Page 12 of Unspoken Lies

“I didn’t think you’d even know what that was,” she says with a startled laugh. “Are we talking tarot cards, candles, and such? If so, there aren’t any shops that stay open late like that in the area.”

“I’ll need to do some research on what to stock, and also put out feelers for someone to manage it because it’s not my area of expertise,” Theo says. “I do like that as our entrance. They’ll see the manager with the secret password, and off they’ll go.”

“May as well make it interesting,” I agree. “Alright, that’s definitely on the table, now to find a good space for it all.”

It takes seeing three locations before we finally find what we’re looking for in Montecito. It’ll give us a smaller space for the store, while all of the fun will happen behind it. There’s even a basement for the sex club.

“This is going to be epic once we get all of the permits in,” I say with a wide grin. “Can we get this inspected for structural integrity? We’ll secure the money for this.”

“I thought you were loaded?” Terry asks, confused as we walk back to the vehicle.

“We are, but bringing in some other players with skin in the game may help with pushing through our permits,” I explain.

Theo smirks, already looking up people in the area to pitch this to. It’s going to be a busy few days and weeks, but this is what we live for. Our connections to people through Carlysle Prep is outside of the Kings Society.

We can open our own fucking doors, thank you very much.

CHAPTER 4

LILIANA

“Dad, this is ridiculous,” I complain, sitting in the living room with Mr. Emil and my father.

This is an intervention.I was called out of my room after a shower and a nap. I only exist from one killing to the next. It’s how I fill my hours of existence now.

“No, it’s not,” Mr. Emil says. “You’re wracking up a kill count at an unprecedented rate. You’re nineteen years old, Liliana. There will be plenty of time to join the family business after college.”

“What if I need it?” I whisper, wincing. “It’s the only thing that calms down my anger. And no, therapy to talk about my feelings about this isn’t on the table. We agreed.”

“Yes, we did,” Dad says, glancing at Mr. Emil. “Do you want to tell her?”

“You’re both making me very nervous,” I say with a pout. Slowly, over the last few months, I’ve lost my healthy fear of my new boss.

“I am expanding the business into California,” Mr. Emil begins to explain. “Well, I have been expanding for the past year, but I need an enforcer out there to keep people in line now.”

“Okay,” I drawl. “I’ll bite. You just complained that I’ve been killing too often. Why would you offer the job to me, if that’s what you’re doing?”

Mr. Emil has been paying me very well, but one of the caveats to it is that I continue to live in my father’s home. Since I don’t really have the will to look for anywhere else to live, I agreed without hesitation.

Some people drink, pop pills, or cut to dull their grief. I carve my sadness away while I torture and kill. My control has gotten better over the summer, and I can draw the pain out longer before the person I’m torturing expires.

“I am, but I’m having an issue with someone,” Mr. Emil says. “One of the men I have up there, his son, is selling GHB at one of the universities. You know I don’t deal in the date rape shit. I want it handled, please.”

“This means that you’ll be attending the University of California, Santa Barbara as a freshman,” Dad says, dropping the other shoe.

Fuck me.

“I don’t want to go to college,” I sigh. “I know that we agreed to defer for Princeton, but my head isn’t in it.”

“Well, get your head in it,” Mr. Emil growls. “I need you there. Princeton is off the table now, Liliana. If you want to be an asset to me and the organization, sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do.”

“Yes, your highness,” I mutter, much to my father’s amusement. “Are you going to also tell me what to major in?”

“Actually, I am,” Mr. Emil says.

That’s wonderful.I make a sound that’s a cross between a groan and strangled sound, and wait for him to tell me. It’sexactly like him to do this. We’re all players on a board for him to move around.

While I know this, I can still be annoyed about it.