Stolen Lies (Truths and Lies Duet Book 2)

by Nikki Ash

  “I need Basil to…check the footage…” I blink hard.

  She grabs my phone and dials Basil. “Check the footage. See what they drove off in. Send the information to Josef.”

  Fuck, she listens well.

  Basil says something to her and she huffs.

  “If they find him, I want to see his face,” she hisses. “And then I want to stab him to fucking death.”

  Adrian climbs back in and shakes his head. “Nothing. They didn’t come here. What now?”

  “We neeeed toooo,” I slur, my head pounding as I try to make sense of what I’m trying to say.

  “Get back to the hotel. He needs medical attention. Call his doctor because he already nixed the hospital idea. Basil’s pulling up the video footage to get the make of the vehicle to send to Josef. We’re going to go torture fucking answers out of the men you guys caught. And then we’re going to find my baby.”

  “Damn,” Adrian says as he peels out of the parking lot. “You’ve been busy.”

  “Oh,” she sneers, “and when we find Aris, I’m going to kill him.”

  Adrian snorts. “You got it, Boss.”

  Her warm lips press to my cheek as blackness pulls me under. Hot words are whispered against my flesh that have me relaxing. “Rest, baby. I need you to get better so we can fix this. Until then, we’ll take care of what we can.”

  I didn’t marry a weak Nikolaides.

  I married a goddamn mafia queen.

  A Demetriou in heart and now one in soul.

  Talia

  The drive from the airport back to the hotel is spent with me begging Kostas to stay awake. Scared if he falls asleep he might not ever wake up. His forehead is glistening with sweat, and his skin is cold and sticky to the touch. He needs a doctor sooner rather than later. I can’t make out exactly where he’s been shot, or how extreme it is, but based on his pale complexion, I have a feeling it’s bad.

  A myriad of emotions are running through me. Fear that I’m going to lose my husband and daughter. Anger that Aris would stoop this low to involve Zoe in his revenge plan. The man barely even paid attention to her the entire time we lived with him. What I told Kostas was the truth. Aris was never cruel to Zoe, but he also barely acknowledged she existed. The only reason he was keeping us there was to get back at his brother. He never even once tried to have sex with me or spend any time with Zoe, even thinking she was his daughter. Zoe and I are nothing more than tools to him. Tools to hurt his brother.

  What I don’t get, though, is why he didn’t take me this time around… Taking me would mean hurting Kostas. And then a thought strikes me. Selene wanted me out of the picture, so the two of them could play house. Did he only take Zoe so he could keep her for him and Selene to raise? But he can barely even stand Selene. He treated her more like she was a warm body to sink his dick into when he was horny than like a potential wife.

  Maybe he’s hoping to use Zoe as a bargaining tool, and it was easier to take her than the both of us. Kostas did cut him out of all the business assets. Maybe he’s planning to get somewhere safe and then he’ll contact Kostas to make a deal. But even as I consider that, I know deep down Aris cares more about revenge than making a deal. Unless the deal involves Kostas losing everything and Aris ending up with everything.

  Would Kostas give up everything he’s worked his entire life creating to make sure our daughter is safe? Of course he would. But hopefully it won’t come to that. I would rather find Aris and Selene and put a bullet through their cold, black hearts than hand anything of value over to them. They don’t deserve anything. Not a single dollar. And definitely not the business. Hopefully whoever Kostas and his men caught will have some answers.

  Kostas groans softly, his head lulling to the side, and I’m brought back to the present. Before we can do anything, we need to make sure Kostas is okay.

  Adrian pulls in front of the groundskeeper’s house and jumps out of the car. Basil comes running out, and between the two of them, they carry a stumbling Kostas into the house and lay him across the couch. While we wait for the doctor to arrive, I grab a knife from Basil and cut open Kostas’s shirt, needing to see how bad the damage is. As I’m assessing his body, the doctor and his assistant walk in. I’ve met them both when we first got home. Kostas wanted to make sure Zoe was healthy since Aris wouldn’t let anyone see her. The doctor was helpful and gave her the necessary vaccines she needs.

  “He has what looks like a bullet wound to his right side and a large knife gash on the back of his arm,” I tell him.

