The Lies We Tell (The Four #1) - Becca Steele Page 0,77

nice person, Winter.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“You should.” His voice was rough, insistent. “I don’t have the capability to be nice. I fuck everything good up.”

My heart twisted. I ran my nails up his chest, feeling his muscles contract under my fingertips, and his breath hitched. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m not.” Sighing, he lifted me off his lap, just as Zayde came strolling back into the room with our drinks.

“Not interrupting anything, am I?” he drawled.

“No,” Caiden said shortly, taking our drinks from Zayde’s hand, ice cubes clinking in the glass tumblers.

“Good, because I found a friend.”

Cassius sauntered into the room. “Miss me?”

“No.” That was from Caiden.

“Yes.” Me.

He grinned, a smug, satisfied grin, as he flopped down onto the sofa next to me. “I’m gonna become everyone’s favourite person in a minute. Where’s West? He needs to hear this.”

“I’ll find him,” I offered, jumping up before anyone else could say anything. I didn’t have to go far. I almost ran into him in the doorway, and only his quick reflexes stopped us from clashing.

“I’ve got news.” He brandished a laptop at the room in general.

“Tell us in a minute. I need to announce my news, first,” Cass insisted.

“Fine.” Weston placed the laptop on the coffee table, then took a seat on the floor, looking at Cass expectantly.

“Are you ready for this?” He smiled widely. “I succeeded in my mission. Operation AMC is a success!”

Everyone stared at him, our expressions ranging from blank to unamused.

He frowned, then tried again. “The board members voted, and thanks to my dad’s persuasion, they agreed to let us have a trial run at Alstone Members Club.”

“Fuck, yes!” Caiden punched the air. “Nice one, mate.”

“Why didn’t you just say that to begin with?” I asked him.

“I did.” He gave me a confused look, and I shook my head.

“Never mind. Well done, Cass.”

“It’ll be a kind of probationary period, to see how we get on and if we can behave or whatever,” he told us. “But I haven’t told you the most important part yet.”

He paused dramatically, and both Cade and Z rolled their eyes at him. “Our first visit to the club? Tuesday evening, and my dad told me that Arlo will be there. And what’s more, apparently he’s there every Tuesday.”

I gasped. “My dad’s notes. This is our chance to find out what’s going on.”

“My news ties in with this, too.” Weston opened the laptop, spinning it around so we could see the screen. “Mercury came through for me. We have our man.”

The dossier was short. Petr Ivanov, aka “the Fixer,” originally from Belarus. Age thirty-four, suspected criminal ties with several Eastern European gangs. Five arrests and three short stints in prison—all for petty crimes—theft, shoplifting, drug possession. There were several photos including two of his police mug shots.

“It’s not much to go on, but it’s a start. Mercury’s gonna do some more digging, see if he can come up with anything else. We need to work out how he’s connected to your mother and to Alstone Holdings. So far Mercury hasn’t been able to find any connection, but there’s always a paper trail somewhere.”

I sat back, thinking. “Well, we know more than we did before. And I can’t help but feel that Alstone Members Club is the key.”

Caiden took over from me. “Yeah. I agree. We need to go in there with our eyes wide open. Be prepared for anything, but don’t arouse suspicion.”

Hope sparked to life inside me. Maybe after Tuesday, we’d have some answers. Maybe I’d finally be able to get justice for my dad.

“This all great news. I guess, though, since we’re talking about it all, I should mention yesterday. I don’t know what Cass said…” I trailed off, looking at him.

“Nothing. Just that you were upset on the phone. And since I dropped you off to meet your mother, I’m assuming she upset you?” he murmured.

“Yeah.” I had to tread carefully. I couldn’t bring up what I’d discovered about Caiden and Weston’s mum. “Basically, she lied to my face, saying she hadn’t heard anything from my dad for ages before he died. It all got too much for me—that woman is so fucking frustrating. I can’t believe I’m related to her.”

“You can be frustrating, y’know. Just saying.”

I turned to glare at Caiden.

“So can you.”

He grinned, unapologetic. “I know.”

Weston yawned widely, then flashed me a quick smile. “I’m sorry you’re related to her, but look on the bright side. You get me as your brother.”

“That’s true.” I smiled back at him, and he reached