Page 34 of Lies (Wicked Empire 1)

“Why are you here, Elias?”

Getting into a pissing match with my brother, while something that was familiar, was also something I wasn’t in the mood for. That conversation with Amethyst was still in my head, and I was annoyed that he had distracted me from it.

And more annoyed by what he wanted me to do.

“I talked to her. Made sure she understood how important it is that she maintain her silence,” I said.

“Talked to her?” he asked, looking at me like I had spouted a second head.

“Well, Elias, I couldn’t put two in the back of her head. That would have been more messy than necessary, don’t you think?”

“I think it would have eliminated the problem.”

“And created a bigger one. She’s the CEO’s daughter. That would make news. You don’t like being on the news,” I said.

He frowned but didn’t speak, which told me that he agreed.

Our father had been quite a fan of the limelight, and both of us had seen where that had gotten him.

“A fair point,” he finally conceded.

“Are you saying I’m right?” I asked, unwilling to let it go.

“What I’m saying is I take your point, and I’m trusting you to keep this under control. Don’t prove that I was mistaken to do so,” he said.

“I won’t,” I responded, suddenly serious.

Elias looked at me, then nodded. “Good,” he said.

His response, while short, practically a formality, left me pleased.

For years—my entire life, really—I had been trying to prove to my brother, my father, even to myself that I was an asset to the family.

Elias knew that, and though he never acknowledged it, and would certainly never do something like tell me I was doing a good job, it was nice to know he at least trusted me on this.

“Keep me updated on what’s happening,” Elias said.

“I will. There’s another shipment in a month, and we’ll go from there,” I said.

“How long do you plan to keep up this charade?” he asked, looking around the place.

I could see that he found it unsavory, and in a lot of ways, I agreed. I had sports jerseys, a signed baseball, a sixty-five inch television, and video game consoles in the living room.

It looked pure and all-American.

The exact opposite of what and who I was.

But it was necessary, a part of the ruse that I needed to maintain.

And though it chafed, being Josh Kelley gave me an opportunity to help my family and my business.

So it was worth it.

“As long as things continue running smoothly, I’ll stay in place. For now, I’ll make sure we get past this little bump and then reassess.”

“Do that. Hopefully, it won’t take too long. If you pretend to be someone else for long enough, you might start to believe it,” he said.

I understood what he was intimating, something he’d never said out loud. He worried about me. Worried that if I pretended to be Josh Kelley for too long, I’d lose myself.

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