My Beautiful Poison (Wicked Poison 1)

My sister pulls up in the driveway.

“I’m not alone. So tell me where?”

Rhianna gets out of the car and comes over to us as Sully tells me where. “I should call someone, right?” Sully says. “Do something so he doesn’t get in trouble.”

“No, don’t call anyone just yet,” Rhianna says and turns to me. “What’s happening?”

“August is about to do something that’ll land him back where he doesn’t want to go,” I say to her.

“Rylee,” Sully says as I step off to the car. “Be careful. The August you may walk in on is different from the one you know. He’s calm now, but he was never calm before. It’s what made him so dangerous.” I don’t take his words in because August may be a lot of things but a danger to me is not one of them.

I trust that man with my life. I would trust him with anyone I love. That’s how much faith I have in him.

“I should call Noah.”

“You probably should,” I tell her.

I don’t know what we might possibly walk in on.

Sully is right. I don’t know that part of August’s life.

But I have faith he’ll get Paige back.

Chapter 28

August

I hear her cry. It’s sharp and direct. Pain. That’s all I can hear from her screams, and my hands bunch up into fists. The gun in my hand is squeezed tight from the pressure as I push through the old door.

“Paige,” I say her name, but all I get back in return are cries. Her cries.

“You came. I knew you would.” Josh’s voice taunts me. “They all think you’re a badass, but what they don’t know is you’re overprotective of those you care for. Including this cute little thing.”

Paige screams again, her cries now even louder as I start moving closer.

“Come out, Josh,” I yell.

“You really think I’m that dumb? No, August. I know better than that. I may have gotten you the first time, but I have a feeling you know better now.”

I do. Under no circumstances would I be stupid enough to believe that Josh has anyone’s better interest at heart than his own.

He’s known for doing everything for himself.

Only himself.

No one else matters.

“I really thought by throwing you in prison I wouldn’t have to worry about you again, but here you are… causing fucking trouble, yet again,” Josh says.

I hear Paige’s soft cries.

“If you leave, and I mean leave, August, I will let her go.”

He’s lying.

Josh is a liar.

“We both know you’re lying. Do you really think I am eighteen again and dumb enough to believe your lies?”

The floor creaks in the old house and Josh comes through a broken door, but in front of him he’s holding my sister, whose eyes are bright red from crying.

“No. Seems you’re playing on the other side of the tracks lately. We aren’t good enough for you anymore. No, you’re playing with the rich kids now. Don’t think we haven’t heard you’re with that pretty little brunette.”

My back straightens at the mention of Rylee.

“What I would do to her. You see, I don’t particularly like them this young.” Josh pulls on Paige, making her whimper. “I prefer them older, more Rylee’s age, a bit more seasoned but still young enough to break, so they heal faster, and I can play all over again.”

Josh is known for beating up his lovers, most of them end up in the hospital, and none report him. He scares them way too much for them to ever say anything.

“I’m going to kill you tonight. You know that, right?”

“You make threats when I have access to something you want?” Josh’s other hand holds a small pocket knife, and he brings it to Paige’s arm. She stays still, breathing in and holding her breath before he starts to apply pressure. I see blood start to well around the point where the blade pierces her skin.

“I learned that if you cut it this way, and deep enough, you die.” He starts slicing into her arm. “How long do you think she has before she blacks out?”

The gun in my hand shakes, but there isn’t anything I can do. He has Paige directly in front of him. She looks at me with sad eyes and I know she realizes this as well.

“Have you ever seen a loved one die, watched the light fall from their eyes?”

I don’t answer him. Instead, I take one step closer.

“I watched my mother die this way. She slit her own wrists in front of me, and I watched. It’s a fascinating thing to see life draining away. To know the second life leaves her body, and knowing full well she isn’t coming back.” He pauses. “Fascinating.”

“You are fucked up.”

“We know this. You are, too. Just in a different way, though, right?” He smirks. “I heard you like to play, especially with that rich girl.”