Page 13 of Mischievous Lies

He’s been a little off lately, and I don’t know why, but I think it might have something to do with Ford and everything that went down with the poisoning. But I haven’t asked because it’s not how Hawke and I are. We don’t have deep conversations. More precisely, we can’t converse without sniping at one another or trying to rile one another up.

Like he can feel me watching him, Hawke looks up, his eyes landing directly on me, and he smiles. I slip back into the darkness of my room. I prefer to work in the dark with my multiple screens. But right now, it makes me feel like I’m hiding from him. It doesn’t make me any less curious about the asshole and what he gets up to in his spare time when he’s not beingso… Hawke. I wonder if he has deeper layers. Or is this arrogant, cocky prick all that he is?

It grates on me that I’m curious because once something’s grabbed my attention, I can’t help but drill down until I get to the bottom of it. Whatever this thing between Hawke and me is, I’ve purposely avoided looking into it for years because I know nothing good will come of it.

Except, of course, orgasms. Which, in my opinion, is never a bad thing. But since our one and only time together, I’ve always held myself back, uncertain as to why and unwilling to explore it further.

I upload the task for my job and then decide to get dressed. Once they have it, I should receive payment, and I suddenly feel like I need to go on a shopping spree. There’s nothing better than a woman with her own paycheck, purchasing all the brands she loves.

CHAPTER 9

Hawke

Even as Ford tried to act all calm and collected earlier, the moment he walked out of the house, I knew something was off. I always know. Now, my heart is pounding rapidly, adrenaline is coursing through my veins, and I have a live update of his car as Ivy tracks him for me. It’s come to a dead stop.

I don’t know why, but I’m feeling a sense of impending doom, and it has me sliding all over the dirt roads, if that’s even what they can be considered. They’re more like trails that lead me out into the middle of fucking nowhere. I end up at an ominous location that can only mean one thing—something underhanded is going on.

Ford tells me everything. We do everything together. But I’m totally in the dark about whatever situation he’s walked into here.

I bring my car to a screeching halt when I spot his car. There’s another vehicle that I don’t recognize parked nearby. I send a photo of the license plate to Ivy to have her trace it for me, but I don’t even need her response when a woman runs frantically toward me.

I raise my gun in her direction. I’ve never killed a woman and never will. It’s a rule, Ford, and I never break. We might be street rats, violent good-for-nothings that were sharpened into weapons, but we do have some standards.

She seems surprised to see me, but then her expression changes to one of calculation. “Well, well. I didn’t think you’d get here so soon.”

My brow furrows. I’ve seen her somewhere before, but I can’t recall where. Was it a job Ford and I had? She doesn’t look sane, and there’s a crackle of energy around her that I don’t particularly like.

“Where is he?” I demand. I know she has something to do with all of this.

“Dead,” she says with wide eyes and a cruel smile.

Everything stops. All sound. My breathing. Comprehension.

My brother… my twin. My everything.

Dead.

No, that can’t be right. My mind begins to spiral as graphic images assault my brain. We’ve killed so many people together… Ford is invincible. I’m meant to protect him. We protect each other… We…

The woman whips out a gun and points it at me. I want her to take me out. If there’s no him, what’s the point of me being here? But he wouldn’t be taken out so easily… I won’t believe it.

My finger pulls the trigger at the same time hers does. Two shots. Only one that hits its mark.

I can hear my heart pounding after the ringing of the shots fades. Blood seeps from a hole between her brows, and the force of the bullet hitting her has her reeling backward.

I know, right in this moment, I can never come back from this. I feel my demons invade me. It was only ever men we hurt. Cruel men, unhinged men, and sometimes innocent men. But never women or children… Never…

But now…

I want to take it back, but I can’t.

My feet move before rational thought kicks back in.

The woman might be dead, but she’s taken something from me. Something I can’t get back and don’t entirely understand. I’m running in the direction she came from, searching for my brother, ignoring the crippling reality that I’ve well and truly become a monster. And not one I can embrace. An ugly, disgusting thing that once vowed never to hurt something as precious as a woman.

I couldn’t save my mother… even when I resented her the most. But I would never hurt her… Never…

I can hardly breathe by the time I stumble across the doors built into the middle of a grass plain. My harrowing thoughts focus again. My brother. Ford. Please don’t be dead.

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