Liar (Madison Kate, #2)

by Tate James

why'd he sit beside her bed around the clock while she was unconscious? Why'd he lose his debut UFC fight after she'd woken up screaming that morning?

"You better," she grumbled, "and I want to know which of those three bastards you're fucking because guys don't act all caveman possessive like they just did when there's no penetration involved. Fact."

I'd slept with Steele, and it had been incredible.

I'd made out with both Kody and Archer... But was that enough for them to go "caveman possessive" like Bree said? She was likely exaggerating.

Then again, why did I care? A week ago, I’d thought they'...

"Zane D'Ath," I replied. "Tell him Deb's daughter is here."

"This is what happens when my guys accidentally wander into my little brother's territory. So what do you think might happen to you, strutting straight into the Reaper's headquarters?"

"Look, kid. I know you don't remember everything from before your mom died, and that's normal. But Deb meant a lot to me, and I'll do what I can to help you out on this."

Stick close to my brother and his friends. They're fucking psychopaths, but they like you."

"I'm not telling you shit, Madison Kate," he continued, in that low, menacing voice, "because I don't fucking trust you. You're not one of us; you're just a liability." His words hurt. More than they should have.

Ouch. Every word cut like a razor. Still, I gave a throaty, mocking laugh. "You think it'd be that easy, Archer? You think one fuck and he'd be over me?" I snapped my fingers. "Just like that, huh?" Archer's handsome face turned colder than I'd even thought possible, and his next words hung in the air long after he was gone. "It sure worked for Steele."

"He said that I just need to fuck you once so you can get me out of your system... like Steele has."

"I'm sorry, MK,"

"It's just funny 'cause Arch is a bigger moron than I'd given him credit for."

"For one thing, Steele is nowhere near 'over' you. He's been a fucking mess since Halloween. He's

blaming himself for not stopping you before you drove away that night."

"What would you say to calling Archer's bluff?"

"I know why it'll piss Archer off—he hates being proven wrong. But what's in this for you? Sex?"

"Hopefully. But I'll also just do it to spend time with you, MK. In case you have missed all the really obvious signals, I like you. I want to date you."

Before I could protest, his lips were on mine.

"You have no idea," he whispered to me in a husky, serious voice as our kiss ended, "how badly I needed that."

"So did I,"

"As badly as I want to take this further," he told me in a low voice, kissing my jaw, then my neck. "I need a favor."

"I need you to go and talk with Steele," he said with a hopeful tilt to his brows. "He's... he needs you."

"Fine," I groaned. "So eager to throw your fake girlfriend into another man's arms already? This relationship is doomed."

"Or is it just about to get all kinds of interesting? It's just a matter of perspective, baby."

I'd be lying if I tried to tell anyone my internal voice didn't scream "reverse harem" at the top of its lungs. Except there were two problems there. One, my mental

voice sounded a whole lot like Bree. And two, reverse harems required three or more love interest...

"What did you just say?"

"Archer bragged that all it took was one night with me and you were

over your infatuation. I thought he was just being a prick, but I guess not."

"Are you kidding me right now?" he asked with a bitter laugh. "You must be. You're smarter than that, Madison Kate."

"You ran and you nearly fucking died, Madison Kate."

"I'm hurt and angry and so incredibly frustrated," he continued, raising a hand to cup the back of my head.

"But one thing I'm not, Hellcat, is over you."

His lips came down on mine in a bruising, furious kiss that stripped my soul bare and flayed me from the inside.

"Give us a second, you sneaky fuck,"

Instead, I just pulled him in with a handful of his shirt, crushing my lips and my body to him in a physical display of what I thought of his promise.

"Dammit, Hellcat. You're going to make me suffer through my lectures with a hard-on."

"Didn't you know, Arch?" Steele commented, eating his sandwich with a barely disguised smile. "Madison Kate and Kody are dating now. I guess whatever you said to her must have struck a chord."

"You're all just going to sit there and let him threaten me like this?" I demanded, my glare sweeping across the guys.

"Say something!" I shouted at them. They weren't avoiding my gaze, anymore, but their eyes were hard and their postures stiff. I would get no help from them. Not today.

My dreams were haunted,

I woke screaming, covered in cold sweat, only to have my mattress dip beside me and

strong pair of arms drag me into a tight embrace. "Go away," I mumbled with a grand total of zero conviction, "I don't fucking need you here." Lies.

"Yes, you do," Archer replied in a dark murmur.

"I hate you so fucking much," I whispered, yet

still I threaded my arms around his body, holding him tighter than Rose on the damn door after the Titanic sank.

"Not nearly as much as I hate you, Kate."

"Not as much as I hate myself."