Tempted by Deception (Deception Trilogy, #2)

by Rina Kent

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.

🥺🥺🥺

“Fuck, Lia. You should’ve gotten down first.” 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.

“Here’s your truth, Lia. Adrian is only with you because he’s an ally to your father. The same father who ordered a hit on your parents in Italy.”

WHAT??

“I’m saying that so you’ll wake the fuck up. Adrian is not on your side—never was, never will be. He’s merely serving his and the Bratva’s agenda, and keeping you as a trump card for being Lazlo Luciano’s illegitimate daughter.” My head spins and the hand holding the gun trembles. No. Luca is being spiteful. None of this is true. It can’t be.

didn’t even have to think about it. Hearing him say that he’d come back for Adrian’s life was enough to propel me to action. I had to stop him. To protect my husband and my baby’s father, despite Luca’s words.

Oh shit

I thought she was in a state of shock, but it hasn’t seemed to go away. 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.

😭😭

But it does happen again and again. Her confused state has been recurring enough that I’m worried. Not only about her, but also about Jeremy. He’s young and attached to her, and if she keeps zoning out in his presence, he’ll take it as a rejection and it’ll traumatize him.

😭😭😭

She shakes her head. “I won’t tell you who he is so you can kill him.” He. It’s a fucking he. Lia has been meeting a motherfucking ‘he’ behind my back.

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.

Nooo that’s not true!!!!!

But fuck that. Fuck my sappy notions about her. She went ahead and ruined us, so I’ll ruin her in return.

“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.”

I realized something was definitely wrong when Jeremy became scared of me. He called me a ghost and said he hates Ghost Mommy.

😭

I overestimated my mind and believed that I’d survive killing someone. I haven’t. Ever since that day, I’ve been going downhill with no way to stop the slide. I always thought myself above Adrian’s lifestyle, but I’m as much of a killer as he is now. The notion that I’ll become just as soulless brings tears to my eyes. I’m losing touch with reality and with Jeremy. It’s worse when I take my antidepressants. I turn into a zombie, too numb to move or talk or even think.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

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? It’s been months since I told Adrian I was

I have to sneak around to watch him do those things with Jeremy. That’s when I realize I’ve ruined everything. Sometimes, I want to tell him it’s not true, that I lied because I was hurt, but his clipped words discourage me. He’d never believe me, anyway. Not when I held on to the lie for so long. He still allows me to volunteer, but he sends at least five guards with me now, probably searching for my lover.

No, it wasn’t. “I’m not his most precious person.” “Yes, you are, Lia. I’ve known Boss since I was younger than Jeremy and I’ve never seen him treat anyone the way he treats you.” “With disdain, you mean?” “You must me be joking. Listen, he’s not the type who allows anyone to cause him pain, but you were able to. You hurt him.” “No more than he hurt me.” Tears well in my eyes. “Besides, he’d need to feel for me to ever be able to be hurt by me.” “You’re just as blinded as he is, I swear. Just talk to him and I assure you that he’ll see your honesty. You’re torturing each other and it’s painful to watch.”

😭😭😭😭😭

“Fucking wow, indeed.” She circles me as if I’m an animal at the zoo. “If I didn’t know I was an only child, I’d think I have a twin sister. How old are you, girl?” “Thirty.” “Eh, I’m twenty-seven, so we can’t be twins.” She stops in front of me and grins. “Fucking life kicking a lookalike my way, ey?”

😱😱😱😱😱

This is my last chance to escape before I either kill myself or Adrian hands me over to my biological father to do the honors.

When the doctor said that she shouldn’t be put in stressful situations or surrounded by people who make her anxious, I distanced myself further. Even though it kills me to stay away from her, I can at least recognize that I’m the major cause of her depression and anxiety. Even Ogla, whom she didn’t get along with at the beginning, has gotten closer to her.

Stop okay yall both made it worse then. You pulled back from her only reinforced her belief that you are only using her

Narrowing my eyes, I watch her movements. They’re too fast, lacking her usual finesse and elegance. “What are you doing?” She turns around, yelping, and I’m staring at a replica of my wife. Someone who has the exact same looks and build. Even the eyes are almost identical. Almost. Because those eyes? They don’t have the deep sadness in Lia’s. The permanent sheen of gray. “Who are you?” I ask. She gulps, the packet of frozen meat dangling from her hand. “W-what do you mean who am I? I’m Lia.”

Of course he knows five seconds flat it isn’t Lia. If that isn’t an obsessed man in love 😍

“Find Lia’s location through her dental tracker and send it to my phone,” I order. “This one is an imposter.”

Reality blurs with something a lot more potent—hallucinations. My demons start whispering in my head, words that I can’t even discern. Oh, God, no. Please don’t torture me with my own mind. I dig my nails into my wrist and a tear slides down my cheek as pain explodes on my skin. If I hoped for this to be a nightmare, my wish doesn’t come true.

😭😭😭😭

“So you’ll take me back and lock me up?” I taste salt, and it’s then that I realize tears are soaking my cheeks. “No.” “You will! You’ll also take Jeremy away from me for good. You’ll torture me with your silent treatment until I go mad or kill myself.” “I will not do that.” “You’ve been doing it already! Can’t you see that you’ve been slowly killing me? Killing us? You don’t even kiss me anymore.” I hate how my voice breaks with pain. “That’s because you fucking cheated on me! I have only ever been faithful to you, but you met another man behind my back.” “And you’ve been just using me!” He sucks in a long breath, calming his voice. “Come down and we’ll talk about this.” “What’s there to talk about?” “Everything, Lenochka.” “I want to know something first.” My chin trembles as I speak so low, I’m surprised he hears me, “Have you ever loved me, Adrian?”

😭😭😭😭😭😭

“Because I loved you.” I lay a palm over my heart and fist the material of my dress. “And it’s killing me every day.” He extends the hand of his uninjured arm. “Come down, Lenochka. Please.” “I took your hand before, Adrian, and you smothered me with it.” I smile a little. “I’d rather die quickly than slowly.” “Lia, no!” I close my eyes and let the wind take me down.

😭😭😭😭😭NOOOO