Page 35 of Little Horrors & Deceptions

Liam's expression flickered, a mix of surprise and pain twisting his features. He took a step closer, his hands raised slightly.

“Jade, I—” He paused, shaking his head. Taking back the words he was about to say. “I don't hurt innocent people.”

I laughed, a hollow sound that echoed off the mirrors surrounding us. “But I'm not innocent, am I? I’ve been lying to you this whole time. I’m a fed, Liam.”

“Like you said, we both had secrets. You’re innocent in all of this. I’m only after the Croixes. I’ve only ever been after them. I would never hurt you.” His eyes only held sincerity.

I licked my dry lips, tasting the salt of my tears. “Oli.”

“What?”

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry as I made the decision to tell him everything. “Olivia is my real name,” I said, the word feeling foreign on my tongue after so long. “But everyone calls me Oli.”

“Oli,” he repeated, testing it. It sounded different in his voice, deadly and alluring all at once. I nodded, fighting the urge to close the distance between us. “Why are you telling me this?” he asked.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself and lowering the gun. “Because I think I have a better plan.”

Chapter 20

Liam O'Connor

The gun in Olivia’s hand glinted in the distorted reflections surrounding us. My heart raced as I watched her, trying to decipher her next move. She lowered the weapon, her piercing blue eyes never leaving mine. With a fluid motion, she tucked it into the small holster on her pants.

She took a step closer, her reflection multiplying around us. She smirked, with a venomous glint in her eyes. “I think we both have some explaining to do.”

The federal agent I'd been falling for obviously wasn't who she seemed. But then again, neither was I.

“What the hell is happening here?” I muttered, more to myself than to her. I swallowed hard, the walls of mirrors closing in around us. What game were we playing now? “What do you mean you have a different plan?” I asked, my body still tense.

Oli’s reflection flickered in the mirrors surrounding us, her blue-fire eyes piercing through the dim light. She stepped closer, her scent of soft strawberries filling my senses.

“Have you ever heard of the executioner?” she asked, her tone casual but her gaze intense.

The executioner. Of course I'd heard of him. You’d have to live under a rock not to. I forced my face to remain neutral. “The vigilante killer? Yeah, it's been on the news. I'm on his side by the way. The people he's killed deserved it after all the things they’d gotten away with.”

Oli's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. It was both alluring and terrifying. “What if I told you there's more to that story?”

I leaned against one of the mirror walls, trying to appear nonchalant. “I'm listening.” As Oli began to speak, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd severely underestimated this woman. And whether that would be my downfall or my salvation.

“The executioner is the case I've been on as a fed,” she said. “But with all the evidence here, I could help you. We could help each other. We could link you to everything, I could close the case, and then you can disappear afterward.”

My brow crinkled in confusion. What the hell was she proposing? Adrenaline coursed through my veins. This was either the best thing that had ever happened to me or a trap that would end everything.

“You want to... help me?” I asked, trying to keep the disbelief out of my voice. I struggled to process her words. Could I trust her? Moments ago, I wanted to spill my guts to her, tell her how I’d fallen in love with her, but was this all some elaborate setup about to come crashing down around me? I narrowed my eyes, studying her face for any sign of deception. My mind raced, trying to piece together her plan.

“But how does that help you?” I asked, my voice low and cautious. “You'd close the executioner case, but when the killer strikes again, it would raise suspicions. The case would reopen.”Olivia's eyes locked onto mine, a wicked glint sparking within them. She took another step closer.

“Not if the killer changes their MO,” she whispered, her voice laced with a lethal edge. My eyes widened as the implications of her words hit me. No, she couldn’t be… could she? A mix of fear and exhilaration coursed through me.

I swallowed hard. “You mean…?” Oli’s lips curved into a knowing smirk, her proximity intoxicating. The maze of mirrors seemed to close in, reflecting her siren-eyed expression infinitely around me in every direction. Was this brilliant, fierce woman really suggesting what I thought she was? The possibility was both terrifying and thrilling.

“I'm the executioner, Liam,” Oli whispered, her breath hot against my ear. I hadn't realized how close she'd gotten. The mirrors played tricks, distorting my perception. Her hand cupped my cheek, fingers cool against my flushed skin. Our eyes locked, and I saw a storm of emotions in her gaze. “And I want to make them pay for all the things they did to you.”

Everything clicked into place, a dizzying rush of realization hit me. “Marco,” I breathed. “You killed him. To connect this place to the case.”

She nodded, a small, dangerous smile playing on her lips. “Originally, I killed him because I wanted to connect the executioner to you. I figured out you were a murderer, and I could close the case. Before I came here, my boss had taken me off it, and I didn’t trust the possibility of another agent coming along and figuring out that it was me all along. I could’ve done that—closed the case, pinned it on you, and then changed my MO, continued saving those that needed protecting. But then I realized that you”—her lip trembled—“needed protecting… and the feelings I had for you—” Her voice broke. “I couldn’t do it. But then I realized my plan could still work—we could both make it out of this, but I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

This woman—cunning, sexy, wicked—was offering me everything I’d ever wanted. Vengeance. Justice. Freedom… Her. But the sting of her near betrayal cut deep, like a dull blade dragging over a wound that hadn't healed. She’d considered pinning it all on me, lying to my face. My chest tightened for a split second, but then it faded because she hadn’t done it. She didn’t betray me. She couldn’t. She cared for me just as deeply as I cared for her. It was written all over her face. She was willing to risk it all—her job, her life, her role as the executioner—all because she couldn’t hurt me, wouldn’t hurt me. She’d thrown away everything for me, exposing herself in a way that could have ruined us both, and yet here we were.

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