Truths and Lies Duet

“Nothing. None of them will speak,” Adrian says. “Phoenix is still claiming he wasn’t a part of it.”

Phoenix? Oh my God! Phoenix was coming to visit. “You can’t possibly think my brother had a part in helping Aris kidnap our daughter. She’s his niece!”

“And what about Niles?” Kostas grunts. “He was brought in as well, after trying to take me out.”

What the hell! “Niles is here?” I glance around, even though I know exactly where he is. “He’s here, in that fucking cellar?” I shout, my blood boiling.

Kostas nods, his dark eyes flashing with violence.

“I want to see him now.” I don’t wait for Kostas as I stomp down to the cellar. I swing the door open and find Basil and a few of Kostas’s other men standing guard. In the center of the room are three men, all tied with thick rope to their chairs. The first one I recognize as my brother. His flesh is bloody, and his head is quirked to the side, like he’s slightly out of it. His eyes are closed, but I can see his chest heaving up and down. He’s still alive.

The second is Niles. His face is also covered in blood, both eyes puffy and black and blue. His eyes are also closed, but he’s not breathing heavy like Phoenix, so it takes me a second to determine he’s still alive. For now.

The third guy I don’t recognize, but he’s in just as bad of shape as my brother and Niles. His eyes are open and he’s glancing around him, as if trying to figure a way out. Not happening, fucker.

“Niles, wake up!” I kick his legs and his head pops up. The moment his eyes meet mine, my body trembles with anger. “You fucking asshole.” I stalk closer to him and slap him across the face. “How dare you!” I cry. My hands are shaking, and my heart is beating erratically against my ribcage. How could he do this to me? To his own flesh and blood? It wasn’t bad enough he used me to pay off his debt, but now he works with Aris to help steal my daughter?

“Sunshine,” Niles cries out, and the nickname he used to call me has me seeing red.

“Don’t you ever call me that!” I backhand him this time, and his face whips to the side. “Do you have any idea what you just did?” I grab his chin between my fingers and force him to look at me. “Do you?”

“I had to,” he chokes out. “Aris has been holding me captive. It was either help him bring down Kostas or die.” He thinks he chose his life over Kostas’s…

“You didn’t help take down Kostas,” I spit. “You helped kidnap my daughter!” With no outlet for my built up aggression and frustration, I smack him across the face again. “He took my baby! And you helped him!”

Niles’s eyes go wide. “Kostas’s men said you had a baby, but I didn’t know. I swear, Talia, I never knew anything about a baby. Aris never said a word.”

I stare into his eyes for a long moment to gauge his reaction. He’s telling the truth. I can see it in his eyes. The pain of knowing he helped take my daughter. It doesn’t excuse what he’s done, but it means he’s no help. Useless.

“He doesn’t know anything,” I whisper, mostly to myself. Niles not knowing anything means there are only two other people in here who might know something about where Aris and Selene have taken Zoe.

I turn my attention to my brother. “Phoenix.” When I say his name, he lifts his head. I don’t even need to ask him. I know my brother. He loves me and would never do anything to help Aris in taking my daughter. I heard his voice over the phone. He was excited to be an uncle.

“You know damn well I wasn’t a part of this,” Phoenix growls, his voice strong and deadly.

“And why the fuck should we believe you?” I turn around to find Kostas standing behind me. “It won’t be the first time you’ve followed in your daddy’s footsteps,” Kostas sneers. I’m not sure how long he’s been here—I was too focused on Niles—but his color is almost fully back, and he’s wearing a new shirt.

“I would never do that shit to my sister,” Phoenix hisses.

“Kostas, I don’t think he would do this,” I tell my husband, needing him to believe me. Otherwise he’s going to kill my brother. Phoenix might have spent his entire life working for Niles and the business, but he would never purposely put my life or my daughter’s at risk. I believe that with my entire being.

“I didn’t do it,” Phoenix says again.

“Then prove it,” Kostas says, his eyes locked on Phoenix as he slowly walks over to him. Once he’s standing in front of him, he glances at Basil. “Hand me your knife.”