Vicious Lies (Lies 1)

Neither of us will give up our truths easily. We will fight with our lies until the bitter end. Until one of us finally breaks down, until one of us loses.

But as soon as either of us speaks the truth—that will be the end of us.

We will no longer be friends.

We will never have a shot at being lovers.

We won’t even be enemies anymore.

We will be out of each other’s lives for good.

Which is why I’ll drag out this final game as long as I can. I’m not ready to let go of Liesel yet.

I smirk when I see Liesel on the security camera in the lobby of the hotel I’m staying at. It seems that Liesel is ready for this to be over faster than I am.

She doesn’t get to be in control of this.

She doesn’t get to win.

She’s an excellent hunter. She can seek whatever and whoever she wants. There is nothing that can be hidden from her.

She found me—four days earlier than I’m ready to be found.

So I won’t let her find me.

She is a great hunter, but she’s rusty. She’s been away from danger for far too long.

I, on the other hand, never left the darkness. Over the last year, I’ve only let it deeper into my soul until I’ve become as evil as the world I was born into.

She can hunt all she wants, but she’ll only find me when I’m ready to be found. She should have learned that by now.

I watch on my computer as Liesel walks to the elevator in a tight red dress and heels. She came straight from the office. In the last month that I’ve been following her, I’ve never seen her out of her dress or heels outside of her condo, and she makes no exception today.

She likes the dresses and heels so much because it’s her suit of armor. It protects her and makes her more powerful. It’s not because she’s a girlie girl. She doesn’t love always being so dressed up. She just likes the power she’s able to wield while dolled up.

I take a quick glance around the hotel room as she rides up in the elevator to see if there is anything lying out that I don’t want her to see, but there isn’t. I already know that without looking. I travel light. All of my stuff is already in my backpack.

I close my laptop and stick it into my backpack before zipping it up.

I pull out my cell and switch the feed to my phone. I watch her exit the elevator with complete confidence like she belongs here.

I have thirty seconds until she makes it to my room. I spot a pen and paper on the desk and scribble on it before I move to the bed. I lift the ceiling tile, and pull myself up just as I hear her scan the hotel keycard she flirted her way into getting.

The tile pops back in place before she opens the door, and I switch the feed on my phone until I’m tapped into the security in my own room.

This is what I do for a living—security. I design security systems for the wealthy. Usually, on yachts or mansions, but it gives me the skills to tap into the best-designed systems.

Liesel’s eyes flitter around the room.

“You couldn’t stay in a nicer place, huh, Langston?” she asks to the room as she wanders around, looking under the bed and then in the bathroom to see if I’m hiding anywhere.

I smile at her words, though. She knows even if I’m not here that I’m watching. I’m always watching. It’s the only way to protect everyone I love.

Not that she falls into that category anymore.

After a half-hearted attempt to find me in the room, Liesel walks over to the piece of paper I left for her.

“Four more days,” Liesel reads out loud.