The Lies We Tell (The Four 1)

Kinslee found me in the same position when she got home. She took one look at me and dragged me into the lounge, where we curled up on the sofa with hot chocolate, and I told her the whole story.

“I can’t believe he would do that! Why would he want to do that to you? I know he and Caiden hate each other, but why drag you into it?”

“I can’t answer that,” I sighed. “I know their dads have some kind of family rivalry, but I have no idea about any of the details. And why was Joseph with him?” I’d worked out—not that it took much deducing—that Joseph had been the one to film us.

“Hmm.” Kinslee pursed her lips in thought, frowning. “I know they’re cousins. So that has to be something to do with it.”

“Cousins? I had no idea.”

She leaned over and gave me a comforting hug. “Listen. I’m sure Caiden will listen to reason, once you see him and have a chance to explain things.”

“I hope so.” I returned her hug, then slumped back on the sofa. “I’m actually pretty fucking pissed off as well, to be honest. Cade should have given me a chance to explain. I thought he’d started to trust me. And yet he was all too willing to jump to conclusions.”

“That’s true.”

We lapsed into silence.

“How hard did you stamp on his foot?” Kinslee suddenly asked.

“As hard as I could.”

“I hope you broke a bone.”

We smirked at each other. “So violent, Kins.”

She shrugged. “What can I say?”

“I love it.”

Cass parked round the back of the club in the private parking area, and we assembled round the side of the car. “Let’s do this. Phones off, otherwise they get confiscated. Heads down, keep an eye on my father.” Everyone nodded, bumping fists, and we headed towards the entrance. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

“Shit, forgot to turn my phone off.” Mentally slapping my forehead, I pulled it out and saw I had a message from an unknown number. Fucking spam. I clicked on it, ready to delete, but stopped when I read the message.

Unknown: Thought you might want to see what Winter was up to earlier.

What the fuck?

A video appeared underneath the message, and I pressed Play.

I saw red.

Through a haze of anger, I sent her a succession of messages and forwarded the video to her.

Fuck!

This was why I didn’t let myself get involved. Winter had just proved that she couldn’t be trusted. I should have known she was like her mother. How could I have been so fucking blind?

Fuck her. I didn’t need anyone. I had my boys.

“Cade? You coming?” West called me from the doorway to the club, and I realised I’d stopped in the street while they all walked ahead.

“Yeah, coming.” I stabbed the Off button on my phone and thrust it in my pocket, then strode inside to meet the others, my jaw clenched and a pain in my chest.

I stood still while the guy on security searched me, breathing in and out through my nose. The need to punch something was so strong, I dug my nails into my palms to stop myself acting on it. We entered a large, dimly lit wood-panelled room, but I couldn’t fucking concentrate on my surroundings, let alone the task at hand.

Why? Why had she gone back to Granville?

“Mate.” Zayde gripped my arm. “Back in a sec,” he muttered to the others and hustled me into the corner of the room, away from the others. “What’s the problem?” he hissed, when we were alone.