Damaged Hearts, Book 3 Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  About Damaged Hearts

  Books by Monica Murphy

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Copyright Notice

  After all we’ve been through, things are finally good between us. So good, I think I’m falling for Rhett, and I hope he’s falling for me. Once my enemy, he could now be my forever. But I’m still keeping a big secret from him. One that threatens to destroy us…

  Jensen has stopped running away from me. She’s realized that we’re actually meant for each other. I need her, and I think she needs me too. Yet there are still secrets between us—will she hate me when she finds out the truth?

  All the lies, all the secrets come to an explosive finale in the last book in the Damaged Hearts series!

  Damaged Hearts Series

  Her Defiant Heart

  His Wasted Heart

  Damaged Hearts

  Friends Series

  One Night

  Just Friends

  More Than Friends

  Forever: A Friends Novel

  The Rules Series

  Fair Game

  In The Dark

  Slow Play

  Safe Bet

  Reverie Series

  His Reverie (Book #1)

  Her Destiny (Book #2)

  One Week Girlfriend Quartet

  One Week Girlfriend (Book #1)

  Second Chance Boyfriend (Book #2)

  Three Broken Promises (Book #3)

  Drew+Fable Forever (Book #3.5)

  Four Years Later (Book #4)

  Five Days Until You (Book #4.5)

  Billionaire Bachelors Club

  Crave (Book #1)

  Torn (Book #2)

  Savor (Book #3)

  Intoxicated (Book #3.5)

  The Fowler Sisters

  Owning Violet

  Stealing Rose

  Taming Lily

  The Never Series

  Never Tear Us Apart

  Never Let You Go

  Connect with Monica

  Website

  Newsletter

  Facebook

  Twitter

  Email

  Jensen

  I’m crying. I don’t know how to tell Rhett what I just saw—who I just saw. Greg, the man who tried to assault me at the club. Walking right into the Montgomery house like he belongs there, like he freaking owns the place.

  Rhett’s trying to hold me. Comfort me. But it’s incredibly awkward sitting in his car with the center console in between us. “Diane isn’t worth your tears, babe,” he murmurs. “Trust me.”

  He’s so sweet. Too sweet. I don’t deserve him. And every time he calls me babe in that dreamy voice of his, I want to melt. I’ve given up all pretense of trying to resist him. It’s pointless.

  Despite my original plan, I like him too damn much. Something I didn’t think was even possible.

  “I know, I know. This isn’t about Diane.” I hiccup, but I am beyond caring how I look or what I sound like. I just need to get this out. “I don’t know how to tell you this. It’s just so—freaking weird, and you’re probably not going to believe me.”

  “I will believe you, no matter what,” Rhett says fiercely. “Do you understand?” He slips his fingers beneath my chin, tilting my face up so our gazes meet. “You can tell me anything, I swear.”

  I rub the tears away with my fingers, then close my eyes. I don’t want to look at him, see all that earnest sincerity shining in his gaze. It’s too much, what I’m going to say. “It is the craziest thing ever.”

  “Just spit it out, Jens. What’s going on?”

  His growly voice spurs me on, and I do exactly what he demands—I spit it out.

  “A man just walked into your father’s house, right when I was walking out. He looked right at me and winked, and I know he recognized me. He had to.” I open my eyes, a shudder moving through me. “I know him, Rhett.”

  A shadow passes over his face, and I wonder if he knows who I’m talking about. Did he see him? Did he speak to him? God, does he know him too?

  “Who is he to you?” he asks.

  “You’re never going to believe me.” I keep repeating myself, but I can’t help it. I’m having a hard time coping with this.

  “I already said I would. Tell me, Jensen.” The words come out sharp. I’m testing his patience. I can’t blame him for snapping at me.

  “He’s the one—the one who attacked me that night at City Lights.” I blink up at him, trying to keep the fear out of my voice, but it’s no use. I’m terrified, and shaking. “He’s Greg, Rhett. The man who tried to rape me just walked into your father’s house.”

  Rhett’s arms fall away from me, his mouth open in shock. He’s quiet, as if he needs to absorb what I just said, and I wait anxiously for him to say something. Anything.

  Within seconds, he’s speaking, but it’s felt like minutes. Hours. “What did you just say?”

  “The man who entered your father’s house a few minutes ago. He’s the same one who paid for extra services from me at the club. Remember how I told you that story?” I’m about to explain further, but he cuts me off.

  “Of course I remember,” he practically growls. “Are you—sure that’s the same man?”

  “I’m positive. I will never forget his face,” I say solemnly. Or his voice or his hands, or the way he looked at me, or the things he said…

  I take a deep breath, shivering as I watch Rhett. How he winces and slowly shakes his head. “Do you know who I’m talking about?” I ask.

  He says nothing. Just rubs his jaw, his fingers brushing against the stubble and making a rasping noise in the otherwise quiet confines of the car.

  “Rhett.” When I say his name, his tortured gaze meets mine. “Please. Do you know who he is?”

