Page 51 of Pretty Lies (Watch Me Burn #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SKEETER

I was ready to kill someone. It had been five days since someone had kidnapped Rory.

Five. Fucking. Days.

I’d even reached out to the Reapers of Chaos crew down at the docks to see if they’d seen anything that night, but it was a busy night for business at their strip club, Wet Dreams, meaning there were dodgy people everywhere.

We didn’t deal with other crews unless we had to, so whoever had my girl needed to pray that I didn’t get my fucking hands on them.

Slash nudged me, pushing a beer towards me as he sat at the bar stool beside mine at the Shed.

“Hey, we’ll find her. Want me to reach out to the Devils?”

“You’re fucking kidding, right?” I scowled, making him scoff.

“You want to find her, don’t you?”

“They made their bed with us, so now they can lie in it. Don’t fucking call them. The Reapers don’t know shit, so the Devils won’t know anything.”

“You don’t know that. You’re letting your hatred for Rivera control you. What if he’s the one that took her? I wouldn’t put it past him to do it to taunt you. He’s been quiet for a while.”

“He would’ve told me by now if he had her.”

If my ex-best friend was hanging around Ashburn Valley, he would’ve made a big deal about it.

Uneasiness settled in the pit of my stomach the more I thought about Rory being gone. What if whoever had taken her had left the country?

I should’ve stopped fucking her like everyone said. Whether she’d been taken because of one of our enemies or just because the guy was a creepy asshole, it was still my fault.

Why had I left the party and told her to fuck someone else?

I should’ve been there and told Slash to shove it.

Slash watched me for a moment in silence before shaking his head.

“Women make us weak, brother. You’re here wounded while someone could be planning a hit on us and take you out. Get your head in the game and your dick out of her pussy. She probably just ran off with her old man.”

I lit a cigarette and ignored his comment. We’d already talked about that, and I knew for a fact that she wouldn’t have taken off with that sad excuse for a fucking father.

It was suspicious that he hadn’t been seen since Josie Holloway had kicked him out almost two weeks ago, but I’d deal with that later.

First, I had to get my girl home and kill whoever thought it was a good idea to fuck with what was mine.

I glared across the room at Liam as he blankly stared at me, not at all surprised that he didn’t even flinch. I swore the guy was a fucking psychopath. He was way too enthusiastic about disposing of bodies.

“I seriously don’t trust that prick,” I grumbled, my lip curling into a sneer as Liam refused to look away. That made the freak smile.

“Liam? C’mon, I checked his shit and he’s cool. Why do you think he’s bad news?”

Slash usually listened to my opinions, but he’d always thought I was wrong about the guy.

“I just don’t like him. He’s cocky for starters, but he’s too eager to please and he’s creepy. Look into him more before he does a Ted Bundy on all our asses and I’m not alive to say I told you so.”

I hated to do it, but I broke eye contact to look at Slash, finding him glaring at me.

“You know I’m in charge, right?”

“Yep. That’s why I asked you to look into it,” I smirked, raising the beer to my lips to take a sip.

My eyes flicked to Liam to find him still watching me, and I motioned to him, not caring if he knew I was talking about him.

“See? Look at the creepy bastard. He hasn’t looked away from me in over ten minutes. ”

“It’s the curse of being good looking with a bomb-ass dick. He’s probably heard the crew whores bragging and he’s jealous that you didn’t bend him over,” Slash chuckled as he looked over at him again. “Damn, bro. I think he really likes you. Is he even blinking?”

“If I go missing, he’s got me stashed in a hole and screaming at me to put lotion on my skin,” I deadpanned, a booming laugh leaving Slash as he clinked his bottle against mine.

“And what a pretty coat you’d be.”

“Eat shit,” I threw back, grabbing a cigarette to light it, checking my phone.

Caden: Anything?

Skeeter: Nope. It’s like she didn’t exist in the first place.

Caden: I’ll do some digging through Dad’s contacts. If it's connected to any of those, I might be able to find her.

Skeeter: Keep me in the loop or I’ll put a bullet in you.

Caden: Love you too, baby Xx

I scowled at my phone and dropped it onto the bar, making Slash lean over and raise his eyebrow as he read the messages. “Damn, Skeet. You cheating on me with the rich prick? I’m offended.”

“He does that thing I like,” I said flatly. “Seriously, if you want him, take him. He’s been blowing up my phone like a stage five clinger all week.”

