Trapped by Lies

by Ella Miles

  “Are you fuckers coming or not?” Zeke hollers.

  I frown at Langston. “He is your brother. Trust him. We will be lost if we start fighting between ourselves. The three of us are family. Don’t forget that.”

  I hop onto the boat and Langston follows.

  I don’t need Langston doubting right now.

  I don’t need Zeke losing focus.

  I need everyone ready to take down Milo.

  I need to protect Kai, and then I need to set her free as promised.

  I thought I should wait until the end of the game, but the longer we are together, the more damage I’m going to do to her.

  She needs to be free. And the only way to set her free is to destroy Milo.

  24

  Kai

  I feel uneasy with Enzo gone.

  Like a piece of me was taken. I feel unsteady and unable to live. It’s like living under a dark cloud. Everything is in shades of grey and white. Color no longer exists in my world.

  A storm has started to roll in in the distance, and I wrap my arms around my bare shoulders as I stand on the top deck looking out at the horizon where I watched Enzo leave with Langston and Zeke. They’ve only been gone an hour, but it feels like a lifetime.

  “Here,” Liesel says from behind me. She’s holding out a shawl to me.

  I take it and put it over my shoulders as I’m only wearing a bikini top, and short shorts cover my ass.

  Liesel is dressed more conservatively in sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. I’ve never seen her dressed so down before. She’s usually glamorous and sex on heels.

  “You okay?” I ask. We haven’t talked since the games. Enzo and her seem to come to some sort of agreement between them, but I know it’s not the same as it was before.

  Liesel doesn’t answer me. “You know he’s coming for you.”

  I frown. “Enzo? He’s coming back.”

  She shakes her head. “Milo.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “The same as you, we can feel it. People like us who have been hurt before. Who have experienced true danger. We can feel it in our soul when danger is approaching. It doesn’t always help us escape it, but we can feel it coming.”

  “It’s just the storm you feel.”

  She closes her eyes as the wind picks up.

  And then I see it. The light of a large vessel in the distance headed our way. And I feel it in my bones. I feel what I’ve felt this whole time, but pushed out because there was nothing I could do anyway.

  “Get everyone and head to Enzo’s cabin,” I say.

  “We can’t enter, not without you,” she says.

  Shit.

  “I’ll go unlock the door. Get everyone. Now!”

  I run downstairs as I text Enzo on my phone. The first text message I’ve made since getting the phone.

  * * *

  Me: Milo is coming.

  * * *

  I race to the thick cabin door that is as secure as any bunker built for a president.

  I unlock the door ,and then I wait. Westcott is the first to arrive. “Get everyone inside. Stay here and hold the door for everyone. I’m going to make sure everyone gets inside.”

  “You need to get inside. Let me and Liesel handle getting everyone,” Westcott argues. And I know Enzo has given him an order to lock me inside.

  But if Milo comes I know he is coming for me. And I won’t let anyone else die because of me.

  I wiggle free of Westcott’s hold easily and start running, Westcott tries to follow.

  “Hold the door open, or none of us will survive,” I order.

  Westcott stops, staying by the door.

  And then I run up pushing as many people as I pass down into the cabins as I can.

  A buzz alerts me to my phone. I stare at it as Enzo’s name pops up on my screen. I changed it from Giant Dick…

  * * *

  My Love: Fifteen minutes.

  * * *

  I take a deep breath feeling like a pirate about to have her ship invaded. I need to hold Milo off for fifteen minutes. I need to keep everyone safe for fifteen minutes.

  It could take that long for Milo’s vessel to get here.

  But when I get back to the main deck, I know my time is up.

  Milo Wallace is standing on the end of the pool deck with a cheshire grin on his face.

  But no other men accompany him. He knows Enzo is on his way here. He knows if I wanted to, I could hide away in the cabins below, and I would be safe from him. But that wouldn’t keep Enzo safe.

  “I think you and I should talk,” Milo says.

  “I agree.” And then I step forward, surrendering myself to someone worse than the devil, in hopes of saving my love.

  25

  Enzo

  Milo is coming.

  The text message both startled me and pissed me off.

  We have a traitor. Someone on my ship, or Rowan’s, betrayed us to Milo. It’s the only way Milo would have known to attack while we were most vulnerable.

  Fuck.

  “We attack tomorrow,” I say, ending the argument about when is the best day to attack.

  “Agreed,” Rowan says with a growl.

  If Milo took Kai, I need to get her back as soon as possible. “And if he already has her, we attack tonight.”

  Rowan nods solemnly as I jump off his yacht and back onto my small boat.

  We take off racing back to my yacht, and I hope to God Kai listened to me and went to our cabins. If she’s there, she’s safe.

  I text Westcott, who I tasked with making sure Kai went to the cabins where it is safe.

  * * *

  Me: Is she there?

  * * *

  I wait.

  One second.

  Two.

  My heart beats a million times in between each second.

  * * *

  Westcott: I failed, sir.

  * * *

  Fuck.

