Page 71 of House of Lies

“Why did you save my life?”

“I never intended to leave New York without you.” His gaze darkens.

“What?”

“You are coming back with me, Caelia. Whether you like it or not. And you fooled me once, but you will not be able to stab me and run away again. I have two men stationed outside your door, six more outside this hospital, and who knows how many guards at every entrance, elevator, and stairwell. You will not escape.”

I will not escape. Escape from where? From what? What the hell is he talking about?

“Have you lost your mind? I’m not ... What ... I … Are you planning to kidnap me?”

“If you leave me no other choice, I will.”

“Please tell me, what other choices do I have?”

I am not trying to provoke his anger. I’m simply trying to understand what’s inside his mind.

“You can come with me willingly.”

Will my life always be one nightmare after another? Will I escape one hell only to be thrown into another?

CHAPTER 47

Kaz

I would give anything to know what she is thinking right now. I liked it when she spoke her mind, not holding anything back. She looks at me as if I am a stranger, and I can’t blame her for that. She spent all our time together hating me, believing I was Mattia. The idea that I might be someone entirely different never crossed her mind. Considering the circumstances, she handles all this better than I expected, except for the kidnapping.

“You killed Ermanno. You don’t need me,” she tries to bargain.

It didn’t start like this. It began with desire and obsession but turned into something else I can’t let go of.

“What’s left here for you?” I wasn’t expecting any of this to be easy. I wasn’t expecting instant forgiveness the second I told her the truth. “Is it your sister?” I go on. “She will never prioritize you over her own family, Caelia. And we both know your mother couldn’t care less. Your father forced you into a marriage for the sake of some territory. So, tell me, what is left for you here?”

I will be cruel if this is the only way to make her see things for how they are. She has no one.

“Thanks for the reminder, Kazimir. Very thoughtful of you,” she retorts.

I raise an eyebrow, realizing that I never mentioned my full name, so Mattia must have said something to her.

She sips the tea I brought, turning her head toward the closed window. Few people call me Kazimir. It feels strange to hear it coming from her lips. We have shared so much, and now she is shutting me out. She doesn’t even give me her anger, which is something I will gladly take instead of this.

“It would just be one cage for another. You should have let me die.”

The fuck it will. I don’t know how often I have to prove myself to her. To prove to her that I’m not Mattia. I will never do what he did, even though she has every reason to doubt me, and it is entirely my fault. I once lost my patience with her, tried to teach her a lesson, and destroyed everything we had built.

“But you’re not dead. And I will not pity you. I will not treat you like a victim. You will talk to me willingly if what we had meant anything to you.”

She snaps her eyes at me, a tiny spark of rage burning inside them. But it fades away as the seconds pass. Whatever she’s thinking or feeling, it makes it melt away.

“I’m done fighting,” she whispers. “I’m so tired of it all. I don’t need your pity. I don’t want you to treat me like a victim. I’m sorry for everything that happened, and I hope you find out your uncle and avenge your father’s death. But you should return home, Kazimir. You should just let me be. You should leave me alone. What we had meant nothing.”

If there is one thing I have never been capable of, it is leaving this woman alone.

“That’s never going to happen.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Give me all your poisonous lies. Give me your truth. Just give me something.”