Page 55 of Twisted Lies

At the thought of Lily being harmed or worse, killed, I slice another finger off. “I want all the information,” I hiss into his ear. His eyes widen at the pain and loss of blood. Slapping his face, I snap him back to reality. The last thing I need is him passing out. He continues to spill his guts. In the end, I keep my promise and end him quickly with a knife to the heart. Once he’s dead, I state coldly, “I want his head, heart, and hands removed. They are to be sent to each of the Families with the same note.”

“What’s the note to say, boss?” Chris asks.

“Next time you challenge me, it will be your part in a box. You started this war years ago. I have no problems finishing it.”

“I’ll see it done,” Antonio says.

“Good,” I nod, leaving the room. I’m covered in blood and want a shower before I see Lily. I’m sure she’s still pissed about what happened in the driveway. I wish we would have been able to have some time together after the wedding instead of dealing with this shit show. Walking upstairs, I use one of the guest bathrooms. Stepping into the shower, I ignore the change of water from clear to red. Lily will be pissed. I knew it from the change in her eyes in the driveway. The last thing I want to deal with is pissed off Lily, but knowing her, the longer I make her wait, the more upset she’ll become.

I know I overstepped. There were other ways I could have handled it. I was concerned over who was here. To survive in this world, one has to know when to step away. Lily is going to learn when to step away. I’ve dragged her into this and never told her when to step back. That was my fault. A fault that will need to be discussed quickly if more unexpected company is going to visit.

Once I dry off and redress, I step to the bedroom. She must sense me or have good timing because it swings open before I can open the door.

“What?” she demands, stomping her foot. I hold back my laughter. She’s cute when she’s mad. Not that I’ll tell her that ever.

“It was terrible timing. I’m sorry I had to take care of business so soon after the wedding.”

“That’s what you want to apologize for?”

“That’s the best you’re getting today. You won’t challenge me in public. It will cause issues for both of us. If they sense any weakness in me, we’ll both be on the chopping block,” I try to explain for the final time. I feel my temper rising. After dealing with the man in the basement, I’m not in the mood to deal with any more shit.

She moves to the side, permitting me in the room. “You were rude,” she says, shutting the door.

“I know. There will be times I won’t be able to explain things to you right away. I need you to be okay with that and to do what I ask, even if you don’t understand. If you can’t do that, I need to know.”

She’s silent for a moment, and I know she’s thinking of her answer. “I can try,” she says.

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you. This is new for both of us. I’ve taken you around them, but I never told you when to run. I need you to run if I tell you to. There will be no time to debate or discuss. It will be life or death. I can’t have your blood on my hands. I won’t.”

“I know,” she says, reaching up to kiss me. “I’m not going to just roll over because you ask. There needs to be a happy medium.”

“We’ll find it. It will take time. There will be times you need to trust me when I ask you to do something. Earlier was one of those times.”

She looks unconvinced. “What happened?” she asks.

“One of the Families sent someone to dig, and end me if they lucked out.”

“What did you do?” she asks, no judgment in her voice.

“I took care of the problem,” I answer, unwilling to give her any more information. She doesn’t need the details, and the less she knows, the better.

After a moment, she nods. “I understand.” She leads me to the bed and lays next to me. “You need to trust me.”

“I do,” I answer, and hope she hears the truth. Her head moves to my chest. A few moments later, I get the text from Chris that the packages have been sent. It’s only a matter of time before I get a response. I won’t allow them to take anything from me again. I’ll take them all to hell with me first.

ChapterTwenty

ELIJAH

Iwake knowing today is the day everything I’ve been waiting for will be mine. I sense Dad’s presence here more than in the past. As if he has returned just for today, after which, I will have something to pass onto my children. As soon as the ceremony ends, people will come from out from the woodwork. I will have favors to make, but it’s all worth it. My only concern is Rebecca, if she would show herself and ruin the process. I still haven’t received word from Andre. If we had eyes on her, I would feel slightly better.

Tying my tie, I stare into the mirror, trying to see into what little soul I have left. The black and white suit is pressed to perfection. Not a hair out of place, and my shoes are shined. Everything is perfect from everyone else’s perspective.

“Looking good,” Lily states, entering the room. I grin, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

“Thank you,” I answer. I exhale.

“You’re nervous?” she asks, sitting on the bed.

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