The Truth in our Lies

By Lee Jacobs

From the moment Macy Brier was born, she was unwanted. Eighteen years later, nothing has changed. With a broken heart, she vows to leave the Underground Street Racing life behind. But when Chase Abrams enters the racing world, she realizes that may no longer be possible. As tempers rise, Macy's world spirals out of control. Suddenly everything is on the line, and Macy will have to make a choice… one that will forever change her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lee Jacobs
• Release date: Mar 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215096871

Book preview

Chapter One

THE SOUND OF ENGINES purring and loud music thumps from car speakers. Thirty minutes in and my head is already pounding from it all. How did I ever find this appealing? People nod as I pass them, not knowing that underneath the fake smile I wear is a girl who loathes everything this place represents. To them all they see is Macy Brier, Kevin's little sister, the queen of underground street racing. None of them realize what a sham it all is. He has them all fooled. They don't see him for what he truly is, a monster. Kevin is my boogeyman, the monster that hides under my bed, waiting for the right moment to strike. And believe me, he does.

The humid air clings to my skin, making my clothes stick to me. The heat in Virginia is enough to make anyone insane. Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out a ponytail holder and pull my hair up into a sloppy bun on top of my head. Rolling my shoulders, I try to ease some of the tension out of them. It doesn't work. The tension has been there for the last few months, ever since that night. And I don't expect it to go away anytime soon.

It wasn’t always like this. Street racing used to feel like home. A place where I fit in, but now every time I'm here, the urge to run slams into me like a freight train. Worse yet, I think Kevin knows. Which means he’ll use it against me, to punish me for all my mistakes. All these thoughts have the smile slipping from my face. Pushing away the unwanted thoughts, I plaster a fake smile to my dark red lips and pretend I'm happy to be here.

I must, since my brother runs this underground street racing team, and it wouldn't look respectable if his sister didn't support him. I tried to beg off coming tonight, but Kevin refused, saying there was someone he wanted me to meet. Which can only mean one thing. He is looking for new meat and wants me to snag them. It wasn't the first time he used me like this, and I'm sure it won’t be the last. It doesn’t make it any easier though, all it does is make my skin crawl.

Kevin’s always been demanding, but over the last few months, it’s gotten worse. I’m not entirely sure what’s causing it. It could be the stress of losing one of our top racers. It had certainly caused a huge money loss, but it’s not like we’ve never dealt with that before. Racers come and go, it’s part of this life. He’s been doing this long enough, that he should be used to this by now.

Glancing around the crowded streets, I spot Kevin talking to a guy I don't recognize. This must be the new racer he's been going on about for the last few days. Kevin looks up, catching my eye, and motions me over with a nod of his head and a tight smile. To anyone else, the gesture would look friendly enough, but to someone who knows Kevin, they would recognize the gesture for what it really is. Anger. The tight pull of his lips and the hard set of his blue eyes give it away. Anger at me, at the situation, maybe a combination of both.

Steeling my shoulders, I weave my way through the crowd of people until I reach Kevin's side. I know the role I have to play, even if I don't like it. Kevin holds up a hand, giving me a stern look. Brent, this is my baby sister, Macy. She'll be more than happy to show you around town, since you're new. Whatever we can do to help you feel more welcome. What Kevin really means is he’ll do anything to entice Brent to join his underground team. Even if that means using me to do it.

It takes all my effort not to let my disgust show on my face. All he cares about is money, and with losing his best racer he’s losing it in spades, and that means he's willing to do anything to make more money, including this. And if I dare open my mouth to complain, he'll just remind me I'm living in his house because of his good graces, that I could live on the streets.

When I say nothing, Kevin discreetly pinches the back of my arm, hard enough to make me flinch. Sure, I'll be happy to show you around. Even to my own ears, my tone sounds wooden. Hopefully, Brent doesn’t notice.

Brent's dark eyes roam over my body, stopping at my breasts and lingering for way too long. I have to fight the urge to knee him in the balls. I doubt Kevin would appreciate that. He reaches out, touching my face. I try to take a step back, but Kevin stops me by placing a hand on my back. His big meaty hand is warm and sweaty on my face, making me want to puke. Kevin laughs, see, man, I told you join my team. We have all the best shit. And not just the girls. He winks, and my skin crawls a little more. I don't even want to know what other things he's implying. With Kevin it's best not to ask too many questions.

You weren't lying. This here is just the sweetest little piece of ass I've seen in a long time. Brent lets out a loud laugh, like he’s just said the funniest thing in the world. My hands ball into fists at my side. Kevin has to be out of his damn mind if he thinks I'm going to be showing this guy around.

