Stolen by Truths (Truth or Lies 4)

I shove harder.

“I have a clue what Milo will do.”

Langston reaches behind his back and pulls a gun, but instead of aiming, he hands it to me.

“Take it, use it. I deserve it. I couldn’t protect her. I failed.” Tears fill his eyes. “I should have been the one who died, instead of Zeke. Zeke would have saved her.”

Damn right.

I shove the gun at his chest and feel all of his suffering. It matches my own. How could Kai have pierced three men’s hearts? Three men who didn’t have a heart to begin with?

“Fuck you, Langston.” I toss the gun down, knowing I can’t shoot him—but I’m still pissed.

As soon as the gun drops, I drive my fist into his jaw.

He takes it, but on the second punch, he automatically starts fighting back. He lands his own hit to my jaw, and then he’s slamming me backward. We’ve fought hundreds of times together since we were kids, and this is just one more of those times.

I get angry. And I need to let off steam. Langston is much the same. And then I explode. Two hotheads together don’t mix well. But damn did we learn how to fight together.

And Zeke would be the one to end our fights. Langston and I have similar skills and body sizes, but Zeke was always twice as large as us. If he got involved, the fight would end immediately.

“Stop fighting, you idiots!” Liesel says, stomping into the room.

I have Langston in a headlock, and he’s punching my stomach.

We freeze but don’t release each other.

She shakes her head at us. She might as well point her finger at us and yell at us like we are her children for how she is looking at us.

“For heaven’s sake, let Langston go, Enzo. And Langston, really? You’re going to punch Enzo knowing how damaged his body is?”

We both release each other.

It doesn’t stop the glare in her eyes. “You don’t get to be mad at Langston. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me.”

“You? What did you do?” I ask.

“I helped Kai save you.”

“You what?” I screech.

“Sit, now,” Liesel says, pointing to the bed.

I can’t sit down. This woman is insufferable. I knew she didn’t like Kai, but I didn’t think she would stoop to trading her to Milo.

“Sit if you want me to tell you what happened.”

Reluctantly, I sit on the edge of the bed.

“You too,” she says to Langston.

Langston lowers himself back into the chair he was sitting in before. But the stiff look he’s giving Liesel tells me he wasn't privy to whatever she did any more than I am.

“Kai has a plan to end this. And I helped her execute it,” Liesel starts.

“There is no ending this. Not if she’s putting her life at risk.”

“Shut up, and let me talk.”