The law of deceit, p.24
The Law of Deceit, page 24
Nathan claps me on the shoulder and then leaves me be. I find my seat beside Dempsey as Jamie starts bringing out casserole dishes. Beauty is asleep in Dempsey’s lap, so his hand is free to take mine and he threads our fingers together.
I’m happy—really happy—with him.
Rex, who’s now in a highchair between Spencer and Dempsey, tries to make a grab for the puppy. Luckily, his arms aren’t long enough. He settles for throwing his sippy cup instead. Dempsey deflects it with his elbow and then playfully tickles Rex until he squeals. Then Dempsey turns to me and mouths, “Thank God you don’t want kids.”
I burst out laughing. It’s a conversation we’ve had many times over. I wanted to make sure he was okay with the fact I never plan to get pregnant. He’s young and I didn’t want him to be held back if that’s what he wanted. Thankfully, we were on the same page. Sure, he’d make a great dad, but he’s a fantastic uncle not just to the kids in his family, but to those in mine.
I’m okay with being Aunt Sloane and Uncle Dempsey over Mom and Dad.
My phone buzzes again. When I pull it out to peek at it, it’s my other sister this time.
Rhiannon: Trevor got the job! He’s going to be a mechanic’s apprentice at the garage. They’re paying him fifteen dollars an hour with no experience and working around his school schedule. I’m so proud of him!
I send her back a bunch of hearts and clapping emojis. I show Dempsey and he grins. Jamie lent me the money and we were able to get Trevor into a fantastic rehab facility. Not only did he get sober and proper mental health treatment while there, but they also enrolled him in a tech program for him to continue now that he’s out of rehab.
Rhiannon: I think we should celebrate. Mom says everyone should meet up at Nadine’s for supper one day this week. Can you and Dempsey make it? I know it’d mean a lot to Trevor.
Me: Absolutely. We’ll be there.
Rhiannon: Yay! I’ll start making plans and let you know the exact date.
I put my phone away as soon as the table is set with mountains of food. Jamie sits beside me and we chat about Kaden while food is passed around. I tell her the good news about Trevor and she’s just as thrilled as I am. The dynamics of our friendship have changed since I’m with her son, but we’re finding new ground and I’m grateful to have her back in my life.
Dinner is the usual whirlwind with everyone talking over each other, babies crying, and more food than we could ever eat. Tate and Jude steal Beauty, but we’ll steal her back before we leave.
Dempsey stands, grabs his butter knife, and loudly clanks his glass. “Yo! Listen up, fam!”
I look up at him, wondering what in the world he’s going to tell them. With Dempsey, you never know what’ll come out of his mouth. Sometimes he blurts out exactly what’s on his mind. That can be both a good thing and a bad thing.
“So I know we’re planning a spring wedding for Tate and Jude,” he says, grinning at the recently engaged couple, “but I was wondering how you all also thought about having a wedding this summer.”
I blink at him in confusion. “What are you saying?”
He fishes a box out of his pocket and sits back down, facing me. “I’m saying let’s make us official, babe. I love you. I want to be with you forever. Say yes.”
Heat floods my cheeks. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me. This is wild and reckless, and most assuredly way too soon.
“Yes, of course,” I rush out because despite those things, life’s too short to let opportunities pass you by. “I love you too, honey.”
Dempsey fist pumps the air and then pulls me to him for a filthy kiss that has no business being shown to the whole damn family. When he pulls away, I’m breathless and dizzy. He slides on a simple rose gold band with a few tiny diamonds embedded in it. I love how simple and me the ring is. It’ll be easy to work in too. Just goes to show that even when he appears to be spontaneous, Dempsey puts a lot of thought into pleasing the ones he loves.
The whole family talks over each other after that. Callum thinks it’s hysterical and won’t stop laughing. Hugo seems embarrassed on our behalf. Spencer has a lot to say but mostly inappropriate stuff that has Aubrey trying to cover his mouth with her hand. Tate wears a cheesy grin, whereas Jude scowls at Dempsey, probably for overshadowing their own engagement. Nathan shakes his head with a mix of irritation and amusement. Gemma and Jamie both keep saying, “Oh my God.” Kaden babbles about how he should get to be the best man and lists all the reasons why.
It’s absolute madness, but I love it.
I love him.
Dempsey tugs me out of the chair and away from the noise of his family. I giggle as he all but drags me upstairs. He pulls me into his childhood bedroom that Jamie hasn’t touched since he left.
“Finally,” Dempsey growls, tugging at the button on my jeans. “We can celebrate.”
We get our clothes off in record time and then he drags us over to his bed. I yelp when he tosses me onto it. He pounces on me, ravaging me with soul-stealing kisses. Being in his bedroom feels extremely inappropriate and naughty, but I’m totally into it.
He slips a finger inside me and hums with appreciation. “Detective Do-Good is hot for the bad boy.”
I groan, threading my fingers in his hair as he fingerfucks me. “Maybe I’m not so good.”
His grin is devilish as he strums my G-spot so perfectly I come quickly with a strangled cry. Then he replaces his finger with his gorgeous, pierced cock and thrusts hard into me.
