Lie (Betrothed 8)

“No.” I took the lead, dreading the upcoming interaction. Catalina had complicated my life in ways I didn’t want to admit. Her hold on me was so strong that I couldn’t see clearly, especially when it came to Damien. “He knows I’ll kill him.”

The guards let me inside, and I descended to the production lab, seeing the men work like bees in a hive, ignoring my presence even though they knew I was there. I headed to the office, where the door was wide open like he was waiting for me.

I stepped inside and spotted the two bags of money on the floor. “Let’s try this again, shall we?”

Damien sat behind his desk, his expression just as cold as last time. Wordless, he just sat there, looking at me like he wanted nothing more than to slit my throat and watch me bleed all over his rug.

“Check it.” I faced him with my arms by my sides, listening to Steel and Ian move to the bags on the floor and check all that cash.

Damien’s hands lay in his lap, his elbows resting on the armrests on either side of his chair. He refused to speak to me, as if it was an act of defiance.

I held his stare with the same intensity, unafraid of his silent protest. The guys worked behind me, using all their tools to make sure Damien hadn’t slipped a tracking device inside or planted a bomb.

Steel zipped up the bag. “Mine is clean.” He picked up the bag and rose to his feet.

“Mine too.” Ian did the same.

My expression didn’t change. “Good job, Damien. You followed directions. You get a gold star.”

His skin flushed red like his anger had been provoked, but he still chose to stay silent, refused to speak to me.

“I’ll bring you a treat next time.” I walked out the doors first, my men following behind me. We made the long walk out of the production lab, up the several flights of stairs, and to the main entryway. The armored vehicle was visible at the curb through the glass doors.

Then my phone rang.

I pulled it out of my pocket and saw Catalina’s name on the screen. I almost didn’t answer it because I was in the middle of something, but after everything I’d said about making her my priority, I knew I had to take it. “Baby, I’m busy right now.”

She was crying.

I halted and raised my hand to Steel and Ian, telling them to stop. “What’s wrong?” I’d only see her cry once before, and that was after she was rescued from hell. She had a strong backbone and wouldn’t crumple like this unless she had real reason.

She spoke through her tears. “Damien has four snipers outside his building…they’re gonna shoot you once you leave.”

My heart started to beat hard once the imminent danger was evident. It was just the three of us and a few guys in the van, so we were outnumbered, like fish in a barrel. Damien had set me up—set me up good. But instead of worrying about that, I addressed what she’d said. “You said you wouldn’t tell me this.” She’d broken her promise, broken her own rules, to save my life.

She breathed hard into the phone, searching for a response to what I just said. She was quiet for twenty seconds. “Please don’t kill my brother…”

I stared out the main doors, the street deserted at this time of night. Steel stared at me as he realized something was wrong, that this hiccup in our plan was unusual. Now her behavior earlier that evening made sense, why she’d hugged me so hard on the doorstep. She’d known when I was inside her, known when we kissed and touched each other. She’d decided not to intervene…but then changed her mind.

“I saved your life. You owe me…”

If I were going to kill her brother, I would have done it already. “I have to go.” I hung up and slipped the phone into my pocket. I didn’t have the time to deal with her right now. Her message was received. Now I had to decide what to do.

Steel stared at me. “What?”

I kept my gaze out the doors. “We’ve been set up. There’re four snipers outside.”

Steel immediately pulled out his gun from his jeans, even though that wouldn’t do shit.

Ian dropped the bag of money. “What do we do?”

Our guns wouldn’t do anything, and I could call for backup but that would take too long. “Stay here.” I turned around and returned the way I came. I took the stairs two at a time, descended back into the lab, and spotted Damien speaking to his men, grinning like he’d already won the war.

I reached the floor and marched toward him.

When he realized I was there, he read the look on my face and immediately figured out his plan had backfired. He drew his gun.