  His lips go thin and he offers a curt shake of his head before averting his gaze from mine. “No. I didn’t see him.”

  He’s lying.

  The thought runs through my mind, unbidden. No. I can’t believe Rhett would lie to me.

  But you lie to him. All the time. Every day, every minute you spend with him, it’s fake. You’re living a lie.

  Now I’m the one averting my gaze, staring out the passenger side window. The Montgomery mansion looms ahead of us, every window lit, magnificently impressive in the darkness.

  Intimidating. Just like the entire family is.

  Well, with the exception of Addie. I adore her. I shouldn’t. She’s the enemy too, but how can I blame a sweet seventeen-year-old for my mother’s sins?

  “Hey.” I turn to look at Rhett when he finally speaks again. “I’m going inside, see if I can find him.”

  “No,” I say vehemently. “I don’t want you to confront him. He’s not worth it.”

  I don’t understand the panic rising within me. What do I care if Rhett does this? He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.

  But what if Greg is—dangerous? What if he tries to hurt Rhett? Or me?

  “I’m going in.” He reaches for the d
oor handle, then turns to study me. “Lock the door when I leave. The car key is right there.” He points at the center console. “If something happens, leave. Just…you know how to drive my car. Get out of here.”

  I’m shocked silent, blown away by his offer. He’s rushing to my defense. He’s going to find and confront Greg. And he’s giving me an out too.

  Don’t forget you thought he was lying to you only moments ago.

  I push the ugly thought out of my head.

  “Be careful,” I whisper, reaching out to touch his forearm. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  The look he gives me is grim, his dark eyes unreadable. We stare at each other in silence, the only sound our breathing, and then we’re reaching for each other, our mouths meeting, hands grasping, tongues twisting. We kiss like this for seconds. Minutes. Until finally he breaks the kiss, and without a word, exits the vehicle, slamming the door so hard I jump in my seat when the car rattles.

  A shuddery breath escapes me as I hit the button and lock the car doors. I watch Rhett’s tall frame as he makes his way toward the house, pushes open the door, and walks inside.

  Now all I can do is wait.

  Rhett

  I feel like an asshole as I push my way through the crowded house, my gaze scanning the room as I try to find my uncle. I still can’t wrap my head around it. He’s the one who attacked Jensen at the club that one night—or so she claims.

  That I doubt her because she’s accusing someone I know, someone I’m related to, makes me feel even worse.

  “Hey, I thought you already left.” Park grabs hold of me, stopping my progress, and I whirl on him, jerking my arm out of his grip. He raises his hands like he’s defending himself, that fucking smirk on his face making me want to punch him. “Hold up, bro. No need to get violent.”

  I ignore his comment. He’s just trying to provoke me. What else is new? “Say one more thing and I’ll fucking take you out.”

  “I’d like to see you try.” Park laughs, but the humor is gone. I’ve just pissed him off. He hates it when I threaten him with physical violence, especially considering the last couple of times we’ve gone at it, I’ve won.

  “I don’t want to get into it with you, Park,” I tell him, ignoring the anger in his gaze. “You have no right to be angry with me, considering you’re the one who said those shitty things about Jensen.”

  “You should’ve done your due diligence before you brought a stripper into the house, Rhett,” Park returns. “I’m not taking the blame on this one, little brother. Pick better next time, okay?”

  I don’t bother correcting him about Jensen’s job. What’s the point? He’s going to think what he wants. And like he has any right to judge me. He’s the one who’s fucking our stepmother behind Dad’s back.

  Talk about a twisted mess.

  I decide to change the subject before this argument gets any worse. “Have you seen Uncle Craig?”

  Park appears momentarily taken aback by my question, but at least he answers me. “Talked to him a few minutes ago, right when he first got here. I think he went outside. Said something about wanting to check out the young tail.” Park laughs again, and I leave before he can say anything else, heading for the kitchen and the back door that leads outside.

  Right before I open the kitchen’s French door, I check my phone to make sure Jensen hasn’t sent me a text or tried to call me.

  But there are no notifications, no missed calls. I’m tempted to text her, reassure her I’m all right, but she could start asking questions. Questions I don’t want to answer.

  So instead I shove my phone back into the front pocket of my jeans and head outside.

  The backyard is even more crowded than it was before we left, and I look around, still in search of Uncle Craig or even Addie. The music is loud. I see a group of teenagers nearby passing a bottle of Fireball between them, and I wonder if Addie is drinking.

  Christ, I hope not.

  “Rhett! You decided to come back after all, huh?”

  I turn to find my uncle standing in front of me, a friendly smile on his face, his arm slung around the shoulders of the blonde he brought as his date. She stares up at him with adoring eyes, her large breasts nestled against his chest.

  “Yeah, thought I’d come back after all,” I repeat to him with a smile, but it’s difficult to maintain, so I let it fade. Did he really lay his hands on Jensen? And why? Or is this just some random coincidence? “Figured it’s too early to leave the party.”

