Tangled Deceit, page 1
TANGLED DECEIT
THE WICKED BOOK TWO
HEATHER RENEE
HARPER REED
Tangled Deceit, The Wicked Book Two © Copyright 2023 by Heather Renee and HRB Publishing LLC
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, alive or dead, is purely coincidental.
For more information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book, email heatherreneeauthor@yahoo.com.
ISBN: 978-1957731261
Line Editing and Proofing: Jamie from Holmes Edits
Cover: Covers by Aura
Illustrations: Art by Kalynne
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Stay in Touch
Also by the Authors
About the Authors
1
OLIVIA
Being captured by a mafia leader even once shouldn’t be something most people worry about in their lifetime. Let alone having it happen twice.
Unless you’re me, of course.
Even worse was finding out that the father who abandoned me all those years ago wasn’t just some asshole guy who couldn’t hang around for the hard stuff. He’s been living the mafia life, trying to be a king. Which means he’s decided to try to take down Luca and…who the hell knows what else.
All I know for sure is that Titan and I might be tied together by blood, but he’s no family of mine. Not after he kidnapped me and put me in a room without so much as an “I’m sorry I left you.”
Do I find it funny that I’m in pretty much the exact same situation I was in just a few weeks ago? Mildly, but I’m not the same woman I was that first day Luca tossed me into his cell.
I’m stronger, both physically and mentally, after surviving being thrown into this insane world, being attacked, and even allowing myself to fall for Luca. While there have been times over the years that I’ve missed my father, like when he could have taught me to ride a bike or attended my graduation, he doesn’t have a hold on me. Not now that I’ve seen him in this setting.
Titan, as he’ll now be known to me—not Dad or Christopher as I thought he went by—spent the car ride from Luca’s to wherever we are now in silence. The “little chat” he suggested we have doesn’t seem to be a priority for him, because after I felt I had no other option than to get in the SUV with him, the only other words I heard him utter were a cold command to his men. "Bind her.”
Dread had filled me at first, but now, I’m drawing on my anger and motivation to get the hell out of here as soon as I find the opening I need.
Since we began driving, I’ve been blindfolded and had my hands tied together behind my back. Knowing that I’m going to need my strength for the perfect moment when I stand the highest chance of escaping, I haven’t fought back. Yet.
I let them easily restrain me. I haven’t asked any questions or even begged for them to let me go. When someone picked me up out of the SUV after we got to this place, I didn’t even try to headbutt the fucker who held me, even while I hated that his arms weren’t Luca’s.
Now, I’m sitting in a chair, ignoring the ache in my shoulders from having my arms pinned behind me and trying to pretend that a new itch isn’t popping up on my face every other minute.
Time passes, but I have no idea how long it’s been since I’ve been left alone. I don’t know if there’s anyone in the room with me or if they’re watching me through a window. Regardless of all that, I keep as much emotion from my face as possible, even when my worry about Luca begins to surface or whether he might be able to find me.
I won’t give anything away to Titan. He won’t break me.
For the first time since I received the news of my mother’s death, I’m grateful she isn’t alive. Her heart never healed from being left without a word. If she knew the truth…that just might have killed her anyway.
A noise breaks the silence, the soft twist of a doorknob. My heart races as I fight the urge to tense up. I won’t be afraid of this man. I’ve been dodging death since the moment I walked away from that charity auction. If it’s my time to die, then so be it. I won’t go easily. Though, I also have no intention of giving this bastard the pleasure of hearing me beg for mercy just because his DNA runs through me.
A chair across from me scrapes against the floor, and someone settles into it with a thud as the room begins to fill with the scent of musk and cigars. I’m pretty sure a palm or two thump onto the table I’m certain is in front of me. Even though I can’t see it with my own eyes, I hear the sound of fingers tapping on a solid surface.
“You’ve grown into quite the woman, Olivia,” Titan's voice breaks the silence, and a shiver runs down my spine. Memories of a distant childhood flicker in my mind, of a man who was supposed to be my dad, who used to kiss my bumps and scrapes.
Still, I don’t respond.
“After all these years, you don’t have anything to say to your father?” he prods, his voice laced with curiosity and maybe even a hint of amusement.
I grit my teeth, holding back the anger that threatens to boil over. He abandoned us, leaving my mother and me to fend for ourselves. He has no right to call himself my father.
"You were dead to me the day you walked out on me and my mother," I reply, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside me.
Titan's tongue clicks, and I can almost picture him shaking his head. "I'm sure you wish that were true now that you know what really happened to me. I'd say I was sorry, but I don't want to start this conversation out with lies. Though, maybe I underestimated you. You seem to have taken to this life better than I could have predicted all those years ago."
