The Lies We Tell (The Four #1) - Becca Steele Page 0,18

after him in shock.

SIX

“Seriously, Cade, what is it you expect us to do with this girl?” Cassius paced in front of me, exasperation clear on his face. “I kind of like her.”

“So do I,” my brother piped up. Little shit. I sent him a glare, and instead of dropping his gaze, he glared right back. “She is our sister. Stepsister.”

“She’s not my fucking sister,” I muttered.

“Look.” Cassius came to a stop in front of me. “You’re my best mate. In this instance I was down for following your directions—until I met her in person. Yeah, you have a problem with her, but I’m not comfortable with being dragged into this shit. I’ll still keep an eye her or whatever if you really want me to, but I’m not down for making her life hell. She only lost her dad, what, just over a year ago? Give her a break, yeah?”

“She’s her mother’s daughter,” I bit out angrily, my fists clenched.

“Cade. She’s barely stayed in touch with her mother, we all know this. We’ve been keeping tabs on her mother for the past three years, and I haven’t seen anything to concern me when it comes to Winter, other than the fact that she seems too friendly with James Granville.” He threw himself on the sofa next to me. “If we need to keep an eye on anyone, it’s that slimy fucker.”

My jaw tightened at the thought of Granville. Leaning forwards, stretching my fingers towards the ashtray on the table in front of me, I picked up my blunt and took a deep drag, the weed working its magic and mellowing my mood slightly. “Fine. You’re out. Anyone else?”

Weston looked at me. “I’m out.”

“West. You don’t know what…never mind.” He was my baby brother and I wanted to protect him. As far as he was concerned, our mother had died of a brain haemorrhage, a horrible accident. I needed to shield him from the truth.

“I’m still in.” Zayde watched me intently from the tall leather armchair he reclined in, his sharp gaze taking everything in. “I don’t trust her.”

“Who said anything about trust? She’s only a girl. What damage can one girl do?”

I laughed bitterly at Cassius’ words. Women were trouble. Wrapping men around their fingers with their honeyed words and whispered promises, all the while lying through their teeth to serve their own purposes.

“Can I at least ask you to be cautious around her? Don’t tell her anything. Don’t get too friendly with her.”

“Deal. I won’t back out of our agreement to watch her, either.”

I looked at Weston expectantly, and he sighed. “Yeah, same. You know Dad wants us to be friends with her, though, right? Can’t have his wife upset.” We both pulled identical expressions of distaste.

Christine Clifford…now Christine Cavendish. Even if I didn’t know what she’d done, I’d still hate her. She’d made her dislike for both of us crystal clear the second she’d got her claws into my father, once she had the huge, gaudy pink rock of an engagement ring that sat on her bony finger.

As soon as they’d married, she’d become fucking insufferable. She’d tried to become a mother to me and Weston—not in a loving, motherly way, but in an “I run this house, and you will obey me” kind of way. Even worse? My father always took her side, driving a wedge between us that was so big, I doubted we’d ever be able to go back. I shielded West from her barbs as much as I could, but my stepmother was poison, her venom infecting our lives, slowly killing what was left of our family.

Weston thought she was only being friendly to Winter to get to us, but I wasn’t so sure. Christine was a snake, and I knew exactly the kind of malice she was capable of. Meaning, I didn’t trust Winter. It was just as likely that they’d planned something together, and until I knew for definite what was going on, I was keeping eyes in as many places as possible.

If they were working together, I’d soon find out. I needed Christine Clifford to hurt, and if Winter was the key to getting to Christine, I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to fuck her up.

Winter. Fuck. Her pictures hadn’t done her justice. She was so fucking beautiful, and she didn’t even seem aware of it. Long, silky, deep brown hair, piercing blue eyes framed by dark lashes, smooth, pale skin, minimal curves, but absolutely fucking perfect in every way.