Page 31 of Ghost Among Lies

"Oh, now I'm being used as a default. That makes me feel so much better."

Nyx was purposely poking the bear, and any other time I might've sat back and enjoyed the show but not today. I was on edge and wanted this over with.

Thankfully, Lilith showed up before I could say something I wouldn't be able to take back.

"Where's Beckett?" I asked when he didn't show up in the time frame Anita put out.

"I texted him separately to stay with Hayes. If you want, I can fill him in later on what you share with the team."

I nodded my head. "That's fine. It will ensure Hayes stays away until I'm ready to include him."

"Oh. So we're keeping secrets from the ex. Scandalous." Nyx waggled her eyebrows.

"I promise you, it will all make sense in a second." I took a deep breath. "I didn't want Hayes here for this part because if he ever finds out, this will tear him up."

Nyx's expression was suddenly serious. It was the one thing I loved about her. She could be a jokester one second, but the moment it was time to work, her game face was on point.

"I left Hayes when I did because I felt there was no other choice. I was a much different person growing up. My family had money, and there were certain expectations for me. A big one was that I remained a virgin until marriage."

Nyx scoffed at the idea.

"Yes, I know it was old-fashioned, but my parents believed it was a selling point for when they found me a husband suitable for our station in life."

Yes, that sounded horrible, but it was the way my parents lived. They had an arranged marriage, and it was always a given that I would as well.

"I had every intention of spoiling their plans. Hell, when I met Hayes, the first thing that crossed my mind was he would be the perfect guy to give my virginity to simply because he was nothing like the person my parents wanted for me." I sighed. "But then I started spending more time with Hayes, and I knew I could never use him like that. He was nothing like my parents described when they warned me about the boys on the wrong side of the tracks."

I had to force myself to stay in the present rather that walk down memory lane. My time with Hayes was filled with love, and I treasured those moments together.

"Hayes and I decided together we would wait until marriage. Not because my parents wanted it. Not because we couldn't find somewhere to hook up. Where there was a will, there was a way. However, Hayes was the product of a teenage pregnancy, and the last thing he wanted was to continue the cycle. He was terrified of ruining my life, so we decided to wait until after marriage. Until after we got away from his abusive parents and my overbearing ones. What we had was special, and we wanted to keep it that way."

Nyx's sad eyes found mine. "Something tells me those plans were foiled."

I sucked air into my lungs and trapped it there for a few seconds before releasing it with an audible exhale. "They were." I rushed to explain the rest. "Hayes' best friend raped me the night Hayes and I were meant to leave town."

Nyx let out a string of obscenities that would make a sailor blush. "Where the hell was Hayes?"

"His father beat the shit out of him so badly that he sent his friend to tell me we would need to push our plans back a day or so."

"Holy shit." Nyx hit the nail on the head. "That's why you didn't want him here."

I nodded even though there was no use. It was a statement not a question. Nyx easily put the pieces together.

"If he finds out, he'll blame himself, and that's not fair. He didn't do anything wrong."

"So, why are you telling us now? I mean I'm glad you are, and obviously based on the lack of surprise, Anita already knew, so why the sudden confession?"

Nyx wasn't accusing me of anything. She understood my need for secrecy, and she was genuinely curious why after all this time I would share something so personal.

"Because I just found out Hayes' best friend is tied up with The Givers."

"Well, fuck me sideways. I'm not sure if that's Karma's way of straightening shit out on him or if it's really bad fucking luck for you."

I snickered at that. Leave it to Nyx to lighten things up a bit and make the situation a smidge better.

"So, what's the plan?" Nyx looked at all three of us. Lilith stayed silent, but that was no surprise. If she said a handful of words a month, that was a lot.

"Simple. We tell Hayes what his friend has been up to, and then, we kidnap Toby."