Page 168 of Under the Lies

Sayer’s wide, shaken eyes stare at me. Begging me to be smart, to not do anything rash or bold. There’s another threat with us tonight. And I know she’s right, know I should focus on Harlow, but I can’t think of anything past this fucker touching her.

A clean, crisp click pierces the air.

“I wouldn’t do that, Noah.” Harlow points a gun at Sayer. “Sam can just as easily snap her neck before you so much as blink.”

I freeze. My heart throbs in trepidation. Breathing shallowly.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Harlow wouldn’t shoot her sister, especially when she’s never seen Sayer as anything more than her rival.

Tread carefully, Kincaid. No longer is it me or The Underground or the damn ledger I’m worried about.

It’s her.

My siren.

Sayer.

“Harlow…” I try to coax her attention to me.

It doesn’t work.

She keeps her gaze and the gun trained on Sayer. “She’s my leverage. Has been all along.”

Sayer makes a muffled sound as she struggles to break free of Sam’s hold while I feel like my brain has short-circuited.

She’s my leverage. Has been all along.

Weights drop to the pit of my stomach.

“What’s wrong, Noah?” Harlow taunts. “You look a little shell-shocked.”

I glare at her. “What did you do.”

It’s not phrased as a question.

She clucks her tongue. “I’m disappointed. Aren’t you supposed to be one step ahead of everything? The all-seeing master?”

My hands clench, but I don’t say anything. She hasn’t lowered the gun from Sayer. Now isn’t the time to provoke her.

“Have I bested you?” She smirks. “You fell right into the trap.”

Sayer continues to struggle, her aggravation muffled by the hand still covering her mouth. She stares at her sister with a look I’ve never seen grace her emotional gray eyes. Sayer is far past angry.

“Quiet her, Sam. I’m not done talking.” Harlow taps her foot.

Sam tightens his hold and Sayer winces, but she doesn’t give either of them the satisfaction of crying out in pain.

“Now where was I. Oh! Right. You’re not as invincible as you think yourself to be, Noah. All I had to do was throw Sayer in your face and that’s all it took for you to revert back to when we were dating. Always watching my sister. So sick.” She spits the last word.

My jaw clenches as events snap into place. “You went to her apartment because you knew I’d go after her to learn where you went.”

“Ding-ding-ding, give the man a prize!” she shouts to the trees. “You became horribly predictable after that. I’m quite disappointed in you actually, Noah. I didn’t think you’d become so wrapped around my sister like you did. I thought you were better than that. Oh well.” She shrugs. “That just works better for me.”

She was animated as she talked, relishing in the fact that she one-upped me, but now it’s like someone has flipped a switch and she’s back to being serious.

I’m physically shaking, restraining myself the best I can.

“Give me The Underground or I’ll shoot your darling Sayer.”

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