Stolen by Truths (Truth or Lies 4)

“I couldn’t let the man I love sacrifice himself to Milo. Don’t hate me for this.”

He stands like a statue. “I could never hate you.”

He still doesn’t say he loves me, but it doesn’t matter. I know I will never hear those words fall from his lips, but he got to hear them from me. He will get to take my words with him when he finally gets free and finds me gone.

I glance behind me at the club where I will be meeting Milo and giving him everything he’s ever wanted. He will have me—a woman that could have been a queen. A woman he thinks he’ll be able to use to get the power of Black. Milo will be wrong though; he’ll only get my body, never Black. Never Enzo.

And for the first time, I feel no fear at that. Seeing Enzo again assured me I am doing the right thing.

I look back at Enzo. “Thank you for keeping me trapped. Hold onto my heart and keep it safe for me.”

“I promise to keep your heart safe.”

“Thank you.”

His eyes dim. “I promise to keep you safe, Kai.”

I swallow hard as what is left of my heart clenches. I shake my head. “Just my heart. Let me protect you for once.”

“Never.”

I glance at the handcuffs holding him to the building. “It doesn’t look like you have much of a choice.”

“I always have a choice.”

“Then choose my heart. Because if you let Milo take you my heart will belong to him too. And I want my heart safe. I want my love safe. Protect it, always. Promise me.”

“I promise to keep your love safe.”

I nod. And then I force my legs to walk. I walk backward so I can see Enzo in the night.

“Goodbye, Enzo,” I whisper into the night when I can barely see him.

“Goodbye, stingray.”

I don’t know how I’m not bawling like a baby when I leave Enzo. It will be the last time I see him. The last time I kiss him. The last time I fuck him. And the first and last time I tell him I love him.

My heart and emotions are raw and out in the open. Probably not the best place for them to be when I’m about to face my greatest enemy. But I think my emotions like this are the only way I’m going to be able to truly do what I need to do next.

I step into the club that is clueless to the darkness that has just entered and is about to take place here. The music is lively and pounding fast, matching the speed of my heart when I was with Enzo only moments before, but now, now I’m steady as a rock. My heart thuds, slow and dependable. And I know I’ve never been doing the right thing more than I am right now.

I’m not exactly dressed in club attire. My T-shirt, jeans, and boots are not revealing or tight enough. But it’s what I need to be wearing when I face Milo.

I’m early, but I don’t want to savor my last few minutes of freedom by myself. I don’t want to spend my time drinking at the bar pretending I’m going home tonight. I’m here to save Enzo, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I walk up to one of the bouncers. “Show me to the VIP section.”

His eyes go up and down my body. “And you are?”

“Here to see Milo Wallace.”

At the mention of Milo’s name, the man changes. “Right this way, Miss Miller.”

I didn’t tell him my name, but the bouncer must have been told about me. I follow him through the crowded tables. I glance over at the dance floor where people are grinding and sweaty, oblivious to me and what I’m about to do. I’m saving them too. If it were up to Milo, he would take every woman in this club for himself. He’d torture and rape them. I’m giving myself, so he won’t do it to them.

I expect to go down into a dark cave, but instead, we go up. The nameless bouncer leads me up a flight of stairs to the VIP room, but it’s more like a floor than a room. And the floor opens up to the club below. It’s private and not, at the same time. I could scream for help, and as long as I was louder than the music below, people could hear me. It seems risky for Milo, but I know it isn’t. He knows I’m going to give myself to him willingly.

“You’re early,” comes Milo’s voice as I step onto the floor.