Endless Lies (Lies #6) - Ella Miles Page 0,31
men first. You have to prove you are strong enough to do the job. You won’t allow yourself to love. You won’t be selfish or weak. You’ll be strong.”
Liesel looks at her father, refusing to look at me.
“Prove that you no longer love him and your son goes free. Kill him, and I’ll make you the leader of my men.”
I don’t believe he’s just going to let her have control, but I do believe he’ll let Declan go. It’s clear he doesn’t think he’s up for the job or he’s much too young to take over for an older man. He wants Liesel, and this is how he thinks he’s going to get her.
“I need more assurances that Declan will go free. That he’s safe,” Liesel says sternly.
“Bring in Declan and Corbin,” he says.
A few minutes later, they enter. They look well and unhurt. Declan looks sharp in his tailor-made suit. He has stern eyes and stands proudly with his shoulders back. Corbin looks on cautiously. His fists clench, and his pupils dilate. It seems he wants to say something but can’t.
Liesel’s father walks over and hands Corbin a set of keys and a security card. “The keys are to the black SUV parked behind the building. The security card will gain you access through the building to the back door. It will take you ten minutes to reach the car. The card will only work if Liesel has completed her part of the bargain. If not, you’ll be trapped inside.”
Corbin looks to Liesel, trying to tell her something. I hope she can read him better than I can because I don’t have a clue what he’s saying.
“Take the boy and go,” Liesel’s father says.
Corbin takes the boy’s hand, and they leave.
“The clock is now ticking, Liesel.” He pulls up his phone with the access code. “If they reach the door and you haven’t killed Langston yet, the door will explode when Corbin goes to use the security card.”
“No,” Liesel gasps.
“Then kill Langston. Kill him, and they go free. Don’t, and they die.”
Liesel continues to stare at her father instead of me. It takes me a moment to realize why. She finally turns her head my way, and I see the fear in her eyes. Not fear of killing me, though, because I can see in her eyes that she’s working on a different plan. Rather, fear that I’m going to try and convince her that she should shoot me.
And she’s right.
I will do anything for her—even die for her.
I’ll give her a minute to think, but that’s it. I’ve already thought through our options. I can’t take on all the men in this room and get to Corbin in time to tell him not to use the security card. We can hope he’s smart enough to check for explosive devices before he opens the door. We can hope Corbin will find another way out, but I suspect Liesel’s father has already planned for all outcomes. He knows Corbin is in this world. He knows he’ll see a trap a mile away.
That only means he’s set the trap perfectly. Liesel’s father has ensured that Corbin won’t get away with Declan unless he allows him to.
There is only one way Declan is getting out of here alive—Liesel has to kill me.
I just don’t know how she’s getting out of here alive.
She bites her lip, trying to hold back tears. She has a plan to save Declan. She has a plan to save herself.
I smile. Of course, she has a plan. It was my mistake to ever doubt her.
My entire body relaxes and accepts that she’s going to live. She’s going to live a long and happy life with her kids, with our friends. Someday she’ll find someone else to love. Nothing else matters. My death is meaningless because she’s going to live.
Shoot me. It’s okay. Save him.
She can’t help the tear rolling down her cheek, but I just smile at how strong she is. She may not think she’s strong enough to survive this, but she is. I wish I could save her from having to be the one who kills me. I’m her killer; she’s my huntress. She hunts; I kill.
But I can’t kill for her this time. She’s always been strong enough; I just wanted to protect her from the pain.
I love you, I mouth.
Then I close my eyes, trying to make it easier on her. I won’t feel the pain. I’ll just slip off to death.
“Five minutes until