I clench my fists, his words like venom in my veins. He's trying to get under my skin, to rattle me, but I won't give him the satisfaction.
The sound of wood creaking fills the room, indicating that Titan has moved from his chair. Steady footsteps draw nearer, and I can feel his presence looming over me.
His fingers wrap around my shoulder, and I suppress a shudder of revulsion. "Olivia, I'm still your father, and you're my daughter. It's time for you to act like it and tell me everything you've learned about Luca Monroe."
I bite back a sarcastic retort. He thinks I’m going to help him take down the man whose kept me alive all these weeks? He’s out of his goddamn mind. Still, I respond in a different, hopefully safer, way.
"I don't know anything about Luca Monroe other than he's a deranged mafia king who has no qualms about killing people," I say, hoping my resolve comes through my voice.
Titan leans closer, and I can feel his breath on my cheek. "Except you." He steps away, and I can feel his calculating gaze on me. "I thought you were just someone who saw too much and needed to die. Then, I learned Luca was keeping you as his pet. I had hoped by killing you that I could enrage him to the point that he'd make mistakes, but I saw you leave that club. As soon as I knew who you really were, I had other hopes."
I narrow my eyes beneath the blindfold, trying to make sense of his words. What does he mean by "other hopes"? Just that he could use me against Luca?
He moves closer once more, and his voice loses any semblance of fatherly affection. “Don’t disappoint me, Olivia. I know you were fucking him. Tell me what I want to know, and this can be all over.”
My heart sinks as I consider just how much Titan already knows. Vin, the traitorous snake who convinced me to leave the safety of Luca’s room. He had to have been spying on us this whole time. That fucking bastard.
There’s no other way Titan would know my relationship with Luca had become something more. Well, unless there’s another defector within Luca’s ranks. At least, Titan had the decency to kill Vin. Saves Luca the trouble of doing it himself. Hell, I might have even volunteered to do the murdering once I was out of here. Though, the most important part is that Vin won’t be able to go back to Luca, pretending he was tricked and did his best to save me, while continuing to relay important details to Titan.
“Vin would have known more than me,” I say with disdain. “What would I know that he didn’t mistakenly tell you before you murdered him?”
“Vin served his purpose,” he responds, thankfully further away from me. “And it was always the plan to kill him. Traitors don’t live long in my house, even when they’re doing so to better serve me. He only lasted as long as he did because I needed more inform
I stay silent, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. I don’t for one second believe this man wanted to know about me because he’s worried about my wellbeing or concerned with my choices. Not when he’s brought me here tied up.
It sounds as if he sits back down in the chair before speaking again. “Olivia, dear. Please don’t fight me. We’re family. I’m your father. Don’t make me bring your mother into all of this.”
Oh, this motherfucker has some nerve. He’s also either the biggest idiot in the world or the laziest mafia boss to ever exist.
“Did you only rely on Vin to give you information?” I ask with a sneer, my anger simmering just below the surface. “I’m certain the answer to that question is ‘yes,’ because if you’d even taken five minutes to do a google search on your wife, you’d know she died four weeks ago.”
Silence fills the room once more and this time I’m more thankful for it as I fight back tears, digging my nails into my palms. I hope like hell that my mother isn’t watching any of this play out. That she’s living her best afterlife completely oblivious of the fucked-up world that I’ve found myself in.
A few minutes later, I hear Titan get up again. Once more, he places a hand on my shoulder, offering what I assume is supposed to be a consoling touch before leaning closer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. How did she pass?”
The audacity of this man…
I can’t take it any longer. I can’t pretend that I don’t hate him with every fiber of my being and that the feeling doesn’t get stronger with every word he speaks.
My head slams toward the sound of his voice, and the side of my face connects somewhere with his, causing him to roar. “You little fucking bitch!”
Titan grabs my hair, holding tight to the bun I’d put it in earlier, and throws me onto the unforgiving floor. With my hands behind my back, I can’t cushion the impact. I at least try to turn my body so that I land on my shoulder instead of my face. Still, the impact jolts through me, knocking the breath out of my lungs and making me cry out.
The movements twist me into an awkward position, and my cheek stings from hitting what I believe to be a concrete floor. I start to suck in air, absorbing the pain instead of letting it take control of me, but as soon as I think I can move again, a foot makes a hard connection with my ribs.
