Page 53 of Risky Obsession

“Busted,” I whispered.

The storekeeper’s heavy footsteps preceded him, and he appeared with steely eyes as he approached us with a deliberate stride.

“No photo,” he repeated, his tone firm.

Kane quickly pocketed his phone and raised his hands. “Sorry. Do you speak English?”

The man nodded but didn’t elaborate.

Kane flashed that grin of his that seemed to crack through barriers. It didn’t look like it worked with this man though.

I pointed at the map, offering the storekeeper whatI hoped was a beautiful smile. “We were just admiring the craftsmanship in this map. It’s exquisite.”

The man scrutinized us with a wary expression, then nodded.

“We were just using our phone to translate this.” My ability to lie continued to surprise me. I pointed at the words beneath the castle. “Do you know what this means?”

The shopkeeper seemed to struggle with removing his gaze from me. I stepped back so he could move closer to the map.

He adjusted his glasses on his nose and leaned into the map. “Das Versteck des Löwen,” he said, frowning. “The Lion’s Hideaway.”

I gasped.

The man’s lips twitched. “Are you Australian?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Yes. My brother and I are trying to trace the footsteps of our ancestors.”

The man’s gaze seemed to penetrate my brain. Or maybe that was my shock at my endless lies.

Kane’s eyes drilled into me before he turned to the man. “Are you from around here? Maybe you can help us?”

The storekeeper tilted his head back to look up at Kane. “I live near here. Been in the same home all my life.”

“Oh wow, that’s wonderful,” I said, pumping excitement into my tone. “My great-grandfather used to work on a railway line around here, but the map we found in his things doesn’t seem to be right.”

The man’s lips tightened into a thin line. “The landscape changed a lot around here during the war.”

His bushy mustache seemed to dance with every word he spoke.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry. It would have been horrific. I’m Lacey, by the way.”

My real name slipped out before I could catch it.

Dread sank in my chest. Kane’s jaw dropped.

Oh, fuck.I’m in deep shit now.

CHAPTER 12

Lacey/Tory

Kaneturned his attention back to the shopkeeper, offering his hand to shake. “Yes, and I’m Lacey’s older brother, Ken. And you are?”

“I’m Gunter.”

“You have a lovely shop, Gunter. The nicest one we’ve been in all day.” Kane gave me a curious expression that tied my brain into knots.

Gunter’s lips formed a tiny smile. “Dankeschön. Thanks.”