Deceit (Gallows Hill #1)

25. Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Asher

I don’t cause a scene in front of others. That would make me look weak, make it look like I care. Which I don’t. At least not for the reasons people would assume. I don’t give a fuck that someone has no doubt deflowered my promised virgin. If she’s confirmed not to be a virgin before our wedding they will kill her on sight, and I’ll be on to the next of whomever my father lines up for me.

No, I don’t give a fuck what Skyla Parris does. What I give a fuck about, is that my own best friend, my fucking Bond Brother of all people would try to humiliate me like that.

He doesn’t see me coming, which is really a fault to him. He’s getting sloppy, he’s barely cut out for this life as it is. The only thing holding him together and out of the Brethren’s focus, is me. See if I save his fucking ass now.

I barrel into him through his opened bedroom door, before throwing him to the ground. He lands with a hard thud, and I waste no time delivering a punch straight to his temple. He grunts out in pain, his eyes blinking like he’s in a daze from my hit before I give him another to the stomach.

Liam gains his bearings enough to understand that he’s under attack, before he begins fighting back. His body begins to buck in an attempt to lift me off of him and he starts sending out his own defensive blows. A few of them land, and soon we are in easily the worst scrap of our lives with one another before he speaks in between punches.

“Asher! What the fuck. Use your words you fucking toddler.”

I laugh maniacally at that, my eyes no doubt looking crazed, as I sneer down at him.

“Use my words? Okay. Despicable, deplorable, atrocious, piece of fucking shit friend!” I roar into his face.

He hits me in the jaw once, hard. I have no choice but to stumble off of him and he wastes no time scrambling out from underneath me. Liam jumps to his feet and crosses his room, waiting on the other side as he watches me carefully. I rub my hand against my jaw as I work it back and forth.

Not broken.

“Why does it make you so angry?” Liam asks.

I let out a bitter laugh as I look at him.

“You’re serious?”

He shrugs, his face full of confusion.

“Yeah, actually. You hate her, you talk about the Brethren killing her literally all the time. What’s the big deal if I date her? You don’t think she’ll live to your wedding anyways.”

“Date?” I ask sharply. “You don’t date anyone.”

Liam pockets his hands into his jeans and shrugs again.

“She’s pretty fucking amazing dude. You’d see that if you weren’t so deep in your head.”

“She’s a piece of forbidden fruit. You’ve always wanted what you can’t have and because of you, I could now face backlash. This isn’t about you dating her, I don’t give a fuck about that. I give a fuck when my dad will, no doubt, call me into his office and ask why my fiancée is seen fucking my bond brother!”

He rolls his eyes. “We’ve never fucked, nor would I ever fuck her. I’m not going to put her in danger like that.”

Fury practically blinds me as I stare at him.

“Her? What about me motherfucker! You know what he’s like, you know what he could do if he thinks I’m embarrassing the family, the Brethren. I’ve been your best friend for twenty one years and this is it? This is the treatment I receive?”

To my surprise, Liam doesn’t immediately back down. He doesn’t profusely apologize or promise to never see her again, which pisses me the fuck off. Instead, he stands a little taller, rolling his shoulders back as he speaks.

“There is a difference between loyalty and submission, Asher. I’m beginning to think you don’t give a fuck about my loyalty, only my submission. It doesn’t bother you that I like her. It bothers you that you’ve told me I’m not allowed to like her, and I date her anyways. It bothers you that I’m not your little bitch. That you can’t say to jump, and I’ll beg to suck your dick in thanks.”

My eyebrows pull together, caught off guard from the heat of his words as he continues.

“I haven’t gone along with you all these years because I thought you could do no wrong, or that you were the kind of god that you clearly think you are. I went along with you because I thought that’s what friendship was about, supporting one another, even when we don’t like what they’re doing.”

“Maybe I was wrong, and that’s on me, but I’m going to cut the shit with you. I like her a lot, and I’m not the only one. You can hate her all you want. You can hate me all you want, but don’t you dare act like me, choosing my happiness for once has anything to do with betrayal.”

I mull over his words, unsure what to say or how to respond, when a piece of his words stand out to me.

“Who else?”

“What?” he asks.

“You said you’re not the only one. Is she seeing others? You is bad enough, but if she’s out there slutting it up—”

“Watch your fucking mouth,” Liam practically snarls, a sound I don’t think I’ve ever heard come from him before.

He closes the distance between us, nose to nose as he lowers his voice to a deathly low sound.

“One more word about her, and I’ll break your goddamn jaw this time. I mean it. The shit talking is over. You want to bitch, you do it elsewhere. I’m not going to stand here and let you talk about my girl like that.”

“Your girl?” I scoff.

“That’s right. My. Fucking. Girl,” he doubles down, the lethality in his tone is so unlike him it makes my head spin.

I stand there speechless for several seconds, unable to process this fucked up situation. Saved or burned by the bell, however you want to look at it, my phone begins ringing. I fish it out of my pocket and check the ID before cursing under my breath. I answer it as I keep my eyes on Liam.

“Hello, Father.”

I expect concern or unease to flash in Liam’s eyes, but they hold steady, unyielding and looking straight pissed off.

“You and your fiancée’s presence is required at the manor. Wednesday, seven o’clock.”

To my surprise, that’s all he has to say before the call ends. Maybe Liam’s debauchery with my fiancée hasn’t made it to my father’s ears yet. Though, it’s only a matter of time.

“Looks like I’m taking your girl out Wednesday night. A nice little cozy dinner at the manor. Can’t wait to see what we will talk about,” I say, as I turn on my heel and storm out of his room, barreling into mine before slamming the door shut behind me.