Kevin notices my frigid stance and says, go find something to do Macy, and let the guys talk.

And just like that, I've been dismissed. Thank God for small favors. Giving him a tight smile, I head over to an area that is less crowded. My heart is pounding so fast, I can practically feel the pulse in my throat. All around me people are oblivious to my impending melt down. They’re too busy showing off their cars to pay a lick of attention to me. To the fact that my brother just tried to pimp me out.

Even though I'm surrounded by people, I don't think I've ever felt more alone than I do right now. I want to escape, to leave here and never come back. But where would I go? I have no money of my own. Kevin has made damn sure of that. Walking farther away from the crowd, I find a spot in the shadows where I can let myself breathe for a minute.

Taking a few deep breaths, I roll my neck. It's not long before the hair on the back of my neck rises, as I get the sensation that someone is watching me. Frowning, I glance around, but I don't spot anyone watching me. I'm about to shrug it off as being paranoid when a voice startles me. Hey there.

Spinning around, I come face to face with the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot, considering I used to date one of the hottest looking guys in school. Light blue eyes skim across my face, making their way down my body. But unlike Brent's gaze, this one has warmth settling low in my stomach. The guy standing in front of me is tall. He has to be at least 6'2, with light brown hair swept back from his face. But what really draws my attention are his tattoos, he's rocking some serious ink. 

The light gray tank top shows off muscular arms that are sporting full sleeves. I even glimpse a tattoo peeking out of the top of his shirt. Coming back to my senses, I take a step back, putting some distance between us. Not that I'm worried, he'll try anything. Even though I've moved to a less crowded area, there are still plenty of people around. Can I help you?

He quirks one side of his lips into a smirk. Are you Macy Brier, Kevin's sister?

I raise my eyebrows at that. Who wants to know? I don't recognize this guy, and while I don't know everyone’s name that comes here, I recognize most faces. The fact I don't recognize this guy, yet he knows my name, has alarm bells ringing in my head. Licking his lips, he holds out a hand. The names Chase.

Do you have a last name, Chase?

Abrams.

I purse my lips. Okay, Chase Abrams, I'll bite how do you know me and my brother? What I'm really asking is how the hell he knows about the illegal street racing.

He shrugs one massive shoulder. This dude must be able to bench press a car, with biceps like that. Friend of a friend.

I consider him for a moment. He might be telling me the truth, but I air on the side of caution. The last thing I need is to run my mouth to the wrong person and bring the cops down on us. What exactly are you doing here? Even though I'm airing on the side of caution, I'm not getting a dangerous vibe from this guy. My gut is telling me he's harmless. I was curious, that's all.

Curious about what exactly?

He takes a step closer to me until he's so close I can smell his cologne. And it's not a bad smell, no it’s the opposite, dark and spicy. His eyes skim over me once again, lingering on my eyes, and then trailing down my arms. I’m curious about racing, and how to earn a spot on the team.

Disappointment crashes down on me, he's looking to race. Shaking my head to clear it, I glance away. If you want to race, you need to talk to Kevin, not me.

He nods his head once, glancing in Kevin's direction. I saw what happened a few minutes ago. It didn't look like you were enjoying yourself.

Instantly, I bristle at his words. Had I been pissed at Kevin a few minutes ago? Yeah, I had, but that wasn't any of his business. That is none of your concern.

He gives a low chuckle that has heat going right to my lady bits. It should be a crime for a guy to sound so good when he laughs. My bad. I just didn't want to see you get into a situation you couldn't handle.

Placing my hands on my hips, I give him my best glare. I can handle myself just fine, thank you very much.

He runs a palm over his face, his blue eyes twinkling. After meeting you, I have no doubt.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be. Before he can say anything else, I walk toward my car. I've had enough of this crap tonight. I just want to go home, get a shower, and crawl into bed, and maybe sleep until noon.

WALKING IN THE FRONT door of our tiny house, I flip on the kitchen light. Bright fluorescent light floods the kitchen, and I wince. I hate our kitchen has a fluorescent light; all the harsh light does is point out all the flaws. I glance around at the small kitchen that's barely able to hold all of our appliances. The once bright white walls are now stained a dull yellow, and the tile floor has cracks scattered all over it, but it's ours. And it's clean. The one thing I've always made sure of is that the house is always clean. I can't stand when things are dirty. I drive Kevin nuts with it. Walking over to the fridge, I grab an apple out of the crisper drawer. Washing it, I take a bite and chew, thinking about what the hell I'm going to do about Brent.

