on before walking out the door.

Almost exactly twenty minutes later, after taking my second shower for the day, I’m slipping into light blue distressed skinny jeans—sans panties— and a cropped black tank top. I slip on a black studded belt and a pair of black boots, because why not? It adds a bit of edginess to my typical Cali girl vibe I’ve got going on and I throw my hair up in a messy bun before heading downstairs to meet Tate, the guys and Adrian.

When I descend the stairs, I spot the two detectives, Andrews and Myers, waiting quietly near the bottom step. Everyone else, Devo, Tate, Liam and Adrian are busy talking quietly with my grandfather’s lawyer over at the dining table. Detective Andrews notices me first, quietly nodding in my direction as I enter the room, before going back to whatever private conversation the two of them are having. I can’t help but feel as though I’ve walked into two separate conversations that I’m not wanted in.

Rather than interrupt the two groups, I walk into the kitchen and grab one of the courtesy water bottles the housekeeping staff keep stocked in the fridge. I stand behind the tall counter, quietly drinking the cold liquid, and scroll through my phone. I haven’t seen or talked to any of my college friends— if you want to call them friends— since graduation last week. It’s not like I’ve made any efforts to reach out to them, but they never made any efforts to reach out either.

“Where’s Rhyann?” Devon asks from the dining table.

“Over here,” I wave from the kitchen.

Devon gets up from his place at the table and comes around into the kitchen. He’s wearing his usual, black jeans, shit kickers, and a black tee. The grin on his usually morose face is the most striking difference in him. Especially given the circumstances of the guys club.

“You look happy.” I arch a brow, smirking at him.

Devon lifts me in his arms and kisses my lips. “I am now that I’m back here with you.” I smile against his mouth ignoring the detectives and their very loud throat clearing. I’m sure all eyes, even Adrian’s are on us, but I really couldn’t give a fuck what anyone in the room thought about Devon showing me attention. “Come on,” he sets me back down on the ground and takes my hand. “We have a lot to discuss.”

We walk, hand in hand, back to the table where Tate and Liam both stand up and gingerly kiss my cheeks earning me an eyebrow lift from Adrian. I simply shrug and smile at him before taking a seat in Devon”s lap. I know I should feel embarrassed a little by the open show of affection from all three of them, but right now, I feel more loved in this moment than I have in my entire life.

“So,” Adrian sighs. “The insurance adjuster said that if you can prove that the fire was not due to owner negligence, they will readjust their claim.” Our lawyer hands Adrian some papers and smiles kindly at me. Adrian flips through the pages, his brow creasing deeply as he reads. “There is the issue of Aubree, however.”

“Nothing was signed making her a partner in the club’s ownership yet.” I look at Tate and see the regret in his eyes when he speaks. “We had them drawn up on friday, but no one has signed them as of yet. I planned to have them retracted as soon as we are done here.”

“Okay, good.” Adrian nods.

“Ahem,” Detective Myers chooses this moment to approach the table.

“Detectives,” I offer a kind smile to the both of them.

“Miss Devereux,” Detective Myers greets me. “We are fairly certain the fire at the club was no accident. The problem is whoever set it wants it to look like it was your error.”

“We’ve already discussed this with the Fire Marshall, and he has agreed to reopen the case and do a deeper investigation.” Detective Andrews adds.

“That’s great!” Liam exclaims. “What does he need from us?”

Detective Andrews scrolls through his phone before giving Liam an answer. “Nothing as of yet, but be prepared to show any and all purchase orders for the club. As well as bank statements showing you didn’t purchase the kerosine lamps that ignited the fire.”

“But that’s not all we came here for this morning.” The look on Detective Myers face grows serious, the kind smile gone as he looks directly at me. “Your property was broken into last night, Miss Devereux.”

“Impossible,” Devon growls. “We have a security system set up on the house.”

“Yes,” Detective Andrews nods. “However, you have some blind spots on the property line, you accounted for the main gate and the gate to the groundskeepers house, but there are other points of access we believed were used last night.” Detective Andrews sets his phone down on the table and there’s an aerial map of my house and the property on the screen. “This spot here,” he points to a wide, old metal gate that I completely forgot exists. It’s on the farthest end of the property, there’s a dirt road going from that gate around to the gravel road that runs along the rest of the property. “We believe is how the person got in unnoticed.”

“Okay, well I’ve been here, safe and sound.” I smile at my three men. “You guys can make the rest of the property secure, right?”

“Of course we can, princess.” Liam smiles at me.

“Then it’s settled,” Tate says. “Any updates on the DNA tests?”

The two detectives look at each other as though they’re speaking to each other telepathically. “It’s not settled,” Detective Myers says with a hint of disappointment. “There was some extensive property damage. A classic, red, Mustang convertible was set on fire. We suspect it was set around the same time as the club fire.”

