Possessed by Lies (Truth or Lies Book 5) Read online

  Archard looks at Kai. “And as you haven’t been able to find any family ties left, you will need to have a child of your own to have an heir.”

  Kai flinches as Archard says she will need to get pregnant. She can’t, you asshole. But I don’t speak the words out loud because I don’t want to hurt Kai.

  “You both have one year to figure out your heir.”

  “And what if neither of us can find an heir?” I ask.

  “Then it will go to a team vote. The men and women who work for you can decide if they will allow you to select heirs not blood-related, or if they would like to select new competitors outside of either of your families to compete in the games to become their leaders.”

  “Why do we need blood heirs?” Kai asks.

  “I can’t answer that yet. Your questions will be answered at the final game.”

  Kai looks like she wants to kill Archard. I agree, but don’t act. As soon as the final game is over, I plan on killing him.

  Archard starts walking toward the door. “I’ve explained everything for now. For the next year, or until you have both named heirs, you will continue to make decisions about the organization together. And remember you both have to produce separate heirs.”

  And then we are alone again.

  “Well, I guess that decides it. Felix will rule,” I say, kissing her neck again.

  She tenses. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because the only child I plan on having is with you. And since the only way we will have a child together is adoption, and therefore won’t be blood related to either of us, we will have to give the company up.”

  “You can’t do that. This is your life.”

  “No, you’re my life.” I kiss her hard on the lips, planning on showing her just how much my words are true.

  “Enzo, I need to tell you something.”

  I sit back, waiting for her to talk.

  But before she can speak, there is another knock at the door.

  “I hope you are both decent because Langston and I are coming in,” Liesel says.

  Kai’s face goes pale, but she quickly shakes it off.

  “We will talk later,” I say, kissing her lips.

  But from the worried look on her face, whatever she was planning on talking to me about is important.

  20

  KAI

  I’M GOING to tell Enzo about the baby. He needs to know. It’s the only way to make the right decision. All I know is my child can’t be the heir. I won’t let any child of mine go through this pain.

  But Enzo needs to find an heir. We can’t let Felix have this kind of power.

  I open my mouth several times to tell Enzo I’m pregnant as Liesel, Langston, Enzo, and I talk. But it doesn’t seem like the right moment, to tell him that he’s going to be a father in front of them. Or he’s going to be an uncle. I don’t know which one, but I prefer to think of Enzo as the father. At least that’s how I plan on breaking the news to him.

  But I can’t in front of Liesel and Langston. Especially since they both know. It would hurt Enzo to know they knew before him.

  Liesel carries most of the conversation, talking about random company gossip instead of the seriousness of what is happening. Every once in a while, I see Langston and Liesel sneak a secret look at each other, and it’s almost as if they are staying to keep me from talking to Enzo. But that can’t be true. I’d think they would both want me to tell him.

  “We need to interrogate Felix and then kill him. We can’t trust him. He’s smart and sneaky. He may have even planned on getting captured. He's fearless and unpredictable. We need to get all the answers we can get from him and get rid of him before he does more damage,” Enzo says.

  We all nod in agreement.

  “Langston come with me. Liesel, keep Kai company until we get back,” Enzo says.

  “Hell no!” Liesel and I both say at the same time.

  Both men turn, frowning at us.

  “We are coming,” Liesel says, with her hands on her hips.

  I nod. “Yes, we are coming. Every time we are separated, something bad happens. We are all part of this. Felix is tied up; he can’t hurt us. We all need answers.”

  “You are not coming. You have a concussion. You are staying in bed,” Enzo says.

  “I’m coming,” I say, getting out of bed. I grab a pair of jeans draped over a chair in the corner and put them on.

  Enzo frowns.

  So does Langston.

  But I’m not taking no for an answer.

  And neither is Liesel.

  “Remember what you promised?” Enzo asks me.

  I nod. “Remember what you promised me?” I hiss.

  He nods solemnly.

  “Good, then neither of us will put our lives at risk. We are just going to talk,” I say.

  “And kill that son of a bitch,” Liesel says, but I’m not sure if she’s trying to lighten the mood or be serious.

  Langston sighs. “Let’s get this over with.”

  We all walk to the room trapping Felix. Langston in front, followed by Liesel, with Enzo and me holding hands taking up the rear.

  That’s how we all march into Felix’s room.

  I shut the door hard behind me. No one else will get to talk to him. This is personal.

  Felix is lying on a bed with his hands chained above his head, and his feet tied together.

  “Are we about to do some kinky shit?” Felix asks, winking at me.

  “No, we are about to torture and kill you,” I say, my eyes sinking into his.

  “Sounds like a kinky party to me,” he responds.

  We all glare or growl at him, which only makes him chuckle harder.

  “Fine, let’s do this the easy way. What do you want to know?” he asks.

  I widen my eyes and look at Enzo. Why is he making this easy?

  Enzo steps forward, so I do too. We are a united front. He moves, I move.

  “We want access to the weapons you have. The security systems you employ. We want the name of every person who works for you. We want to know any booby traps you have planned. Any explosions that haven’t been set off,” Enzo says.