  He nods once and sets to work. Opening his duffle bag, he seems to have everything he needs. He begins working on Kostas’s side, just above his hip, while his assistant helps him, grabbing various tools and such.

  Needing to feel like I’m doing something, I grab a washcloth from a cabinet and wet it with cool water. Without getting in the way, I sit next to Kostas’s head and pat his forehead with the cool washcloth.

  His eyes flutter open just long enough for our eyes to meet before they close again, and my heart squeezes in my chest. I’ve never seen Kostas look so vulnerable and weak. He must be in so much pain.

  “Did you give him pain medication?” I ask, worried he’s suffering.

  “Yes,” the doctor responds. “But only the minimum. He doesn’t like to be sedated.”

  His words make me realize this isn’t the first time he’s had to fix my husband. And that thought has me wondering how many times he’s come close to dying. How many more times will his life be at risk? How long do I have with him until one day his life—or mine—is taken? I married a powerful man, who many people would love to see brought down. Every day I spend with him is on borrowed time.

  The thought has me choking back a sob. If I were with a man like Alex, this never would’ve happened. We’d be safe at home, running lines for an upcoming play. No, that’s not true. If I were still with Alex, we would’ve already graduated.

  But then I would’ve never met Kostas. I would’ve never known what it’s like to fall in love with a man who has the ability to consume every part of my mind, body, and soul.

  I would’ve never found myself. My sense of purpose. What I had with Alex, might’ve been safe, but it was boring. Alex didn’t make my heart pound against my chest the way Kostas does. Going to school was fun, but it didn’t pull the passion out of me like creating Pomegranate did. Alex was sweet, but he didn’t challenge me the way Kostas does.

  I would’ve never had Zoe. With her dark hair identical to her father’s, and my blue eyes, she’s the perfect mixture of the two of us. She’s only a baby, but I can already see both of us weaved through her. My sass and determination, and Kostas’s strength and bravery.

  I didn’t understand it at the time, but it wasn’t until I married Kostas that I finally found my place in this world. It’s not spitting lines in a playhouse, or traveling with friends. It’s right here on this island, at this hotel with my husband and daughter. I love being Kostas’s wife, being Zoe’s mom.

  And all I want is to be given the chance to continue to be both. Which means I need my husband to live, and I need to get my daughter back.

  Right now, the only possible lead we have to go on are the men being held in the cellar. If Kostas doesn’t wake up soon, I’m going to have to interrogate them myself. There’s no way Kostas would want everyone sitting around waiting for him to get better while that asshole and his evil sidekick are getting farther and farther away with our daughter.

  Moving the washcloth off Kostas’s forehead, I lean down to give him a kiss. “I love you,” I whisper. “I need you to be okay.”

  Kostas groans. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He gives me a lazy smirk that shoots straight to my belly. Butterflies. Even hurt, he can still manage to turn my insides out. He just has that effect on me.

  I watch in silence while the doctor works on Kostas’s side and then turns him slightly over to work on the back of his arm. After what feels like hours, the doctor si
ts straight and pulls off his latex gloves, handing them to his assistant.

  “All done,” the doctor says. “The bullet that entered his side has been removed, and he’s been stitched up. An inch more to the left and it would’ve hit a kidney.” He hands me a bottle of pills. “Here’s an antibiotic for him, so it doesn’t get infected.”

  “And the arm?” Kostas asks, shocking me when he opens his eyes and attempts to sit up.

  “Whoa,” I chide. “You can’t move.” I place my hand on his arm, and thankfully, he doesn’t try to sit up anymore.

  “It was deep, cut through some muscle,” the doctor says. “Needed twenty stitches. But it could’ve been worse. Could’ve hit a lung.” He turns his attention to Kostas. “You are very lucky. It’s going to take some time for it to heal.” Kostas nods in understanding. “Try to make sure not to use that arm too much while it’s healing.”

  His assistant hands me a tiny bottle. “There’s some healing cream. Apply it to both areas. The stiches will dissolve on their own in a couple of weeks.”

  I take my first deep breath of relief. Kostas is okay. “Thank you,” I tell them both.

