Cruel Lies (Lies 4)

“Yes, I had to ensure he stayed put and didn’t run to Corbin.”

“I think the tie was sufficient. You didn’t need to shoot him.” She slips her arm under his shoulder, while I do the same to his other arm and help him up.

We start walking him up the stairs. “He isn’t a good man. He works for our enemy.”

“He still didn’t deserve to be shot.”

She looks at him, and I swear there’s a longing in her eyes when she looks at him, but I’m sure I’m just mistaking it for pity. She doesn’t want Maxwell; she just doesn’t want him dead. At least, not yet.

I call a cab, and then we all pile in and drive to the private airport. I’m on the phone making arrangements for our flight, while Liesel holds Maxwell in her lap, stroking the golden locks of his hair mindlessly.

Our pilot asks me where we are flying to. I snap to Liesel. “Where to?”

I don’t expect her to answer, but she does. “Egypt. I’ll give him the exact coordinates once we get to the airport.”

I tell my pilot and then sit in silence for the rest of the drive, trying to understand what changed with Liesel between last night and right now.

We get to the airport, and I pull Maxwell out, carrying him sideways in my arms so Liesel won’t have to touch him. He barely groans as I carry him toward the airplane.

Once inside, I lie him down on one of the couches at the back.

Liesel walks up beside me, carrying a first aid kit. “Do you want to do it or should I?’

I grab the kit out of her hands. I don’t want her touching this guy.

I set the kit on the floor as I kneel next to him. I pop it open with a thump and begin searching for the items I’m going to need—gauze, tweezers, alcohol, bandages, stitches.

I go to work on his leg like he’s a member of my team—not the enemy he is. I’m so focused on getting the job done quickly and cleanly that I don’t notice Liesel holding his hand.

My eyes keep cutting to their joined hands. I want to rip her hands from his and suck every finger clean of the mere touch of him. I don’t because I don’t want to deepen our fight.

“I’m finished,” I say, basically clearing my throat in a grumbled, grumpy way to get Liesel to stop touching Maxwell.

She doesn’t immediately let go of his hand. Instead, she digs through the first aid kit until she finds a bottle of pills. Popping the lid off, she pours a couple into her hand and then puts them in Maxwell’s mouth.

“These will ease the pain and help you sleep,” she says to him before holding up some water to his lips. He sips the water, barely conscious. The pills will knock him out. He won’t feel any of the pain within minutes. It’s too kind if you ask me.

Maxwell’s eyes flutter closed, and only then does she let go of his hand.

“Why are you being so nice to him?” I ask.

She purses her lips, looking at Maxwell like she has a pull to him that even she herself doesn’t understand. “I don’t know, really. It just feels like the right thing to do.”

I hate her answer, but I’m not going to fight with her about it. Maxwell will meet his demise soon enough. I start walking a couple of rows up and take a seat. I don’t want to look or think about the bastard.

“What are we going to do about Corbin?” Liesel asks, sitting down next to me.

“I already have Enzo and Zeke looking for him.”

She smiles. “You forgave them already?”

I growl.

She smirks and takes my hand in hers. The same hand that was just holding that monster’s.

I remove my hand from her grasp and look out the window, annoyed with her already. This is why we would never work out.

“Don’t—don’t be like that. I don’t care about Maxwell. I just think we should keep him alive and taken care of until we figure out how to use him to get to Corbin and save the child he’s taken, that’s all.”