DECEIT (B723) by Hazel Grace (ebook reader for surface pro .TXT) 📕

back into how I felt when Camilla terrorized and shattered my heart.

Am I that weak?

For Emmy, yeah, plain and simple.

I want her.

I need someone—her— to bring me back to life.

And I just worked against the both of us to make sure that didn’t happen with the limited and one falsehood that could’ve been easily overcome.

See…Emmy and I, we don’t work well together.

I guess we never have.

I truly came outside to mind my own business and answer a phone call to not wake up the whole house while I did. Alexander and I have been talking on and off all week. He’s been super busy with work, and I’ve been trying to sort out things here by taking care of Bishop’s personal issues as a group.

So when he called, I got a little excited, promptly dipping outside to speak with him.

“Hey, stranger.”

“Hey,” he greets back in his self-assured tone that normally I would find unattractive, but on him, I don’t know, it just fits his appeal. “Miss me?”

I roll my eyes with a lift of my lips. “Oh, God, here he goes.”

“What?” I can hear the smirk in his voice. “I miss you.”

“You’re too busy to miss anyone.”

“I do have breaks, Emmy. I am the CEO, it gives me time to plan our next date.”

“I don’t know,” I drawl, stepping down off the porch. “I’m starting to think—“

“Don’t you dare,” he carps out. “I’m taking you out, and you’re going to be swept off your feet.”

“Are we going dancing?”

“No.”

“Skydiving?”

“No.”

“Water skiing?”

“Nope.”

“Bike riding?”

“No.”

“This date sounds lame already.”

“Just wait…I have some things up my sleeve.”

I shrug. “The only other thing I can think of is you throwing me off the top of a building.”

“Wow, you’re undoubtedly morbid, Emmy Lou.”

“I watch a lot of crime shows.”

“I’d love to watch some with you, but I’d be scared to touch you in dread of what you’d do to me.”

A mirthless chuckle rumbles off my chest. “Need to keep the fear instilled.”

“Oh, Emmy.” I hear him sigh on the other line like he’s entirely and utterly smitten. “You make me only want you more.”

“You’re demented.”

“And you obviously like it. When are you free?”

“I’m honestly not sure.”

“Then I’ll send flowers to keep you interested.”

“I’m not home, remember? I’m out for work.”

“Then I’ll send them to your work.” My initial thought goes to Wade—the only job he thinks I have—and the interrogation I’ll receive on why I’m getting a bouquet from a man he told to stay away from me.

“Remember on our first date when you said you didn’t want to get your ass beat?”

“Yeah.”

“Wade will kill you.”

Alexander chuckles. “Oh, geezus Christ, does everyone who knows you fall in love and want to protect you?”

I look heavenward at the millions of stars above. “Not everybody.”

“Well, not everyone is smart. I like that, though because that means you’ll only be protected by me.” He says something else, but I don’t catch it. I’m too busy peering over my shoulder to see a lean body walking purposely up the driveway towards me.

And I don’t have my gun or knife on me.

The figure halts when they notice me, sending a stretch of goosebumps lining up my forearms before they continue on, stomping their way closer.

And when there are only about fifteen yards between us, I already know who it is.

Camilla.

“Hey, I gotta go,” I tell Alexander when he’s in mid-sentence about something. “Call you later.” I don’t wait for him to respond, hanging up and pocketing my cell now, wishing I did have that knife.

I fucked up yet again and researched Camilla Andrews—tortured myself, really.

I wanted to know what kind of hold she has on the man who was supposed to love and honor me forever.

Kyson’s words still ring loud in my ears, and I feel for him. I don’t excuse it; hate that he holds on to it, but I can’t do anything about that.

However, I can despise her.

“Can I help you?” I drone, purposely stepping in her way to get to the house.

If Bishop wants to speak with her, he can do it during the day or when I’m not around.

Yeah, I’m being a petty cunt and possessive as fuck, but I really don’t care.

She broke him.

And I want to break her.

“No,” she returns with a snotty snarl. “I came to talk to Kace.”

“He’s sleeping.”

“He’ll wake—“ I step closer and raise my chin to her height.

“I said,” I repeat with steel in my words. “That he’s sleeping.”

Camilla snickers, tucking a piece of yellowish blonde hair behind her ear. “And what exactly are you?”

I cock my head to the side. “I’m the bitch that’s not going to allow you to hurt him again.”

She advances, frame tense from my intrusion. “That’s none of your business.”

“Get out.”

“Make me.”

“This isn’t high school, hoe. Don’t make me break your arm.”

“You couldn’t do shit.” She looks me up and down again like she did earlier. “And if you think he likes girls like you, you’re sadly mistaken. You look like a fucking rotten cunt with a haughty ass attitude.”

“You’d be half right then.” She attempts to step around me again, but I mock her actions.

“Move.”

My lips curl into a bitchy grin. “Make me.”

Her fist flies into my ribcage so quickly that she knocks the breath right out of me.

I should’ve expected her type to throw the first punch, being scrappy and all that. Obviously, she doesn’t give a crap about proper manners of coming to someone’s house past midnight to “talk” or fucking aggravate.

And that’s precisely what Bishop is doing to me right now.

With his meaty hands on my biceps, he won’t let me go. I’m waiting for him to be furious with me for touching his ex-girlfriend and acting like a lunatic in his front yard.

I wanted him more than anything in the world, and I have to take the necessary steps to break that.

Just, apparently, not ten minutes ago.

“Why were you out here, Emmy?” I attempt to withdraw from his body again, but his grip remains tight.

It’s a simple question.

Just not a simple conversation.

“I was on a phone