The Wrong Sister (Taboo Sneaks #2)

Chapter 1

Rhett

Ialmost ruined my life over black lipstick, too many fireball shots, and a taunt I couldn’t get out of my head.

But I didn’t.

That night is now a distant memory. A nightmare of a stain that I’ll eventually scrub from my brain by sheer willpower. I can’t let it destroy my future.

I refuse to let that happen.

“How’s school going?” David asks, drawing me from the abyss of my regrets.

Forcing a smile, I give my girlfriend’s dad the attention he deserves. “Great. My classes are easy. Finance comes naturally to me.”

David’s lips curl into a proud grin. “Good to know. Play your cards right, Son, and Serengeti Fine Jewelers might have an executive position for you in the future.”

His wife, Vivian, playfully smacks at her husband’s shoulder. “Oh, hon, give the boy a break. He doesn’t need to have life all figured out just yet.”

Angela, on my right, squeezes my thigh under the table. “Don’t worry, Daddy. He does have it all figured out. I don’t date losers.”

I sit up a little straighter at my girlfriend’s words.

The reason I was drawn to Angela was there were no surprises with her.

She came from a good family, knew exactly what she wanted out of life, and worked hard to get there.

I didn’t know much about beauty pageants until we started dating, but apparently, it takes a lot of hard work to make it to the top.

And she was always there. She has the endless crowns, trophies, and ribbons lining the shelves in her room to prove it.

“That reminds me,” David says, features pinching. “How’s Abby? I haven’t heard from her in weeks.”

The mention of her name has my stomach bottoming out. I’ve been doing my best not to think about the black sheep in the Serengeti family. Definitely not been thinking about her black lipstick. At all.

“You’re afraid to get dirty.”

Her words, slightly raspy and taunting, race eagerly to the forefront of my mind. She was right. I didn’t want to get dirty, but I didn’t want her to be right. She hooked me with a stupid line, and I didn’t even try to fight it.

“Probably on another bender,” Vivian says, disappointment in her tone. “I told her last time we spoke, I wasn’t picking her up from the police station if she gets herself arrested.”

“She won’t learn responsibility if we keep saving her,” David mutters, shaking his head. “I don’t understand how she turned out so rotten. It’s not like she didn’t have the best role model.”

Angela beams at her father and flicks her smooth, long brown hair over one shoulder. “I tried, Daddy. She never listened.”

While they discuss how problematic the youngest Serengeti was, I slip back into the memories I have of her. And not the ones where we’ve crossed paths countless times at the country club. I’m talking about the party. The alcohol. The kiss.

Fuck.

Abby always annoyed the shit out of me. It was like she was being difficult on purpose. Attention seeking. And that night, I had the opportunity to put her in her place. Except I didn’t.

I let her smear her black lipstick on my lips, my face, my neck.

When she unbuttoned my white dress shirt, she rubbed more of the black shit on my chest. Reminded me of a damn cat.

By the time she reached my lower abs, I forgot about why Abby Serengeti was a bad idea.

My cock came alive, desperate for the reckless danger she offered.

Maybe it was the alcohol.

Or maybe I just needed a release.

Angela wants to wait until she’s married to have sex and I respected that.

But Abby?

She wanted to fuck—filthy, fast, and fiery.

As if remembering how good it felt in that moment of stupidity, my dick twitches. Asshole. I cover my crotch with my linen napkin and clear my throat, doing my best to focus on the conversation.

“One day she’s really going to regret throwing all this away,” Angela says, waving her perfectly manicured fingers around the country club restaurant dining room. “She had the perfect life, but it’s like she wanted to be different just to upset the entire family.”

Abby’s different all right. The woman’s hair is cut blunt just under chin, has feathers always braided into the dark-dyed strands, and has more tattoos and piercings than I could ever count.

Her lip and tongue piercing felt so fucking good around your cock…

I grind my teeth together, furious at my inner horny monster. That’s all Abby was. A mistake and a way to get off. If it hadn’t been for the overindulgence of the fireball shots, it never would have happened. It certainly won’t happen again because I’ve given up drinking.

Fuck that and fuck Abby Serengeti for trying to ruin my life.

You weren’t that pissed when you railed her in the pantry at Hayden’s house while everyone was in the other room playing beer pong…

“You guys are such a cute couple,” a voice says, jerking me to the present.

It takes far too long for me to realize the server is talking about me and Angela. Not me and Abby.

My tie suddenly feels too tight. I thank the woman and tug on the knot of my tie. I’m thinking a visit to see my best friend Riko, and his husband, Derek, soon might just be the antidote for the messy state of my mind.

What’s the big deal anyway?

It happened a while ago. Nobody ever found out. Miraculously, Abby never told a soul. I’d hinted to my dad about my mistake the night it happened, but I haven’t said anything to anyone else.

The best part is I haven’t seen Abby since that fateful night.

So why am I all up in arms right now?

