Unhinged Desires : A Dark Romance (Sick Love Duet Book 1)
Unhinged Desires: Chapter 30

I’ve been helping Shar and Xavier pack up her apartment for the last few hours. We’re almost done. I go in search of my best friend and find her sitting on the bed in her mum’s room.

“Oh, Shar.” I wrap my arms around her as tight as I can. And when I pull back to brush her hair away from her face, I see the tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I just… I don’t… I don’t think I can do this. How am I meant to do this, Lu?” she sobs. It breaks my bloody heart seeing her like this. Knowing there is nothing I can do to help her.

“It’s okay, Shar. You don’t have to do this room yet. You can leave it all here just like it is. Come back to it later,” I tell her.

“I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I? Moving in with Xavier?” she asks.

“Shar, you already live there. You sleep there every night. Tell me, when was the last time you stayed here?”

“A while ago,” she says.

“Exactly, you’ve just been storing your stuff here. Do you love him? My brother?” I press her.

“More than anything,” she answers without hesitation.

“Well, obvs not more than me, but we don’t have to tell him that. It’ll just hurt his ego.” I laugh, getting a small chuckle out of Shar too. “I can do this for you, if you want,” I offer, my eyes flicking around the room.

“No, I need to do this. I just… I thought I was ready, you know? I didn’t know it would still hurt this much,” she says.

“Shar, I don’t think it’s ever going to stop hurting. But I’ll be here whenever you need me. Always,” I tell her.

“Thank you. I love you, LuLu.” Shar hugs me and kisses my cheek.

“All right, some grumpy old asshole is waiting for his turn.” I nod to my brother who is standing in the doorway like a creeper.

After we have everything, except for her mum’s room packed up, I follow them back to my brother’s place for a late lunch. There’s something about being in Xavier’s apartment that’s comforting. It’s quiet. I think it probably has to do with the fact there aren’t hidden cameras in here and I know I’m not being watched right now. Or at least I think I’m not…

I pull out my phone and send a message.

ME:

What are you doing right now?

DOMINIC:

Planning the world’s most perfect date. Where are you?

ME:

My brother’s place but I’m sure you already know that.

DOMINIC:

I didn’t. I’ve been busy.

ME:

Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

See you tonight. xx

I put my phone away. I’m sitting at the dining table with Xavier and Shar, trying to think of how to bring up the lawsuit. It seems to be a topic they’re both wanting to avoid.

“I’ll be back. Gotta pee,” Shar says before practically running to the bathroom. My brows furrow when I get a message from her a minute later.

SHAR:

I need to escape. We need to get out of this apartment without Xavier being suspicious.

ME:

Why?

SHAR:

I have a plan. I’ll fill you in once we’re out of here.

ME:

Okay, operation escape X is on.

I smile. I knew Shar would have a plan. It’s not like her to sit back and let other people handle shit. Also, I may have this fantasy about becoming a secret, badass assassin. And my little adventures with Shar are what I live for.

She comes back into the dining room and reclaims her seat. “You okay?” Xavier asks.

“Yep, everyone pees, Xavier. It’s very normal,” she tells him with an eye roll. I watch as my brother picks up her hand and starts kissing each one of her knuckles.

“Okay, ew. Shar, I need you for the afternoon. We’re going shopping,” I stand and tuck my chair against the table.

“I need her more,” Xavier grunts.

“What are you shopping for?” Shar asks.

“I need new shoes. Come on,” I beg with my brows pinched together, my eyes wide, and my bottom lip popped out. “It’s been too long since we’ve gone shopping.”

“Okay, I’ll come,” she says before looking over to Xavier. “Will you be okay here by yourself?”

He whispers something into her ear and her cheeks go red, and I’m so fucking glad I could not hear whatever depraved shit he said to her.

“Okay, well, I won’t be long,” Shar says, jumping to her feet and following me out to the foyer.

“Hold up.” My brother stops us in our tracks, and for a second, I think he’s on to us. I glance over my shoulder, fearing the worst, only to see that he’s pulled his wallet from his pocket and is presenting Shar his AMEX card. “Take this.”

I love the man. But he sure can be dumb sometimes.

“We’ll talk about this later. When I get home,” Shar tells him in that eerily calm voice that suggests she’s so pissed off she’s beyond the point of yelling. Then she pivots on her heel and walks away. I smirk. I know how stubborn my best friend is when it comes to spending money that she hasn’t earned.

“Shardonnay, stop, wait,” Xavier calls out as he chases us to the elevator.

“No, you stop. I told you I’m not your freaking charity case, Xavier. I don’t want or need your money. If I want to buy something, I’ll buy it my damn self.” Shar is in full-on ‘I am an independent woman’ mode.

“You’re right. You’re not my fucking charity case. You’re my girlfriend, my live-in spouse. It’s not my money anymore, Shardonnay. It’s ours,” Xavier growls out.

