More Than Lies (More Than #1)(42)

“Yes, sir.” I pull back, nodding my head before walking back into the living room to check on Tara and ask my mom if she’ll be okay.

When I enter the room, I freeze. What I see is unexpected. Sure, my mom is a doctor, but I didn’t expect her to whip out an IV bag in my living room. She turns, taking in my surprise.

“It’s just normal saline to prevent dehydration, and I’m hoping it will bring her around sooner rather than later. Depending on the dosage she was given she could be out for a full twenty-four hours.”

A mother loving day? Shit.

“So she’ll be—” Tara’s brother’s mouth interrupts my question to my mom.

“Can someone explain how my sister was drugged?” Trent bites out his words at a slow pace. Trent is seated in the recliner next to the couch with his elbows pressed into his knees.

I can’t answer his question because I don’t know much of the details.

“He put a pill into her cup at some point tonight.” Mason tells the room. I guess Matt got that information out of the son of bitch when he made the fucker tell him what he did to Tara.

I walk the short distance to where Tara is. I need to be closer to her. I need my mom to tell me she is going to be okay. I know she is, because if she was in any danger, my mother would have called the medics by now. Something I should have done regardless of the fact that Matt deemed Tara wouldn’t want that.

“Shawn called his parents because we knew your parents would flip out,” Mason continues on. Why he feels the need to defend me to Trent I don’t know. I fucked up; I knew that before my father confirmed it.

The banging sound of someone beating on the front door causes me to turn in that direction.

Who the hell is here now?

“I’ll get it,” my dad says and turns away from us.

“They would,” Trent comments. I look back at him before lowering myself down in front of Tara. He nods a look of understanding in my direction. I don’t want it. I should have made a different call, regardless of their parents. “As much as I know she should have been taken to a hospital, they wouldn’t have let her live this down. It wouldn’t have mattered to my mom that she didn’t do anything wrong.”

She has to stop letting them treat her this way. Parents are supposed to love their children, faults and all, and Tara doesn’t have one damn fault.

“Jared,” my dad’s voice is a warning, and I pivot, standing straight up.

“Get the fuck out.” I’m not dealing with his ass right now. Jared and I have an understanding. Meaning, neither one of us enters the other’s home, and when we are in the same place, we stay on the opposite sides of the room. He’s crossed a line.

I make a leap forward, but Mason halts my progress.

“I’m not leaving until I know she is okay.” He peers past me, looking in her direction, and I’m seconds from losing it. “Taralynn.” He calls out.

“She’s unconscious, you idiot.” And he isn’t about to touch her—not in my house. It’ll be over my dead body.

“Who did this to her? All I know is she was drugged. What happened, Braden?”

“That about sums it up. I think you can leave now.” He’s pissing me off. He doesn’t have a right to her.

“Not until you tell me who did this to her.” His face is red and his body is strung tight. He wants to hit something. Probably me.

“Boys.” My mother soothes.

“It’s been handled.” At least I assume it has. Matt only had a bleeding lip, but if he knows what was good for him, he better have kicked the fuck out of that shit-prick before letting him go.

“A name, Shawn.”

“Derrick Landers.” Matt answers him.

Good to know. Now I know who to go find.

Jared turns to leave, but stops and looks back at Tara. I don’t like the fact that his worried expression is for her. He’s sincere and I can see he cares. I care about her. He shouldn’t.

Seconds later the door slams.

“Is she okay?” I look down at my mom.

“She will be. I’ll need to check her out in the morning or when she wakes, but I believe she will be fine. She’ll most likely have a killer headache and hurt all over her body when she wakes up, though.”

“I’m taking her to her room. You and Dad can have my bed.”

I don’t wait for anyone to tell me different. My mom had already removed the IV before Jared showed up, so I scoop her into my arms and leave the room.





CHAPTER ELEVEN





TARALYNN





“Ughhhhh,” I groan before blinking my eyelids open. They snap shut immediately. Jeez, that was the wrong thing to do.

The bright light.

My head!

God, it hurts so bad.

Why?

I squirm; trying to move from my spot only to realize something is constricting my movement. When realization dawns on me, my body goes solid. That something is actually someone, and they’re practically wrapped around me from behind. There is a heavy arm draped over my side with a large hand splayed out across my bare lower belly. This is what has me freaked out, not to mention the massive weight leaning into my back.

“Relax,” he says. “It’s only me.” At the sound of Shawn’s deep raspy vocals, my body is instant jelly, melting into him.