Page 16 of The Perfect Lie
“You don’t understand, Kenzi. Davian once loved Gwen. Do you know why Davian hasn’t been here for two days? He’s been staying at the Four Seasons with her. Granted, he said they were in separate rooms, but the fact that he is there means he still has feelings for her.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. There has to be a reason Davian is there. Did he tell you?”
Davian did tell me, but I wasn’t sure how much information I should share with her. She was my best friend, so why shouldn’t I tell her? “He wanted to find out more information about where she has been and why she was back in Atlanta. I guess my father was with her.” Taking a deep breath, I spilled my guts even further. “A couple of days ago, I went down to the computer room. All the guys were gathered around Patton’s computer, staring at the screen. I could hear their conversation and learned that the photo they were focused on was of Gwen and Rui Salko together. When I asked Davian about Gwen being his fiancée, he didn’t say a word. But I knew she was by how he looked. There was so much pain in his eyes, like he had been betrayed. Davian must have thought I was out of earshot, but I wasn’t. As I was leaving, I heard him say that Salko was a dead man.”
“Oh, my God, Reyna. I had no idea you were going through this. You should have told me.” Kenzi was right. I should have told her. After spilling everything to her, Kenzi wrapped her arms around me and all the emotions from the past week poured out.
When I had no tears left in me, I realized telling Kenzi everything I knew was irrelevant, especially since I knew in my heart Davian would go back to Gwen. I pulled away from her embrace. “Thank you for listening to me.” Even with Kenzi's support, I still felt insecure about where Davian and I stood. If only he would return so that we could talk.
Another knock came at the door. Wiping my hands across my face, I stood from the bed and walked to the door. When I pulled the door open, Axe was on the other side. Remembering what he told me about Kenzi, I realized I completely forgot to tell her about our conversation in the alleyway. I wondered if he thought he was the reason we were holed up in my bedroom. Looking up his six-foot-four wall of muscles just to meet his eyes, I asked, “Is something wrong?”
Leaning to the side so he could get a full view of the bedroom, his eyes fell on Kenzi, who was still sitting on the bed. “I just thought maybe you two would like to get out of here. I got the okay from Davian to take you little ladies for a drive.”
If I didn’t feel like the wind had been taken from my sails, I would have jumped up and down for joy. Kenzi, on the other hand, was at my side showcasing her excitement. “I could kiss you, Axe.”
Axe was a great guy, that was for sure. His cheeks reddened with embarrassment at Kenzi’s comment. “How about you save that for later when I can properly take you out on a date?”
A grin overtook Axe’s features. His smile brought an immediate softening to his features—definitely a panty wetter. What a comeback. Kenzi, for the first time, was left speechless.
∞
Axe instructed us to take the back seat of the SUV since it provided the best protection given that the windows were dark and blocked the ability to see inside the vehicle. I didn’t care where we sat. I was just glad that we could get away from the warehouse, even if it was only for an hour per Davian’s instructions. When the large door lifted and we drove outside the warehouse, already I felt the freedom of being couped up for so long. I pressed the button to lower the window, but the window wouldn’t budge. Catching Axe’s eyes in the review mirror, I smiled and asked. “Axe, can you unlock the back window, please?”
“Sorry, no can do, little lady.” Axe began as he turned the wheel to make a sharp left. “Davian gave explicit instructions that you were to remain hidden behind the dark window, and under no circumstances was I to allow you to leave the SUV.”
Of course he did.I was well aware of Davian’s rules. Rules that satisfied his need to protect me. Feeling smothered was an understatement. Based on our last conversation, he was more interested in entertaining Gwen than me.Was granting me a measly hour to leave the warehouse his way of making up for his absence?I thought not.
Fifteen minutes into the ride, I felt Kenzi grab my hand and squeeze it. I turned my head from the dark window to faced her. “You are a million miles away, Reyna. Did you hear what I said?”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t stop thinking about Gwen and Davian. What was it that you said?”
“I said, maybe we could talk Axe into letting us have lunch at Carl’s. God, what I wouldn’t give to have one of their signature hamburgers.”
Axe must have heard what Kenzi said because he looked at both of us through the rearview mirror. “I think that could be arranged.” He must have really liked her. At least more than me.
“I thought we weren’t allowed to leave the car?” I pointed out. Based on Davian’s instructions, we weren’t allowed to leave the car.
“That is correct, but it isn’t to say that I can’t get lunch to go.”
Twenty minutes later, we were digging our teeth into the best hamburger on earth. Axe allowed us to enjoy our meal at Woodruff Park. Looking back, I remembered the afternoons I spent studying at this very park. How I missed my study group. I knew the rules, and I wasn’t sure what got into me, but I swung open the SUV door and ran from the parking lot to the park. All I wanted was to smell the grass and feel the wind against my skin.To be free.It was going on three weeks that I had been confined to the warehouse. It felt like every day there, I would lose a part of who I was.
Once I reached the grassed area of the park, I noticed a street band playing reggae music. Twirling around without a care in the world, I began to sway with the music. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I had enjoyed the park performers. My window of freedom closed when a firm hand grabbed my arm. The way Axe had a hold of my arm, he was really pissed at me for leaving the SUV. When I turned to apologize, it wasn’t Axe holding me in place. “What the hell are you doing out here, Reyna, in the fucking open? Do you not know how to follow my instructions?”
I should have been angry for how he talked to me, but all I could do was stare at him. He looked terrible, as though he hadn’t slept. My concern for his appearance lasted for about a second before I laid into him. “Why the hell do you care? Why don’t you go back to Gwen?”
Forcing my body against his, he pressed his lips to mine. No matter how badly I wanted to escape his hold, my body wouldn’t move. Leaving me speechless, Davian broke the kiss and placed his hand on my cheek. “There is no other woman I want but you.”
~11~
Davian
I should have been angry with Reyna for pulling such a stupid stunt, but damn if it didn’t feel good to hold her in my arms—to feel her sweet lips against mine. The minute the SUV stopped at Carl’s and then at Woodruff Park, I knew something was up. There was a reason all of the Cross vehicles were equipped with state-of-the-art tracking devices. I knew Reyna well enough to know that she wouldn’t follow my instructions. Axe was a softy when it came to women. If I had to guess, Reyna and Kenzi talked him into getting a burger at Carl’s and then going to the park to have lunch. I was onto their little plan and already following them when they left Carl’s. If Patton hadn’t suggested leaving the Mercedes with me at the Four Seasons and catching a ride with Axe, I couldn’t even imagine what could have happened.
As we walked toward my car, Reyna remained silent until I opened the passenger door to my Mercedes. “Where are we going?”
When she was safely inside the car, I lifted her chin until her eyes met mine. “Stay put, Reyna.”
Without acknowledging her question, I closed the door and walked over to the SUV, parked two spaces down from my car. Axe was already rolling down the window as I stepped up to the driver’s door. “Take Kenzi back to the warehouse. Reyna is coming with me.”