  Felix rolls his eyes. “Of course, you are asking the wrong questions. But get me a pen and paper, and I’ll write every password, code, and weapon down. I won’t give you names of my men though. I’m not a snitch like you.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Enzo asks.

  “Unlike you, I’m loyal to my men.”

  Enzo growls. “I’m loyal to my men.”

  Felix purses his lips. “If I told you there are bombs set to go off on every ship you own, killing all your men instantly, but I would give you the information to stop the detonations in exchange for Kai, what would you say?”

  “Fuck you,” Enzo says.

  I rub Enzo’s arm, trying to calm him down. Felix is just goading us.

  “Which would you choose? The whore or your men?”

  “Both, and then I’d kill you for threatening them.”

  He shakes his head. “And if I were about to rape your woman?”

  Felix pushed too far. Enzo is across the bed, punching Felix in the face over and over. Blood squirts everywhere.

  And the three of us watch, not stopping Enzo. Felix deserves to die for what he’s done.

  Finally, Enzo stops. “Don’t threaten Kai.”

  “Just Kai? I thought this was about your men.”

  Enzo steps back, happy with the damage he’s done to Felix’s face.

  “I love Kai; I won’t deny it. There is no reason to. Not anymore. You lost. You will never walk out of this room again. You will die here on this bed.”

  I intertwine my fingers with Enzo’s. “And I love him. You did your best to break us up. You tried to turn our own team against us, but you lost. We win. Love wins.”

  “Look at the two of you, so happy and in love. You are in love with the prince. And he’s in love with his princess. Except neither of you is worthy of the tit
le.”

  Felix looks at Enzo. “You killed your own brother in cold blood. He did nothing wrong, and you killed him.”

  He looks at me. No, he looks at my stomach. “And you are hiding a secret. I know it. And soon your men will know it. You are supposed to be loyal to them and them alone.”

  Felix knows I’m pregnant, I can see it in his snake eyes. He knows. How did he figure it out before Enzo did? My stomach did pop overnight. There is a small bump beneath the baggy shirt I'm wearing, but it’s not enough to confirm it. And I’m not discussing it with Felix.

  “Kill him, Enzo. He’s done telling us anything important,” I say.

  I look at Langston and Liesel, who are standing defiant behind us. Langston has his gun drawn like he wants to be the one to kill Felix.

  But Enzo draws his weapon too.

  Felix grins.

  Something feels wrong, but what?

  I squeeze Enzo’s hand, silently warning him.

  He shoots me a glance, and I know he gets the message. We should have just killed Felix without talking to him. But we are all ready for whatever Felix is trying to pull.

  Suddenly, our phones all buzz at the same time.

  Enzo, Langston, and I ignore it, but Liesel answers.

  “What the hell did you do?” her words are directed to Felix.

  Felix snickers. “I told everyone the truth.”

  Liesel walks up to Enzo and me, holding her phone out to us.

  Our mouths fall open as we look at the video. It’s of us, planting a bomb on our ship. How did Felix doctor this? How did he do this?

  “That is being sent out to every member of your team.”

  “Why would they believe that we would blow up our ship? Our own men?” I ask.

  “So you could play rescuer. So they would think you were trying to protect them.”

  Fuck.

  Felix laughs.

  He just won.

  I glance at the cameras zooming in on us. The security cameras have been watching us this whole time. The men and women who work for us were watching. They heard our declarations of love for each other. They see the video evidence that we aren’t on their side.

  “Enzo,” I say softly, because I feel the danger approaching.

  His eyes read mine one second before the danger hits.

  The door bursts open as Enzo and Langston fire their gun. I run to the window, popping it open as Felix did before.

  “If I had a gun, I’d kill you,” I say to Felix.

  “Then I guess you’ll owe me,” he says with a wink.

  And then I’m pulling Liesel out the window, hoping the guys follow, but not before they shoot Felix in the head.

  21

  ENZO

  WHAT IS STOPPING me from killing this bastard? I should have killed Felix the second I stepped foot into this room. Instead, I tried to get answers.

  What is wrong with me?

  Why can’t I kill him?

  Is it because he’s my brother? Because we share blood? What?

  Kai and Liesel went out the window while Langston and I get shot at by men who swore an oath to this organization. Men who have fought alongside me. Put their lives in my hands are now fighting me. Trying to kill me.

  “Go,” I shout to Langston.

  He dives out the window while I hold off the men long enough to lock the door.

  “You can’t kill me. I’m the only one with answers,” Felix says.

  I don’t give a fuck about his answers, because I no longer have any questions.

  I dive out the window, firing one last shot at Felix’s head.

  I miss.

  I never fucking miss.

  Something is off with me, and I don’t know what it is. But I need to get it fixed fast, or we are all going to die because I can’t protect those I love.

  Kai, Liesel, and Langston are climbing into a dingy boat while half my team shoots at us and the other half stand frozen, unsure of how to react.

  I jump in the boat, and Kai hits the gas, while Langston and I provide cover fire while we make our escape.

