Fated Lies (Lies #3) - Ella Miles Page 0,5
you need from us?” Enzo asks.
“One month. I need you to give me one month to get some answers from Liesel, and then I’ll end this.”
Enzo nods and then pats me on the back. “I’ll hold you to that. You have one month, and then I don’t want to ever speak of Liesel Dunn again.”
He walks back into the house, and I know I won’t be able to keep my promise to him. Even if I accomplish everything I need to in one month, I won’t be able to give Liesel up. She’s in all of my thoughts. She’s in my soul, and dare I say it—my heart.
I don’t waste any time. Enzo gave me a month before he intervenes. That’s how long he’s willing to put his family, and me, at risk before he makes me give Liesel up.
I stand on the floor of the convention center with a crowd of people who have come to mourn Waylon Brown.
Nolan, his campaign manager, is on stage speaking about how great Waylon was and all the amazing things he would have done as governor.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. The man was a monster who lent out his soon to be wife to play in a sick game for his own twisted pleasures. The man would have run this state into the ground.
“Let’s all have a moment of silence to honor Mr. Brown,” Nolan says.
The room goes quiet, and that’s when she spots me.
Liesel is wearing a black lace dress sitting in a chair on stage to the right of Nolan. She plays the part of heartbroken fiancée well.
That’s because she is heartbroken, even though I’ll never understand why she fell for that old, fucked up man. He had to have brainwashed her.
Our eyes meet through the silence.
This is war, I say with mine.
Good, I’m ready for this to end, hers say.
I smirk as Nolan begins talking again.
I don’t focus on him. I focus all of my attention on her, trying to form a plan of how I’m going to kidnap her. I see Maxwell standing to the side of the stage with a large security team. He’s not the best, but he has more talent than I originally gave him credit for.
Still, I can easily slip past him to grab her.
How do I want to do this?
Tie her up?
Drug her?
Drag her kicking and screaming?
Threaten her?
So many choices. But this time, when I take her, she won’t be leaving my sight, not again.
“Now, I’d like to give Miss Liesel Dunn the stage to say a few brave words. She’s the strongest woman I know. And to prove that point, she’s decided to continue Mr. Brown’s legacy and run for governor on his platform. Miss Dunn, everyone!”
The room breaks out in giant applause.
My gaze stays locked on Liesel’s. Her eyes widen until the whites of her eyes are more visible than the hazel. Then her teeth grind in anger as she looks to Nolan, who is applauding her with a smug grin. The bastard forced her hand again.
I smirk. Nolan messed with the wrong woman. She is going to squash him like the bug that he is. He might have political aspirations, but Liesel won’t be manhandled.
She stands from her seat and takes her time walking to the mic.
“Thank you, everyone, for your warm welcome. As you know, this moment is the time to mourn Waylon Brown, a man I loved very much. A man who would have done this state proud. A man who was brutally murdered and taken from us too soon. That is the focus of today.”
The crowd is silent as she speaks, completely entranced with her. Liesel has always been a good speaker. She knows how to pull anyone to her side.
“While I would love to announce today that I’m running for governor in my late fiancé’s place, today isn’t the time or place to make such an announcement. Today is about Waylon. I can pledge this to you, though. I will do everything I can to honor Waylon. If that means running, I’ll run. If that means dedicating my life to catching his killer and protecting this state, I will. That is the promise I can make to you today.”
The crowd applauds her and then starts chanting, “Dunn, Dunn, Dunn.”
They are obviously encouraging her to run. Of course, they want a beautiful, intelligent woman who has lost the love of her life to run. She’d easily win.
I doubt she will, though.
Liesel is a strong woman,