  “Faster,” I yell to Langston.

  And then I take my anger out on Zeke, the only remaining man. I pull out my gun and shove it in his face. I need answers—now.

  Zeke puts his hands up, his body movements are slow and cautious, filled with uncertainty as he watches me wield a gun.

  “Did you betray us? Did you betray Kai?” I ask.

  Zeke frowns looking from me to Langston.

  “I would never hurt Kai. I would protect her with my life. I would protect her even from you,” Zeke says.

  “Then what the fuck happened? How did Milo know to attack?”

  “Rowan,” Zeke says.

  Fuck. And I know he’s right. Rowan betrayed me to Milo.

  “Why? Why would he?”

  “Your father made many enemies, Enzo,” Langston adds. “When we return, I’ll do more research to see why Rowan would hate the Black name.”

  “Fuck!” I put the gun back in my pocket. Happy that Zeke didn’t betray us, but pissed that Rowan did and that I was stupid enough to trust him. Because it would be so much easier to take down Milo with his help. Now I have to face two enemies. Two enemies that are playing me.

  And I will make them both pay.

  We reach the yacht faster than fifteen minutes. I jump onto the yacht with my gun drawn, ready to face Milo here and now, but I find the yacht empty.

  No other yacht is near. He’s gone.

  If he took Kai, I’m going to do more than just kill him. I’ll kill everyone he’s ever met.

  And then I see her, standing out at the front of the boat, like a goddess protecting all on her ship.

  “You’re here,” I breathe out relief and run to her to throw my arms around her body.

  “Yes, Milo left as soon as he saw your boat approaching. He was just trying to scare us and let us know that he knows you have me,” she says.

  My hands run over her body, looking for any evidence of injury. I run my hands through her hair, touching her scalp, her face, her neck, her arms. Then over her stomach, hips, and legs.
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  “I’m okay. He didn’t touch me. He was just threatening us, letting us know our time is up,” she says.

  “His time is up.”

  “You have a plan?” she asks.

  “I have a plan. But it doesn’t involve Rowan. I think he’s a traitor. I think he’s on Milo’s side.”

  “Then how are we going to defeat Milo without Rowan’s help?”

  “I have a plan,” I lie.

  “Tell me.”

  I promised to tell her, but I can’t. I don’t want to worry her. I don’t want to make promises to her I can’t keep. And the only promise I’ve made so far is that I won’t let another man hurt her. And I won’t. I fucking won’t.

  Instead of answering her with words, I answer her with my lips.

  I kiss her so hungrily I don’t know how her lips don’t detach from her body.

  She throws her arms around my neck, clearly okay with me distracting us with sex instead of answering her questions.

  But I don’t want to fuck her here. I want to fuck her in her bed where she belongs. And where she will stay until Milo is dead. And I’ve dealt with Rowan.

  I grab her ass, and she throws her legs around me easily without a fight. She wants me as badly as I want her.

  Our lips dance with each other, vicious and reckless as I carry her from the upper decks down to ours. We pass plenty of my crew on board, but they quickly move out of the way.

  When I unlock the door to my cabin, I shout for everyone to get the fuck out. Westcott is all who is left. And I give him a disappointed glare. He had one job, to keep Kai safe, and he couldn’t do it.

  Fuck him.

  He’s lucky if he has a job after I handle Milo.

  I slam the door shut behind us, effectively locking out the entire world. And then I carry her to the door only she can unlock.

  “Unlock it,” I say.

  She looks at me hesitantly, and I’m sure she can guess why I want to fuck her in her room. This is where I told her to go, and she defied me.

  If she defies me now, she will regret it.

  Slowly, she enters the password and shows her face, the key to unlocking her door.

  I carry her inside the room that has never been slept in.

  I throw her onto the bed.

  “You promised me you would come here. You promised me you would be safe. Do you usually break your promises, Miss Miller?”

  She breathes, heavily panting as her legs fall open on her bed. “I was safe.”

  I growl. “No, you weren’t. The only place in the world you are safe is here.”

  She gives me a defiant look back. “You can’t keep me trapped here forever.”

  “Oh, baby, you have no idea the lengths I will go to keep you safe.”

  “You promised you would set me free.”

  “And I will, when it’s safe too.”

  “The world will never be safe.”

  I sigh. “It will be safer than it is right now.”

  “Promise me. Swear to me, you will let me go.”

  “When it’s safe.”

  “No, when Milo is gone. When he is no longer a threat, you let me go free. Vow to me.”

  “I vow, when Milo is gone, you will be free.”

  We stare back at each other, neither of us relenting. Neither of us backing down from our threats and promises.

  “And you promise me you will stay in this room until it’s safe.”

  She doesn’t answer me with words. She just shrugs off the shawl and unties her bikini top, knowing it will distract me from my goal.

  “You’ll stay here where you are safe from everybody, but me,” I say as I remove my shirt over my head.

  Her eyes soak me in, giving my body an appreciative stare. Most women appreciate my body, until they see the scars. The marks scare them. But not Kai, not when she understands the scars make me stronger, as they do her.

