Tempted by Deception (Deception Trilogy, #2)

by Rina Kent

I hobble toward him and refuse to stare at the slight awe in his eyes, at how his expression lights for a bit before it completely closes off like the rest of him.

He really shouldn’t have threatened me, because now, I’ll be completely on board with Luca’s plan. If not for anything else, then to get rid of him and the negative influence he has on my life.

while Adrian considers this a win, for me, it’s only the beginning. He forced me to be his wife? Fine. But it’s by his wife’s hands that his life will end.

Do i agree with him and the way he went abt this? No. But killinghim does seem a bit dramatic to me icl

Lia flinches as if I’ve slapped her across the face. I struggle to keep my cool. I don’t want her to think she’s nothing to me, but if she believes it, so will they. And I fucking need to get her off their radar. It won’t be easy, considering the position I hold in the brotherhood, but if they think she’s only here because of the child, they won’t have any expectations of her and I can keep her safe from this life. Even if it’s only partially.

“Adrian said it’s better not to speak, but I dislike being talked about as if I’m not in the room.” Fuck me. The strength that’s always lurking inside her bursts out, and even though her fingers are trembling in mine, betraying her fear of the two Bratva leaders, she still holds her spine upright and stares at them head-on.

“I see Adrian has a lot to teach you,” Sergei says in a grim tone. “She’s better when mute.”

I know he did not.

“I won’t let you break me,” I manage between strangled pants. “If you wanted an obedient pet, you should’ve gotten a different wife.” My self-worth is the last thing I have, and I will fight till death before I let Adrian take that away, too.

“Do you fucking belong to me?” “No…never…” “Lia…don’t make me break you.” “You’ll break me more if I say those words,” I sob,

“No! You’ve taken so much from me already. I will not hand you my last pieces. So if you want to whip me to death, do it. I will not say those words, even with my last breath.”

But even as he confiscates my body, as he steals it from me, there’s just one thing I can steal from him in return.

Adrian’s monstrously beautiful face contorts and I hold his gaze as I mute the sounds he loves to hear so much.

He took away my freedom. I’m taking away his pleasure. Adrian might have started as the only one with power, but I’m slowly finding mine. I might not have guns or an army of guards, but I’ll kill him with silence.

But most of all, I hate the way he holds me to him, even when I turn away from him, as if having me sleep in his arms is his favorite position. Apparently, it’s mine, too, because my nightmares have slowly disappeared since I moved out of my apartment.

Adrian tries to make me moan or scream, but I either bite my lip or the pillow or my hand if I have to. He lost the right to hear my voice that night.

Kolya is always giving Yan shit about smoking, and even though I don’t mind it, Yan has already stopped smoking in my company, because of the pregnancy, I assume.

There’s nothing I wanted to do more than take that pain for myself and relieve her of it. Having her scratch and claw at my skin is nothing compared to what she’s been through.

don’t like that she’s been slowly erasing me since the wedding.

Since the moment I learned Lia was pregnant, I’ve been studying pregnancy and birthing more than I’ve studied anything in my life,

I guess it shouldn’t hurt to let him hear my voice for one final time.

Uhhhh wut.

but right now, he’s kissing me with passion that reaches my bones. Like he cares. I kiss him back, lost in the moment, because it seems that I care, too. Fuck. I more than care.

My mind is bogged down with the realization I had while he was kissing me just now. I love him. I fell in love with the devil despite his monstrous nature.

A sob tears from my throat, because I know, I just know that I lost a part of Adrian tonight. The part I fell in love with.

“Don’t do it.” I halt my tapping and stare at my second-in-command sitting across from me with his laptop resting on his thighs. “Don’t do what?” He pauses, then replies, “Kill Yan.”

This made me chuckle

I know he cares. I know Jeremy and I mean something to him, but it’ll never be more than that. He’ll never look at me the way I secretly look at him when he’s not paying attention. And that hurts more than I care to admit.

His eyes clash against mine, and unlike the past four years, there’s fire in there, passion, and the utter care I thought I would never see again after that night.

He turns to leave, but I clutch his sleeve, my tongue feeling heavy in my throat as I murmur, “Don’t…die.” And I mean it, I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.

Only one remains, though, as I aim the gun at the scarred man’s nape and shoot.

