Trapped by Lies (Truth or Lies 3)

I STAND on the stern of my boat, watching Milo’s yacht face my fleet. Rowan’s yacht is to my left. But this isn’t going to be a battle of yachts; this is a battle of men.

Rowan may pretend to be on my side, but I know he’s not. Langston confirmed the truth. Rowan has a vendetta against my father. He may not truly be on Milo’s side either, but the two enemies may form together to take down a worse enemy. And I’m that worse enemy. I’m the worst it gets.

Because I have nothing to lose. And I fight like death means nothing to me. And I’ll face my father’s crimes, even though I didn’t commit them.

They think I have something to lose—Kai.

But I can’t lose her, not when she’s locked away in the safest place possible.

And dying isn’t a curse; it’s a blessing. So I will fight as fearless as I always do.

“You ready to surrender?” I shout to Milo.

He laughs. “Are you? I think we have you outnumbered.”

“We? It looks like just you,” I say, putting my foot up on the railing like I’m going to a cruise instead of about to launch myself over the railing onto his yacht. I pretend I don’t already know the truth, that Rowan is on his side.

Milo’s eyes cut, and I know that’s his cue.

But I’m faster.

I shoot Rowan before he has a chance to make a move on me. I watch his lifeless body drop to the floor.

Seconds later, my men have Rowan’s entire crew surrendering.

“Now, as I was saying. Would you like to surrender?” I ask. “It seems you are a bit outnumbered.”

Milo frowns. “I don’t surrender to men who can’t keep their word.”

“I kept my word. Your quarrel was with Rowan. He’s dead now. Now you deal with me.”

Bullets fire, and we attack.

The rest goes by i

n a blur.

The orders I give.

The gunfire.

The screams of pain.

The bloodshed.

All of it moves so slowly and so quickly. Until all that I’m left with is me and Milo. Everything disappears into the background.

“You hurt her,” I say.

“I did. And I will again,” Milo answers.

“Over my dead body.”

“That’s the plan.”

Our guns are pointed in each other’s direction, but I feel her before I see her—Kai. What the hell is she doing here?

And then I hear the crack of the gun, and I know I’ve lost her.