Stolen Lies (Truths and Lies 2)

It’s noon and I didn’t touch the refreshments on the flight. He’s right, but I won’t tell him that. He takes us to a small restaurant outside of the city. It has horrible curbside appeal, but the moment we exit the Jeep and I get a whiff of the savory garlic scents in the air, I know looks will be deceiving.

He greets the man up front and then ushers us to a dark corner booth. When he orders ouzo for the both of us, I change my order to water, which gets a lifted brow of surprise from him.

“Got a problem?”

His nostrils flare. “Nope.”

As soon as the waiter runs off to fetch our drinks, Phoenix crosses his arms over his bulky chest and glowers at me.

“What?” I demand.

“Nothing,” he sneers. “Just finally looking at the man who let my sister get taken. The same man who can’t find her.” He’s pissed and his jaw muscle keeps flexing. If I had any thought that he’d taken her, it’s squashed in this moment.

“You’re looking at the man who will cut your throat for fucking disrespecting him,” I growl, cracking my neck. “Watch your tongue, Nikolaides. Seems you forgot who you were talking to.”

He grinds his teeth but relaxes his posture. “I just don’t see how after all this time you haven’t found her.” His eyes narrow. “Unless you don’t want her to be found.”

“Me?” I snap. “If I wanted to get rid of her, I would have, and I’d gladly fucking tell you. I don’t play little girl games.”

“Then where the fuck is she?” he bellows, leaning forward, fire gleaming in his eyes. “Where the fuck is my sister?”

“Maybe she’s with your father,” I bite out. “Since you can’t find him and all. Maybe they’re in the same magical hidden realm of the earth.”

“What are you, a fuckin’ fairy?” He shakes his head in frustration. “Dad is quiet, but if he had her, I’d know about it. For one, she’d drive him insane. He’d make me deal with her. Dad and Talia haven’t gotten along in some time. I’m the peacemaker between the two.”

The waiter brings our drinks and we order from the menu.

“What about those men who were supposed to be guarding her?” he asks bitterly. “Could they be in on it?”

I crack my knuckles before picking up my water and chugging it down. With a slam of the glass on the table, I level him with a hard glare. “We can’t exactly ask them because I skinned them alive.”

His brows furrow, but his eyes flash in appreciation. “Mom keeps yapping at me about the Galanis. You two chat an awful lot.”

Fucking Melody.

“I want answers,” I grit out.

“And Mom has them?” he challenges.

“Fuck no, she doesn’t have them.”

“Then why do you call her?”

Because she reminds me that Talia was a good woman who wouldn’t just leave me.

“I check every lead.” I lift my chin and meet his glare. “Can I say the same for you? What about the traffickers your dad was letting come through?”

“That shit ended when I took over. And I look for her every damn day, Kostas. I think that’s the only fucking thing we have in common. Well, that and the inability to find her.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “We’ll find her.”

I hate that we have a common goal. Nikolaides and Demetrious working together. It’s a shitshow, clearly.

“I’ll find her,” I amend, my fierce stare begging him to argue.

“Glad you put the bottle down, man. I was tired of dealing with your arrogant brother. At least with you, I know what the fuck you intend to do. With him…” He frowns. “With him, I don’t know what to think.”

I’m not about to buddy up to Phoenix Nikolaides of all people and share a drink gossiping like two teenage girls over how much my brother is a sneaky bastard. No, I can think about that all by myself.

“Where’s my money?” I demand, putting an end to all things Talia related.

He rolls his eyes like the fucking teenager I pegged him for and pulls out his phone. “I’ll wire it over right now.”

“I know, Selene,” Aris grits out, his voice booming from his office. “I said I know, dammit.”

Her annoying, screeching voice can be heard all the way into the hallway. I lean toward the door, hoping to catch her end of the conversation, but I hear nothing.

“Is that all?” he asks in a bored tone. “I have shit to do.”

She must end the call because he slams the phone down on his desk and curses. I choose that moment to saunter in. He shoots me a weary look and then sighs heavily when I sit in front of his desk.

“Trouble in paradise?” I ask as I rest my ankle on my knee and lean back.

Ignoring me, he stands and checks the clock. “Your meeting with Phoenix went quickly. Back before five? Was he even there?”