Due to Adrian’s strict training, I don’t miss. The bullet lodges itself in the back of the man’s head, causing him to fall face-first on the ground. The thud is loud in the silence as he stops moving, stops breathing. Just stops. Oh, God. I…killed a man. I just killed someone. A person. And yet, no feelings wash over me.

Instances where I hear her voice are becoming few and far between. Lia isn’t just muting herself during sex. She’s doing it all the time.

While I hate separating them, it’s for his own good. I know what childhood fucking trauma is and my son will not relive my life. I can at least protect him like my father was unable to.

I need those strong emotions. Let them all out, Lia. “But why? Why would you go to all this trouble to use me against Lazlo Luciano? He doesn’t even know I exist!” There. My muscles stiffen as she offers me what I’ve been waiting for. “I thought you didn’t know who your real father is.”

Uh oh

“If I deny it, you’ll never believe me. You’ll just lock me up and suffocate me more. You’ll kill me slowly, so think what you want, Adrian. Do whatever the fuck you want! You’re using me, anyway, so get on with it.”

“I said, is he your fucking lover?” She lifts her chin, and all emotions vanish from her face when she says the one word that shatters my world to smithereens, “Yes.”

Sigh

My hand wraps around her throat, tilting it back and squeezing. “I should kill you right now.” “Do. It,” she manages. “Dying is better than living with you.”

I’m not an idiot, I know Lia’s never really loved me. It’s evident in the way she’s pulled away from me any chance she gets, how she tried to escape, but I believed she was as devoted to me as I am to her. That she cared enough about the semblance of the family we have.

I’m so paranoid that if Jeremy didn’t look like a younger version of me, I’d do a DNA test.

“Understand this, Lia. I might not hurt you, might not fucking kill you, even though you deserve it, but I’ll find that bastard, and when I do, I’ll fuck you in front of him before I slice his fucking throat. Then I’ll fuck you again in the pool of his blood.” I release her neck and she sucks in deep breaths, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Protect him while you can.”

Well shit.

How could I tell the shrink that? How could I tell her that I murdered a person to protect my killer husband who married me just to use me?

I thought after five years of being together, he would’ve somehow gotten used to me like I’ve gotten used to him. He could’ve built a place for me in his black heart, even if it’s not as big as the area he occupies in mine.

I wanted to stab him in his emotionless heart over and over so he’d feel a sliver of what I did. The only way to do so was by telling him that he was second, that the object he loved to possess wanted someone else.

Sometimes, I pretend to fall asleep in Jeremy’s room just so I’ll feel him lift me up, hold me to his strong body, and tuck me gently in bed. Because in my waking moments, all I see on his face is hatred. Sheer, utter hatred.

That’s when I realize I’ve ruined everything.

He rubs the back of his neck. “Look, I know you didn’t cheat on Boss.” “How can you be so sure?” “You’re not that type of person.”

“Still, do you think painting his most precious person, you, as a cheater was a wise idea?” No, it wasn’t. “I’m not his most precious person.” “Yes, you are, Lia.

I’ve never seen him treat anyone the way he treats you.” “With disdain, you mean?” “You must me be joking.

but while I study her, a crazy idea slowly forms in my head as the cold water soaks my skin. I must’ve really gone insane if I’m thinking about executing it.

“Take my place, my husband, my fortune. Everything.” “Are you kidding?” She laughs, then stops when I don’t join her. “You’re serious?” “Dead serious.”

“This is my email address and password. Tonight at eight, I’ll self-send a document that has all the information you need to learn about my husband and his organization. I’ll also include notes about my mannerisms and way of talking so you can mimic me. I’ll delete the email in three minutes, so make sure you download it immediately and print it out. I’ll give you money. Hide your face with your hoodie when you leave, and don’t come here again except to meet me in this bathroom next week at the same time if you still want to swap places.”

Holy crap

“Never being one is better than having to give it up.” That pain will never go away, but it’s not worse than learning I’m only a means to an end to Adrian. It’s not worse than falling for the wrong man and allowing him to suck my soul from my body.

it’s a small sacrifice to make for escaping this life. One in which my fate is hanging on a word from Adrian. The moment he decides he hates me more than he wants me, he won’t hesitate to get rid of me.