Lie, page 22
He turned to me to kiss me goodbye. “I’ll see you soon.” He pulled me in close for a deep kiss before he turned to the door.
I grabbed his arm and yanked him into me again, gripping him hard as I buried my face in his neck, holding on to him so tight I wasn’t sure if I would let him go.
He stilled at my touch, his arms by his sides, but then he returned the embrace, his powerful arms wrapping around my back with one hand going to the back of my neck. He held me that way for a while, his breathing steady and even. He had no idea what he was about to walk into, what was about to happen.
I breathed hard against him, keeping my tears at bay because he couldn’t see them fall. How could I let this man go? But how could I intervene? It was the toughest decision of my life, and no matter what I did…I lost.
He kissed my temple before he pulled away.
I felt the life drain from my body as he moved, felt my heart break into several pieces.
He gave me one final look before he turned away and walked out.
I felt my body in scream in pain, felt the tears flood my eyes once he couldn’t see my face. I stood in the doorway and watched him walk away, that muscular man moving down the hallway and disappearing from my life forever.
But there was nothing I could do…nothing at all.
Fourteen
Heath
The armored truck pulled up to the building, and I stepped out with Steel and Ian in tow.
“You think he’ll try anything?” Steel had his backpack over one shoulder.
“No.” I took the lead, dreading the upcoming interaction. Catalina had complicated my life in ways I didn’t want to admit. Her hold on me was so strong that I couldn’t see clearly, especially when it came to Damien. “He knows I’ll kill him.”
The guards let me inside, and I descended to the production lab, seeing the men work like bees in a hive, ignoring my presence even though they knew I was there. I headed to the office, where the door was wide open like he was waiting for me.
I stepped inside and spotted the two bags of money on the floor. “Let’s try this again, shall we?”
Damien sat behind his desk, his expression just as cold as last time. Wordless, he just sat there, looking at me like he wanted nothing more than to slit my throat and watch me bleed all over his rug.
“Check it.” I faced him with my arms by my sides, listening to Steel and Ian move to the bags on the floor and check all that cash.
Damien’s hands lay in his lap, his elbows resting on the armrests on either side of his chair. He refused to speak to me, as if it was an act of defiance.
I held his stare with the same intensity, unafraid of his silent protest. The guys worked behind me, using all their tools to make sure Damien hadn’t slipped a tracking device inside or planted a bomb.
Steel zipped up the bag. “Mine is clean.” He picked up the bag and rose to his feet.
“Mine too.” Ian did the same.
My expression didn’t change. “Good job, Damien. You followed directions. You get a gold star.”
His skin flushed red like his anger had been provoked, but he still chose to stay silent, refused to speak to me.
“I’ll bring you a treat next time.” I walked out the doors first, my men following behind me. We made the long walk out of the production lab, up the several flights of stairs, and to the main entryway. The armored vehicle was visible at the curb through the glass doors.
Then my phone rang.
I pulled it out of my pocket and saw Catalina’s name on the screen. I almost didn’t answer it because I was in the middle of something, but after everything I’d said about making her my priority, I knew I had to take it. “Baby, I’m busy right now.”
She was crying.
I halted and raised my hand to Steel and Ian, telling them to stop. “What’s wrong?” I’d only see her cry once before, and that was after she was rescued from hell. She had a strong backbone and wouldn’t crumple like this unless she had real reason.
She spoke through her tears. “Damien has four snipers outside his building…they’re gonna shoot you once you leave.”
My heart started to beat hard once the imminent danger was evident. It was just the three of us and a few guys in the van, so we were outnumbered, like fish in a barrel. Damien had set me up—set me up good. But instead of worrying about that, I addressed what she’d said. “You said you wouldn’t tell me this.” She’d broken her promise, broken her own rules, to save my life.
She breathed hard into the phone, searching for a response to what I just said. She was quiet for twenty seconds. “Please don’t kill my brother…”
I stared out the main doors, the street deserted at this time of night. Steel stared at me as he realized something was wrong, that this hiccup in our plan was unusual. Now her behavior earlier that evening made sense, why she’d hugged me so hard on the doorstep. She’d known when I was inside her, known when we kissed and touched each other. She’d decided not to intervene…but then changed her mind.
“I saved your life. You owe me…”
If I were going to kill her brother, I would have done it already. “I have to go.” I hung up and slipped the phone into my pocket. I didn’t have the time to deal with her right now. Her message was received. Now I had to decide what to do.
Steel stared at me. “What?”
I kept my gaze out the doors. “We’ve been set up. There’re four snipers outside.”
Steel immediately pulled out his gun from his jeans, even though that wouldn’t do shit.
