Sweet Little Lies (Dirty Little Lies Duet 2)

My emotions slip, and I snap at his insinuation. I wish she were here, in her cage, in my bed, in my life. I mask my undoing with annoyance. “You saw her walk out of my house just as well as I did.”

Heath takes a threatening step toward me. “I’m not playing games, asshole. Where the fuck is she? Hazel!” he shouts through the house.

Regardless of the pain, I’m ready for another round to get him to stop saying her name—get him out of my house so I can start to accept the soul-crushing truth of what just went down. “And like I told you, she’s not fucking here. I suggest calling your girl.”

You’re done with her.

Stay the fuck away from her.

You’ll never see her again.

Each word is like a grenade detonating inside my chest. I knew the consequences. I was never meant to make it out of this alive. Heath snaps me out of my sullen realization when he takes another luring step, preparing to swing.

“My girl told me you picked her up from a bar at school. I know you’re with her.”

My brows scrunch in confusion. “I haven’t left my house. She’s not with me.” Heath looks about ready to blow. We have a stare-off, my eyes becoming wide with uncertainty. Pulling his phone out, he dials Violet. “Don’t baby me. That shit isn’t going to get you out of this. Where is Hazel? I know you told me that, but I’m standing at the asshole’s house right now, and he’s not with her… What do you mean that’s what the bartender…? Where the fuck are you? Who? Who the fuck is Evan—”

I grab the phone from Heath. “Violet, was Evan there with you?”

“Yeah, he just showed up at the bar we were at. He was being kind of strange. I left them for a couple minutes to use the bathroom, and when I came back, they were gone. The bartender told me a guy who said his name was Gabriel left with her.”

“Did he say where they were going?”

“No, but he said Hazel seemed wasted, which was also strange. I was only gone for a couple minutes, and she was fine. It was like the last time…she came home and…oh shit…”

“Oh shit, what?” I growl.

“Last night, we did this study group. She texted me claiming she was sleeping there, but it was super weird considering she was upset about something. Now that I piece it all together, there was no way she would’ve slept there. When she came home, she was so out of it and confused. I didn’t think about it, but…holy shit, there’s no way he’s…I think maybe he drugged her.”

“Where are you right now?” I bark out.

Her sobs pierce my ears as she cries. “I’m in our room. I came back here thinking maybe this is where you would’ve taken her.”

“I didn’t take her anywhere!” I yell, my chest heavy with onset panic. “Listen, I need you to text me the address of where that asshole lives. Can you do that?”

“Okay, yeah, I can do that. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Evan seemed harmless at first. I would never have thought he would do anything to hurt her. He liked her. Wouldn’t stop bugging me about getting her to go out… Oh my god…why didn’t I see the signs! How could I be so stupid after Jim…?”

Her sobs mingle with strangled breaths. I barely understand the rest of her babbling and hand the phone back to Heath, then dial Hazel’s number, but it goes to voicemail. “Dammit.” I send her a generic text message and wait to see if it’s read. It only takes a few seconds before the three little dots appear and disappear. That motherfucker has her phone.

“Violet, stop crying. We’re on our way,” Heath coos to his girl as we storm out of my house to his car.EvanGabriel: Do you need a ride?

I read the incoming text message. Jesus. Get a clue, you sick old fuck. Maybe find somebody your own age. I take a swig of my beer and toss Hazel’s phone on the bed next to her naked body. But then again, I see why he’s so damn insistent. I grab at my crotch. I knew she was hot, but damn, take away all those tempting clothes she wears, and I should’ve done this a lot sooner.

I walk over to my dresser and pick up a card. Slicing through the white powder, I press my nose to it, snorting a line of coke. My head whips back as the drug seeps into my nostrils. “Fuck yeah.” I exhale deeply, wipe the remaining residue off my nose, and grab for my beer.

I’ve been waiting for an hour for her to show some signs of consciousness. I prefer her to be somewhat awake when I fuck her. Not that it matters. Sometimes the unconscious ones are the best lays. Next time I have to be more aware of how much Rohypnol I put in their drink.