“He’s worried about his stepsister.”

“Don’t call her that. She’s just the girl he liked sticking his pin-dick in. He’s not getting her back, she’s mine and I’m not sharing.”

“Maybe he’ll be motivated to find her faster if you let him live out his stepsister fantasy,” he replied dryly as Diesel joined us. “Hey, D. Do you think Skeet should let Holloway fuck Rory as a reward if he finds her? Good incentive, right?”

Diesel scowled, irritation washing off him as he wiped the bar down.

“She’s not one of the crew whores, man. Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Why not? Donovan loves a variety, apparently,” Slash answered with a laugh, making me roll my eyes. Diesel had zero interest in any of the women around here, or on the entire fucking planet.

I was starting to think he’d never get over his first and only love.

“I love you, brother, but you’re really pissing me off,” I said through gritted teeth. “I get it, you don’t like her being on my dick, so would you like me to make a schedule?”

“A schedule won’t fix it, you need fucking rehab. She’s altered your damn brain and made you soft,” Slash grumbled as he got to his feet. “Do me a favor and hurry up and find her so you can stop wasting time. We’re behind on the drug haul because you’re too busy chasing tail.”

He walked off towards Brick and Liam, and Diesel sighed. “He really doesn’t like her, does he? I think she’s alright.”

That made me laugh, and I rested my elbows on the bar. “I think he’s angry because he actually does like her, and it annoys him.”

“Sounds about right,” he chuckled. “Want me to go through more security footage for clues?”

“I’ll help. There’s nothing else I can do,” I replied as I stood, both of us heading into the office so Diesel could hack into the cameras, Liam’s eyes on me the entire time.

Rory

I’d woken up in the dark the day I’d been taken, panicking as I realized I was inside some kind of box. The panic only grew when I felt cool air across my pussy.

The restraints that held my wrists were short, so I couldn’t feel around or break free, but the longer I laid there on my back, the more I realized the trouble I was in.

My entire lower half was sticking out of a hole at the bottom of the box, and I was completely naked.

I tried closing my legs but nothing happened, they were braced apart like some sick porn prop, and tears burned my eyes as the familiar feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me as I was assaulted again and again.

Days had now passed, and after the first day or two of someone raping me, I detached from myself and let the numbness take me. They never spoke, I had no idea who they were, but their rough hands told me it wasn’t the guy I’d left the party with.

Had Skeeter noticed I was gone? Did he care?

I was losing hope of someone coming to save me.

I hated being a damsel in distress, I could usually save myself, but I had no other choice but to wait.

My body ached so badly from being stuck in the same position for so long, and I could still feel the needle in my arm that had been there since I’d woken up.

I was pretty sure it was an IV to keep me hydrated, but I hadn’t been offered any food.

I didn’t react when icy water blasted my pussy to remove the evidence of what he’d just done, and for the first time ever, he spoke.

“Aurora Donovan, what the fuck did you do to make your father cut me another deal? I’m starting to think you like playing with me so you deliberately piss him off in hopes to see me again.

He wanted you gone, said you were nothing but a trouble-making brat, so I guess you get to stay with me this time.

” I was going to be fucking sick, forcing myself to swallow down bile as he chuckled and jammed two fingers inside me.

“Looks like you’re into some crazy shit, you’re pretty beat up, so maybe I need to get creative so you can enjoy yourself more. ”

“Don’t fucking touch me, Tristan,” I snapped, hating how my voice shook slightly, hearing him laugh just as something hot burned into my inner thigh. I gritted my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing my pain, but he just tsked and jammed his fingers even deeper.

“No one likes a tough bitch, Aurora. You used to scream so well for me.”

“Do you even know who my fucking boyfriend is, you piece of shit?” I blurted out, causing him to pause. I hated using Skeeter and the Psychos like that, but what choice did I have? I was running on survival mode, and I’d do almost anything to get the fuck out of here.

“If you have a boyfriend, why did you leave the party with someone I paid? Not that he had to do any work, you practically dragged him out of there. So, who’s this boyfriend you so willingly cheated on?”

“I didn’t cheat on him, he told me to get laid. You’d know Skeeter Maddox, right? From the Bloody Psychos?”

“You’re lying,” he spat, but I could hear the nerves in his tone.

“This is why you should do your research before taking someone. They’re going to be pissed,” I chuckled, trying to sound stronger than what I was.

The Psychos didn’t give a shit about me, but he didn’t know that.