Truth or Lies

7. Enzo

Why?

I promised to reply to any of her questions if I lost, but this is the one question I can’t answer. 

“Why?” Kai asks again, her voice steady, though I can see the quiver in her lip as she speaks. A lip still swollen and stained red from the drop of blood I drew when I kissed her. 

Kai won’t let this go. 

I hold the gun loosely in my hand, still pointed in her general direction, but not aimed directly at her. I should pull the trigger and end this. Put a stop to the questions I can’t answer. 

“Why?” her voice is stronger now, more determined. “You are going to kill me anyway. It won’t hurt to tell me why if you are just going to shoot me. I won’t be able to tell anyone.” 

I don’t react, not even with my eyes. She’s right of course, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to answer her. 

Her eyes grow dark and angry. “We made a bet. You played the game. You lost. Now answer me! Why?” 

My eyes close for a second longer than they should be closed. I expect her to take her chance and escape. She’s smart, observant, and will do anything to survive, but she doesn’t take her opportunity when I show the tiniest weakness. Her need to know the answer is greater than her need to live in this moment. 

I want to answer her. 

I want to know why myself. 

But I won’t lie to her, and I don’t know the answer. 

Her legs tremble, and she falls, the bed behind her catching her into a seated position. Her hand shakes against her chest, and if I were to feel her pulse I know it would be flying through her body, her fight or flight response kicked into gear. 

“You don’t know, do you?” Her words are sharp and determined. 

“No, I don’t know why.” 

“Did you even ask why when you were given this assignment?” 

“Yes.” 

She nods slowly. “I understand. You’re not high up enough in Black’s crime organization to get to know why. You blindly follow orders. I knew you were a criminal. I knew you did bad things when I met you. I knew you were dangerous, but I didn’t realize you were heartless and cruel. I didn’t know you were a f*****g coward, a nobody, a lowlife who only cared about earning cash when you took a life!” 

Her breathing is hurried, but she doesn’t stop. “I thought if you were to kill me, you would at least give me the courtesy of deciding I deserved to die yourself, not because some king in a castle told you to. I thought you were your own person, but now I realize who you really are. A f*****g p***y with no control and no future.” 

“Are you finished?” 

She huffs. “You’re the one with a gun. You tell me.” 

I lower it just a little; she exhales realizing I’m not going to shoot her, not yet. 

“You’re right. I’m a f*****g coward who won’t stand up for myself. I follow orders. But you’re wrong about my ability to control my future. I may not be able to control what I do on this boat, but I will after.”

“How?” 

“Because this is my final assignment. After this, I’m free.” 

She sucks in a breath, and for the first time, I see real terror in her eyes. She realizes there is nothing she can do to stop me from killing her. That my desire to be free is greater than my desire to save her. 

Kai takes a second to compose herself, and then she stands. She walks to me, ignoring the gun in my hand pointed toward her leg. 

Her lips pout, and her body sways as she walks toward me. 

My pulse races, my jaw twitches, and my c**k hardens. 

I want her. 

There’s no denying it. It’s been a while since I’ve felt a kiss like the one she just gave me. No, I’ve never had a kiss like that one. 

It was passionate, mysterious, sweet, and full of promise. Her first kiss was everything a kiss should be. Too bad it will also be her last kiss. 

I want Kai. 

More than I want to breathe. 

More than I want my freedom. 

I could have both. Spend the day kissing her, f*****g her, using her. Then get the freedom I’m desperate for. 

As Kai moves closer, I know that is what she is offering me too. Her body on a platter. She thinks it is the only possibility she has at keeping herself alive. If I develop any feelings for her, then I won’t kill her. But that’s not going to save her. Nothing will. 

She reaches out hesitantly, touching my face. 

My eyes stay glued to hers as I watch her tongue caress her bottom lip. And then I remember how good it felt to have her lips pressed against mine. But I’ve had years of training in self-control. No matter how much Kai tempts me, I won’t give in. 

She presses her lips to mine, softly. 

“You can try to seduce me all you want; it won’t save you.” 

“I beg to differ,” she purrs back before her lips crash hard against mine. 