I let out a gasp, my hands flying up to my mouth. Donna. Tears well up in my eyes. Devon”s body vibrates under me, but that doesn’t stop him from wrapping me in a protective embrace. “Not Donna,” I whisper through my tears.

“I don’t know who Donna is, but there were no bodies found in the remains of the vehicle.”

Adrian rubs my arm sympathetically. “Donna was what her and her grandfather named the car. It was his before it belonged to Rhyann.”

“I see,” Detective Andrews says in a detached, emotionless tone. He may not understand the bond I have with that car, the memories that went up in flames when she did. But Adrian does, Adrian knows as well as I do how much my grandfather loved that car, how much I loved that car.

“As for your question, Mister Crawford.” Detective Myers clears his throat. “Unfortunately, we do not have the results as of yet. But we will let you know as soon as we do.”

The detectives talk to our lawyer and Adrian for a couple more minutes while Tate, Devon and Liam talk amongst themselves. But, I don’t hear any of it. I’m too lost in my own thoughts and my quiet tears that continue to fall when there’s a knock on the door.

“Does anyone else know you’re all staying here?” Detective Myers asks, a look of concern on his face.

“No.” I shake my head.

“Well…” Everyone, including me, looks over at Tate before we hear a shrill, female voice yelling out in the hall. ‘Aubree showed up here this morning.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” I say, my words laced with venom. I get up from Devon”s lap and walk toward the door.

“Rhyann, let me handle this,” Tate says quickly. He stands and tries to take my hand to stop me.

“Why? It doesn’t seem like she got the hint by however you handled it this morning.” My words are biting. I’ve reached my limit of shit I can take today, hell this month, maybe even this year, and Aubree’s sudden knowledge of where we are is what helps me let go of my control.

“Tate, I know you’re in there. Let me in!” Aubree shouts, then there’s another bang on the door.

I walk calmly to the door, and grasp the handle. Taking a deep breath I turn the knob and open the door just enough to peek my head out, giving the bitch my brightest smile. “Can I help you?” I ask her sweetly.

“Ugh. What are you doing here?” Aubree spits, her head bobbing left and right, trying to see inside.

I laugh like she just told the world’s funniest joke. “It’s my hotel room, silly. You should go. Buh-bye.” I move back and begin to close the door, knowing she’s not going to accept my dismissal. Aubree wedges her toe between the door and frame, just as I hoped she would. “Do you need anything else, Aubree?”

“I need to talk with my fiance. I know Tate”s in there, but he’ll be leaving with me,” she seethes.

This time my laugh is short and harsh. “The last I checked, he broke things off with you and doesn’t want to see you.” Man, I’m so glad I put on the boots this morning. I use the toe of my boot to kick at her ballet flat covered foot. “So, like I said—”

“Our club burned down!” Aubree shrieks. “I have to speak to him!” She pushes at the door, and I let go, allowing the door to swing open and Aubree to tumble in past the threshold. She rights herself, smoothing out her blue and white sundress while the two uniformed officers look on, their faces red with anger. My fist balls up at my side and I swing at her, throwing all my weight into my arm. My fist connects with her face with a loud crack and blood spurts from her nose, turning the white of her dress a dark shade of crimson.”Oh my god,” Aubree cries, covering her face with her hands, but the blood continues to pour from her nose. “You—you broke my nose!”

“Oopsie?” I shrug nonchalantly.

“You’re going to go to jail for this! I’ll press charges,” Her words come out gurgled and nasally. She looks over at the officers outside the door. They’re not as dumb as I thought because they look to the detectives for directions.

“All I know is you attacked me. I tried to close the door twice and you burst into my hotel room and attacked. I was just defending myself.” I say looking at the officers innocently.

“You attacked me! Get off me!” Aubree swipes at one of the officers when he takes her arm.

“I’m pretty sure I have,” I look around the room. “Eight people who will tell any judge in any court that I was acting in self defense. Don’t come back Aubree. Or I will be the one pressing charges for harassment.”

She’s still screaming at the officers while holding her hand to her face when I close the door on her. I turn around and face the group of men who watch me with wide eyes as I shake my hand. “That hurt. A lot,” I say with a shaky laugh.

Liam busts into laughter and hops up from his chair with a loud whoop. He runs into the kitchen and grabs some ice, then wraps it in one of the white dish towels the hotel proves before putting it over my knuckles. “That’s one mean ass right hook, princess.” He kisses my temple before walking back to the table with me.

“Tate, I think you better deal with the club’s ownership situation sooner rather than later.” Adrain says. Thankfully, no one mentions my confrontation with Aubree. “I also do not like the fact that she is aware of your location.”