Beyond The Lies Read online

  Beyond The Lies

  Abbi Cook

  Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Never Miss A Thing!

  About the Author

  Books by Abbi:

  Blurb

  Beyond The Lies

  I'm not who I appear to be. Who I am is a lie.

  I have a job to do, but in one night that all changes when a beautiful girl turns my world upside down.

  She has no idea how much danger she's in, but it's too late now.

  Because once we start on this path, there's no turning back. Everything I am is a lie.

  Except when it comes to her.

  Beyond The Lies is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  2020 Dark Vine Media LLC

  Copyright © 2020 Dark Vine Media LLC

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  Cover design by Michele Catalano Creative

  Published in the United States

  ISBN: 978-1-7345173-4-7

  Contains graphic details that may upset some readers.

  Chapter One

  King

  The last job of the night always turns out to be a pain in the ass, and when a guy like Tap comes along, it usually becomes a shitshow. He’s fucked in the head, and no matter what the boss says, things get screwed up when he’s added to the mix.

  From behind me, I hear him already start to cock off. “What do you say we bust some motherfucking heads tonight?”

  Kroger chuckles next to me and gives me a knowing glance. He and I work together fine. Not that we don’t bust heads when it’s necessary, but we do the job we have to and get out. Tap’s constant need to prove he’s the biggest asskicker around only proves over and over he’s the biggest asshole going.

  I can deal with someone being an asshole if they don’t get in my way. The problem is Tap’s need to show he’s a bad ass always gets in the fucking way and whoever’s stuck with him ends up having to clean up the mess.

  “We have a job to do, man. This guy’s never an issue, so you’re going to have to find your head busting somewhere else,” I say as casually as I can, hoping to dismiss his nonsense as quickly as possible.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see relief settle into Kroger’s expression. A lot like me, he doesn’t need to deal with shit tonight either. Unlike me, he’s got something to go home to. The last thing he wants is to get caught in some goddamned crossfire and never see that pretty little girl he shacks up with again.

  “One of us should tell Duke we don’t need this guy’s help anymore,” he whispers barely loud enough for me to hear him.

  I do, though, and I can’t agree enough. When we get back tonight, I need to do just that. Duke has to have something else for this crazy motherfucker to do other than tagging along with the two of us and fucking shit up.

  “Kro, what’d you say?” Tap asks with more than a hint of accusation in his tone.

  Fuck. I’d hoped he didn’t hear us talking up here. We don’t need him starting shit now.

  Turning back to face Tap, I nod to give him the sense he’s among friends here even as I fight to keep the scowl at how ugly he is from my face. Too many fights with too many sharp objects have left him looking like some kind of thrift store jigsaw puzzle that’s missing a piece or two. Between the scars on his cheeks and forehead and his overall ugliness because of bulging eyes and a nose that faces somewhere around seven o’clock, he’s nothing but hideous.

  “Kroger says he’s hoping we get this done quick so we can get out of here. Lucky him, he’s got something waiting for him at home.”

  For a second, Tap looks confused, like he doesn’t know whether to believe me or not. Then, after a few steps, he stops on the sidewalk and nods. “I hear that. The faster we get done, the faster I get back to the house and my knives. Got to keep them sharp since you never know what’s going to come down the pike.”

  I give him another nod like I think his knife obsession is cool and then turn back to focus on the house we’re at. Fucking knives. It’s not the seventeenth fucking century, for God’s sake. Who the fuck gets that goddamned jacked up about knives anymore?

  This guy pisses me off. He makes me want to pound the hell out of something, and it’s all because he’s such an asshole. But Duke made me pledge not to get into it with him again, so I’m forced to keep my mouth shut and pretend like he doesn’t irritate the fuck out of me.

  “So this guy isn’t usually a problem? I wonder why the boss sent me with you two then,” Tap asks behind Kroger and me in a way that makes it sound like he suspects we need his help.

  I have no real idea why he was sent to tag along with us, but I suspect it has more to do with Duke not wanting to have to deal with him tonight and pushing him off on us since he can than the two of us needing any help from the likes of Tap. His oversized ego makes him think he’s necessary.

  He’s not.

  The house in front of us looks like any ordinary mid-century house in an American suburb. One floor, enormous window in the living room, and a small, concrete front porch. Nothing special. Inside, the man who owes Duke money is nothing special either. Like every other guy who’s gotten in too deep with gambling, drugs, or whatever else it is that forces him to look for someone like the boss to finance his habits, he’s pretending to live one life when he’s actually living another, very different one.

  Not that I can’t sympathize on that issue.