After putting my gun back in my waistband, I close my eyes as my hands grip her body, jerking her to me. Her body is cold, soft, and so breakable in my arms—everything I’ve always wanted but never been able to taste. The mix of hot and cold together creating a tsunami in both of us.  

The only women I’ve been with were whores or worked for my father. They were all skilled in how to kiss, how to f**k. It was business to them. Not Kai. She’s a breath of fresh air, untamed and wild with her movements. 

Her tongue pushes deeper, exploring my mouth without the finesse I’m used to. And damn, that turns me on. 

“f**k,” I growl as she knees me in the balls.

I knew it was coming. Despite knowing she would try something like this, it didn’t stop me from taking the brief moment of pleasure. Something I almost always deny myself, because it makes me weak. 

Kai runs, but I take my time chasing after her. The ship is big, but not so large I won’t be able to find her. And even if it were too large, I would still be able to find her. I’m too drawn to her not to notice her heart beating, begging me to stay away and yet still hoping I will find her and claim her. 

After adjusting myself in my jeans, I feel the pain ease, and I start walking. The gun has returned to my hand as I walk. 

I should be pissed and angry about what she did. I should find her and shoot her on the spot without giving her another second to breathe. But I know I won’t, because she intrigues me. 

I hear the engines roar. 

I shake my head, knowing exactly where she is. 

I walk slowly to the engine room. I try the door, but I already know it’s locked. 

The engines burn louder, but we won’t move because the GPS autopilot is engaged and she doesn’t know how to turn it off. 

I kick the door in easily. 

Kai stands frozen as I enter, but I don’t raise my gun. 

“What’s your plan now?” I ask because I know she has a plan B and a plan C, etc. She won’t stop until I’ve decided I’ve had enough. 

She faces me stoically, with no fear. She won’t die terrified.

“To cause as much pain as possible to you before I go.” 

I nod. “I don’t think that’s your real plan.” 

“It is.” 

“Liar. You haven’t given up yet. You’ll only change to trying to hurt me to extract revenge when you’ve given up trying to survive.” 

She frowns, hating I know her so well. 

“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to kill me.” 

I raise an eyebrow and wait. Apparently plan B is persuading me not to kill her, although I’m guessing there’s more to her plan. With Kai, there always is. 

“I’m not a snitch. I won’t tell anybody this ever happened.” 

I nod, believing if I let her go free, she would never mention this to anyone. 

“I haven’t witnessed anything else. I know nothing about the organization you work for. I don’t know the name. I don’t know who your boss is. Or what crimes anyone has committed. I’ve never seen anyone steal, or rape, or shoot, or murder. And even if I did, I would know well enough to keep my mouth shut to survive.” 

My eyes harden. I believe her. My father wants her dead, and I have no idea why. It may not even be about Kai. It might be that he is just testing me to kill someone innocent to ensure I would do anything for him. 

“I will pay my debt to you. And I will pay any debts my father owes if that is what this is about. No matter how high of a price, I will find a way to pay it back. My stealing your watch and using it to pay my father’s last debt should prove that to you.” 

I smirk. “I have no doubt you would. You’re a thief. You know how cruel the world can be. But you are also a survivor. I would guess one of the reasons you’ve never been kissed is because the men in your life have only caused you more pain. None of them were worthy of taking something so innocent from you. You protected something so simple that most people give without thinking. You only gave when you were desperate for it. But I have no doubt you would sell your body, even your soul to survive. To protect your father. You would give everything.” 

She nods, her throat tight, and the vein in her neck pulsing hard. She’s already relented to the fact she would eventually sell her body to survive. Like so many women from her part of town do. 

I raise the gun again as anger pulses through me. I can’t stand the thought of her selling herself to another man. She’s mine. “You won’t be selling yourself, thief.” 

She swallows and licks her lips. 

“Don’t kill me…” 

I hesitate. 

“…not with your gun. If you’re going to kill me, then do it with your bare hands.” 

I smirk, both liking and hating her plan C because the only way I could truly kill her is by touching her. But her touch will end me too.