  “Thanks, Doc,” Kostas adds.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Adrian tells them.

  When Adrian returns a minute later, he reaches for Kostas, who extends his arm.

  “What are you doing?” I hiss. “Lie back down!”

  “Like fucking hell,” Kostas says. “I’ve been through worse.”

  Stupid, stubborn fucking man!

  Adrian helps my husband to his feet.

  “Anything?” Kostas asks him, already back to sounding like himself. If it weren’t for seeing him wince in pain, I wouldn’t even know he was recently shot and stabbed.

  “Nothing. None of them will speak,” Adrian says. “Phoenix is still claiming he wasn’t a part of it.”

  Phoenix? Oh my God! Phoenix was coming to visit. “You can’t possibly think my brother had a part in helping Aris kidnap our daughter. She’s his niece!”

  “And what about Niles?” Kostas grunts. “He was brought in as well, after trying to take me out.”

  What the hell! “Niles is here?” I glance around, even though I know exactly where he is. “He’s here, in that fucking cellar?” I shout, my blood boiling.

  Kostas nods, his dark eyes flashing with violence.

  “I want to see him now.” I don’t wait for Kostas as I stomp down to the cellar. I swing the door open and find Basil and a few of Kostas’s other men standing guard. In the center of the room are three men, all tied with thick rope to their chairs. The first one I recognize as my brother. His flesh is bloody, and his head is quirked to the side, like he’s slightly out of it. His eyes are closed, but I can see his chest heaving up and down. He’s still alive.

  The second is Niles. His face is also covered in blood, both eyes puffy and black and blue. His eyes are also closed, but he’s not breathing heavy like Phoenix, so it takes me a second to determine he’s still alive. For now.

  The third guy I don’t recognize, but he’s in just as bad of shape as my brother and Niles. His eyes are open and he’s glancing around him, as if trying to figure a way out. Not happening, fucker.

  “Niles, wake up!” I kick his legs and his head pops up. The moment his eyes meet mine, my body trembles with anger. “You fucking asshole.” I stalk closer to him and slap him across the face. “How dare you!” I cry. My hands are shaking, and my heart is beating erratically against my ribcage. How could he do this to me? To his own flesh and blood? It wasn’t bad enough he used me to pay off his debt, but now he works with Aris to help steal my daughter?

  “Sunshine,” Niles cries out, and the nickname he used to call me has me seeing red.

  “Don’t you ever call me that!” I backhand him this time, and his face whips to the side. “Do you have any idea what you just did?” I grab his chin between my fingers and force him to look at me. “Do you?”

  “I had to,” he chokes out. “Aris has been holding me captive. It was either help him bring down Kostas or die.” He thinks he chose his life over Kostas’s…

  “You didn’t help take down Kostas,” I spit. “You helped kidnap my daughter!” With no outlet for my built up aggression and frustration, I smack him across the face again. “He took my baby! And you helped him!”

  Niles’s eyes go wide. “Kostas’s men said you had a baby, but I didn’t know. I swear, Talia, I never knew anything about a baby. Aris never said a word.”

  I stare into his eyes for a long moment to gauge his reaction. He’s telling the truth. I can see it in his eyes. The pain of knowing he helped take my daughter. It doesn’t excuse what he’s done, but it means he’s no help. Useless.

  “He doesn’t know anything,” I whisper, mostly to myself. Niles not knowing anything means there are only two other people in here who might know something about where Aris and Selene have taken Zoe.

  I turn my attention to my brother. “Phoenix.” When I say his name, he lifts his head. I don’t even need to ask him. I know my brother. He loves me and would never do anything to help Aris in taking my daughter. I heard his voice over the phone. He was excited to be an uncle.

  “You know damn well I wasn’t a part of this,” Phoenix growls, his voice strong and deadly.

  “And why the fuck should we believe you?” I turn around to find Kostas standing behind me. “It won’t be the first time you’ve followed in your daddy’s footsteps,” Kostas sneers. I’m not sure how long he’s been here—I was too focused on Niles—but his color is almost fully back, and he’s wearing a new shirt.

  “I would never do that shit to my sister,” Phoenix hisses.

