All Chapters of Lust Under Lies. she want more : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The red emergency lights painted everything in blood. Smoke poured through the doorway behind Michael, thick and black."You ruined everything." Michael's voice was quiet, controlled. The gun stayed level, pointing at Nickey's chest. "I gave you a home. A job. Family.""You murdered my family." Nickey stepped in front of Trina, shielding her. "My parents. My brother. You burned them alive.""Your brother was weak. He threatened to expose me. What choice did I have?"Trina grabbed Nickey's arm. "Michael, please. We can talk about this.""Talk?" Michael laughed, sharp and bitter. "You're carrying his child. There's nothing to talk about."Shouts echoed from down the hall. Officers responding to the explosion. Michael glanced back, then returned his attention to them."We're leaving. All three of us. Through the back exit. You try anything, I shoot her first." He gestured with the gun. "Move.""Don't do this," Nickey said. "It's over. They have the files. Everything on that USB drive.""T

Nickey drove through empty streets. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. The photo of his twin sat on the passenger seat. Every red light, he looked at it. Same face. Same eyes. Alive. His phone rang. Detective Raines. "Where are you?" Raines asked. "Driving. Clearing my head." "You need to come to the station. Now." "What happened?" "Just get here." Nickey turned the car around. At the station, Raines was waiting outside. His face was grim. "What's going on?" "Michael's lawyer filed a motion this morning. They're trying to get him released on bail." "Can they do that?" "With his connections and money? Maybe. The hearing is tomorrow." Nickey felt sick. "If he gets out..." "He won't come near you or Trina. That's part of the bail conditions." "You think a piece of paper will stop him?" Raines had no answer. Inside, they sat in an interview room. Coffee that tasted like dirt. Fluorescent lights that buzzed. "Tell me about the lawyer,"

The safe house was in the middle of nowhere. A cabin surrounded by trees. No neighbors for miles. Just forest and silence.Marshal Davis parked the car. "Stay inside until I clear the perimeter."Nickey and Trina waited. The sky was turning gray. Dawn coming soon."I hate this," Trina said."I know.""How long can we live like this?""As long as we have to."Davis came back. "It's clear. Let's get you settled."The cabin was small. One bedroom. Tiny kitchen. Living room with a fireplace. Everything was old but clean."No internet," Davis said. "No TV. Just radio for emergencies. The burner phones only work for calling me. No one else.""What if something happens?" Nickey asked."Then you call me and I handle it. There's food in the pantry. Enough for two weeks. After that I'll bring more.""When's the trial?" Trina asked."Six months. Maybe longer. Depends on how fast the lawyers work.""Six months in this place?""Could be

"Plead guilty. Take a deal. Twenty five years instead of life. And in exchange I'll tell the police where all your offshore accounts are. The ones they haven't found yet. Your family will have money while you're inside."Michael laughed. "You think I'd trust you?""You don't have a choice. The evidence is overwhelming. You're going to lose at trial.""Maybe. Maybe not. Juries are unpredictable.""Why drag this out? Why risk life in prison?""Because I'm not going to prison at all." Michael stood. Walked to the window. "You see, I've been very busy these last few weeks. Making calls. Pulling strings. And I've discovered something interesting.""What?""That USB drive Trina gave the police? It's fake."Nickey's stomach dropped. "What are you talking about?""The files were altered. Dates changed. Transactions modified. My lawyers can prove it. Which means the prosecution's entire case falls apart.""You're lying.""Am I? Ask yourself why they keep delaying the trial. It's because they k

Against both of you. She claims Trina manipulated you into helping her frame Michael. That this whole thing is a revenge plot against her sister.""That's insane.""Maybe. But the defense will call her as a witness. You need to be prepared."The trial was in four days. Nickey spent every moment practicing testimony with the prosecutor. Going over questions. Preparing for cross examination."The defense will try to paint you as a bitter relative seeking revenge," she warned. "They'll bring up your affair with Trina. Make you look immoral.""Let them.""They'll also question your mental state after losing your family. Suggest you're unstable.""I can handle it.""Can you? Because if you fall apart on the stand, we lose."On the third day before trial, Davis got a call. His face went white."What is it?" Nickey asked."Michael escaped house arrest. Cut off his ankle monitor. He's gone."The safe house erupted in chaos. More marshals arrived. They moved Nickey and Trina to separate locati