Deceiving Lies (Forgiving Lies 2)

All I knew was that every day I was more positive than the last that he wasn’t only my way to safety, but he was also the key to my freedom. And I was going to cling to that safety net, because my life and freedom depended on it.

11

Kash

TAKING OUT MY LIP RING, I ran my hand through my hair one more time and grabbed the file off the passenger seat of my truck before jumping out and smoothing down my tie as I walked toward the closed-off building. I went through the process of checking in and going through the metal detectors before I walked through the halls to the meeting room. I watched as families, lovers, and friends met up with inmates and talked at tables, and waited until I saw both Deon and Luke escorted in.

Their faces pulled together in confusion when they didn’t see Serena and Nadia sitting at a table waiting for them, but per my request, Deon and Luke were seated at a table in the corner. The guards stood there waiting until I walked in, and with a practiced smile and flash of my badge, excused them.

“Thank you, gentlemen, I appreciate your help today.”

When I looked down at Deon and Luke, I was met with twin glares, but neither said a word until I sat down.

“You fucking pig. We’re in here because of you.”

“Where’s your partner? Or did you two break up?”

I smirked and steadily tapped the hard edge of the file against the table. “Aw, good to see you two too.”

“Wipe the smile off your face, you piece of shit.”

“Deon, I’d like to remind you that I’m not the one shackled to a table right now.”

“I’m surprised you’re even able to smile,” Luke said, and attempted to cross his arms through the cuffs. “What was it I heard recently? Your wife was kidnapped?” He clucked his tongue and shook his head slowly. “Tragic. Just tragic. Isn’t it, Deon?”

“Absolutely. I figured you’d be more torn up about something like that. She must not be a very good lay.”

At any other time, I couldn’t imagine not lunging over the table and beating the shit out of them. But I knew this meeting was crucial, and if I let them see any emotion, if I hinted at the grief that was tearing at me, this would all be for nothing. So I kept my smile in place and continued tapping the file on the table.

I’d tried hardening myself to what was happening, and as far as everyone knew, I was too far gone to be helped. Not being able to handle the guilt and heartache, I’d stopped looking at the evidence coming in of Rachel’s torture. Now all I wanted to know every two days was if she was still alive. Anything more than that, and this facade I’d worked so hard at creating would crack. I’d lose it, and if I let myself give in to the pain and grief . . . I would be gone.

“Any luck on that case, Kash-man? Or maybe she’s dead? Maybe that’s what’s happening? Did you ever find the bastards who took her?”

“Enough of the bullshit”—I cut Luke off and set the file down—“you and I all know who took her. What I find funny is that the two of you—well, and I’m guessing the rest of the crew—still think she’s gone. She escaped, we got her back a couple days ago.”

Both men went silent, but their faces gave nothing away.

“I’d love to tell you the department’s plans, but that would just give you time to warn the men that took her. So I’ll keep that information to myself. Funny that they haven’t told you she slipped through their fingers yet. They must just be too scared because they don’t have a backup plan to get any of you out of prison yet. Oh well.”

Silence continued to greet me, so I opened the file and pulled out the large photographs, keeping them facing me.

“You know what else I find funny? That Serena and Nadia finally got over their hate for each other. Good to see they became friends and are living together.” I put down the photograph of the girls’ house on the table, facing up. “Even better, they are helping each other raise the kids.” I slapped down the picture of Serena, Nadia, and all seven kids playing out front on the table. “Jesus Christ, can you imagine having to go from not working, to supporting seven kids combined?”

Deon’s and Luke’s eyes were wide, and their breathing had deepened, but still they weren’t saying anything.

“Oh, but don’t worry about that either. Because Nadia and Serena were getting along so well, they got a job together.” I laid down three pictures of the girls in next to nothing, standing on a corner, and leaning into car windows.

Deon’s hands fisted on top of the tables, and the chains tightened when he tried to pull them into his lap to hide them.

“But, as we all know, your whores had meth habits. And from what their new supplier is telling me, they’re spending a lot on it. When they’re not fucking other guys to get it, that is. So, of course, this has been happening quite a bit.” I smacked down a picture of both girls unconscious on the couch of their home, with glass pipes on the table. “Which obviously means this happened.” I laid down a series of pictures of child protective services taking the children from the home, and both Nadia and Serena being arrested. I clicked my tongue and huffed a laugh. “Ah, man, good times.”

“I’ll kill you,” Luke growled.

“What is it you want?” Deon asked.

“Oh, no, no. I’m not done. So before the children were taken so they could have a chance at a normal life, and before your women were arrested so we could take some more of the filth off the streets, and before my girl escaped . . . yours talked. And they talked a lot. Even if Rachel hadn’t escaped, your girls gave up the rest.” I grabbed the second-to-last picture and my expression darkened when I looked back up at the guys sitting across the table from me. “But not without a little persuasion first.” Setting down the picture, I waited for the reaction I knew was coming.

Both men tried to lunge over the table, but being shackled to the ground and table didn’t let them get far. I turned and held up a hand to the guards who had begun making their way over to us, and with reluctant nods, they backed off. I’d gotten the pictures of the women and the kids, while sitting in my car, across the street from wherever they were at the time. The ones of them doing drugs and sexual favors to get more drugs: Sunny and his crew had helped out with those. How he got RJ to get back with Serena for that time, I didn’t know, and didn’t give a shit. That last one, though; Mason and I had paid the girls a visit for that.