  “Kostas, I don’t think he would do this,” I tell my husband, needing him to believe me. Otherwise he’s going to kill my brother. Phoenix might have spent his entire life working for Niles and the business, but he would never purposely put my life or my daughter’s at risk. I believe that with my entire being.

  “I didn’t do it,” Phoenix says again.

  “Then prove it,” Kostas says, his eyes locked on Phoenix as he slowly walks over to him. Once he’s standing in front of him, he glances at Basil. “Hand me your knife.”

  Adrian steps forward. “Boss…” I know what he’s silently not saying. Let me handle this. Kostas is too weak to torture anyone. But if Adrian says it out loud it will make Kostas appear weak. And Kostas would rather die than ever appear weak in front of his men, or especially, his enemies.

  “I got it,” Kostas hisses. He snatches the knife out of Basil’s hand and slices the rope holding Phoenix down. Then he slices the rope holding his hands together. “You say you didn’t have a part in helping my brother kidnap my daughter… Okay. But your fucking father did. Caught him red-handed with a fucking gun, shooting at me. You have a choice to make.”

  Phoenix clenches his jaw, and his furious gaze flits from Kostas, to me, and then to Niles, who is now wide awake and staring at his son.

  Phoenix stands and stalks over to Kostas, until their chests are practically touching. “I don’t have to prove shit to you,” Phoenix says.

  I hold my breath in fear of what’s to come. If Phoenix doesn’t do something, Kostas will kill him without hesitating.

  Phoenix’s hateful glare leaves Kostas, and he turns toward Niles. “You did this shit to yourself,” he says in a lowly, distant voice.

  “Son, please,” Niles begs. “I didn’t have a choice. You have to believe me.”

  “Shut your fucking mouth!” Phoenix roars. “You chose yourself over your fucking daughter for the last time.” My brother stalks toward the guard standing closest to Niles, grabs the gun from his holster, and aims it at Niles’s chest.

  “This is for everything you’ve done to Talia.”

  Pop!

  Crimson bleeds through Niles’s shirt as he cries out in shock. He hit him in the stomach, not the heart—keeping him alive. Before he can beg Phoenix not to kill him, Phoenix aims the gun at his forehead.


  Instinctively, I slam my eyes closed, already knowing what’s coming.

  “And this is for Zoe.”

  Pop!

  I open my eyes back up. Nile’s head has been blown to bits. Several of the guards have blood splattered on them. My stomach roils at the sight, but I force the bile down, refusing to look weak in front of all these men. He got what he deserved.

  My gaze goes to the third man. He’s staring at Niles, his eyes wide-open in shock and fear.

  “What do you know about Aris taking my daughter?” I ask him.

  “I don’t know anything!” he exclaims. “I was just told to come here and kill as many men as possible.”

  “He doesn’t know shit,” Kostas growls. “Nobody fucking does because Aris was too smart to let anybody know.”

  Kostas pulls the gun out from behind him and shoots the guy dead in the heart. His life ends so quickly, his eyes remain open as if he’s frozen in place.

  My eyes flit back and forth between the two dead men as reality hits. “Kostas,” I cry. He turns his attention to me. “If nobody knows anything, how are we going to get our little girl back?”

  Kostas walks over to me, and as tightly as his broken body can, he wraps me in his arms as I sob into his chest. We have no more leads. There are no breadcrumbs to follow. Nobody knows anything. It’s as if Aris and Selene have vanished with Zoe. “Shh,” Kostas coos, his body shaking from the pain he must be in. “We’re going to find her. I promise.”

  Kostas

  I stare at my reflection as I brush my teeth. Cold. Furious. A monster. Certainly not one who looks like the father of a small, perfect baby. Or the lover and husband of a beautiful woman. I’m ruthless. My father’s son. Every bit the Demetriou I need to be to face the media.

  Because they will see.

  My enemies.

  And I need them to see who the fuck they’re dealing with.

  Talia enters the bathroom as I angrily scrub the film off my teeth. I barely slept two hours, but the press will be here at eight sharp this morning, and if I have any hope for making it through today, I need coffee and a motherfucking bagel.