Twisted Betrayal A Dark High School Bully Romance - Siobhan Davis Page 0,32
admits, and at least he has the decency to look ashamed. “Our uncle Wes owns Femerst. It’s a pharmaceutical company which produces medication solely for fertility-related conditions. They have this award-winning medication that’s used to stimulate ovulation, and we swapped your pills out with it. It was easy for Wes to replicate the packaging and shape the pills so they looked exactly like your prescription.”
I jump up and slap him across the face, relishing the resounding thud that echoes around the room, and the way his head whips back from my powerful strike. “I will never forgive you for violating me like that.”
To think I used to have a crush on this guy.
Unfortunately, my taste isn’t any better now I’m all grown up.
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” Rick rubs at his cheek, but he doesn’t criticize me for lashing out, accepting it like Kai did at the door. “I nearly didn’t go through with it when you admitted you gave Kai your virginity.” He looks at his brother. “He hadn’t told me, and everything clicked then.”
“What do you mean?” I cock my head to the side.
“Kai, Hunt, and Lauder were supposed to manipulate and intimidate you into cooperating so we could get at your father’s safe,” Rick admits.
“But you were too fucking stubborn for your own good,” Kai butts in, and I flip him the bird as I sit back down on the bed, leaving a decent gap between us this time.
“So, Father invoked Plan B,” Rick confirms.
“Which was what?” I have an idea, but I want to hear him say it.
“I was to seduce you and then manipulate you into helping,” Kai says, looking sheepish.
Nausea churns in my gut, and I hate how gullible I was. How easy it was for him to get me into his bed. Self-loathing consumes me, as it has many times in the past few weeks.
“Dad came to me,” Rick continues, “because he was worried Kai was falling for you and losing control.” I snort at the ludicrous nature of that statement, and Kai pins me with a deadly look that might have scared me one time, but I’m not scared of him anymore.
He’s the one who should fear me.
“Dad needed to get into that safe,” Rick continues, “because he believed the proof your mother had collected was in there. Proof that confirmed your asshole father killed our mother, and he could use that to put him away.”
Tension descends for a few beats. “Hang on.” My brow puckers, as I recall the words spoken the night of the engagement party. “I thought you already had the proof. Your dad said my aunt gave it to him.” My gaze bounces between them.
Kai shakes his head. “He was pretending to draw your father out.”
“Wasn’t it in the safe?” I ask.
“We hoped so, but it wasn’t among the contents we retrieved,” Kai confirms.
“Fuck.” I rub a tense spot between my brows. Now that I know Atticus is still alive, I’m banking on him nailing my father’s ass to the wall. If he doesn’t have proof, my father committed murder, it doesn’t leave us with much to go on.
“Dad knew there was a chance it wouldn’t be there. Your father has always outwitted him, at every turn, so this time, he was determined to gain the upper hand,” Rick says. “Dad knew your shares would automatically transfer to your husband upon marriage, so he decided not to outwardly intervene in your relationship. He thought it best to let nature take its course. He figured you guys would fall in love and a wedding would be inevitable.”
“But the bastard took it a step too far,” Kai says, fuming, and I’m surprised at the poison infusing his words. He stands, pacing the floor, wringing his hands in front of him. I eye him curiously.
“It’s like Dad said,” Rick supplies, going on, regardless of his brother frantically pacing the room on the verge of a blowout. “He wanted insurance. He wanted to ensure you had to marry Kai. So, he asked me to switch out your pills, and he made me promise not to tell my brother.”
“I get why you’d have no loyalty to me,” I say, “but how could you do that to your brother?” Rick is no better than Drew.
“I was a stupid fuckhead for agreeing, but I thought I was doing the right thing. Avenging our mom’s death is something both of us want.” He eyeballs Kai. “I figured if Dad was right about Kai falling for you,