I really don't want to show him around, for several reasons, but I know Kevin isn't going to let me say no. What I really need is to get out of here. But with no money, it's not possible. I'll be starting at the local college in the fall, thanks to Kevin. Which he won't let me forget that he's paying for. But I really don't want to keep living here.

I need a job, one that's going to pay me enough where I can afford rent. Even if I have to get a roommate. Making a promise to myself that first thing tomorrow, I'm going to start job hunting. Finishing my apple, I throw away the core and head down the hall to my room.

Opening my door, I turn on the bedside lamp. At least my room looks somewhat decent, but that's only because I painted it a light mauve color last year. Heading over to the dresser, I grab a nightshirt. Deciding it's too late for a shower, I change and crawl into bed, hoping that tomorrow in the light of day my situation won’t look so bleak.

Chapter Two

THINGS DON’T LOOK ANY less bleak in the morning. Grabbing my duffel bag out of my closet, I shut the door. It's still early, barely 8:00 a.m. I pass Kevin’s room; his door is still closed tightly. I fell asleep before he got home last night, so I never heard him come in. I'm sure by the time I make it back from the gym, he'll be up and ready to berate me for leaving the race early. God knows I can't have a single moment of peace to myself without Kevin hassling me. Trying to be as silent as possible, I make my way toward the front door, closing it softly behind me.

Pulling into the parking lot, I park near the back and make my way to the entrance. Since it's early and a weekday, it's not as crowded as it would normally be. Just the way I like it. I wave hello to the girl manning the front booth. She waves me in, and I head toward the locker room to store my gear. After changing into a pair of leggings and a loose tank top, I walk back out into the gym. My sneakers make no noise on the rubber floor. I walk toward the treadmill, popping in my ear buds as I go. Peering down at the display, I change the settings on the treadmill, to one that won’t kill me.

Satisfied, I hop on and start jogging. I hate running, but I love the results. It helps my legs stay strong and lean and keeps the weight off. And to Kevin that's the most important thing, he wants me looking in the best shape, for when he uses me to draw in new racers. It's disgusting, but I owe him my life and he knows it. He hangs it over my head every God damn day, like I don't know where I would be without him.

Blowing out a breath, I focus on my breathing and try to ignore the painful stitch in my side. My feet pound the treadmill over and over until my legs burn, and I can no longer think about anything. I'm just about to slow down the machine, when a warm tingling sensation prickles the back of my neck. Glancing around, my eyes collide with a pair of light blue ones. Holy fuck, Chase, the guy from last night, is watching me from where he's working out on the elliptical machine. His muscular arms are sweaty, and his shirt is plastered against his chest.

The ache in my lower half now has nothing to do with the burn of running, but with the burn of something else entirely. Shaking my head, I try to clear it. No, I'm not going there. He is off limits. One, he's a racer, and after what happened, I'm done with that. And two, I'm just done with guys period, I'm over the whole damn institution. And if I thought Kevin would let me out of this whole little showing Brent around town thing, I would, but that will not happen. But I don't consider that dating, since I don't want to do it.

I'm focusing so hard on trying to ignore him that I nearly stumble off the machine. Catching myself at the last minute, I curse. A low chuckle behind me has me freezing, which is not a good thing, since I'm running on a treadmill. Lucky for me, the guy causing my distraction reaches out, bringing my machine to a stop, before I can go flying off of it. Panting, I lean my hands on my legs. Once I get my breath back, I stand up straight. Chase is still watching me, taking in every little detail, like he's mentally cataloging it for later. It’s you again, I manage to get out.

Yep, it’s me again.

Not able to help myself, because I seem to be an absolute glutton for punishment these days, I ask, did you talk to my brother last night? Part of me really hopes he says no, and that he changed his mind about racing. Not that it should matter, because back to the second point, I'm done with guys for the moment. So, I try not to dwell on the fact that I want him to say he didn't in fact talk to my brother. But he kills that thought when he says, yeah, I did. He wants to see me race first before he gives me a shot on his team. I nod my head because that's typical Kevin behavior. Unless your racing reputation proceeds you, he wants to see you in action before he decides. Kevin only wants the best.

He takes a step forward, and I catch a whiff of his spicy cologne. Damn, he doesn't even have the decency to smell bad after working out. I guess that means, will see a lot more of each other. Not that I'm complaining.

I cross my arms over my chest and give him a knowing smirk. You might complain after you get to know me. You're going to realize fairly quickly, I'm not someone you want to mess with. Besides, I don’t date racers. And that’s the truth. Once he’s been in this town a few months, he’ll learn quickly what everyone else around here knows. I’m a complete bitch. At least that’s the persona I want everyone to see.

