All Chapters of Lust Under Lies. she want more : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The courthouse steps were packed. News vans lined the street. Reporters pressed against the barricades. This was the trial everyone had been waiting for.Inside, security was tight. Metal detectors. Armed guards. Marshals everywhere.Nickey adjusted his tie for the tenth time. His hands wouldn't stop shaking."You look good," Trina said. She wore a simple blue dress. Hair pulled back. Trying to look innocent."I feel like I'm going to throw up.""Don't. Not until after you testify."She tried to smile. It didn't reach her eyes.The prosecutor, Angela Martinez, found them in the waiting room. "Ready?""No," Nickey said honestly."Good. Nerves keep you sharp." She looked at Trina. "Remember what we practiced. Short answers. Don't volunteer information. Look at the jury when you speak.""I know.""And if Rebecca Stone tries to rattle you, stay calm. That's what she wants. For you to lose your temper."They walked into the courtroom. It was enormous. High ceilings. Wood paneling. Rows of

Nickey kissed Trina's forehead. Stood slowly. Hands raised above his head."I'm coming out," he called toward the broken window."Nickey, no!" Trina grabbed his leg desperately. He pulled free gently but firmly.Davis blocked his path. His face was hard. "This is suicide.""Maybe. But it's my choice to make."He walked carefully to the broken window. Glass crunched under his shoes with every step. Moonlight spilled through the jagged opening. Outside, shadows moved. Shifted. Waited.Michael stood in the center of the yard. Gun raised and steady. Three men flanked him on both sides. All armed. All watching with cold professional eyes."Finally," Michael said. His voice was calm. Almost pleased. "Just you and me, cousin. The way this should have ended from the very start.""Let everyone else go. This is between us. Nobody else needs to die.""Is it though? Because it seems you involved a lot of people in your little revenge fantasy. Catherine. The police. My wife. All of them suffering

Nickey played the video again. And again. James's face filled the screen each time. Scarred but alive. Real."We need to verify this is current," Davis said. He'd followed Nickey inside. "Could be old footage. Deepfake technology.""That's my brother. I know him.""You knew him two years ago. People change."Trina sat beside Nickey on the hospital bed. Touched his arm gently. "Even if it's real, we can't get three million dollars in three days. It's physically impossible.""Then I'll find another way.""What way? Rob a bank? There is no way."Davis's phone rang. He stepped into the hallway to answer.Nickey stared at the empty room. The note mocking him from the pillow. Three days."Michael's life insurance," Trina said suddenly. "It's five million. I'm the beneficiary.""That takes weeks to process. Maybe months.""Not if we have a lawyer expedite it. Angela could help. Emergency circumstances.""Insurance companies don't work that fast. Especially with a suspicious death.""We have

Nickey woke to cold concrete and complete darkness. His head pounded where they'd hit him."Trina?""I'm here." Her voice trembled from nearby. "The baby's okay."His eyes adjusted. Small room. Metal door. No windows. Their wrists were zip-tied.He tested the door. Locked solid. "How long was I out?""Maybe an hour. Davis is gone. They took him somewhere else."The door opened. Light flooded in. Two men dragged Nickey down a hallway into a larger room.Victor sat at a desk. James was there. Tied to a chair. Alive."James!" Nickey lunged forward. The men held him back."Hey brother," James said weakly. "Long time.""I thought you died in the fire.""Almost did. Michael kept me alive. Used me as leverage." James's voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I should've found a way to contact you."Victor stood. "Touching. Now let's talk business. You're making a delivery tonight. Drive a truck across town. Simple.""What's in it?""Nothing you need to know about." Victor pulled a gun. Walked to James. P

Nickey stared at the photo. His hands shook so violently the phone nearly fell."What is it?" Trina asked.He showed her. She gasped. "That's impossible. We saw his body.""Did we? We saw a body with James's face. But what if it wasn't him?"Davis appeared beside them. Looked at the phone. His face went pale. "That footage is timestamped during the raid. Fifteen minutes ago.""So James is alive. He's been alive this whole time.""Or someone's messing with you. Deep fakes are sophisticated now.""The body inside. Let me see it again."They went back into the warehouse. The medical examiner was zipping up the body bag."Wait," Nickey said. "I need another look."The examiner hesitated. Davis nodded. He unzipped it.Nickey knelt. Studied the face carefully. Same scars. Same features. But something was wrong. The left ear. James had a birthmark there. Small. Crescent shaped.This body didn't have it."It's not him," Nickey whispered. "This isn't my brother.""You sure?" Davis asked."Posi