Page 55 of Claiming Liberty

But it’stooeasy. Red flags raise in my mind as I keep watching for fissures in his expression, searching for a trap.

I don’t see any, so I decide to play along.

“Okay.” I nod. “I’ll ask Peter to fuel the jet. We’ll leave right away.”

“We?” he asks.

“Elsie and me.”

He leans forward with interest. “So you know where Liberty is, then.”

Not a question, but a statement. Atell.

I’m staring at his face, but it’s his voice that finally fractures the façade. There’s a little too much curiosity in it.

I dig my fingers into the arm rests as anger ignites, robbing me of my words, my ability to feed this lie.

He wants me to lead him to her.

I try to search for some innocent reason he could want to know where Lib is. I suppose it could just be that he wants to ensure she hasn’t told anyone anything about this place. Itcouldbe that he wants to see for himself that she’s safe and in a secure location.

Or more likely based on him sending Jasper, of all people, after us, he wants to know where she is so he can kill her. He would kill the woman I love in cold blood.

I look away from him, my nostrils flaring.

“Ah,” he says, seemingly reading my thoughts. I turn to look at him. He shakes his head and walks around the recliner to the drink cart. “You still don’t trust me.”

I don’t respond. Instead, I just watch, wondering if he’d kill me too. If he knows he’d have to.

“Whatever.” He flicks his wrist like it doesn’t matter, although I can see it clearly does.

My heart beats fast with fury, and I force myself to look away from him, force myself to regain my composure.

This isn’t why I came here. In fact, it’s what I was hoping to avoid. He spun his bullshit, and now he’s upset that I’m not buying in to it. Because heneedsme to be complacent. Heneedsto cover his tracks.

In reality, I’m at fault for thinking this could go any other way. He’s taken every precaution,everyprecaution to ensure discretion on this island. There have even been times I felt he was being neurotic. A lot of people have lost their lives for the benefit of Sawyer’s peace of mind.

Of course, that wouldn’t change. Of course, even the love of my life wouldn’t be an exception.

This is my fault. All of this is my fault for ever allowing Liberty to come here, hell, forbringingher here. Sawyer was right to be worried all along. It was always going to come down to a choice between him and Liberty.

I close my eyes as this thought sobers my fury, a sharp pain stabbing my chest like a knife. I have no right to feel anger for his betrayal. Not when I’m willing to destroy his empire.

Why?

Because I choose Liberty. Even more than that, I chooseme. Not the me I’ve been, but the me I want to be.

The me who doesn’t contribute to an island of rapists and sadists.

I stand and turn away, running a hand through my hair before scratching at the back of my neck like I’m plagued by something else.

“This isn’t why I came here,” I say, turning to face him.

He arches a brow at me but doesn’t press.

My mouth opens, but there’s a pause before any words come out. “I know what happened last night.”

“What do you mean?” His face twists with confusion.