Page 41 of Vicious Little Liar
“Am I right?”
“You have the paperwork. You tell me.” Ignoring the contract, I let the papers fall to the floor as I fold my arms across my chest, still refusing to look at him. I can’t. With the tsunami of emotions I’m feeling right now, I don’t trust myself to look at him and not cry.
Dammit. Why do I keep allowing him to get under my skin like this? Get over it, Leti. He’s never cared about you. Time to move on.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
I stifle a laugh. “Why would I?”
All four men’s gazes are on me, and the uncomfortable itch beneath my skin ignites into an icy burn.
“I spoke with Ruben this morning—“ Adrian says. My head snaps in his direction. “He’s agreed to a meeting. He’ll arrive later this evening.”
“Here?” There is no way I heard him right.
“Yes. Here.” Andres answers for him, taking a step back and giving me a fraction of the space needed to catch my breath.
“Why?”
Aztlán answers this time. “He believes we’ve called him so that he can retrieve you.” There’s amusement in his hazel-colored eyes.
“Is he?” I ask, keeping my gaze on Andres. He’s the one calling the shots. His brothers and I are just along for the ride.
“No. He isn’t.” No surprise there.
“What are you planning?” If Andres intends to kill him, he should know my father won’t come here alone. He’ll arrive armed and surrounded by a dozen of his most trusted men. He hasn’t stayed alive this long by being stupid.
“Nothing that you need to worry about.”
Anger ignites inside my chest. “If that’s the case, then I guess this talk of ours is over.” I stand from the chair. “It looks like you have all the answers you need.” I turn to leave and go where—I have no clue. But Andres’s hand on my arm stops me from having to figure it out.
“Not quite.”
Quirking a brow, I wait. I won’t spoon-feed him the answers he’s looking for.
“Why did you agree to a marriage just to inherit? That’s the one piece I can’t figure out. You never wanted a life like this. The cartel life. Why not sleep with the first boy to catch your eye and save yourself from this future?”
He doesn’t know. Either that, or he glossed over the monetary wedding gift, seeing the figure as insignificant enough not to garner his attention.
“You know what he did to my sister,” I remind him.
“You could have joined her. Being disowned might scare you, but you forget, I know the abuse you suffered at Ruben’s hands. A life away from him, no matter what that life entails, is a better one than a life with you at his side.”
Andres is wrong. But I don’t owe him an explanation.
Papá painted me a picture of the life he gave Lucia when I was growing up. And he was quick to remind me of the one I’d receive—sold to the highest bidder like the poor souls he traffics—if I follow in her footsteps. I guess throwing my sister away put him at a loss. If I screw up, he intends to get something out of it. Being able to keep power a while longer isn’t enough.
Yet knowing he’s put the fear of God in me, he still believes me capable of messing up. That a night out with Maxim will make me risk all that he’s threatened and more. Never. A small part of me might have caved with Andres. If he’d pushed. If he’d insisted on more. I’m not proud to admit this. But there is very little I’ve ever been able to deny him. Which is all the more reason I need to get away and separate myself from his path.
When Papá arrives tonight, I’ll find a way out of the estate. He won’t believe me innocent. Not straight away. But his doctor will confirm my virginity, and then everything will return to the way it was. I still have my plans, and Maxim will still want to marry me. I’m sure of it.
The situation isn’t ideal, but it’s the only way I’m getting out of this with my life. A hole forms in the pit of my stomach. It’s unlikely I’ll see Andres again after tonight, but there is no other way for me to escape both my father and Maxim, and keep my head intact.
I rub at the ache in my chest. He’s just using you, anyway. I remind myself. He doesn’t care about you. He wants what you can offer. He’s known about your inheritance all along. For Andres, it’s always been about getting his revenge.
