Page 50 of Smoke and Mirrors

“Since when do you go behind my back and give orders to one of my men without telling me?” I yell.

She walks around her desk to stand in front of me.

“I checked every single person inside that apartment building before I moved in. I know her, she’s sweet, she’s beautiful—”

“You only found what she wanted you to find. She may be beautiful, but she’s a manipulator, and she works her way into men’s hearts only to break them, son. She can’t be trusted. She’s your next target… now do your duty.”

My eyebrows scrunch together so forcefully they must be joined as one, and I shake my head in confusion. “What do you mean, she’s my target? She can’t be my target, she’s a normal woman. There are no issues with her, Mom.”

She places her hands on my shoulders and sighs looking directly into my eyes. Her brown eyes are hard and look at me with no emotion. “Lily’s real dad died when she was little, and her dad is only her stepdad, but he adopted her, and she took his last name. Her real father was related to the Sinclair Syndicate, you know, the crime family who’s always on the evening news. Lily is still living within the Sinclair Syndicate.”

My heart pounds so fast I feel physically ill. Could Lily have been playing me all this time? Is she really one of the bad guys I’ve been fighting against for so long?

I’ve just trusted her with everything.

Who I am.

Who the Seven are.

Have I thrown my entire team under the bus for a woman I thought I could trust?

Have I been played?

“Here’s a folder with everything you need to know.” She leans over and picks up a dark-colored folder with the word ‘Confidential’ written in red across the top and bottom. Lily’s picture is in the middle on the front. She hands it to me.

“Fine, I’ll go now.” Grabbing the folder from her, my chest heaves at the thought that Lily is not who I thought she was.

“I know you like her. But don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment on this, Kace. Think about what your father would do.”

Gulping down hard, I think of Dad and how amazing he was at this very job. He always put his emotions aside. He was one of the best operatives in the field and never let emotion get in the way of his duty. I need to make him proud.

“He’d do what he had to do to protect the lives of the innocent. Fighting to bring down bad guys. No matter the cost.”

LILY

I’m getting ready for bed, and after the events of today, I’m really freaking tired. I just want to curl up in my bed with a good book and forget all about Kace goddamn Colt and his band of merry men for a moment, at least.

As the fresh mint floods my mouth, I brush my teeth thoroughly and spit out the foam, rinsing my mouth under the water. Walking through to my bedroom, I realize the glass on my side table is empty, so I pick it up and head out to the kitchen to refill it. The room is dark, but I don’t bother flicking on the lights. I know my layout well enough to dodge the furniture. My pajamas cling to me as I fill my glass and sigh. The water squeals and groans coming out of the tap. “Fucking taps,” I whisper as the clear liquid fills the glass. I turn off the tap, and it shudders making me roll my eyes in annoyance as I head back through the living room to my bedroom.

“Sit down, Lily.” A bellowing voice echoes through the dark living room scaring me half to death. My heart leaps into my throat, and I jump a foot off the ground dropping the glass of water. It cascades to the floor as I squeal in fright, colliding with the carpet spilling water all over my already stained carpet.

Breathing harshly, I turn to see Kace standing in the shadows against the wall with a stern face and taut muscles like he’s holding himself back.

“What the fuck? How did you get in here?” I ask, my voice cracking with the tension in the air.

He steps out of the shadows. A sliver of light shines through the window on his face from the street lamp outside, his face is hard and cold.

It frightens me.

“Sit down, Lily,” he reiterates.

Folding my arms over my chest, I stand a little taller. Even though I’m intimidated by him right now, I don’t want to show it. “You can’t tell me what to do!”

“Sit. Down!” he yells so loudly it feels like my eardrums vibrate with the sternness of his voice. It rattles me to my core. And as I swallow hard, my body reacts before I can think, and I sit down instantly on the nearby sofa. He takes a step back from me like he’s restraining himself at being near me or from coming to me, I’m not sure which.

“I trusted you. I shared my secrets with you. Risked the lives of others just because I thought I owed you that much. I gave you the truth. Now I deserve the fucking same.” His voice is raised, clipped, and harsh—he’s definitely angry. No, he’s furious, and as his muscles clench, the veins on his neck are pulsing with every frantic beat of his heart, which is only making my heart race violently within my chest.

I’ve only ever felt safe with Kace. But right now, he’s frightening me because I’ve never seen him as on edge as he is at this moment. And I have absolutely no idea why.

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