Garden of lies

Table of Contents PROLOG 1. At least one, Isabelle 2. Questions à la Caden, Carter 3. Trust, Caden 4. Caged lion, Carter 5. What that means, Alayna 6. Two-inch glass, Carter 7. Soothing tactics, Caden 8. Family honor, Isabelle 9. I beg you, Isabelle 10. The perfect woman, Isabelle 11. One last time, Isabelle 12. Without you, Carter 13. Pure hatred, Carter 14. Enlightenment, baby girl 15. Panic, Caden! 16. Not as long as we are around, Caden 17. Family, Carter 18. Raw emotions, Carter 19. My never, Carter 20. Our future, Alayna 21. Whatever you want, Caden 22. What I need, Carter 23. Not planned, tesoro 24. A ring for Alayna, Carter 25. Today is perfect, Alayna 26. Sleepless, Carter 27. He is not you, Carter 28. Just breathe, Carter 29. Trust, Alayna GARDEN OF LIES By Don Both and Maria O’Hara © Don Both & Maria O’Hara Contact: [email protected] Special thanks to Kerstin Patze and Nicole Zdroiek Cover: Marie Grasshoff Published by: A.P.P.-Verlag GmbH Loch 1305 9428 Walzenhausen Switzerland All rights reserved! E-Books 978-3-96115-576-7 Softcover: 978-3-96115-577-4 Not suitable for underage readers! Reprints, even in part, only with the written permission of the publisher. Characters and events are fictitious. Any similarities to real people are purely coincidental and not intended. PROLOG We broke the boundaries, princess. From now on, there is no turning back. No good and no bad. No right and wrong. Just the devil‘s arms you‘re trapped in and I‘m ready to burn to save you from them. The countdown is on, baby girl. Three. Two. One. I got you. 1. At least one, Isabelle Carter I maneuver my car through the streets. I’m driving the Mercedes Caden won off Luca in a poker game. Thinking about Luca hurts. All those men killed in the attack on the de Luca house were buried when I was in a coma. I didn’t get to say goodbye to any of them. It’s incredible how quickly people grow on you without you realizing it. Once I woke up, I went straight to Luca’s grave. I actually smiled wistfully when I saw how Caden had arranged all the keys to the cars he had won from Luca on the grave. I said goodbye to the boss and had one last limoncello with everyone. I was plastered by the time Caden came looking for me in the cemetery. I don’t want to think about it now. Thinking about it makes my blood boil and stirs my emotions. And they’ve been steeping for a week, Isabelle. Ever since I believed you were going to get the beating of your life and I’d end up dead, I’ve been doing everything to numb myself. I had a little heart attack because of you, Isabelle. It was all so senseless, considering Donovan’s gun wasn’t even loaded. He merely wanted to teach me a lesson, but for a moment, I truly believed that was it, I was done for good. My whole life flashed before me when that cool metal barrel pressed against my forehead. Just like it did the moment I dropped to my knees during the attack in Vito de Luca’s upstairs bedroom. Everything flashed before me like a movie: images of my parents and Caden, then Ava and Granddad, and my childhood days, and you. Of you laughing, sitting on top of me, and all of us at the dinner table, my father standing next to my bed, my mother stroking my cheek, and you in the basement, Isabelle. What happened in that basement? I really fucked the shit out of you and you let me. You even enjoyed it. You’re so crazy, baby. I love it. I cannot think about that or it’ll give me a boner. It had been so long, and feeling you again overwhelmed me and I simply couldn’t control myself. Alayna is back. I’m so happy my brother has her by his side. She’s just what he needs. Now I don’t have to worry so much about him. Alayna will be good for him, whereas I won’t be since I always fuck up when you’re not around. She has changed a lot, but still her old self. Alayna is a perfect match for Caden, just like you are for me. I pull into the Ribbon’s newly paved parking lot. Donovan had everything remodeled over the last few months — almost the entire south quarter. Some clubs and bars have yet to be finished. So lots of work is still in progress. The Ribbon, however, is finished. I take up two parking spots. The parking spots. I remember them all too well, not that I want to. Melissa, that bitch. I still get worked up thinking about her. I’d love to exile her — far, far away like Antarctica or somewhere just as desolate. I haven’t seen her since she gave my brother a blowjob, which is better for her. I mean I beat Caden half to death because of her. Who knows what I would have done had Alayna not stopped me. Now that she’s back, I don’t have to worry about Caden. He’s in good hands. Granted, life here is dangerous for Alayna and she’d be better off away from my brother. Just as it is for you, baby. You’d be better off too if you were to stay away from me. But, I’d go crazy if you were to do that, so forget about it. Just like I need you, my brother needs her. Oh, we Rushes make women willingly throw themselves to their deaths for us. It has to be our genes, I don’t know. I pull out a cigarette and light it. It’s dark outside and the air is fresh. Lately, I’ve been doing deep breathing exercises, focusing on not freaking out. I mean I’m still pissed Donovan sicced his men on me. He didn’t even give me a chance to fight back. It’s still fucking me up, Isabelle. It’s not in my nature to