Stolen by Truths (Truth or Lies 4)

She turns and walks out to the dance floor.

I’m counting on it. If I go with Milo, I want Kai to win. I want her to have all the power of the world. With the army behind her, she can destroy Milo. I’ll end up as collateral damage, but it doesn’t matter. I thought the best way to protect her was to keep her out of it for so long. But every time I’m around her and get a glimpse of her strength, I realize my own mistake and preconceptions. She might be best off if she wins. She’s strong enough to run an empire, and the men who would work for her would take a bullet for her without a second thought because she would make an amazing ruler. And she would earn the men’s trust.

Whether she chooses to become Black or not, she will be safe. But I’m not sure if it will be up to her. There are more rules to the game she has yet to discover. And I’m not sure she can meet the final qualification to rule.

I try to focus on my task and find the drunkest person here to try and steal from. Women would be easier to seduce than a man, and then I could steal a wallet, but I don’t see a single woman with a wallet or purse on her. I’m sure they all have their money tucked away in their bras, or they didn’t bring any money at all knowing a man would pay for it.

Kai spots me scouring the crowd for an easy target. She winks at me, downs her drink, and then bumps into a man in a suit minus the jacket. He’s tall, dark, and handsome—every woman’s dream. The suit fits him well, his sleeves are rolled up, revealing fit arms, and his hair is still in place despite dancing on the dance floor where countless women have run their hands through his hair. He looks happy and content. If it was me, I would be a sweaty, scowling mess no woman would dare approach.

I can’t take my eyes off Kai as she laughs and strokes his bare forearm as she apologizes for running into him.

He asks her if she wants a drink. She nods. And the man leaves, but she turns toward where I’m still standing and starts walking, not waiting for the drink.

She got the wallet. I don’t know how, but she did.

Damn her.

She smiles widely, and I follow her back upstairs where we are now tied.

And I know I have to take control if I want to win. I need to win; I don’t have a choice.

Kai holds up the wallet to Milo, and his eyes widen.

“That ring you’ve been searching for, that was me,” she says as she tosses the wallet to him.

He catches it, still stunned. He got played, and if he’s not careful, we both will.

But I can see the wheels turning. For the first time, he thinks she might be the stronger one. The one who could win the Black empire. Bo

th Kai and I know she’s tough enough. It just depends on the remaining games and how badly I want to win, or she does. But Milo doesn’t need to know that. He needs to think she has no chance.

“Yes, she’s a good thief. But we’ve already played that game. She won, but it doesn’t mean she will win any more, because I know for a fact one of the games left will involve a fight. A battle of sorts, and Kai has no chance of winning,” I say.

Milo finally snaps out of his haze as he decides the final game to win everything. His cock may want Kai, but I know he still thinks I’m his best chance at taking Black. He probably thinks once he’s the leader of my empire, he will be able to take Kai then. He just has to be patient.

“The last game is a fight,” he says.

“How is the winner determined?” Kai asks, without a nervous tone to her voice.

“When one of you surrenders or death,” Milo says sitting back in his chair with a grin.

Fuck.

Kai will never surrender.

And I can’t kill her.

I can’t win.

But the same goes for me.

I won’t surrender because it would mean surrendering Kai to Milo.

And Kai won’t kill me either.

I frown. If Milo’s goal is to lock us in a never-ending battle, then he got his wish.

Kai takes the scrunchie from her wrist that Zeke gave her and uses it to tie her hair up as if she’s preparing for a battle. If I could be jealous of a dead man, I would be. I’m not sure she would mourn me in the same way she does Zeke—carrying him with her everywhere. But then Zeke was worthy of that kind of love. I’m not. Kai may love me, but I don’t deserve her love.