Page 64 of Man of Lies

When he finally lifted his eyes, they were glassy with regret. “It’s not McKenna.”

My brows drew tight. “What?”

“My name,” he said hoarsely. “It isn’t McKenna. It’s Donnelly.”

It felt like he’d just upended a box of puzzle pieces before me, stirred them around for good measure, and then asked me to describe what I was looking at. No matter what contortions I put my brain through to make the pieces fit, they refused to make sense.

It’s Donnelly.

I stared at him, fighting the impulse to shake my head, as if that would make it clearer. It didn’t. It made it worse.

“What the hell does that mean?” The words came out sharp and angry, but even I could hear the tremble behind them.

Silas’s breath hitched, but his gaze didn’t falter. We were so close, but he didn’t reach for me, and I was thankful. I couldn’t have handled that right now.

“I’m still the man you know,” he said slowly, like he was working it out in his head. Like he’d never considered it before. “I really did grow up in Boston. Big family. I’m still the asshole who can’t be bothered to call home for Christmas. I’m allergic to kiwi. I love bikes and old rock—andyou.I’m desperately fucking in love with you." He paused, swallowing thickly, and his gaze bored into me. “But I’ve been lying to you. I’m not some ex-con looking for a fresh start. I’m a federal agent.”

The room didn’t just shift—it felt like it collapsed, forcing the air out of my lungs. For a long moment, all I could do was stare. He was still Silas.MySilas. The man I knew, the man I couldn’t stop wanting, the man who untangled the mess inside my head. But it suddenly felt like I’d only ever seen him through a funhouse mirror. The man was the same, but the reflection he cast was so distorted, I couldn’t be sure what was real.

I should have felt relieved. He’d never spent time in jail, never made the kind of mistakes that would haunt him for the rest of his life. The solid core of goodness I’d sensed in him was true and intact. But the truth was…I felt betrayed.

It was harder than it should have been to look at him and not see a man who’d been deceiving me for months. I’d let myself trust him, let him all the way in, when I should’ve known better.

I’d always prided myself on my intellect and ability to discern the truth, peel back the layers, and see what people were hiding. I’d been so sure I could see through the layers of bullshit Silas had wrapped around himself. But he’d played me. Every flirtatious tease and taunt was designed to manipulate me intothinking he was just a guy with a rough past, a little too much charm, and a wild streak. And I’d swallowed it: hook, line, and sinker.

God, I’d made it so easy for him. So fucking easy to let those sweet lies slip under my guard.

He’d done it without even trying.

I swallowed hard, forcing the most critical question past the catch in my throat, but it came out ice cold. “Are you here to investigate my brothers, Silas?”

He shook his head, but something in his eyes didn’t sit right with me. “No. I’m here to investigate interstate trafficking.”

It sounded rehearsed—and I snapped.

I was the calm twin. The orator. The one who didn’t need to resort to violence. But for the first time in my life, I reacted body first, grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him back against the fridge so hard the metal thudded against the wall. My breath was coming in short bursts, like I’d just run ten laps around the estate, but his own breath rushed out in a pained groan.

“Cut the shit,” I snapped furiously. “You and I both know Dom’s neck-deep in the drug trade. If you’re looking at trafficking, he’s the center of it.”

His face went pale, color draining as he stifled a gasp. But his eyes never left mine. The fight was still there, even if he was caught off guard by the move. I could feel it in the thrum of his pulse under my grip.

“He was a possible target at first,” Silas acknowledged reluctantly. “Made it all the more important to keep you coming back to me at the start?—”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“—but my focus shifted to the human side of things pretty quick,” he continued, cutting me a warning glance so I wouldn’t interrupt. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Mason. Your brother is mixed up in some bad shit, and it’ll snap back on him sooner or later. He thinks being the lesser of two evils makes it okay. But he’s still hurting people. Ruining lives. He needs to be stopped.”

“Not by you,” I spat between clenched teeth.

Silas didn’t fight me. His hands came up to loosely wrap around my wrists, but he didn’t try to force me to let go.

“No,” he agreed softly. “Not by me. Not once I realized what it would do to you.”

His breath had steadied, but mine remained shallow. Anger still crackled in my veins. My hands were trembling when I released him and stepped back, and I forced a slow, steadying breath through my nose to regain control.

“So, what happens now?” I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Silas didn’t move. He stood motionless, back to the fridge, tracking my movements like I was an unpredictable animal. “My cover’s been blown,” he said curtly. “It’s the only explanation for whoever tried to take us out last night. I’ve made enough connections to tighten the net on a dozen low-tier grunts, but the mastermind will be in the wind if we don’t move fast. He’ll tryliquidating the girls and anyone who can flip on him for a lighter sentence. Your brother’s the only one in a position to stop it.”

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