Page 24 of Deceptive Lies

A smile curled up one side of his mouth, transforming him from handsome to downright gorgeous. “I like the way you think.” When he sobered, a sense of dread curled in her stomach. “But I'm going to have to get back in there or he’s going to come looking for me.”

There was no way Willow wanted to say the words that had to pass her lips.

They made her feel ill.

They also left her in exactly the same position she’d been in before Cooper arrived if he decided to betray her.

But what choice did she have?

If she didn't, then the professor would come looking for Cooper, find the dead body, him holding her in his arms, andkill them both.

This was the only way they stood a chance.

With a sigh, Willow dropped her head to rest on Cooper’s broad shoulder, relieved that at least for now, she wasn't in this on her own. “He’s been keeping me in an underground cell. That’s where Darius was supposed to put me. If you take me out there, lock me in, hide the body, then it will give you time to get away. Then, in a few hours, you can come back and break me out. If you try to get me out now, he’ll notice, he’ll go look for me the second you leave, and I’m pretty sure he owns everyone on this street. We won’t get away.”

Because he was holding her in his arms, she felt his body tense when she mentioned the underground cell, and she hoped it was because he just didn't like the idea of anyone being locked up like that. Not because he intended to leave her there and wash his hands of her altogether.

Trust had always been hard for her after her father’s murder, but now, in these circumstances, it was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.

She was quite literally leaving her life in his hands.

If he came back for her, she would be rescued and could go home, write her piece, and bring down Professor Mahmoud and Allah’s Warriors.

If he didn't, then whatever punishment the professor doled out for her disobeying orders and trying to make contact with Cooper she would not survive.

There were no other options.

“Can you walk?” he asked as he lowered her feet to the ground but kept a steadying arm around her waist.

If he thought this last assault had wiped her out, he was mistaken. Willow would do whatever it took to survive, and she absolutely could summon the strength to walk herself back outside to her prison.

Cooper slung Darius’ body over his shoulders and followed her as she slipped out the front door and guided him around to the back. Her cell was unlocked, but he’d have to lock it to make this look believable. She had no idea how he was going to unlock it when he came back for her, but she was going to have to trust that he could find a way.

It took all her willpower to make herself jump back down into her cell instead of just making a run for it and hoping for the best.

There was every chance she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

“I’ll be back for you, I promise,” Cooper said, looking down at her from the edge of the hole.

Unable to form words, Willow merely nodded, then sucked in a breath as the trapdoor clunked closed.

This was it. She’d either found an ally who would help her escape, or she’d sealed her fate, she just wished she knew which it was so she could prepare herself.

Please come back, Cooper. Please don’t have lied to me.

Chapter

Seven

July 11th

7:52 P.M.

“I’m not leaving her behind,” Cooper growled the words into his comms as he stalked across the street toward his rental.

If Mahmoud was onto him, the man hadn't let on. When he’d strolled back into the kitchen like he owned the place after dumping the body of the man he’d killed at the back of the yard where he wouldn't be discovered until morning, he’d merely implied he’d taken longer than anticipated. The professor hadn't questioned it and after a brief talk where Cooper threatened to tear the older man apart with his bare hands if he found out he was lying, he’d walked out the front door.

Leaving the property felt like he was walking over broken glass.

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