  But I don’t care what life John Carney thinks he’s living. All I need is for him to hand over the money he owes Duke so we can be on our merry way and Tap won’t feel like he has to cause any hassle. It’s simple, really. Borrow money? Then pay it back.

  Not that Carney has ever been a problem, but I’ve found in the past there comes a time when every man thinks he can outsmart reality. Maybe they fall in love or find Jesus. Or maybe they give up all hope and slip into a depression. Whatever happens, when that time comes and a man can’t accept the truth of how much trouble he’s gotten himself into, it’s men like me who have to yank them back to reality.

  Hopefully, tonight isn’t that night for this guy.

  We make it halfway down the sidewalk before something inside me says Tap should stay outside. I learned a long time ago to always follow my gut, no matter how out of left field it seems at the moment.

  Spinning around, I see him walking toward Kroger and me with his gun out already. Christ, this guy is a walking, talking trainwreck.

  “Hey, Tap, you stay out here and watch for any issues. We got this. It’s simple shit, but we don’t need any problems sneaking up on us, you know?”

  He looks u
p and focuses his bulgy eyes on my face when he stops walking. “Problems? Like what kind?” he asks, gripping his gun in anticipation.

  Whatever I tell him is a complete lie. Kroger knows it as well as I do. Carney isn’t some badass who’s going to throw down instead of forking over the money. He’s a goddamned accountant with a penchant for betting on sports and little luck, at least lately. That’s why we don’t need Tap blowing up the situation.

  With a shrug, I point toward the front door of Carney’s house. “It’s all good in there, but you never know what’s going to happen out here. That’s why having you here is a good idea.”

  It doesn’t take long for him to accept my bullshit reason. With a big smile that showcases his crooked teeth, he nods like he had the same idea.

  “Got it. I’ll take care of anything that comes up out here.”

  Kroger and I glance at one another, and all I can think is how quiet it is in Carney’s neighborhood. It’s suburbia at its finest. The most that might come up out here while we’re dealing with him is a dog getting out or a raccoon digging through a garbage can.

  But better to have Tap think he’s doing something useful than have him fuck things up inside. Accountants don’t require the hard sell.

  “Let’s go, Kroger. Time to shake down the suit for what he owes us.”

  I get a rare smile from my partner before we turn to knock on the front door. Carney answers less than a minute later and lets us in with no hassle, just as I knew he would. With one last look at Tap standing on the sidewalk stroking his gun, we head in to do our business.

  “You know why we’re here, John,” I say in a low voice, making it sound intentionally ominous, just in case he’s got any ideas of not doing the right thing.

  “Yeah, I know. Just give me a couple seconds, okay?” he says as he flails his hands nervously.

  “I’ll give you a few minutes,” I answer as I look around his house and notice his TV in the living room looks new.

  “Okay. Thanks. I just have to go to the bedroom since I left my wallet in my pants. My wife is already in bed, so I have to keep it quiet, you know?”

  Smiling, I nod like I know anything about that, but I don’t. I’ve never been married, and the closest I’ve come to being committed to a woman was when I dated that girl in high school for a few months. The thought of having to tiptoe around my own damn house because I don’t want someone I supposedly love and respect to know what I’m up to is utterly foreign to me.

  Kroger looks around the living room and then smiles like he approves of this kind of place. “I could live in a house like this. Lots of space and pretty nice.”

  “Planning on settling down, man?” I ask with a chuckle.

  He shrugs and gives me a sheepish look. “You never know. Life can change at the drop of a hat. Maybe someday.”

  Younger than me by a few years at least, Kroger looks like he’s thought a lot about leaving the life. I can imagine him living in some house with that girlfriend of his and a few kids. Maybe with a yard he can mow and a kiddie pool like the one we all used to hold the ice to keep our beer cold last Fourth of July. He would probably be happy living like that.

  I give him a supportive slap on the shoulder. “If any of us can be that guy, it’s you, Kroger. Grab that brass ring, man.”

  Rolling his eyes, he laughs. “I’m not saying I’m planning on doing it any time soon. I’m just saying I wouldn’t be against it is all.”

  Carney shuffles toward us, still looking shakier than usual. Holding out his hand full of money, he says, “Here. It’s all there.”

  I can’t tell if that’s the truth or not since he seems to have raided some piggy bank and grabbed any bill he could grab. Hundreds mix in with twenties and even a few ones, and I can’t believe I’m going to have to count it all out like some kind of middle manager after a shift at some fucking family restaurant.

  “Jesus. What the hell is all this, Carney?” I ask in disgust as a couple bills fall out onto the floor.