“She’s been quiet too long,” Angela says as she cuts into her filet mignon. “That usually means she’s planning something.”

Vivian groans. “I can’t take any Abby surprises right now. The world is heavy enough without my own child adding to the drama of it.”

“She’s old enough now,” David says, voice firm, “that she can be cut off.”

The thought of Abby just disappearing, and my awful mistake going along with it, seems too good to be true.

“I’ll never understand ungrateful people,” I add, even though it’s not my place. “They have everything and it’s never good enough. If you don’t cut them off and keep enabling them, you’re part of the problem.”

All three of them nod in agreement.

David grins at me and then says to Angela, “You picked well, honey. Rhett’s a good one. Don’t let him get away.”

Angela smiles at me through her long, dark lashes. “Don’t worry, Daddy. He’ll be around for the long haul.”

I get the sneaking suspicion that I’ve just been officially approved by the family. It’s nice to feel wanted and appreciated by them.

“All part of the plan,” I say to Angela as I wrap an arm around her and hug her to me. “I know a good thing when I see it.”

I kiss Angela’s head that smells like expensive shampoo and feels like silk on my lips. Her mother coos and gushes about how wonderful the two of us are together. David grunts his agreement.

My life is all going according to plan. School is a breeze. Sports are fun and easy to excel in. And I have a future with an influential family. They’re all but delivering it on a silver platter for me.

I ignore the twisting of my gut and the guilt niggling at the back of my mind.

Why does getting everything I’ve ever wanted make me uneasy?

It’s what I’ve been working so hard for my entire life, dammit.

When my phone buzzes in my pocket, I politely excuse myself and step outside of the restaurant. It’s just a text from Riko, but I’m grateful for the interruption.

Riko: If I wanted to take sexy pictures to surprise my husband, would you be the cameraman?

This idiot is always trying to push my buttons.

Me: Use a selfie stick.

Riko: And how am I supposed to jerk and finger at the same time while also holding a selfie stick?

Me: I’m not watching you jerk and finger, freak.

Riko: This was a friendship test, and you failed.

Me: I bet Derek would beg to differ.

Riko: You always side with him. You’re such a grandpa bore these days.

Me: If not filming my best friend performing sex acts on himself makes me a bore, I guess I’ll wear the crown proudly.

Riko: I’ll let it slide. For now. Want to come over and hang out? Derek’s here. I’ll keep my clothes on.

Me: I’m at dinner with Angela and her parents.

He sends me a thumbs up emoji which irritates me for some reason.

Whenever I mention Angela, Riko either changes the subject, acts completely fucking bored, or gives me a pitying look.

If I had the balls to hear his answer, I’d confront him.

But, since I refuse to care what he thinks, I don’t bring it up.

Me: I could come by tomorrow or something.

Riko: Leave the ball and chain. Hot wings and beer. My treat. JK it’s Derek’s treat.

I type and erase several times. I want to demand to know what his problem with Angela is.

Except, if I demand the answer, he’s going to give it to me straight.

And I just know it’s going to piss me off.

I’ve been Riko’s best friend since we were kids.

By him not saying anything to me, he’s doing his best to behave, but he wants to say it. Whatever it is.

When I was obsessed with this girl Savvy in high school—my foster sister at the time—Riko supported me.

He thought I should go after her. Instead, I toyed with her, teased myself with something I shouldn’t want, and in the end let her slip away.

It broke my heart when she left us the day she turned eighteen.

Angela is the opposite of Savvy. Wealthy, well-mannered, polished.

Maybe Riko just likes chaos. Savvy represented that for me. What would he think about my mistake with Abby?

Before I can probe that thought any longer, David peeks his head out the door.

“Everything okay?” His green eyes bore into me as if he can peel back my layers of lies. “You’re missing dinner.”

“My family,” I rush out, sighing heavily. “Dad sometimes needs help running my siblings places. We were just sorting out rides. I’m sorry.”

I shove my phone into the pocket of my slacks and step back into the restaurant. David claps me on the shoulder and squeezes.

“Family is important,” he says. “I think it’s admirable how close to them you are. Angela says great things about all of them.”

The guilt at lying to him sits heavily in the pit of my stomach. If he knew I escaped to chat with my best friend about sex, he probably wouldn’t be so pleased.

And what if he knew you slept with his other daughter?

I stride over to our table, gratefully sliding into my seat beside Angela.

If I stay focused on her and on my future, maybe all of this will eventually fade altogether.

I can forget what happened with Abby. Maybe I can also get Riko to pull his head out of his ass and accept my girlfriend as I accepted Derek.

Angela takes my clammy hand and squeezes it.

I flash her a too-bright smile. My dad always used to say, “Fake it ‘till you make it.” I’m going to apply that philosophy to my life.

All I have to do is muscle through this crap and then I’ll be on the other side of it.

Play pretend until it becomes real and genuine.

I can do this.

I can do anything as long as I want it badly enough.