Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) Read online

  “The hell he does,” Karson barked, and she could hear the frustration in his voice.

  “I don’t agree. I think he does. He’s been great lately. He hasn’t been nearly as mean as he was.”

  “Because he is playing you!” he said slowly but very forcefully. “He is going to keep on trying to break us up. You’ve got to cut all ties, babe, or this is always going to happen. I can’t keep looking behind me to make sure Nate Martin isn’t back there trying to set me up.”

  “So you’re asking me to choose?” she asked, her heart pounding. “Because that’s what it sounds like.”

  “No. Lacey. Please,” he begged. “I am feeling like you don’t believe, like you think I am trying to cover my ass or something.”

  “That’s exactly what I think,” she said without thinking.

  When he paused, she instantly regretted her words. Letting out an annoyed breath, she said, “I didn’t mean that. It came out wrong.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah, I mean that I think you are being paranoid when there is no reason to be. I completely trust you and believe that this girl came on to you. It’s fine. I promise.”

  “But you don’t believe that your dad is setting me up,” he stated and she could hear the aggravation in his voice.

  “I don’t think he would do that to me, but I will call him.”

  “And he’ll lie.”

  “Karson, please. He’s trying.”

  “The fuck he is, Lacey. He’s blinding you, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you start believing more shit he does and ultimately leave me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s a little insane, don’t you think? He only wants me to be happy.”

  “Why the fuck are you defending him? Look at his track record, Lacey. He has tried to break us up nonstop,” he yelled and she could hear it in his voice. He was livid, but she didn’t care. He was wrong.

  “Not since he tried to call your coach. Since we had that call, he has been good.”

  “Because he is secretly planning shit!”

  “Karson,” she said, closing her eyes in complete frustration. “I am not going to keep going back and forth with you. I’ve told you that I believe you about the chick—”

  “But you don’t believe me about your dad. Yeah, I heard you loud and clear,” he interrupted with a shortness to his voice. Silence stretched between them and Lacey had no clue what to do. “You are supposed to trust me when I tell you something.”

  “And I do, but he’s my dad, Karson. The only family I’ve got.”

  “I’m your family.”

  Oh Jesus. “I’m not doing this with you. Stop taking everything I say so literally. He is my only parent; I don’t have two parents like you do. Yes, mine is an asshole most of the time, but he is my dad.”

  “I get that, Lacey, but he is trying to break us up,” he pleaded. “And the fact that you don’t believe me and trust him instead speaks volumes.”

  “Oh, really? And what volumes does it speak?”

  “That I should just get ready for you to walk out on me,” he said, and this time there was no frustration in his voice, there was pure defeat. “Not believing me now just tells me that later, when he does something even more drastic, you’ll be on a one-way train out of here.”

  “He isn’t going to do anything. He hasn’t done anything now,” she said slowly. “Plus, I’m not going anywhere. I thought we agreed this was forever.”

  “It is on my end. To the fullest, but I don’t believe it is for you.”

  “Why are we doing this?” she said, exasperated. “We are fighting over nothing.”

  “That’s the thing, Lacey. This isn’t nothing, and just to let you know, it hurts that you don’t believe me.”

  “Are you kidding me right now?” she asked, unable to comprehend this. “I believe that some slut was trying to hit it because I fucking want to hit it all the damn time and I am not mad, but the fact that I don’t believe you about my father setting you up hurts your feelings? That’s insane.”

  “I want you to trust what I tell you, and you don’t.”

  Kicking the blankets off herself, she got out of the bed, her body burning with anger. “Okay, I’m done. I’m letting you go because I refuse to do this with you any longer. I will not feel bad for thinking you are being paranoid. Most wives would lose their shit on their husbands for shit like this, but I believe you.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine,” she said and she wanted to hang up so badly, but she wouldn’t do that. He was being dumb, but he was her husband. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” he said, defeated, and it killed her, but she was sticking to her guns. Hanging up, she let out a roar of annoyance before shaking her head. He was beyond frustrating!

  “Freaking idiot,” she muttered before dialing her dad’s number. When he answered, she said, “Did you set my husband up by sending some slut to try to get him to have sex with her?”

  “Lacey?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. Did you do that or not?”

  “Do what? I didn’t catch all that.”

  “Did you set my husband up by sending some slut to try to tempt him?”

  Her father didn’t even pause. “I would never, princess. I saw it happen, but I wasn’t even going to tell you because I don’t want to hurt you with that.”

  Biting the inside of her cheek, she nodded as the tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to believe him, she wanted to trust him, but she also wanted to trust and believe Karson.

  “Did he push her away?”

  “Not at first,” he answered slowly. “But after she kissed him, he did.”

  “Are you lying to me, Daddy? Because Karson is saying you set him up.”

  He laughed and Lacey didn’t understand that. This wasn’t a laughing situation. “I don’t know why he would say that. I didn’t even talk to him.”

  “So you didn’t try to offer him a deal?”

  “A deal?” he scoffed. “Jesus, am I the Mafia? No, honey, I didn’t.”

  Her lip wobbled because she didn’t know who to believe. Did she believe her husband, whom she loved and trusted? Or her father, who was the only parent she had left? She may not trust him fully, but she had to believe that he wouldn’t do something like this. He knew that she would cut him off if he were lying. Would he really risk their relationship to ruin her and Karson’s marriage? She wasn’t sure, and that alone had her hanging up the phone without saying goodbye. When he tried to call back, she ignored it and decided that she needed to step away from this right now.

  She just needed time to think.

  But thinking wasn’t what Lacey did.

  She just stewed.

  She was mad at Karson for being mad at her, and then she was mad at her dad for not knowing if he was lying to her or not. She wasn’t sure what to do, and she had no one to call to talk to. She was mad at the people she wanted to discuss this with. Rachel hadn’t done anything really, but still Lacey was mad at her for quickly accusing Karson of cheating. He wouldn’t do that. He loved her. While she had no clue whom to believe, she did know that she did not want to be at lunch with Elli Adler. Yes, Elli was the sweetest person in the world, but Lacey would much rather be at home, stewing.

  But that wasn’t where she was. Nope, she was sitting in a booth at J. Alexander’s with Karson’s boss, talking about everything under the sun. Well, Elli was talking, Lacey was more just listening. And stewing. Yes, she was still stewing.

  “Shelli is my wild child. Posey, not so much, she’s cautious. And then the boys are just all nuts. Take after their daddy.”

  Lacey smiled like she was supposed to. “They are beautiful children.”

  “Thank you,” she said proudly with a grin. “They are our everything.”

  “I would imagine.”

  Elli smiled as she met Lacey’s gaze. “How are you adjusting? Are you happy here?”

  Lacey shrugged. “Sure. I mean, it’s been a big change, but