“I was going to offer you a place at my side,” Titan seethes, spewing what I know is utter bullshit, then kicks me again, this time in my stomach, forcing my body to lurch forward. “But if you’d rather be a whore, protecting someone who’s only been using you to get to me, then I’ll accept your choice. But if you think Luca didn’t know who you were to me, you’re sorely mistaken.”
He reaches down and grabs the back of my head with one hand while jerking down the blindfold with the other. “Luca knows you’re my daughter, Olivia. He only showed you any care as a way to piss me off. You’re nothing to him and a senseless little girl if you thought otherwise.”
I swallow thickly as I stare into his familiar blue eyes, quickly noticing how deep the lines around his face have become over the years. He doesn’t blink or give any other hint that he’s lying through his teeth, and I hate even more that I wonder if his harshly spoken words could have any merit.
As much as I believe Luca cares for me now, I’m not naïve enough to pretend that there isn’t a chance he chose to only get close to me as a way to enrage his enemy.
Despite the pain, despite the fear, I meet his gaze with defiance. My voice doesn't falter as I speak, my resolve unwavering. “My refusal to do anything you ask has nothing to do with wanting to protect Luca or believing I mean anything to him.” I pause, spitting blood out of my mouth and onto the floor. “You did this, Titan. You are the reason I look at you and feel nothing. You left us. You’re the one that lied. You chose to bring me here as your prisoner and not your daughter. Whatever you think of me or whatever I am to you, it changes nothing.”
His grip on my hair tightens, trickles of pain moving from my scalp down my spine, but I manage not to even wince. Not when I know my words have hit their mark. Whatever mind fuck battle he wants to play…I’ve won this round.
His mouth forms into a hard line as he stares me down, but I’m not afraid of him. I don’t know why. It’s not even the same lack of fear I held toward Luca in the beginning.
With Luca, I’d been acting on grief and terror. With Titan, my feelings are built on fury. And if I’m meant to die here, there’s nothing I can do about that, but I won’t go down without a fight this time. A real fight and not just a calculated one based on wits and emotions.
I’m going to hold on to that hope within the darkness, and I’m going to show my father what he really is. A weak fool trying to be someone that he’ll never become—a man worth respecting or even fearing.
LUCA
Six Hours Earlier
The searing pain in my thigh is nothing compared to the adrenaline pumping through my veins and the overwhelming desire to snuff out the panic within me that can only be doused once I’ve returned to the apartment, ensuring Olivia's safety. Though, I know I can't ignore the bullet wound forever.
Blood drips behind me as I hobble into the elevator, my fingers trembling as I press the button for the fourth floor. Damon joins me just before the doors close, eyeing me with concern.
“You look like shit,” he states with little emotion in his tone. “You’re lucky the bullet went straight through.”
“And you’re a dick,” I retort, then glance down. “How do you know?”
He points to the front and back of my thigh. “You’re bleeding from both sides. You’d know that if you took two seconds to take care of yourself.”
“I only care that all those fuckers are dead and then getting back to Olivia.” I refuse to stop until I put eyes on her. She has to be scared shitless after hearing the mayhem from up there.
His lips tighten into a flat line. “Not all of them are dead.”
He's right. There's one man that we didn't find, the one responsible for putting a target on my back—Titan Moretti. His increased bounty on Olivia drew enemies like vultures, leading to the attack on my home that we’ve only just barely survived.
The elevator stops and the doors part, but before I’ve even taken a step, all the blood rushes from my head and I have to grip the bar next to me before I pass out.
“That door is never open, Damon,” I say through gritted teeth. That means someone has been up here who shouldn’t have been, and I will fucking kill whoever it was.
There’s a hidden panel in the wall on my floor, one that leads to a stairwell and exits out into the garage. It’s something very few people have known about over the years.
Damon is already moving, gun out and surveying the area. “Your apartment door is open.”
“Fuck,” I snarl, thrusting myself forward and ignoring the stabbing pain that shoots up through my body.
And the door isn't charred from the electrical security I activated before leaving, meaning someone entered with the code.
The only people who have that are Jaxon, Damon, Markus, and Vin. I know for damn sure it wasn’t Jaxon or Damon, but Markus or Vin? Who the fuck knows, but I’m going to find out.
Walking into the living room of my apartment, there aren’t any signs of a struggle, and I don’t hear Olivia, but still, I call out her name as my heart races.
The resounding silence has my fists tightening and jaw clenching as I struggle to breathe through the rage and pain circulating inside my body. Not only that but the fear. It’s been years since I’ve had a reason to be afraid. Though, I’m not afraid for myself. It’s the rest of the world that needs to be scared if I don’t find Olivia soon.
