Fated Lies (Lies 3)

The man grins at me as he walks into the room. “I’m happy to see you’re still in one piece.”

I frown. “And I’m unhappy to see that you still are.”

“Miss Dunn did put up quite a fight, but in the end, she relented.”

I growl and try to jump from my chair, but my body doesn’t function very well yet. The two men grab my shoulders and yank me back in my seat easily.

The man in the suit laughs, amused by my distress. He walks over to the small bar and pours himself a drink before taking the seat opposite me.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“Does it matter?” The slick man raises his eyebrows.

“No, I’ll kill you all the same.”

“I have no doubt that you’ll try, and if I falter in any way, you’ll succeed.”

“Then why don’t you seem more afraid?”

“Because as long as I have Miss Dunn in my possession, I have complete control over you.”

I growl again. He’s right, but I hate that he already knows my weakness.

“What did you do to Liesel? If you hurt one hair on her head, I’ll torture you for years and only let you die once I’ve broken every bone in your body.”

He smirks. “Liesel is still in one piece, don’t worry. She’s currently contemplating my proposition.”

I hold my breath, terrified she’ll offer her body in exchange for keeping me safe—something I couldn’t live with. But from his smug expression, I’m afraid he’s already touched her.

I scan his suit, looking for any signs he’s hurt her. Claw marks, a ripped hole or pulling of fabric, anything from her struggle, but I don’t see anything out of place on him. That reassures me slightly, but maybe it’s my imagination and hope convincing me. He could have changed suits after he beat her, or he could have had another man attack her.

“What propositi

on?”

“As I’m sure you’ve guessed, I seek the treasure that only you and Liesel protect.”

I nod. Of course, he’s after the treasure. I can’t think of any other reason why he would capture both Liesel and me.

“For yourself or for your boss?” I ask. He may not tell me, but maybe he’ll give me a clue as to a man higher up than him coming after us.

“Your questions don’t stop, do they?” He takes a slow sip of his drink. “You won’t get any answers, Mr. Pearce.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t need to ask any more questions. Only a man who has vowed his life to another doesn’t answer questions when asked. You are just like the men to either side of me. You’re a low-life in a fancy suit, and you’ll never have any real power.”

He frowns, and I know I’ve hit a nerve.

“As I was saying, I gave Miss Dunn a proposition, and I’ve decided to offer you the same deal. I can only make the deal with one of you, but again, it doesn’t matter to me who it is.”

I hold my breath. I don’t care what the deal is; all I want is Liesel to be safe. I want to get on my knees and beg to keep him from hurting her. I would offer all the money I have to keep her safe. I’ll give him the treasure, anything if he lets Liesel go.

“What’s the deal?”

“You both tell me everything you know about the treasure. How to get it and what exactly it is.”

“And in exchange?”

A Cheshire Cat smile spreads across his face while my heart thumps wildly in my chest. What will I have to give in order for Liesel to go free?