Page 52 of The Lies That Shatter
Without any further discussion, Kellan hangs up the phone, and I roll my eyes as I bite my tongue from snapping at the anti-social asshole. He gets so focused on technology, he forgets how to people.
“Can you both hear me?” he asks, his loud voice deafening the ear I placed the bud in.
McKenna jumps next to me, startled by Kellan’s loud voice in her ear. “Wecouldhear you, asshole, but now we’re both fucking deaf. Turn the volume down, dickhead.”
Kellan chuckles, letting me know he did it on purpose. I’m about to snap at him, but McKenna places her hand on my arm to calm me down as she chastises my brother. “That was a bit too loud, Kel.”
“Sorry, Mac,” he mumbles, having turned the volume down to an acceptable level.
“No apology for me?” I grumble, but Kellan just laughs.
“Fuck, no. You’re lucky I didn’t turn the volume up even louder on yours. Having my voice in your head can only be an improvement,” Kellan chuckles, and I make a mental note to kick his ass the next time I see him.
Before I have time for a witty comeback, McKenna steps in. “Let's get this over with.”
Taking her hand in mine, once Kel confirms he has control over the system and they can’t see us, we walk slowly around the house together. Kellan clears the way for us, directing us around any staff that are wandering around, making sure to avoid any security on patrol. As Mortimer is out, most of his security are with him, though there are still a few guarding the house and his office.
McKenna carries the bag and assists me with getting the cameras and microphones set up properly. The only time we have an issue is when we need to get into Mortimer’s office,and we notice the one guard stationed outside the door. It’s not normal practice, so we weren’t expecting it.
With some quick thinking on her part, McKenna texts Aleandro.
MAC
I’ve got a fair bit more work to get done here, but why don’t you order us a pizza to share. Queen bitch is clearly going to be distracted all night, so we should take advantage.
Aleandro thinks she’s checking stock in the main kitchen, before using one of the spare offices to complete all the extra paperwork she told him Mel dumped on her. The explanation gives her the perfect excuse to be missing for so long.
Her phone buzzes and she flashes the screen toward me, so I can see his reply.
ALEANDRO
That’s a great idea. I’ll order our usual and text you when it’s here. Don’t work too hard, gorgeous!
It doesn’t take long for the pizza to arrive, and when the main doorbell rings, the security guard from outside the office goes to answer the door—since he’s the only one we know of in the house, as all the others are patrolling the perimeter.
We have to work quickly, but we manage to get two of the three cameras with microphones set up before Kellan tells us to get the hell out of there. Two is better than none, so we take that as a win.
Once we have all the cameras up, and Kel confirms they’re working, he says goodbye and concentrates on getting himself out of the system without anyone realising he’s been there. He makes sure that there are no signs of us moving through the house, and checks that the fake footage he set up—a recording from the night before playing on loop—is all in place. So, ifanyone does look at tonight's footage, they will find nothing out of the ordinary.
Kellan may be a sarcastic asshole most of the time, but there’s no denying, he’s bloody good at his job, and I feel safer knowing he has mine and McKenna’s backs.
Once we’re back in the sitting room, and I confirm Mel is still asleep, I turn to Mac, who has the biggest smile on her face. “That was such a rush.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t get used to it. I hate the idea of putting you in danger.”
McKenna walks over to me, lifting onto her tiptoes so she can wrap her arms around my neck. Her lips flutter beside my cheek as her breath sends a shiver down my spine. “You’re worth it.”
As she pulls back, I capture her lips with mine, pressing them together hard. It doesn’t take much for the kiss to deepen, and her tongue slides beside mine, where it belongs. Before long, we’re both panting, gasping for breath as our hands explore each other. I hate it when she pulls away, casting glances over at an unconscious Mel.
“What are you going to do now?” she asks, pulling her lower lip between her teeth, in the gesture that always shows me her nerves.
“I’m going to make it look like we had sex. When she wakes up in a few hours, I’m going to tell her what a good time I had and then leave,” I explain.
Her eyes dip from mine, and a slight blush spreads across her cheeks. “How are you going to make it look like you had sex?” Her voice is barely above a whisper, and she’s clearly worried about asking me, which is why she can’t meet my gaze.
Normally, I’d take hold of her chin and force her to look at me, but this isn’t a normal situation, so I give her the space she needs. This is the part of the plan that I glossed over with her, but now she’s asking, and I’m not going to lie. This may be a shitsituation, but I promised we’d face it together. No secrets. No lies. And I intend to keep that promise.
“I have a condom. I’m going to come in it, then put it somewhere she will see it, making it look discarded after sex. I’m gonna strip her naked and put her in the bed, and when she wakes up, I’ll be in just my boxers. If she asks why I’m not naked, I’ll tell her I sleep better in boxers and leave it at that.”
