Page 92 of Cunning Lies
He exits to the balcony, locking the door behind him. Out of desperation, out of the sheer will to fight, to do anything so that I know that hefeelssomething for me, I bang on the door, screaming at the top of my lungs. Kenzo ignores me. He grips the railing, staring out at the city.
He’s going to leave me alone. Just like my parents.
Maybe he’s right.
Maybe my uncle did something terrible like that. To someone else. Not me. He could never do that to me.
But even if Kenzo is right, Uncle Jay is still here, still by my side, and that says more to me than anything else. Kenzo can’t even finish an argument with me.
By the time the balcony door opens, most of the ceramic in the hallway is gone, but the living room is a mess. I refuse to help him clean up his tantrum.
But Kenzo doesn’t even see the broken remains of our fight. His eyes are so focused on me, my throat constricts. A light shimmers through his gaze. Maybe it’s hope. I cling to that possibility desperately.
“I have proof, Vi,” he says, his voice gravelly, but calm, like he’s been practicing these words. “You don’t believe me, but I have it on my phone. I recorded the whole thing.”
My insides churn with fury. I want to tell him that recording like that is illegal. That it’s an invasion of privacy. That Jay—my uncle—could have been lying to Kenzojustto create a superficial bond. I want to tell him that what happened in the past doesn’t matter, because all we have is right now.Thismoment.
And I choose family.
Uncle Jay has never left me.That’sloyalty. I don’t need to hear Kenzo’s recording. It’s just another one of his games.
“Go to hell,” I say. I spin around and walk toward one of the guest rooms. I may be locked inside of this penthouse, but I refuse to indulge in this conversation.
“Listen to me,” he commands. Chills run through me. His tone is so different from the carefree, playful Kenzo that I walked down the aisle with. That switch of personality runs through him, and I know, no matter what happens, this side—this dangerous side—will always be there, waiting for me.
Because I keep letting him in.
“I can’t keep letting you or Jay do this,” he says, his voice loud but steady, like he knows he needs to stay calm in order to keep me still. “I’ve been keeping everyone off of his back, and yours, promising that I’ll take care of this, but I can’t let you or him fuck us over forever. If you bring him in, we can get through this together, but we have to do somethingnow,Vivian. If we don’t, I’ll have to get the rest of the family involved. It’s not just about us anymore.”
Vivian.He says my full name like he has some sort of authority over me. Like he thinks he can control me.
“Stop pretending like you care,” I say, spinning around. “You’re nothing but a jealous idiot who is so fucking broken, you want to break down the only bit of hope I have left.” I cross my arms over my chest. “And I refuse, Kenzo. I’m not going to be that broken girl to you anymore.”
But suddenly, I’m in that backseat. Waiting for my parents to come back. Waiting for someone to save me.
You’re not supposed to be here,Uncle Jay said.
Kenzo’s jaw tightens. “I’m trying to warn you, Vi.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
I reach for the open door to the guest room. He clicks a button on his phone and I spin around. He’s holding his device to his ear, and I know what that means.
“You made a promise,” I say, reminding him that he said he would never touch Uncle Jay. Promises matter to Kenzo. I have to hold on to that.
Kenzo glares at me, but doesn’t acknowledge what I said. He turns to his phone.
“Capture him,” he says.
CHAPTER29
KENZO
The next morning,Ronin is silent as we go up the elevator to the penthouse. I use my phone to unlock the door, but before I twist the knob, I turn to him.
“I’ll get you a key,” I say.
We’ve had our fair share of problems, but lately, I’m too tired to even think about why I shouldn’t trust Ronin. The yubitsume may be a scam, but cutting off your finger is an enormous commitment to a scam.
