Page 31 of Vengeful Lies

“Out on a job. Gave me a few hours to fly the coop,” Hope replies as she moves her next piece. Ford looks at it appreciatively.

Hawke gets killed on screen and loses his shit, throwing the controller. Billie chuckles, and he pounces on her within seconds.

“That’s not funny,” he growls playfully, tickling her ribs.

“Fuck off. You deserved that, asshole.” She laughs. My left eye twitches, and my last fucking nerve snaps.

I pull out my gun and shoot twice into the ceiling. Hawke and Billie break apart, and he’s covering her body with his within seconds. I bet any money that if Dutton were here, he’d fucking string Hawke up by his ears for even touching his sister.

“What the fuck, man?” Hawke snaps. The other two seem unaffected but look up from their game.

“Get the fuck out of my house,” I repeat as I grit my teeth.

“I don’t see what the problem is; you don’t usually care,” Hawke says, exasperated.

Ford begins packing up the portable chess table. “He’s always cared, genius; he just usually hides in his library to focus.”

“Get off me, you oaf,” Billie says, shoving Hawke off. He’s three times her size, yet she kicks him off with ease.

“That hurt my feelings,” Hawke says, rubbing his chest before turning back to me. “What, you got some big date or something?” he mumbles. I take a step to the side, pointing to the door. His eyes go wide.

“Do you?” he asks, now in total bewilderment.

“I don’t date.”

Billie mockingly says under her breath, “I don’t date. I fuck. Me, man.”

“You looking to leave in a body bag?” I ask her as she passes me.

She taps me on the shoulder with a smile. “Not unless you want to explain to our parents why you killed your sweetest cousin. Might not go down well at the funeral.”

I barely restrain a growl.

Ford ushers them all out. Hope is nice enough to thank me for my hospitality despite no invitation going out to anyone. It just so happened that once I was done with business and returned to my estate, the twins snuck off as I went into the library, and when I went to kick them out, somehow, the girls had joined them.

I stop Ford at the door, my hand hovering in front of his chest. In a low voice only he can hear, I ask, “They didn’t see the body, did they?”

I don’t usually make a mess in my house, but as circumstance would have it, we got a little careless with a newcomer from a motorcycle club in Boston who thought it would be a good idea to try and infiltrate us. Let’s just say he didn’t make it past the week.

“What body?” Ford asks, feigning ignorance.

I nod once and watch them as they leave. There’s no way in hell I want any of them here for what’s about to go down. I’m certain a beautiful and furious woman is about to attempt to rip me to shreds. And I can’t fucking wait.

CHAPTER 16

Jewel

His house is lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. I’m beyond ready to blow it up with how painfully welcoming it is, and I know it’s purely for me. Despite him technically inviting me, I refuse to waltz in like a guest. We’re anything but friendly.

I know the layout of this house; I made it my personal fucking mission. Now I just want to remind him, yet again, that I can break into his home anytime I want. I scan the usual spots, knowing well where the cameras are positioned and how not to set them off.

He’s always had security on the outside of his house; on the inside I get to wreak unchecked havoc. I wait until the security guard takes his cigarette break, and then I sneak in through the side garden, which is a minor blind spot. When I reach the door leading to the garden’s courtyard, I quickly pick the locks and sneak into the only room that doesn’t seem to be lit up.

“So that’s how…” I freeze at the voice and am caught red-handed by the light switch flicking on. Eli is leaning against the door frame. “I told you to use the front door.”

“I don’t give a shit what you told me,” I snap, crossing my arms over my chest.

He stands there, tilting his head and staring down at me through his eyelashes. I should just kill the motherfucker right now and be done with it, but how the fuck will I get my guns then? It would be satisfying, though.

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