Page 86 of Reign of a Billionaire

My mouth parted, his jet-black expression leaving no room for discussion. My stomach dropped like lead. I didn’t want to imagine exactly how long he thought that would be.

“What if she finds us first?” I asked. I hoped she wouldn’t. I had no doubt that Kingston was capable of defending himself, but if she brought her goons with her, it’d be hard for the two of us to fight them all, especially Drago. Now that I was free of her, I didn’t want to go back to her poisonous bubble.

“She won’t.”

“You seem overly confident.”

I opened my mouth to say something else, but he beat me to it. “What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”

I froze as the darkness morphed into a mirrored nightmare haunting my every dream. Flashbacks of my mother’s torture shot through me as fear crept into the corners of my mind. Her questions—much like this one—sent terror into the marrow of my bones. These were trick questions, they had to be, and pain always followed because I never answered them right.

My fingers curled into fists. It was like his words had tipped my world upside down, and I had no idea why. Would there ever come a day when I’d be free of these mood swings? “I like them all.”

His brow rose. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s my final one.” I glared at him.

He leaned back into his seat. “You have a favorite flavor,” he deadpanned. “But for an unknown reason, you refuse to say it.”

I scoffed with a bravado. “And how would you know that?”

“Your eyes.”

“What about my eyes?” I snapped.

“They’re the windows to your soul.” My heartbeat tripped over itself. Where had I heard that before? “They tell me when you’re lying, when you’re sad or scared, when you’re excited.”

My cheeks heated, and I inhaled slowly.

“It’s my turn,” I rasped, my words tumbling from my mouth on a tremor, eager to move the topic away from myself.

“Then ask, ice princess.”

I gritted my teeth at the nickname. Answers first. Kill him later.

“What was the deal with you and Louisa?”

“I won’t be answering that.”

Frustration chafed beneath my skin, but it wasn’t as if I could call him out on it when I just did the same.

“Where were you when my sister was taken?” I asked, my voice cracking.

His cool gaze slid to my neck, probably squeezing invisible hands around it.

“I was right there, dying alongside Louisa.” He shot to his feet abruptly, causing me to flinch. “Where in the fuck were you? We talked about leaving for ten fucking years. Where were you, Liana?”

Then he turned around and left me staring after him. It had become a pattern—one of us was always leaving.

Chapter 43

Liana

Ten years.

Kingston Ashford was our bodyguard for ten years, and judging by his tone, he blamed me for her death. And I… I couldn’t remember him.Except maybe in my dreams.I shook my head side to side. No, that couldn’t be him. Not if he was my sister’s lover.

My heart only ever thundered like this when I dreamt about the faceless man or was with Kingston.