A Drop of Pretty Poison

Copyright © 2023 by Kelsey Clayton All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Editing by Kiezha Ferrell at Librum Artis Proofreading by Tiffany Hernandez CONTENTS 1. Laiken 2. Hayes 3. Laiken 4. Hayes 5. Laiken 6. Hayes 7. Laiken 8. Hayes 9. Laiken 10. Hayes 11. Laiken 12. Hayes 13. Laiken 14. Hayes 15. Laiken 16. Hayes 17. Hayes 18. Laiken 19. Hayes 20. Laiken 21. Hayes 22. Laiken 23. Hayes 24. Laiken 25. Hayes 26. Laiken 27. Hayes 28. Laiken 29. Hayes A Shot of Pretty Poison About the Author Also by Kelsey Clayton Have you ever had one of those moments that take your breath away? Not like a two-second gasp. I’m talking about the kind that literally sucks the air straight from your lungs. The kind that makes you need to grip onto something just to keep you upright. The life-altering, feel-yourself-step-into-a-whole-new-chapter-of-your-life, never-going-to-be-the-same kind of moment. This was mine. The moment I hear his truck roaring down the street, I lose my focus. Standing in my driveway, in the middle of a conversation with Mr. Zimmerman, and my every thought just falls right out of my brain. All I can focus on, all I can see, is Hayes haphazardly throwing his truck into park and marching toward the detached garage like he’s about to do something impulsive. Something dangerous. “What are you doing?” I call out, feeling like I’m about to witness a bloodbath. And when he doesn’t answer, that feeling intensifies. It’s as if I’m not even here. He keeps his eyes on his destination and his feet moving. “Hayes!” I shout, but still nothing. “Shit. Hayes, stop! What are you doing?” I try to catch up to him, try to stop him from whatever life-threatening thing he’s about to do, but I can’t. He walks through the doorway seconds before I slam into it—gripping the doorjamb as I watch him hand Cam his switchblade. “You’re going to need this,” Hayes says with a level of confidence I’ve never heard. Cam takes it from him. “What? Why?” “Because I’m falling in love with your sister.” Hearing the words come from his mouth, I expel all the air I had in my lungs. Never did I imagine this is how he would tell him, while giving him the weapon to kill him with. Either this is a suicide mission, or he’s trying to call Cam’s bluff when he said that he would kill any of his friends for touching me. Everything plays out in slow motion in front of my eyes. Cam puts his tongue in his cheek, laughing dryly as he puts the blade down. For a second, I think I can breathe again. Even Hayes looks relieved, if a little confused. “Wow,” Hayes says. “I thought for sure you were going to—” His words are cut off as Cam turns, fist clenched tightly as he slams it into the side of Hayes’s face. The blow is so hard that it spins him around and knocks him into the table. “Cam!” I scream, taking a step forward, but Hayes stops me. “Don’t!” he demands. The look in his eyes keeps my feet glued to the floor. “It’s fine. I deserved that.” Cam scoffs as he shakes out his hand. “You’re damn right you did! My fucking sister? Half the goddamn town wants you, and you have to have my sister?” Hayes puts a hand on the side of his face, stretching his jaw. “You think I planned this? I tried for weeks to stay—” “Weeks?” Cam roars. “How long has this shit been going on for?” As he realizes his slip up, Hayes’s eyes fall closed, and he sighs. “Cam.” “No, you know what?” Cam shoves past Hayes. “I can’t do this right now.” I step out of the way, letting him leave and going over to Hayes. He leans back against the workbench as I carefully inspect the damage. There’s already the start of some swelling and the cut on his cheek looks painful. “You’re insane, you know that?” I tell him. “It’s really not that bad.” Giving him a no-bullshit look, I lightly press my finger against his injury, and he hisses. “Yeah, not that bad.” He smiles and rolls his eyes. He knows better than to think I wasn’t going to call him out on that. And speaking of… “So, you’re falling in love with me, huh?” I smirk, still in disbelief that he spoke those words. His expression turns skeptical as he hums. “I mean, you’re all right.” I chuckle. “Oh! Well, in that case…” As I start to walk away, he grabs my wrist and pulls me back to him. My hands rest on his chest as he stares into my eyes, like he’s been missing this all his life. “I’m already there, but I figured you deserve to hear it first.” He takes a nervous breath and tucks my hair behind my ear. “I love you, Laiken. I am so massively in love with you, and I’m sorry that I didn’t realize it sooner.” There are no words that even begin to explain the feelings shooting through me like the finale of a fireworks show. Three years. Three damn years I’ve fantasized about him telling me those words. And hearing them now, I don’t think I ever could’ve imagined it would feel this incredible. My eyes fill with tears of joy as a gush of air leaves my mouth and I smile back at him. “I’m in love with you, too.” I wish someone was getting this on camera—the way we’re looking at each other like there’s nothing and no one that could make us happier. Sliding his hand to the back of my neck, he pulls me in and kisses me. It