Page 41 of Twisted Lies

“No. I’ve worked too hard to be concerned. This is where I was born to be. I always knew I would be back. I thought it would be sooner.”

“Do you think I can do this?” I ask, my nerves getting the best of me, and I bite my lower lip.

“Of course. Worst case I just shoot them all and run all the territories.”

Now I laugh. “Always good to have Plan B.”

“I have plans all the way to Z. Everything will be fine.” I’ve noticed he’s been inching closer on the bed. If I were to turn to my side, I would be face to face with him. My body almost turns that way. I have to slap myself mentally. No more sex. It would only complicate things. His fingers drift over the thin fabric of my top before slowly lifting the bottom edge to touch bare skin. My resolve melts away as I give a gasp of longing.

“We still have hours till sunrise. We can fill them doing more fun things than dreading.”

“Good point,” I respond breathlessly. His fingers move over my skin, causing a fire that only he can put out.

Gradually, his hand slips beneath my pants and inches toward my warmth. He slips in easily. Closing my eyes, I allow the sensations to take over. My hands move at their own accord, and I pull his lips to my own. “I like your plan,” I whisper against his lips, smiling. His lips move over my skin, making me forgot words. Hours fade away as our limbs become one and the words disappear, leaving just us.

ChapterFifteen

LILY

Iknow we’re getting close to our destination by the growing tension in Elijah’s shoulders. We started the ride in what could be described as a civil conversation for us only to slowly dissolve into silence. The driver stares straight ahead, as if in fear of turning around and pissing off Elijah. I don’t blame him. He seems ready to snap at the slightest issue. He’s making me more nervous by the second. He’s lost in his thoughts, and I fear to bring him out will do more damage than letting him simply run through what he needs to. Two of Elijah’s men follow behind. I had met both Chris and Antonio before with Connor, but never would have guessed they were working for Elijah.

After an hour’s drive, we take a right and start down a long concrete driveway. It seems to go on for miles. “Do they live here full time?” I can’t help but ask, staring out the window.

“No. Not full time. Ninety-five percent of the time, they are in the city. This they use for special events, ceremonies, and the like. It’s more private for those purposes.”

“Lot of land,” I state, trying not to imagine how many bodies are buried here.

“Yes. I’ve only been here one other time. Years ago. My father took me with him when I was fourteen. That night was a learning experience.”

“What happened?” I ask.

“I saw first-hand what happens when you betray the Families,” he says, allowing my mind to think of the worst possible things and knowing it is probably a whole lot worse. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he says, forcing me to look at him. He stares into my eyes, and I feel something twist in me, breaking free.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I say in a child-like voice, and I want to yank it back, remembering all the times my parents said something similar.

“I never make promises I can’t keep,” he says in such a way that I believe him. I don’t know why, but I do. Something catches his eye, and he peers over my shoulder. Turning my head to the side, I see the mansion. It seems to go on forever in all directions, as well as toward the sky. Lights shine through all the windows, almost blinding as we pull up front. A man in dark clothes comes down the steps to open the car door for us before leading us up the stairs and repeating the same action with the front door.

I regret not grilling Elijah more during the trip. His hand rests against my lower back as he pushes me forward into the chatter of the room. I had expected them to stop speaking once we entered, if for no other reason than to see Elijah alive. But it seems not to faze any of them. They all continue to hold their drinks and speak amongst themselves as we move through the room. I feel eyes on my back as we pass, but don’t dare turn around. Any tension or nerves that I noticed from Elijah are long gone. If I had not been in the car with him, I would not have believed my own words.

Moving through the room, I glance around. I was worried earlier that I would be overdressed, but it appears I had nothing to worry about. Everyone is dressed to the nines. My blue cocktail dress fits in nicely with the other women. Elijah looks like the other men in suits. At least their feet won’t hurt after wearing heels the whole night.

I follow Elijah’s lead as we move through the room. It seems as if he already has a destination in mind. He slows down slightly as we near a group of men. Two are young and appear to be close to our age. The younger of the two appears to hold himself to the side while the other stands near one of the older men. They look alike, and I assume they are related. The two other men are older but still appear to be in good shape. All their eyes watch as we move closer, as if they are hawks, and we’re the mice. I want to turn around and run. My instincts scream at me to, but I move forward, Elijah’s promise echoing in my mind. His hand does not inch from its position on my back.

Stepping in their inner circle, Elijah nods before giving me a slight nudge forward. “May I present my bride-to-be, Lily. Lily, this is Gian Marino, his son Luca. Nikola Costa, Daniel Ferrari.” He goes on to name more men, and I try to keep up. Each man nods their greeting, signaling which name belongs to which man. They all look me up and down as if trying to determine if I am worthy of being in their presence. Elijah tenses as he turns to look at the last man. This is the one who is closest to our age.

“Lily, this is Logan Regio,” he says, his teeth practically clenching at the name.This is Alex’s brother.Their father was the one who had Elijah’s father killed and played the most significant role in ruining their lives. Claire had said I would meet him. She had also said not to discuss her being with Alex. There are way too many things to try and remember, I worry I will say or do something wrong, and we will all end up buried on the property.

“Lily. It’s a pleasure. What did you do in a past life to get entangled with our lot?” Logan asks, grinning. I blink a few times, distracted by his smile. He is a gorgeous man when he smiles. He doesn’t look like Alex at all. Where Alex has blond hair, Logan’s is dark. There is nothing in either of their faces to say they are brothers. One could forget what he is with that grin. He appears more youthful and almost harmless. It catches me off guard. He’s not my type, but Elijah has been my only type since I met him, to be fair. I hate him for that. It’s like he’s buried into my skin, and I can’t get him out. I can still appreciate a good-looking man. And Logan was that to a tee.

My brain manages to stop firing on all cylinders, and I remember English to respond to his question. “Oh, this and that. Nothing moral, I’m sure.” They all laugh at my words and seem to give slight nods or looks at Elijah. I hope that means I’ve passed half the first test. Elijah laughs. I sense him looking down at me, and I glance up as he bends down and kisses my head tenderly. I almost forget this is all a lie for a moment.

“You both are empty handed. I can’t have that at my event. Go find yourself a drink, and then we can get to know Lily better,” Nikola Costa says, waving in the direction of the large bar. Once more, Elijah gently moves me to the side, and we walk toward the bar.

“How’s it going?” I whisper.

“Well, we’re still breathing. That’s a good sign. Only a few hours, and we’ll get out of here.”

“Are you surprised we’re alive?” I ask.

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