Page 59 of Twisted Lies

The dress was made for you.

Enjoy your big day. -R.

It has been years since I’ve seen my sister’s handwriting. My thumb rubs over the letters. “What did she say to you?” I say hoarsely. “Word for word.”

“Ah. Not too much, honestly. She seemed surprised to see me. She asked how the wedding planning was coming and asked if my fiancé was here. You’re scaring me. Who is she?”

My voice is hard. Deadly as I answer, “No one you need to concern yourself with. If you see her again, let me know immediately.” Walking around her, she grips my arm tightly, but I break free with ease.

“I want the truth.”

“I’m sorry, Lily, but there are some things I can’t give you. Tonight, the full truth is not one of them. All you need to know is to stay away from her. She won’t be an issue for much longer.”

“She means something to you. I could tell when you looked at the handwriting. Who is she?”

“Tonight’s not the night to start having insecurities,” I say coldly. Her hand smacks me across the face before I see it coming. I can feel the handprint forming on my face. Shoving her into the wall, I lean into her. Her eyes are pissed but not fearful.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

“Who is she?” she demands once more.

“Not what you think. I don’t answer to you. I don’t answer to anyone.”

“Well, you’re just prince charming.”

I grin at her words. “Something like that.”

“Don’t start writing romance novels. Who is she?”

“She’s my sister,” I admit, stepping away from her.

“Your…sister. I thought you only had Claire?”

“She’s our younger sister. We thought she had died in the explosion. We only found out…we only found out a couple of weeks ago.”

Realization passes over her facial features. “She was your shooter, wasn’t she?”

“Yes. Answering the door that night was a shocker. No one could know. She knows too much about Claire and me to risk it. I’ve been trying to find her quietly ever since, but she’s hiding.”

“Why was she here tonight? Is she following me?” she asks. “Why does she want you dead?”

“She’s not after you. She may use you to get to me, but you’re not her overall target. I have no idea what game she’s playing. The sooner I find her, the better. If you see her, get as far away as possible.” I pause for a moment. “There are lots of reasons why she may want me dead. I left her alone. She has the right to want my head.”

“What if I can help? I mean, we can use me as bait. She seems interested in me and has no idea I know. We could use that to our advantage.”

“No way in hell. We’re not using you as bait,” I bite out, appalled she would even think that’s a plan.

“It’s a good idea, and you know it.”

“No, it’s not. I won’t hear another word about it,” I hiss, reaching to open the door. Waving my hand out, she steps into the hall. “We have a party to get back to.”

“This conversation is not over,” she vows.

“It is,” I respond as we step down the first step. Our smiles slip in place as we get halfway down. No one will know what just happened or that it feels like my world has been once more thrown off the axle.

Leaving Lily, I find Claire and drag her away from prying ears.

“What? That was rather rude. How are we going to explain that?” Claire asks, shaking me off.

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