Page 58 of His Lair

“Stay behind me,” I instruct once everyone is gathered in the foyer again, before taking hold of Evie’s hand. “I need you to be right by me.”

“Why?” she asks.

“Because I like my head attached to my shoulders, and your boyfriend won’t think twice aboutunattaching it if I don’t get you out of here in one piece,” I tell her.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” she whispers.

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t know that,” I mutter under my breath before stepping into the elevator.

I press the button to shut the doors and then bring up the CCTV footage on my phone. The place looks clear. I spot Paz and another couple of Emmanuel’s soldiers in the garage and sigh in relief.

It’s not that I couldn’t manage this shitshow on my own. It’s just that I’d prefer not to. The more people I have to help get Evie and Jazzy to the compound unharmed, the better.

Chapter Twenty-Five

When something is too good to be true, trust that it fucking is. I’ve never strayed from trusting my gut about someone before. Until her. Lailani, if that’seven her real fucking name. Whoever the fuck she is, she isn’t who I thought she was.

I’ve watched the footage of her killing those three men who stormed into Carlo’s penthouse over and over again. All this time I’ve been so fucking worried about protecting her, keeping her safe from my world, when it looks like I should have been protecting my worldfrom her. I left her alone with my niece. I left her alone in my home and I have no fucking idea who the fuck she is.

My fist clenches and I force myself to relax it. No one has ever got past me. How the fuck did I let this happen? How did I fall in love with someone who doesn’t fucking exist?

“You good?” Carlo asks.

“How would you be if you just found out the woman you’re dating isn’t who you thought she was?” I counter.

“I mean, if I found out she was a secret ninja assassin, I probably wouldn’t be mad.” He smiles, shrugging a shoulder when he adds, “Those skills could come in handy.”

“Asshole.” I turn my attention to the window, watching the city go past. My mind whirling with various scenarios.

What am I going to say to her? What’s the point of even asking her for the truth now? It’s not like I can believe a word that comes out of her pretty little mouth.

The drive to Emmanuel’s place seems to take forever. When we finally pull up to his door, I’m hesitant to get out of the car.

“You coming?” Carlo says from where he’s standing outside my window.

“I might kill her,” I whisper. I’m fucking fuming. She lied to me. She played me like a damn fool. I’m so spun up I can actually see myself wrapping my hands around her neck and squeezing the life out of her.

“You’re not going to kill her. Stop being dramatic. Also, my money would be on her. I saw that video too.” The asshole laughs.

I swing the car door open, slam it shut again, and reluctantly follow Carlo inside the house. He heads towards the sound of his daughter’s voice, while I head down the hall that leads to Emmanuel’s office. Two of his goons stand guard outside of it.

“Open the door,” I grunt.

“Boss is busy,” one of them says.

“Yeah, he’s about to be a whole lot fucking busier. Open the fucking door.” My voice rises along with my anger.

Before either of E’s goons can respond, the door swings open, and he glares at me. “There a reason you’re yelling in my home?”

“Yeah, there is. We need to talk.” I shove them all as I push my way inside E’s office.

“Please, do come in,” he says from behind me and clicks the door closed.

“Who is she?” I ask.

“You’ll have to be more specific.” He walks around his desk, sitting in his oversized fucking ugly-ass throne of a chair.

“Lailani, who is she?” I clarify.