“The plan is we are all getting on the Savage and getting lost in the middle of fucking nowhere, until Rowan takes out Milo or I find a way to kill him myself. In the meantime, we will run the empire and continue the game at sea. I need you both to make the necessary arrangements to get the Savage prepared and ready to go with a full crew in the next hour. Westcott is helping Kai pack. And I need to make a phone call to Liesel.”

“Liesel?” Zeke cocks his head. He’s always hated her even though he would never say it to my face.

“Yes, Milo knows about Liesel remember? I took her as my date to Milo’s party. It isn’t safe for Liesel if she stays here. He could kidnap her and interrogate her to get answers about us. She needs to come with us.”

Zeke raises an eyebrow. “That woman isn’t going to drop her high paying job and come ride around on a yacht all for an unknown amount of time. Not without payment in return.”

I know exactly the kind of payment Zeke in insinuating with his comment.

“Liesel isn’t like that,” I roll my eyes at him. And even if she is, Liesel means too much to me to just leave behind. Even if it will complicate things a bit.

“Whatever you say.” Zeke and Langston exchange knowing glances.

“Just get the yacht ready—one hour,” I say sternly as both men walk out of my office.

And then I take out my phone and scroll to the number listed as “My Everything.”

I really should change that, but she’s stil

l my everything. I would never let anyone hurt Liesel. I would fight to the death for her. Kill for her. I have killed for her. Too many times to count.

And she’s finally living the life she deserves. She’s happy. I don’t want to take that away from her. Even if it’s to keep her safe. But she doesn’t exactly have a choice.

I sigh. I convinced Kai with only a sentence, maybe Liesel will be just as easy.

“Hello, handsome. Didn’t get enough at me at the party, huh?” Liesel says seductively into the phone.

I smile. I know she’s just teasing. We’ve dated in the past, but we quickly realized we were better suited as friends than as lovers.

“I need you to do a favor for me,” I say, deciding that is the best angle to play with Liesel.

“I already did a favor for you, handsome. I think it’s time you do a favor for me. And I know exactly how I want you to repay me. I remember your tongue being especially skilled in the art of licking.”

“I have a—” Wait, was I about to call Kai my girlfriend? She’s anything but. She’s my captive for goodness sakes. But it doesn’t change how I feel. I don’t want to fuck Liesel or any woman other than Kai.

“It’s not going to happen, Liesel. You’re going to have to figure out a different way for me to repay you, but right now I need to ask another favor.”

She practically grins through the phone, but I don’t know why. “You like the whore, don’t you?”

“She’s. Not. A. Whore.” If one more person calls Kai a whore, I’m going to turn barbaric. I don’t care who it is.

Liesel purrs into the phone. “That’s too bad. I would have loved to get into her panties like we used to. Our three-ways were some of my favorite nights with you.” She’s trying to get me riled up and turned on at the thought of having two women in my bed. Two women that both mean something to me—Liesel and Kai. When Liesel and I were dating, we would try all sorts of crazy things in bed. Threesomes, tying each other up, whips, dildos, every toy imaginable. But I can’t imagine needing any of those things with Kai. With Kai, it’s different. I don’t need all the flashy toys, and I sure as hell am not going to share Kai with Liesel.

I ignore Liesel’s last comment.

“I need you to a pack a bag.”

“Oh, so this is an overnight booty call.”

Ignore her, I tell my temper. I’m trying to save this woman and everyone I care about at the moment, and she is trying to goad me.

“Pack a bag with everything you could possibly need for months. I’ll have Langston pick you up within the hour. We are all getting on the Savage, and I don’t know when we will make port again.”

Silence. For a woman that always has words to say and never shuts up, it’s unusual to hear silence.

“Did you hear me, Liesel?”

“Yes,” she finally says. “What happened?”


Tags: Ella Miles Truth or Lies Dark