Wicked Liar (Dark Syndicate 3)

“He... likes me,” I state, and that’s not a lie.People can see Jacques is interested in me.

What I feel bad for is possibly hiding information.The problem in this circle we revolve in is no one is ever truly good.Jacques might be fine for business, but he might have a link to the past I need.That link doesn’t affect Massimo.

“Maybe that’s what you need right now.Someone like that to be fond of you.”

“Maybe.” I attempt a smile.

"When are you seeing him again?"

"He's taking me to lunch."

He smiles at that. "Two dates in a week.It sounds serious."

"I'll see what happens."

“I'm glad you like him. Be careful, though, Candace." The caution that seeps into his eyes catches my attention."I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn’t tell you to be careful.He has the green light from me, but like me, Jacques is no ordinary man.”

“I will be careful. I promise I will." I already had every intention of being as careful as I could be with Jacques, but it looks like Massimo has something more on his mind.“You trust him, don't you? You wouldn't want him to join the Syndicate if you didn't trust him, right?"

Massimo draws in a steady breath and rests his hands on the table."Over the last few years, I've turned away powerful alliances who wanted to be part of the Syndicate.They could have been good for business.I realized that I kept doing that because trust has a deeper meaning for me and the handful of people I actually trust are already there.To have the vision we want, I knew I couldn't keep turning good people away.Jacques is the first person who's come along to sway me.He has everything I'd want in someone to join us, everything we'd need to start building in strength.So, trust doesn't really have a part in this, because I don't know him.What I know is he would be an asset to us."

That tells me everything I need to know and cements my reasons for not wanting to ruin a good business relationship."Well, I trust you know what you're doing."

"I hope so. It’s a big deal for me, that's why I’m eager to get past the shit troubling us.”

"I understand that completely.You focus on what you need to and don't worry about me.I'll be okay."

“Just promise me you'll come to me if you want to talk.” Kindness and warmth are what I see when I look at him.Qualities he doesn’t show everybody but has always shown me.

"I promise."

"Good."

I stand. “I guess I’d better get started on my work.See you later.”

“See you.”

I make my way back to my office and consider what Massimo said about Jacques.He'll be here soon to meet me, and nervousness is gnawing away at my insides.

This is the first time in my life that I'll be doing something so risky and uncertain.And so unlike me. I wonder though what would happen if I'm right.

What if Jacques can lead me to Richard Fenmoir and I find out he was the man who sent those men to my home to kill my family?

What if by finding that out I open a box in hell that was supposed to remain closed?

That information Papa took got him and Mom killed, and I've never been able to find anything at all to get justice for their deaths.

I'm not stupid. Nothing is ever that hard to find, and not when you have the best people, with unorthodox methods searching for answers.The reason no one can find anything was always going to be that someone worked hard to keep it that way.

I already know that anything I do could spell danger for me if I dig too deep.

All these years, no one has come looking for me.

I won’t be a fool and think it went unnoticed that I escaped death.I went to live with the D’Agostinos.That means being under their care and protection.I know that’s what kept me safe, and probably still does, along with the fact that the man who killed my parents wore a mask.He never knew I’d previously seen his face.I think if he knew I wouldn’t be here today.

When it comes to my parents' deaths, I know anybody would help me in a heartbeat, but I have to be sure about what I’m looking into.

Of course… if I find out that Richard Fenmoir is the man responsible for my parents’ deaths, I wouldn’t deal with that part on my own, and I wouldn’t care what that would mean for Jacques.