Page 18 of Perfect Liar

I lifted my head and swallowed a ragged breath.

“What? You know who did this?”

“How much do you know about your family’s history?”

“Oh my god! Someone murdered my sister, and that’s what you want to talk about?”

He raised a brow and waited for me to calm down and give him the answer he wanted.

I took in a deep breath. And another.

“My grandparents were English. My great grandfather came to Connecticut before the turn of the twentieth century. I don’t know much more than that.”

“Tell me about your parents.”

I hesitated, then shrugged. I never really knew my parents, only the ghosts they’d left behind for Isabel and me to chase.

“They died together when I was two. Isabel was like six. My grandmother told us they traveled abroad on business, and their plane went down. Gran raised us.”

Will dropped his head for a minute.

“I’m sorry for all the losses you’ve suffered.”

A lump raised at the back of my throat.

They were gone. All of them now.

“What do you know about your last name?”

“It’s a name...just a damn name,” I whispered.

His eyes shifted to the floor. He shook his head, pushing back at his hair, cursing under his breath again. It was his thing, the hair, the cursing, and I couldn’t help but get caught up in it.

When I realized he watched me as I stared at him, I snapped.

“Look, it’s clear how clueless I am about my own family. If you know something that might help me, please, Will, just tell me.”

He took my hand. His eyes hardened.

“Christ, she didn’t tell you any-fucking-thing at all.”

I watched his every move, studied him, studied how his moods shifted fast and without warning. I waited for him to say more while declining another call from Josh.

Will glanced at my phone and then locked his eyes on mine.

“This is going to sound mad, but it is the truth.”

“Just say it,” I demanded.

“Our fathers knew each other, worked together on intelligence missions. At one point, they made a pact between themselves. I’m not sure what my father gained from it, but in the end, my family was sworn to protect you and your sister.”

“What do you mean? My father didn’t work for British intelligence. And who is after us…why do we need to be protected?”

He hesitated, squeezed my hand.

“Protect us from what, Will? Who did this to my sister?”

He nodded.