Page 124 of The Rook
I shook my head. "I know what you're telling me, and I want to believe you, but now I discover you knew what happened to my sister all along."
"Nissa, look at me, we don't have time for this. Igno is coming. He wants the ledger, and we have to make sure he doesn't get it."
"I don't believe you."
"You know it's true. He's got your father right now."
"I don't care."
"Yes, you do. Because you're still you, Nissa. You can pretend you don't care about him all you want, but he's still your father."
"And he kept my sister from me, and you helped him do that."
"I know, okay? Look, you can be mad at me all you want. I get it. I really do. But in a minute, my whole team is going to come in here, and we need to be gone when they do. I can protect you, I just—"
"Your whole team? You mean my father's people?"
He swallowed hard then. "No. I work for someone else."
I choked out a laugh. "Oh, right. Remember that time you and I looked at each other and we said no more lies?”
“Nissa…”
“No, this is illuminating. I can't wait to figure out what else was fucked up between us.”
“Listen to me.”
“No, I don’t think I will.”
I knew what I needed to do, except this was going to hurt. “That ledger, Nissa—"
“It’s not here.” I lied smoothly. I’d already tucked it into the back of my trousers.
He looked confused. “What do you mean it’s not here? I have to find it. Besides, it’s no good to you without the cipher.”
My brow furrowed. "The cipher? Where did you put it?"
"Your father took it off Igno’s phone at the gala. It’s likely stashed somewhere in the passages of this house."
"You're lying."
"The point is you will never find it, and the ledger is useless without it."
"I don't believe you,” I whisper screamed.
"It looks like we have a trust issue, don't we? Look, I know you won’t believe me, but I never hurt your sister. I gave her money. Helped her disappear."
Whispers of the truth tickled my clammy skin. No. Don’t buy it. He’s a trained liar. "I guess we do,” I agreed.
"Give me the ledger, Nissa. I can get you out of here safely. We can reunite you with your sister."
The way he said it was like he meant it. Like he loved me. Like he cared about me. But I knew I couldn't trust him, so I fired.
Westin
I wheezed at the pain in my left side. I couldn't fucking breathe. Jesus Christ, she'd fucking shot me.
She was furious.