  “Sorry. Things are tight this month, but I swear it’s all there, King.”

  As Kroger bends down to pick up Carney’s wayward bills, out of the corner of my eye I see out the big picture window something happening out on the lawn. I turn my head and see Tap take off into a full sprint across the grass. Fuck! I have no idea what he’s up to, but it can’t be good to have a madman with a gun running around a suburban neighborhood.

  “Get the money and follow me!” I order Kroger as I rush toward the front door.

  I stuff the bills into my front pocket and run out to catch up with Tap as Kroger follows a few seconds behind. Quickly, I scan the yards nearby and see no sight of the fucker. Damnit! I knew it would be a mistake to have him come with us.

  Pointing toward the house on the left, I bark out, “Look for him over there, and I’ll head the opposite direction. Let me know if you find him. Go!”

  I take off toward the yard on the right side of Carney’s house, my rage practically exploding out of my body that I have to deal with this shit from Tap. What the fuck would make him run off like that?

  Christ, I hope it wasn’t some animal. Shooting some kid’s pet dog in the middle of a quiet neighborhood isn’t the way to stay low. He should fucking know that.

  He isn’t anywhere in the next-door-neighbor’s yard, so I head back out toward the street. Just as I step foot onto the asphalt, I hear a noise that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention in pure terror. The muffled sound of a woman crying for help, like she’s screaming behind someone’s hand over her mouth.

  Did Tap grab some woman? Holy hell! Why the fuck would he do that?

  I race down the street toward the sound I think is coming from where I sent Kroger. He comes running out to the street, clearly panicked since he’s heard the same thing I have.

  “That sounds like a woman, King. Did he go after someone here in this neighborhood?” Kroger asks in utter disbelief.

  Opening my mouth to answer his question, I’ve got nothing but stunned disgust. As we stand there, the sound hits our ears even clearer this time.

  “Let me go! Help! Help!” a woman’s voice calls out in pure terror.

  A second later, Kroger and I take off down the street toward the corner. I get there first and under the streetlight, I see Tap struggling to subdue a brunette wearing a pair of blue shorts and a pale pink T-shirt.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? This is a fucking residential neighborhood. Someone’s going to call the cops, you asshole!” I snap in a hoarse whisper.

  “I got her for Duke!” he says far too loudly as the girl continues to cry out for help. “I’m going to be the golden boy after this.”

  As I take a step toward him and the girl, I look around at the houses nearby and hope nobody can hear him ranting. “Put her the fuck down and let’s go. What the hell would he want with her? We don’t have time for this nonsense, so let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Tap shakes his head like a rabid dog and refuses to release her. “No way! Duke’s going to freak out when he gets this prize from me.”

  I look over at Kroger in confusion to see if he understands what the hell Tap is talking about, but he seems just as baffled. Any moment, one of the neighbors is going to look out and see us holding this girl, so we need to get Tap to let her go so we can get the fuck out of here.

  Unfortunately, Tap is as single-minded as he is ugly, and he’s got other plans. He drags her toward the car parked two houses away while all the while bragging that the boss is going to be thrilled.

  Convinced he’s lost his mind, Kroger and I catch up to him just as he’s about to stuff her into the back seat. She’s crying, Tap’s acting like he’s going to be made king of the world because of her, and the two of us are staring at all of this like we can’t believe our shitty luck.

  “He’s not going to want some random girl, Tap,” Kroger says in a calm voice I’m not sure I could muster at this moment.

  But I
jump on that idea and add, “Yeah, man. She’s just some girl out for a night run. Drop her and let’s go.”

  Turning her toward us, he roughly tilts her head up so we can see her face. Fuck. This is not what I need right now. This will only makes things messier.

  Beaming his happiness at the prize in his arms, he says, “Do you know who this is? Sophie Varens, motherfuckers! I remember her from that picture Duke was looking at a couple weeks ago when her uncle took out Ozzy. When Duke sees her, I’m going to be the favorite from now on. Let’s go, or I’ll drive away and leave the two of you here.”

  Fucking-A. Sophie Varens, oldest niece of Victor Varens, Duke’s biggest rival. Tap may have just found a surefire way to become the boss’s favorite.

  “Fine. Put her in the car and let’s get the fuck out of here before the cops show up,” I bark as I jump into the driver’s seat, my mind whirling with the possibilities of what will happen when we get back to Duke’s.

  Chapter Two

  King

  Tap races out of the car with the girl before I even put it in park, so goddamned eager to show off what he found on what was supposed to be a regular job to get money. Kroger and I follow them into Duke’s office, my pocket full of Carney’s payment that should be the main reason for any celebration.