  I slowly undo my belt and toss it on the bed next to her. She stares at it with wide seductive eyes. I don’t usually bring toys into the bedroom, but tonight I need them. We both need to be punished for our actions.

  Then I remove a condom from my pocket and toss it next to the belt. Only then do I remove my jeans and boxer briefs.

  Kai looks at me with appreciation, like she’s safe with me. She is anything but safe.

  I attack. My body flying forward as I remove her shorts and bikini bottoms before my face plunges into her pussy. I’m relentless with my tongue. Building her too far, too fast, not caring enough to be merciful.

  That’s who we are. We are defiant and strong and push every button the other has.

  And as much as I want her to follow my orders for once, it’s why I care about her. It’s why I’m so attracted to her. Because this is everything.

  “God, Black! You’re going to make me come in record time,” she cries, her legs tightening around my ears.

  I stop. She doesn’t get to come. Not yet.

  She moans at the loss of an orgasm.

  I grab the belt in my hand. “Turn over.”

  She huffs, and her eyes gleam defiant. “You aren’t using that on me.”

  I flip her over. “You deserve it after you broke your promise to me to stay safe.” I pull her ass in the air and run the leather of my belt over her ass. The monster wants to beat her until her ass is so red she will never defy me again. But the other part of me, the part I’ve only just discovered wants to whip her until her pussy is dripping in pleasure.

  I don’t know which part of me will win, and neither does she—that’s what makes me so dangerous.

  My cock hardens at the sight of her warm ass in the air. If my cock gets his way, I will pound into her ass and forget all about the whipping part.

  “Enzo,” Kai warns, as I run the belt over her perfect ass again. I know what her threat means. If I hurt her, she will do something to retaliate.

  “You need to be punished,” I say.

  “No more than you. I’m not the only one who broke a promise.”

  “My vow to protect you overpowers any other promise. Every. Fucking. Time. I won’t apologize for that.”

  Finally, she pushes her ass into the belt I have yet to use. “Then what are you waiting for?”

  She knows exactly what I’m waiting for, the battle inside me to finish and winner to be crowned—either the monster or the protector. I don’t know which will win.

  But then her ass is pressing against my cock, and I don’t have time to wait for the battle to finish.

  I drop the belt, and my cock pushes against her ass.

  “I guess my cock won,” I say, hissing into her ear as I rub my cock against her sweet slickness between her legs.

  “Enzo,” she warns again, both concerned and thrilled by where my new thoughts are leading me.

  “It’s time I take another first. That seems like the proper punishment.” And then I push my cock against her asshole. She clenches, not liking the intrusion.

  “Relax, baby. Trust me.”

  My words are magic to her. Because even though I broke one promise, I kept the most important one. I kept her safe. And I’m going to do better than that. I’m going to keep her safe forever.

  I push harder as I kiss down her spine.

  “Wow,” she says, as I spread her open.

  “I never imagined something could feel this tight,” I groan as her ass cheeks clench around me.

  I reach between her legs and find her most sensitive spot.

  She relaxes immediately as I push all the way in.

  “How does that feel so good?” she asks through a heavy breath.

  “Because it’s you and me, babe. We make everything better.”

  I pump into her as my fingers tease her clit, making her wetter and wetter. Her almost earlier orgasm is holding on, ready for a release.

  “Why are you fucking me in the ass instead of my pussy? And why not before? This feels so incredible!” she cries.

  “Because I wanted this to feel like a new
beginning instead of a goodbye,” I answer honestly.

  We are both silent after that. Just feeling each other. Racing to make this moment last longer instead of shorter.

  Hold out, don’t come.

  But of course, the moment ends as all the best moments do. With an explosion, new feelings stirring, and an empty feeling when it’s all over.

  I get dressed quickly, but she doesn’t. She knows I won’t let her out of this room again until Milo is dead.

  When I’m finished dressing, I look at her almost reluctantly. I don’t know what to do. Tell her goodbye. That I’m going to fight Milo. That I don't care if she hates me for holding her here. She’s safe.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. You kept your promise; I’ll be safe,” Kai says.

  But there is something haunting behind her words. Some truth she isn’t speaking. She has her own secret. But then we always keep secrets from each other. It’s one reason we would never work in a real relationship.

  And I feel it. The moment our time is up. I’m losing her. And I can’t keep holding onto her in this cage. She needs to be free. It’s time for me to slay the dragon to save the princess. But this isn’t a fairytale. Once, I defeat the dragon, I won’t be walking away with the princess.

  And so I walk out without a goodbye or a promise. I walk away, hoping I can free her. And hoping her secret won’t destroy her. I walk away without a goodbye, even though I know it is one.

  26

  Kai

  Enzo leaves me naked and alone.

  He leaves without a proper goodbye. Although, after what he did to my body, it felt like a goodbye.

  It felt like death.

  Enzo left me to keep his promise to me—the promise that no man will ever hurt me.