“I’m going to fuck you fast, babe, before my parents come looking for us,” he says, breathing heavily against my lips. “Just so you know, this fantasy that’s coming to life is something I’ve beat off to more than I will ever admit.”
“Stop talking, troublemaker, and fuck me like you always dreamed of doing.”
He turns feral after that and I get to orgasm once more before someone knocks on the bedroom door. While I squeal with embarrassment and he hollers for them to go away, we finish with a grand finale that has Dempsey pulling out to paint my stomach with his cum.
“Mom sent me to come get you,” Gemma huffs from the other side of the door. “You two are so gross. I can’t believe you’re having sex right now!”
“Already finished, sis. Tell Mom I’m showing her where the bathroom is. We’ll be down in five.”
“She knows Sloane knows where the bathroom is, dumbass. Just hurry before Mom decides to come up here herself!”
She storms off and we both crack up laughing. Dempsey brings out a playful side of me I never knew existed. I’m going to die of humiliation when I have to do the walk of shame in a few minutes, but it’ll be worth this stolen moment with my fiancé.
Holy shit.
I’m getting married.
“I love you, Dempsey Park,” I blurt out, suddenly overcome with emotion.
He gently brushes some of my hair out of my eyes and gives me a tender smile. “I love you too, wifey. Always have. Always will.”
I hope you enjoyed Dempsey and Sloane’s story!
Want to read about the alluring Gemma Park?
The Torment of Two is next!
If you’re curious about Callum and Willa’s story, check out The Teacher of Nothing!
Or, if you’re dying to read about Spencer, Hugo, and Aubrey, check out The Tangle of Awful!
Wondering about the mysterious Jude and his therapist, Tate, check out The Heart of Smoke!
K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.
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EXCERPT THE TORMENT OF TWO
Gemma
I know I’m a joke to my family.
They think my job as an influencer is made up and silly. Dad is convinced it’s dangerous and not something I should do long-term, often lecturing me on putting my focus on school rather than my platform.
For me, though, it’s something I’m proud of. I built it from nothing and shaped it into something that not only awards me a viable income but also gives me a voice to help other people.
Sure, sometimes that help is showing my followers what moisturizer I use or my favorite lip gloss, but it feels bigger than that. One day, I hope to use it in a way that’s more impactful.
One day.
I’m not really sure how I’ll turn my content around without some blowback, but I’ll figure it out. It’s why I’m majoring in marketing at PMU.
What my family and followers don’t see is all that goes into maintaining and growing my audience. Each day, I spend hours strategizing content, researching what others are doing, and replying to my followers to cultivate and build solid relationships. So many girls my age and younger have reached out to me to let me know they aspire to be like me. It makes me feel good that I’m inspiring them, even if it’s just to feel better about their outward appearance.
I’m making my way through my messages when I come to a strange one.
@TwoCanPlayThisGame.
The username sends a chill down my spine.
I read the message, trying to make sense of it.
I see you. The real you. The you no one else but me sees.
I click on their profile to see what sort of person is sending me this message. From another girl like myself, it could mean something totally different than some random weird man. The profile, though, has nothing to offer. It’s a new account. They’re not following anyone but me and they have no posts. The picture is a screenshot of my profile page.
This is the kind of stuff Dad is worried about, but thankfully, I know how to handle it. It’s not the first weirdo to message me and it certainly won’t be the last. I quickly block the person and delete the message without giving it another thought.
I move on to more sweet messages about how my recommendation for an acne treatment helped one girl’s skin clear up and now she’s feeling more confident. As I read through them all—each one kind and uplifting—I can’t help but keep thinking back to the creepy message.
I see you. The real you. The you no one else but me sees.
It’s a scary thought. The real me, the girl buried deep beneath the perfect makeup, style, and smile, is insecure, feels smothered by her father wanting to keep her safe, and wants to be seen for more than a trophy. That girl isn’t as confident as the one she outwardly portrays for the internet. Knowing someone else might see her leaves me feeling exposed and raw.
I suck in a deep breath and exhale heavily. My nerves are brittle, making me feel slightly nauseous. Imposter syndrome claws its way up inside me, mocking me.
Who do I think I am?
Maybe I am just a joke.
I give my head a sharp shake and look at my follower count that’s recently surpassed a million. I’m doing something right or these people wouldn’t be here.
With a quick check of my makeup, I turn the camera on me and push the live button. My smile is wide and bright—you can’t even tell it’s fake.
“Hey, Gems,” I say, waving at the camera. “If you’re new here, I’m @GemmaLovesUx2 and I’m dying to tell you about this new primer I just got. Your makeup will look as flawless when you go to bed as when you applied it in the morning. I’m telling you guys you’re going to freak out at how amazing this product is.”
The hearts and comments start flooding in, reminding me I am good at this.
I won’t let some creep torment me and throw me off my game.
I’m Gemma freaking Park.
I invented the game.
Read The Torment of Two, the final book in the series, up next!
K Webster, The Law of Deceit