  Finally, we are far enough away that the bullets can no longer hit us.

  I slump into the chair, not believing what is happening. My own men firing at me.

  “Not everyone turned on you. There were men and women who didn’t shoot. There are some still loyal to you,” Langston says, like his words should comfort me.

  “And there are plenty who are no longer loyal. Plenty who would rather follow an evil bastard like Felix than me,” I say.

  Langston nods. “Yes, but you already knew that. The men who will follow Felix are the same who blindly followed your father. They like torturing people for no reason. They like killing. They like buying and selling people like property. That is what your father did for extra cash before you came along.”

  “I’m no better,” I say.

  “Yes, you are,” all three say in unison.

  I sigh, staring out at the ocean. We aren’t safe here; we need a plan. We need to head somewhere secure.

  “Drive us home,” I tell Langston.

  He frowns. “Your house isn’t safe.”

  “It’s safe enough. We have protection there. Security only I know about. It will give us enough time to form a plan,” I say. Although, I already know the plan. Get Liesel and Kai somewhere safe. Contact any of the men we think are still on our side. And then kill Felix and any of his followers.

  Langston trades places with Kai and starts driving us toward my house on the beach. If they kill me, I’d rather die in my own home.

  And if we succeed in killing Felix, the team won’t have a choice but to choose Kai or me as the leader when the time comes. Even if neither of us has an heir.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  I expect the words to be coming from Kai, but it’s Liesel who is speaking.

  “Okay,” I say with a deep frown. “Now, or do you want to talk in private?”

  I notice Langston tense, and Kai’s eyes drop to her lap like there is something very interesting she needs to pay attention to on her thigh.

  “No, we need to talk now. And everyone can hear,” she says.

  I nod for her to begin, not having a clue what is so important that needs to be said right now.

  “I know you are both worried about having an heir. Even if you kill Felix, the only way to ensure one of his followers doesn’t gain power and ruin hundreds of innocent lives is to have an heir. If you have an heir and win the final game, then that’s it. No one can question your authority,” she says.

  “Yes, I guess that’s true,” I say, but I do not like where this is going. No one on the boat does.

  Langston’s face is turning angrier by the second. I can see a vein popping out of his head, and his nostrils flaring.

  And Kai keeps trying to sink into her chair until she vanishes.

  Kai is the only one I want a child with, and she can’t have children. And even if she could, I’m not sure our joint child would be accepted. Not after half of our team shot at us.

  But if Liesel is suggesting her and I have a child together, everyone on this boat is going to lose it.

  I try to be patient, to wait for her to speak, but my anger gets the best of me.

  “Liesel, you can’t be seriously suggesting that I fuck you to get you pregnant?” I half say, half yell.

  The boat lurches to the side as Langston takes a turn too sharp. We all grab on, emotions flowing too much.

  Liesel looks like she’s about to cry.

  “Just listen to her, Enzo. That’s not what she’s trying to tell you,” Kai says, taking Liesel’s hand in hers and squeezing it.

  Langston doesn’t speak, but it’s clear he isn’t happy.

  And I don’t understand what is happening at all.

  “I have a child,” Liesel says.

  I narrow my eyes, not understanding.

  “What? No, you don’t. I would have known about it. We’ve never gone nine months witho
ut seeing each other,” I say.

  “I hid it. I didn’t get big until close to the end, and at that point, you were pretty busy with other things,” Liesel says.

  Liesel has a child? That’s crazy. But incredible. Liesel would make a great mom. Except, I’ve never seen her with a child.

  “I gave him up after he was born. I didn’t want him anywhere near this life.”

  I nod, it makes sense. If given the choice, I wouldn’t want any child of mine in this world.

  The boat has stopped, and Langston’s eyes are wide on Liesel. He didn’t know.

  But Kai is still holding Liesel’s hand, nodding for her to go on. Kai knew. This was the secret Liesel shared to gain Kai’s trust. And the more I see how Kai is looking at Liesel, the more afraid I am.

  “How old is your son?”

  Liesel’s eyes are heavy. “Three-years-old.”

  Fuck.

  The child’s mine.

  How could she have not told me? How could I have not have been part of his life? Or at least allowed to hold him before she gave him up?

  Kai backs away, wanting to give us a moment.

  But Liesel speaks up. “The child isn’t yours.”

  “What? How?”

  “Because he’s your brother.”

  My heart stops. I’ve had it up to here with finding out I have half-brothers.

  “What?”

  She swallows hard.

  “Your father. He…again.”

  My father raped her again. I couldn’t save her. I can never save the ones I love.

  Tears drip down my face.

  All I can focus on is the drip.

  Drip.

  Drip.

  Drip.

  I’m numb.

  I don’t move.

  I’ve let so many people I love get hurt. I’ve never been strong enough to stop it from happening. Never. It never stops hurting, finding out I failed.

  I can’t even apologize for not stopping him. How did I miss this? How did I not realize he raped her again? It had to have happened right before I killed him. Why didn’t I kill him sooner?