Page 153 of Lust & Lies

Oh. My. Gosh. I had a murderous Alexa in my shed. Damn, maybe I was as bad as my twin claimed I was. And perhaps Aiden really didn’t need to be with a woman like me. That should make me sad, considering I was still in love with him, despite everything.

However, a part of me was reconciling with the fact that I wasn’t the good girl I thought I was. It was kind of good to know that loving Aiden wasn’t the only thing I excelled at. I was glad that being a wife and living in a nice house wasn’t the only thing that brought me joy.

After my memory of my sister and me, I’d begun to think I was weak, someone who could easily be stepped on. Staring around this room, I realized I wasn’t weak. I was just too loyal. Too obsessed with wanting a family, with wanting a family that wanted me.

I now realize that I was enough. Period. Just me. I was enough. I didn’t need a family that treated me like Mr. Park and Noelle had treated me. And I damn sure didn’t need a man to be happy.

All I needed was a murder shed. I smiled as I stared at my weapons, my babies. Everything in here was pointing to me being Mist and Mist being a badass. I think it was time to see just how bad I could be.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

NOELANI

I STEPPED FURTHER INTOthe weapons room. Near the back, I spotted a pair of black boots. I remembered from one of my dreams that I kept a dagger in my boots. I moved over to them and checked the side slot.

Sure enough, there was a dagger inside. That could come in handy later. I rushed to take off my sneakers and pull the boots on, tying them up quickly. They fit perfectly, leaving me feeling like a Cinderella assassin.Killerella.

“Hurry, Noe,” Gertrude called from the security monitors, scaring me because I hadn’t realized I’d left the speaker on.

“I’m hurrying,” I said, knowing she couldn’t hear me but feeling like I should respond.

I stood, reaching for an AR-15 hanging from the rack.Awww, my Shy girl.I called her Shy because when I didn’t want to get up close and personal with a target, I pulled her out. It was amazing how some memories just slipped in easily, and others came to me in my dreams.

My fingers slid along the stock of the weapon. I didn’t think I’d need her, but I was still taking her.Bullets. Where were the bullets? My gaze dropped to the middle drawer. I pulled the drawer open and smiled.

It seemed that some things were really coming back to me. Inside the drawer, I found rounds and loaded them into themagazine. I slung Shy over my shoulder and then grabbed a duffel bag off a shelf.

I threw things in, extra magazines, more guns, knives, whatever I could fit inside. I knew I wasn’t being strategic, but I was in a hurry. Once the bag was full, I wondered if I’d overdone it.

It was heavy as hell. I slung the bag over my shoulder and exited the room. Now, uh, how was I supposed to close this door?

“Are you done gearing up, Mist?”Murder-Alexa asked.

“Um. Yes.”

“Your mask has not been removed from its drawer. Please choose a mask before leaving. That’s protocol.”

My mask? Oh, right. I remembered now. All Watchdog members wore masks when on missions. Now, where would I keep my murder mask? I opened the drawer in front of me. No mask in there. I didn’t have time to search for a mask.

“Which drawer is it in?” I asked.

A drawer to my right opened.Wow. This was some high-tech shit I had going on here. I set my heavy duffel down and walked over to the drawer. Inside were a few gorgeous silver masks. At least ten of them.

While most girls shopped for clothing, jewelry, and shoes, it seemed I splurged on weapons, tactical gear, and murder masks. The masks were gorgeous. Some covered the whole face, leaving only the eyes showing.

Some only covered the lower half of the face. I decided on the one that covered the lower half. I quickly slid the silver mask over my face, positioning it over my nose and mouth, and smoothing out the part that covered my neck.

“I have my mask on,” I said aloud, as I closed the drawer, picked up my duffle, and headed out of the room.

“Good. Remember to be safe out there, and don’t blame yourself for the lives you have to take. You don’t kill innocents. You kill those who harm others or try to take down the people you care for. You’re ridding the streets of people who harm the innocent and less fortunate. You’re one of the good guys.”

Tears stung my eyes as I stopped and glanced back at the room. I couldn’t believe an AI was really consoling me.

“Thank you, um... Do you have a name?”

“You call me M.O.M. My voice was programmed using your mother’s last voicemail to your father. But it also stands for Mission Operations Manager.”

Missions Operations Manager.