Taken by Lies (Truth or Lies 1)

I want to grab a blanket from the bed and cover her. I want to support her head with a pillow. But both would wake her up, and she needs sleep above everything else.

She slept for three days straight after she first passed out. I spent most of the night holding her in her sleep, keeping her warm, as she requested when she was unconscious. I close my eyes remembering how good it felt to not be burning hot all the time. To let the rage inside me cool. To feel comforted even though she wasn’t awake to hold me back.

Never again.

I leave her and head to the closet. I grab another black T-shirt and pull it over my head. And then I walk back over to Kai. She’s still asleep on the floor. I need to call another doctor to monitor her. To provide an IV if she starts sleeping for days again, one who will be more cautious when she tries to persuade Kai to do anything.

I need to touch her. To feel her. She’s like a drug pulling me to her. Too bad I can’t have her. Too bad she’s going to be trapped here for the rest of her days. Because she could be the one person who could save me.

My fingers graze her hollow cheeks, and I suck in a breath at the power that pulses through me at the connection.

Fuck, I could live off this feeling.

I can’t keep doing this. If I keep touching her when she’s unconscious, I won’t be able to resist caressing her when she’s awake. And the faster I can get her to trust that I won’t touch her, or hurt her beyond keeping her here, the faster she will heal and settle into her new life. Then I can leave her in Westcott’s trust. Then I can be free of her, forever.

I take the stairs two at a time as I try to put my thoughts of Kai behind me. Not an easy task.

Langston leans against the doorframe leading to the living room. His arms are crossed across his chest, his muscles bulging and revealing tattoos wrapped in black ink around his bicep. His lips wear a knowing look.

“What?” I grumble.

“Nothing.” Langston smiles.

I roll my eyes. I don’t have time for whatever games he wants to play.

“Who’s the girl?” he asks.

I glare at him. “You don’t get to ask about my life.”

I storm past him and head to the kitchen to get a bottle of water to calm me down. I feel like I’m about to boil over and no one is safe when I let my temper loose. I can’t control what happens. I’m worse than a hurricane running through town. I destroy everything in my path; I don’t leave anyone behind.

“Actually, I think we’ve earned the right to know everything about your personal life, boss,” Zeke says entering the kitchen.

Great, they are ganging up on me.

I down a bottle of water, crush the plastic, and toss it on the ground, my anger palatable in the air.

“Are you running a hospital or something now? Taking in the sick? Or is she something more?” Langston asks.

Both men stand on either side of the island in the center of the kitchen. I stand between them. Trapped.

Kai is more. She’s everything. Everything I ever wanted. Everything I ever dreamed about: her strength, her influence over me, her resilience.

She’s also everything I hate. She revealed my own weaknesses. She’s the only one who could take away the power I’ve gained. And I won’t go back to being the powerless boy I was when I met her.

My eyes cut back and forth between the two men. They are my best men. And my best friends. Not always a good mix. Since they are my friends, they think they can pull shit like this. Try to force me to talk to them.

I’ve known them since we were kids. Zeke was always the brute force in our little group. He could kick anyone’s ass with his size alone. Langston was never as gifted with muscle as Zeke, although he’s worked hard and gained plenty of muscle, he was more of the brains. He preferred security and doing surveillance. And I was the leader of the group. The decision maker even before I had any power in my father’s organization.

I blow hot steam from my nose as I glare between the two men.

Langston laughs, throwing his head back like it’s the funniest thing in the world.

“What’s happening?” Zeke asks confused.

“Black here, has it bad,” Langston force out between laughs.

“Has what bad?” Zeke asks.