Ian dropped the bag of money. “What do we do?”
Our guns wouldn’t do anything, and I could call for backup but that would take too long. “Stay here.” I turned around and returned the way I came. I took the stairs two at a time, descended back into the lab, and spotted Damien speaking to his men, grinning like he’d already won the war.
I reached the floor and marched toward him.
When he realized I was there, he read the look on my face and immediately figured out his plan had backfired. He drew his gun.
I punched his wrist so it fell out of his hand. Then I pulled my gun and pushed the barrel against his skull, my fingers clicking off the safety and cocking the gun. My arm hooked around his neck and squeezed hard so there was no escape. “Shoot, and he dies.” I kept my eyes on Damien but addressed his men.
Damien fought against me, but he stopped when I pushed the metal barrel farther into his scalp.
“Come on.” I dragged him across the floor, forcing him to move with me. “You fucking piece of shit, I give you mercy, and this is what you do.”
He choked against my hold, dragging his feet.
I slammed the gun into his head and kept dragging. “Move, asshole.”
Blood dripped down his skull to his shoulder, but he obeyed, struggling to breathe.
I pulled him up the stairs and to the main floor where Steel and Ian waited for me. “Get the money. Let’s go.” I kicked the front doors opened and pushed Damien first, using him as my bulletproof vest. I yelled to the top of the next building, where I could see the shadows move as they aimed their guns. “Shoot, and he dies.” I kept him on the sidewalk, the space between the entrance and the armored vehicle. I kept him right in front of me so they couldn’t sneak a shot. “Tell your men to stand down.”
Damien stayed quiet.
I slammed the gun into his scalp again.
He grunted in pain then obeyed. He raised his hand, signaling to his men to drop their weapons.
Steel and Ian carried the bags to the truck and threw them into the back.
I pushed Damien to his knees, like I was going to execute him.
He stayed on one knee, blood dripping down onto his shirt. He looked up at me, breathing hard in both and rage.
My other men hopped out of the truck, their guns raised and aimed on Damien.
I felt the gun shake in my hand because I was tempted to pull the trigger, to snuff out his life forever. I’d given him the chance to put this behind us, and the motherfucker still resisted, pulled this stunt and almost got me.
He held my gaze, refusing to show fear even though he would only survive this because of a miracle.
A miracle called Catalina.
I hit the safety on my gun and stuffed it into the back of my jeans.
Damien couldn’t hide his surprise.
I kneeled down in front of him, bringing us to eye level. “I’m disappointed in you, Damien. Nothing will ever be the same now.”
Blood dripped down his temple and made tracks down his cheek.
“So, this is what we’re going to do. For the next three months, I’m taking all of your profits, every single euro. You’ll have to dip into your savings to pay your crew, so hopefully you’re prepared.”
He pressed his lips tightly together in anger, but he didn’t argue, probably because he was shocked he got to live.
“Understand?”
Silence.
“And I’m going to check, Damien. My fingers are gonna be up your ass looking for change.”
He still refused.
“Say yes.”
His nostrils flared.
“Say yes, asshole. Or I’ll do it.” I pulled out my gun.
He breathed hard, hating himself for what he had to do. But he knew this was his last chance, and he had to sacrifice his pride if he wanted to go home to his woman. “Yes…”
I smiled. “Good boy.” I patted him on the head like a dog and rose to my feet.
“That’s it?” James asked. He raised his pistol and aimed. “We need to kill this motherfucker.”
“It’s fine.” I turned away from Damien. “Get into the truck.”
James wouldn’t drop the gun. “Why does this asshole get so many—”
“Get. In. The. Fucking. Truck.” I stared at James, needing unflinching obedience right now.
James stared at me and lowered the gun.
“Get in.” I turned to the rest of the men.
But out of the corner of my eye, I saw James raise his gun again, his finger moving over the trigger.
I operated instinctively, not thinking about my actions until it was done. I raised my gun and pulled the trigger.
James staggered back, dropping his gun and gripping his arm where he’d been shot. “Fuck!”
I shot my own man and felt sick doing it. But I did it…for her. “When I give an order, you obey it. Get your fucking ass in the truck, and let’s go.” I watched the men obey this time, not even looking back at Damien.
I was the last one to go, but I stopped to turn back to Damien, to see him still on his knees on the sidewalk. It took all my strength not to do what James had been about to do, not to execute this motherfucker who had been a pain in my ass for nearly a year now.
Damien held my gaze, breathing hard like he was afraid I might change my mind.
But I finally shoved my gun into the back of my jeans and got in the truck.
And drove away.
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