“I’ll take it. Thanks, bro!” I snatch the card from Xavier’s outstretched hand right before shoving Shar into the elevator. “You do know you’re going to have to get over your little money hang-up if you’re going to spend the rest of your life with that man,” I tell her.

“I don’t want his money, Lucy.” She sighs.

“I know that. He knows that. But that’s not going to stop him from wanting to take care of everything financially. He can afford it, trust me. You could go swipe this card at Bugatti and it wouldn’t even make a dent.” That actually sounds like a good idea. “Oh, can we do that, please? It’ll be so fun.”

Shar looks at me and groans. “No. Absolutely not.”

AFTER SHAR DISCLOSED the details of her plan, I insisted on changing our outfits. Which included wearing tight black leather pants, a black V-neck, and a pair of patent black Louboutins. The epitome of badassery. Or at least I thought it was until we walked through the doors of the bar. Sat down. And everyone stared at us like we didn’t belong here.

That’s because we don’t belong here.

It doesn’t take long for us to find our target though. The skank who falsely accused my brother of assaulting her. My hands itch to wring her little neck, but that’s not the plan. The plan is to get her to admit she lied… on tape.

We’ve been drinking shots—correction, I’ve been drinking shots. Shar’s been tipping hers out. With Juliet. My brother’s former secretary and current accuser.

“Um… hold on. Jay, get your sexy ass over here,” Juliet yells out from where she’s positioned beside me.

I watch as a young guy struts over, his lips curled into a smirk and his clothes reeking of too much cologne. You can tell he thinks he’s hot shit but he has nothing on Dominic. “What’s up, sugar?” he asks.

“Get on the bar. We’re doing body shots.” Juliet smiles.

“I can’t, Lu. Nope, you two enjoy.” Shar lifts her palms in protest.

“Oh well, more for us, Juliet. You’re first,” I tell the girl. Then I walk over to the bar and position the shot glass on the guy’s abs. He’s fit for sure, but that’s about it.

Juliet pours a dash of salt, grabs a lemon, and places it in the guy’s mouth. Before she proceeds to lick, shoot, suck. I follow suit, though reluctantly, even as I put on a good show. This is for my brother after all. That being said, I’m going to need more of these shots to get me through tonight.

A few hours, several rounds, and way too much liquor later, I hold up my glass and toast. “To asshole bosses who can’t tell us what to do.”

Shar lifts her drink and clinks it against mine. “I’ll toast to that. Fuck, my boss is the biggest ass I’ve ever met. I mean, the guy clearly needs to get laid or something.”

“I’ll second that. My last boss was the worst. But damn was that man fine.” Juliet sighs.

“Oh, where did you work?” Shar asks her.

“Some uptight law firm in the city.”

“Well, at least it wasn’t the one that’s been on the news the last couple of days. Xavier Christianson, now that’s a boss I’d let sexually harass me anytime.” Shar wiggles her eyebrows up and down.

“Oh, that was my boss,” Juliet admits.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Shar drops her grin, blinking a few times before adding, “Wait, you weren’t the girl he… were you? You poor thing.”

And I watch on in amazement as my brilliant friend leads this bitch right into our trap.

“Oh, I’m the girl, but you want to know a secret?” Juliet leans across the table, and Shar mirrors the action.

“What?”

“He didn’t do shit. I mean, I offered myself to the man on a silver platter, and he fired me. Who turns down a naked chick in their office and then fires them? I don’t get it. The bastard’s probably gay.” She shakes her head and rolls her eyes—I mean, god forbid someone turn her down when they’re genuinely not interested.

“Wait, you’re suing him, but he didn’t sexually harass you? How the hell does that work?” Shar presses for more.

“My word against his. Everyone believes the girl, you know.” Juliet shrugs as if it’s nothing. As if it isn’t my brother’s life she’s fucking with.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. I thought you’d need evidence or something.” I can tell Shar is close to losing it. Her jaw is clenched tight and her teeth grind with each word. “To asshole bosses who need to get laid.” She lifts her drink again and forces out a laugh.

All three of us clink our glasses together. “Okay, I think it’s time we head out, but we’re def coming back tomorrow night, right, Sharon?” I say, repeating the alias. We have what we came for, and we need to leave while we still can.

“Sure are. This was the best night ever.” Shar slides out of her seat.

I’m quick to follow. And only make it two steps before I’m grabbed from behind. I wiggle, try to get an elbow back into whoever is holding me. But it’s no use. Their grip doesn’t budge. I look up to see some other fucker with his grubby paws on Shar. She manages to knee the guy in the balls, he drops his arms, and she breaks free.

“Let her go. Now!” Shar demands, her tone more lethal than anything I’ve heard from her before.

“Or what? What on earth are you going to do about it, princess?” the guy sneers. “This little girl is coming with me for the night.”

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