  “That’s my boy.” Craig grins, pulling the blonde closer to him and squeezing her shoulders. “Lara, this is my nephew, Rhett. He got all his good looks from me.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Lara simpers, reaching out to shake my hand, her long, pale pink fingernails reminding me of weapons. As in, she could probably scratch my eyes out.

  “Same,” I tell her, shaking her hand quickly before taking a step back. This chick barely looks older than me. Where does my uncle find girls like this?

  Strip clubs.

  I banish the thought.

  “Did you get chance to talk to Addie and wish her a happy birthday?” I ask Craig.

  “Oh yeah, we chatted for a few minutes. Just before her boyfriend whisked her away so they can go grind on each other on the dance floor,” Craig says, shaking his head. “How did she grow up so fast?”

  “I don’t know,” I say with a shrug, hating the small talk, but shit. How am I supposed to approach this with him? I can’t just ask him if he’s ever attacked my girlfriend at City Lights.

  Yeah. No. That wouldn’t be smart. I gotta play this just right.

  “I haven’t seen your dad yet,” Uncle Craig says, disengaging himself from Lara so he can step closer to me. “Is he all right?”

  Unease washes over me, making me tilt my head. “Why wouldn’t he be all right?”

  “I don’t know,” he says slowly. “Shit hasn’t been right between him and Diane for a while.”

  “Why do you say that?” It hasn’t been any worse than normal.

  “She calls me sometimes and complains.” Craig smiles. “I’m the little brother, always there for my sister-in-law. You’ll find out what that’s like someday, when you’ve got Park’s future wife whining at you about how awful her husband is.”

  I say nothing. I hope to hell I never deal with something like that.

  “You and me, we’re a lot alike, you know,” Craig continues. “We’re both the younger brothers in the family. The ones born with all the money but hardly any responsibility. We can do whatever the hell we want, and no one is trying to hold us down.”

  “I’m not like that,” I immediately say, sounding like a bratty little kid.

  “Really? Then tell me what you’re going to do once you graduate college.” When I don’t respond right away, he’s pointing both index fingers at me, laughing like he just told the best joke. “See, you don’t know. And what’s so great is that you don’t have to know. You can travel the world, you can fuck a thousand women, you can backpack through the woods in the middle of fucking nowhere and no one is going to give a shit. You can do whatever the hell you want, no questions asked.”

  “You make me sound like an irresponsible fuck,” I mutter, annoyed with his assessment. Annoyed further by him saying we’re alike.

  We’re not. We can’t be.

  Craig raises his brows. “You said it, not me.”

  My phone buzzes, and I check it to see a text from Jensen.

  Are you okay?

  “Already pussy-whipped by the girlfriend, I take it?” He laughs again, then takes a sip from his drink. “Don’t ever let them trap you, Rhett. No pussy is worth millions, I don’t care what they tell you.”

  “Hey.” Lara slaps Craig’s arm with her sparkly little purse. “Don’t be rude.”

  “Oh, you’re different, baby.” Craig grabs hold of his date, his hands settling on her curvy ass and giving it a squeeze. “Your pussy rocks my world.”

  “Don’t you e
ver forget it,” she says, tilting her head back in preparation for his kiss.

  Craig leans down, his gaze meeting mine. He winks at me just before he devours his girlfriend right in the middle of this party.

  He’s worse than the teenagers surrounding us.

  Disgusted, I turn away, tapping out a quick response to Jensen before I start walking. I make my way through the yard on the side of the house, my mind full of conflicting thoughts, all of them about my uncle Craig.

  He’s a jackass. There’s no other way around it. But is he an attempted rapist?

  According to Jensen, that’s a yes.

  But is she lying? She’s done it before.

  And she might be doing it again.

  Jensen

  Relief floods me when I see Rhett striding toward the car, his expression determined, his mouth thin. I hit the button and unlock the car, dipping my head when he opens the door, fear making me shake. Why I’m scared, I don’t know. Is it because of Greg? Or is it Rhett that scares me?

  I’m not sure.

  The men in my life have never really cared. Oh, Daddy told me he loved him, and I know he did, in his way. But he didn’t show it very well. He was too selfish, too wrapped up in his pain over what my bitch of a mother did to him. She ruined him, and with that, she ruined me. I’m rotten. Like a bad piece of fruit. Still shiny on the outside but totally disgusting within.

  I study him out of the corner of my eye as he slides into the driver’s seat. He slams the door, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turn white. I hate how furious he looks. The worry comes back at me tenfold, making me weak.

  “Did you find him?” I finally ask when he still hasn’t said anything. “Where is he? Did you talk to him? Please tell me you didn’t talk to him.”

  “I didn’t talk to him,” he mutters as he hits the button and starts the engine. Putting the car in reverse, he glances over his shoulder and backs out of the spot. “I didn’t find who you were looking for.”

  “I should’ve gone in there with you.” I bite my lower lip, my mind racing with all the possibilities. “I could’ve found him.” Not that I wanted to, but shouldn’t we warn them? Warn his family and their friends?