Page 92 of Vengeful Lies

When I arrive at my parents’ mansion, she’s still passed out. I graze my knuckle along her cheek. I’d lost it tonight. Absolutely fucking lost it. And I know the reason why. It has everything to do with this woman sleeping so peacefully in my passenger seat. This woman who, without realizing it, settles my spiraling beast. When I see red, it’s very rare I’ll come out of it quickly or easily.

I leave the engine running so Jewel doesn’t get cold, and then I exit the car and walk up the stairs to my parent’s home. Before I knock, one of the security guards opens the door.

“Mr. Monti,” he says respectfully. “What brings you here so late in the evening?”

“Eli, is everything okay?” my mother asks, wrapping her silk robe around herself. It’s only midnight, so I know for a fact they’re still awake. Even if they weren’t, I don’t give a shit. “Why are you bleeding?” Her voice is laced with concern. Before she can step forward, my father peeks out from behind her with a gun in his hand.

“Son?” He puts the gun away.

“Where is Jewel?” she questions worriedly, glancing behind me. With the car’s tinted windows, she can’t see that Jewel is in there sleeping, but she’s probably guessed that’s where Jewel is because I’ve left the car running.

I look at my father then, still outraged about how he came into my home and threatened her earlier. “You ever come into my house and threaten me like that again?—”

“You what?!” my mother screeches, whipping her head around toward my father. He looks away, cursing under his breath. “You better not have threatened our son,” she warns. “So help me God.”

“I didn’t threaten Eli. I threatened to kill Jewel,” he clarifies. My mother smacks his shoulder.

“How dare you?” She turns back to me. “He won’t do that again because if he does… I’ll leave him.”

My father’s eyes widen in shock. “You would do no such thing. Don’t joke about that.”

“Why would you go to their home and threaten her? I like her.” Then, to me, she repeats, “I like her.” My mother doesn’t like many people. She likes to read them and assess them. I guess that’s part of being a criminal lawyer.

“I heard there was a hit on our son, and it might involve the woman he’s marrying,” Father explains.

“There’s a hit on you?” she asks worriedly.

“It’s been dealt with.” I grind my teeth. It’s not entirely true, but I have video footage with me right now to at least get my father to think of Jewel as my partner instead of my enemy. If they, for one second, are doubting Jewel’s position as my fiancée, I have evidence that should suffice. Not that I have to prove anything to them. But it’s a reminder to my dad that the woman I’ve chosen is equally as lethal as me. And if he targets her, there will be hell to pay.

I’ve fallen for my own lies and plan. It’s all gone to shit as I realize I’ll do everything in my power to make my temporary fiancée my permanent wife.

“Are you marrying her simply to take over?” my mother asks suspiciously. She speaks of grand love and unity. Months ago, I thought she was a liar. Now, I’m not so sure she was as delusional as I thought. She wants me to find love, and deep down, I’m certain my father wants the same, but it was the pressure of time being against me to take over and find someone quickly that strangled me. That and my aversion to marriage in its entirety. Until I mether.

“Even if I were, it shouldn’t matter since my father was trying to set me up in arranged marriages anyway.”

“I only suggested that with women I thought you might genuinely build a connection with,” my father grits out, and it’s strange to hear him say something so… emotionally involved?But I wonder if he’s just saying that because he’s in major shit with my mother now.

“I have something to show you.” I go to push past them, but then I hear the car door open behind me.

Jewel lazily rubs her eyes before realizing we’re not at my house.

“Why do you both have blood on you?” My mother asks expectantly. “Both of you come in and clean up. Have the bodies been taken care of?” She’s immediately in damage control mode, and I try not to laugh at her, the famed criminal lawyer, who immediately assumes her son has gone on a killing spree. But she’s not entirely wrong.

I offer my hand to Jewel, and she looks torn as to whether she should close the door, as if she never woke, or whether to silently obey. She chooses the latter. When she’s beside me, I clasp her hand with mine and pull her into the house.

“I have something to show you,” I announce, leading everyone into the living room. The fireplace is crackling, and both of their laptops are open on the coffee table. I assume they were both working. Semi-retired my ass. They just can’t help themselves.

“Hi, sweetie.” My mother pulls Jewel in for an awkwardly received hug. “I apologize for my husband and any unruly situation my son got you into tonight.”

“Unruly?” I ask, my eyebrows shooting up.

“Yes. Not everyone is used to this lifestyle,” she chastises. If only she knew about my fiancée’s line of work. Then again, I’m certain she’s about to see how much my wife isn’t to be trifled with. “Albert, bring out two sweaters for them, please. Both of you at least remove your shirts so we can burn them.”

“We were just about to go to bed,” my father grumbles in complaint.

I type a few things into my phone and set up the widescreen TV just as Albert brings in the sweaters. I slip my shirt off, used to this treatment; however, Jewel seems hesitant. And I know she has nothing under the loose sweatshirt. I stand in front of her, backing her into a corner so I can block her enough so she can change. She’s quick to do so. I’m positive my mother does this mostly because she doesn’t want blood on the furniture.

My father is leaning against the wall with a glass of whiskey. Jewel moves to sit on the sofa beside my mother, but I pull her onto my lap, where I sit in an armchair, and hit play on my phone. The footage was recorded from my car’s front camera, giving the perfect angle for the business I dealt with.

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