Page 44 of The Deceptions

I hold my breath when he scans our SUV intently, taking it in and reading our license plate. Heat bursts up my neck and onto my cheeks until he moves on to the next vehicle full of people.

It's a good thing this is a rental, under false identities.

Once I regain my breath, I can't help but trace the multitude of tattoos etched onto his flesh. As a teenager, they fascinated me. He loved the pain of the tattoo machine on his skin. Ached for it.

“Did it hurt?” I whisper, running my finger over the colorful daisy resting on his bicep.

Hux smirks, lazily running his index finger up my thigh as we rest on the floor of the treehouse, watching as the sun sets in the distance and bathing the world in a hue of pink and orange, tainted by the storm clouds hovering above them and snuffing out the light. A cool breeze comes through the windows, spreading goosebumps down my flesh as the rain begins to fall, pelting the roof of our treehouse.

“They always hurt.”

“Then why get them?” I whisper, staring up into his moss-green eyes.

“Because the pain is worth the beauty,” he whispers before capturing my lips with his in a slow kiss and embrace as thunder rumbles around us, and I cling to him tightly. “We’ll weather any storm, Trouble,” he says, gripping me tight and forcing my gaze to his.

Even when I want to cower away from the lightning spiking across the sky.

Fuck.

I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping to break the spell of watching them. I need to get my wits about me and fucking pay attention for our mission. Not fall victim to the past that’s lingering beneath the shadows of my brain, striking me down. I need to keep my head above water. I can't keep falling into memories headfirst and remembering who they were. They showed me who they truly were under the masks they wore that night when they set me on fire and ended my existence.

“I really want to strangle those fuckers,” Jordy grunts, pushing a hand through his hair. “I’m going to go rogue one of these days, Liv. Find out where they’re staying and just fucking obliterate them.” He shakes his head, bringing me back to the car and away from the three murderers waltzing around campus.

I lick my lips, watching as they walk away, weaving between the buildings. Presumably to move into the frat they occupy on campus. As for information on them, that's as far as I know.

That'll be a major focal point of my job. Getting close to them again and securing information.

What a joy.

“Let me do my job,” I say. “Let me bring them to justice.”

Justice is a fickle word. My justice or Veritas’? Which do they deserve? Prison time? Or punishment for what they did?

It's a toss-up.

“Fine,” Jordy grumbles, slamming a hand into the steering wheel. “I’ll give you that. Your face is the last thing they should see when you finally take them down and throw them in prison forever. Or better yet, in an unmarked grave. I’ll have the popcorn ready.”

He’s right.

“Okay,now I’m not so envious,” Jordy chortles, hiding his laughs behind his palm. Fucker. “Uncle could have at least put you up in an apartment or something. God, you have to share a bathroom.” He gives me the side-eye, smirking when I huff. “And there’s only one.” In this part, he sing-songs, mocking my entire existence. I discreetly flip him off.

Uncle. It’s our code word for Jonathan when we’re surrounded by civilians. No one will ever know that Jordy and I aren't true cousins. In our hearts, I guess we are. Family where it counts.

My nose wrinkles. The room is small. Well, smaller than I thought it would be. I guess I expected more than this. It’s about the size of a damn jail cell. Okay, maybe a little bigger than that. Only slightly, though. It just feels like a jail cell. A punishment I didn’t ask for.

After seeing my three exes out in the courtyard, my adrenaline hasn’t stopped spiking. It’s like, that at every turn, I expect them to be there and ready to hurt me again.

They won’t. I’m dead in their eyes.

This will be home for the next few months. Or less, if I can help it. The faster I bring those idiots to their knees and eliminate Franco’s empire, the quicker I can go back to the bunker with my vibrators in peace.

My eyes gaze around the room, adjusting to the new glasses perched on my nose.

“Make sure you take off your glasses before you get into the shower,” Jordy quips, shivering. “That way, no one has to see all that.” He points to my body with a fake layer of disgust.

Asshole.

“You sure you don’t want to see the goods?” I quip back, pushing at his shoulder.