Taken by Lies (Truth or Lies 1)

I reach the ladder leading up the back of the boat first. I ascend, my blood boiling with need for revenge. I should have brought Kai with me. Let her take out the man who hurt her so viciously, but that might lead her to believe I am a good person. I’m not. I’m not doing this for her. I’m doing this for me, so I can sleep better at night. I should have never let Jarod touch her in the first place.

I hit the deck of the yacht, and pull my silenced gun out from my waistband. I don’t find a guard right away. Amateurs.

I don’t wait for Langston or Zeke to come up the ladder. I start moving like a ninja in the night. My body blends with the shadows and creaks of the boat as it rocks gently in the sea.

My first target doesn’t appear until I walk inside. A man asleep at the helm. I shake my head as I shoot him in the head. He almost deserves to die solely for being so poor at his job, not just for having a part in hurting Kai.

I hear a couple quick fires in the distance. Zeke and Langston have boarded the ship and taken out their first men.

I smile.

I always come alive in moments like this. When I’m hunting deserving men. Giving them their justice. I don’t always kill evil men. Sometimes the men I kill are just mixed up in the wrong business, but the cruelest are my favorite to end.

I creep deeper into the yacht and open the first bedroom door. A man asleep in the bed. I sigh as I pull the trigger. This is almost too easy. I really should have come alone.

Another door, this man is up, having heard the sounds of the men dropping and our guns firing softly. He draws his gun, but he’s too slow as I shoot him in the chest. He falls with a thud.

I open door after door and find no one. I open one door that sends chills down my spine. The room is empty—not even a bed. I should leave, not step inside, but I do. It pulls me in.

It’s then I see the scratches on the door, walls, floor. I see the marks where a body hit the wall. Blood stains the floor. I trace my fingers over the scratches on the door.

Fingernails.

Rage fills me. This is the room Kai stayed in. The room Jarod kept her in. Tortured her in. No wonder she hates my bed. She’s been used to the floor.

I storm out. A hurricane force beats inside me, yearning to do damage to the man who hurt Kai. How the fuck could I let this happen? How could I have been the reason for this cruelty?

Because I was a stupid, fucking coward.

“Zeke has him tied in the room on the end,” Langston says when I enter the hallway.

“Good, stand guard on deck,” I say.

I throw the door open and see Jarod tied to a chair. His eyes burn in confusion when he sees me. Sweat covers his forehead and fear rakes his body.

Good, he should fear me.

“Black,” his voice trembles as if he’s seeing the devil himself.

“Good, you know who I am. I didn’t think you would.”

I give a look to Zeke, and he departs us immediately.

“Black, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

I punch him hard in the jaw. I don’t want to hear his apologies. His body careens as he falls sideways to the floor.

He spits out blood. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just following orders. I don’t deserve to die for doing what was commanded.”

He’s right. He doesn’t deserve to die for following orders. “Too bad I don’t believe in being fair. You touched the girl, that alone means you deserve to die.”

His pupils dilate in terror.

I grin.

I love this part.

I spot the tape Zeke used to tie Jarod to the chair. I tear off a piece and cover his mouth with it. I don’t want to hear him speak anymore. His muffled screams will be enough to excite me.