My best friend Emily knows the real me. Only she knows what a crap hand I've been dealt, and sometimes it sucks that she knows. Because I can't hide anything from her. She'll call me out on my shit quicker than anyone I know. I’d started to let my last boyfriend in, and well, that had been a mistake. A mistake that had cost me dearly.

Chase continues studying me, then he surprises me by shaking his head. Nah, I don't think so. He pauses, running a thumb along his bottom lip, and now that's where my eyes seemed to be glued to. I think you're wearing a mask. But that's okay, I have time to figure out the real you.  I'm sure I'll be seeing you around, even if you don’t date racers. And with those parting words, and a smug smile, he strolls into the guys’ locker room, and I'm left staring after him wondering what in the world just happened.

This guy who’s only spoken to me twice and has spent less than fifteen minutes in my presence sees right through my facade. I don't know if I should be thrilled or scared... or maybe both.

WALKING INTO THE HOUSE, I hear cursing coming from the living room. Mother fucker, I told you what I wanted. I shake my head and walk to my room. Great, Kevin's clearly already pissed about something this morning. Dumping my gym bag on the bed, I head into the bathroom to grab a shower. Turning on the faucet, I wait for the water to warm up. It takes forever since the water heater is old and cranky.

While I wait, I glance in the mirror. Bright blue eyes stare back at me. My hair is dark and hangs to my mid back and won't hold a curl to save my life. Sighing, I shuck off my clothes and step under the warm spray of water. Washing off the sweat from the gym, I dump a good amount of coconut body wash into my loofa and scrub until I smell like the beach. When I'm done, I step out onto the plush floor mat and dry off with a thick towel. I strain to hear if Kevin is still on the phone, but I can't hear anything above the whir of the vent that groans in protest.

Towel drying my hair, I run a comb through it and leave it to air dry. Wrapping the large towel around me, I step out of the bathroom and walk to my room so I can get dressed. Pulling on a pair of shorts and tank top, I head into the kitchen. Kevin's no longer on the phone. He turns when he hears me enter the kitchen. He scowls at me. You left before planning to meet up with Brent. Lucky for you, he forgave your insolence. He’s eager to go on a date with you, so be happy. I gave him your number. When he messages you, you better answer.

Even though I knew this was coming, it doesn't stop the tidal wave of lava from simmering in my stomach at his words. I can't stand when he does this. I hate he feels like I'm just a piece of property that he can lend out whenever he feels like it, with no regard to how I feel. The last time he pulled this crap, the guy ended up with a black eye because he wouldn't keep his hands to himself. I told Kevin then, in no uncertain terms, that I'm not a whore, no matter what kind of picture he paints to these jerks. It's bad enough that my whole high school experience was overshadowed by it.

I was known for dating a lot of guys. What people didn't know is I wasn't dating them by choice. No, not by a long shot. But I never slept with them, not a single one. I've only ever been with one guy, and I can't bring myself to regret it, even though it ended badly.

Kevin, I start, but he gives me a look, holding up a hand. Don't start Macy. I'm not in the mood. You live here rent free, and I’ll be paying for college in the fall. We both know you owe me for everything I've had to give up for you, and this is how you do it.  Hurt and anger slice through me, sharper than a knife ever could. His words hurt, but they're true. I know he's sacrificed a lot for me, but he doesn't have to throw it back in my face every opportunity he gets.

Because none of this is my fault, not a single part of it. And while I'm grateful for the life Kevin's given me, part of me wonders if I would have been better off if he never stepped in. Without a word, I walk to the fridge and pull out the carton of eggs. Are you making me breakfast, too? He asks.

Sure, I say automatically.

He taps his long fingers on the chipped countertop, watching me as I mix the eggs, milk and salt into a bowl, before pouring it into a hot frying pan. He clears his throat. Don't mess this up with Brent. He's a top racer, and we need him to bring in more money, now that Cayden is gone. My back goes stiff at the mention of Cayden, but Kevin doesn't seem to notice. You know, since you screwed that up royally.

I stop stirring the eggs on the stove and turn to glare at him. I didn't screw anything up with him. He walked away.

Yeah, well, you certainly couldn't keep him from sniffing around that other chick, and she put all those thoughts in his head. You said that yourself, he says, pointing a finger in my direction. I have to stop myself from yelling that Cayden leaving me for Avery wasn't my fault. Well, maybe it was. I laid down the ultimatum, but I never for an instant thought he would have chosen Avery over me. But I should