Consumed by Truths (Truth or Lies 6)

“I took your phone.”

“No, you took one of my phones.”

I frown. Such a rookie mistake. I should have searched him better.

“I escaped your father, who you need to teach how to keep a man captive better. I could have escaped long ago if I wanted to.”

I give Beckett a stern look, and he gets back on track.

“Felix contacted me. Told me he is coming to Alaska. That it’s time to move in before Kai gives birth.”

“Shit.”

Kai’s mouth drops. “Felix is on his way here.”

“And he’s bringing an army. He’s ready to fight.”

“Fuck,” I run my hand through my hair trying to formulate a plan. I need to contact any men I trust. I need to gather my own army. I need a fortress to protect Kai. This can’t be happening.

“I already have a plane that will take you to a yacht two hours from here. From there, you can disappear.”

“Whose yacht?”

“One of yours.”

We need to move. I know that. But our next move is the difference between us living or dying. Whatever decision we make is critical. Do we trust Beckett’s intel? Do we trust that Beckett has arranged a flight and a yacht for us and hasn’t told Felix about our escape plans? Or do we try to come up with some plan on our own—with limited resources and time?

I look at Kai who is staring at Beckett closely, trying to determine the same thing.

“Why are you telling us this?” she asks, her voice calm, yet stern.

Beckett’s eyes lighten as he looks from Kai to me. “Both sides reached out to me almost simultaneously. I was working as a private investigator and bodyguard before all of this. But your father and Felix both reached out to me to work for them within days of each other. The money from each was too good to pass up, and I could do both jobs for a while. Eventually, I knew I would have to choose, to betray one side for the other. I figured I would just be loyal to whoever offered more money, more adventure. I needed excitement and a break from my pathetic life before this.”

Beckett’s eyes cut from me back to Kai. “But then, I met you. And everything changed. I don’t know why I chose your side, or even when, but I did. It’s just this feeling deep in my gut that says I need to do this. That I’ve always belonged on this side. This is where I’m supposed to be.”

Kai touches his arm and gives him a tight smile. She has feelings for him. Not like she does for me. But like she did for Langston and Zeke. She sees him like a brother. She trusts him. But I’m not sure I believe Beckett’s bullshit story.

I cross my arms staring down at him with threatening eyes, letting him know if anything happens to Kai or the babies, he will be the one to pay. Whether it’s his fault or not.

Beckett looks up at me with determined eyes. “There is a reason both sides approached me within two days of each other. Some connection I’m missing. But I know it wasn’t a coincidence.”

Because you are my brother, but now is not the time to say it out loud. All of my brothers have betrayed me in the past. Beckett will be no different.

Right now, I don’t think we have a choice. Felix is on his way here with an army. Beckett is offering a plane and a yacht. The only way we get screwed over is if Felix is already on the yacht when we get there. But if he’s not, and Felix is just tracking us through Beckett, I’ll end him before Felix can use Beckett to get to us. Felix may have the advantage on land, but on the sea, I will win.

Kai looks at me, and we exchange a silent conversation back and forth.

Are we going to trust Beckett? I ask, silently.

Kai takes a deep breath and then nods.

She’s a great judge of people. She saw that Felix was evil before I did.

I don’t trust Beckett as far as I can throw him. But Kai does. We are in this together. I don’t get to make the decisions for both of us anymore.

“Trust me,” she whispers.

I nod. I trust her.