Page 67 of Cup of Lies

Kaitlyn interrupts when she runs over to us, flinging water all over me. “Hurry, Mommy! Bermuda is going to dive for rings with me.”

Romy, shockingly comfortable in her mother role, quickly dries Kaitlyn off and applies more sunscreen. She gives her a quick kiss on the forehead before letting her run off again.

“Cute kid,” Koyn states. “Where are her real parents?”

“They’re gone,” Romy says sadly. “I’m all she’s got now.” She glances my way and I nod. “Weare all she’s got now.”

How do I feel about stepping from an uncle to a father role to Kaitlyn? It feels right. Especially since she calls Romy her mother. The need to protect Kaitlyn like my own daughter is overwhelming and undeniable.

“So this isn’t another LuLu situation?” Koyn asks, arching a scar-puckered eyebrow at me.

Romy whips her head toward me. “LuLu. I know that name.” Then, as if memories flood her, tears well in her eyes and she shoots me a horrified look. “I left her there. She’s at the facility!”

It takes a few minutes to explain what really happened to LuLu. I’d meant to tell her earlier while in bed after my confession, but the moment was heavy and I just needed to touch and kiss her. Words could wait.

“Is she safe at home with her parents?” Romy asks, swiping at another tear. “Can I talk to her?”

“I’m sure we can make that happen,” I assure her. “She’s safe enough.”

Koyn’s lips thin out. I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing. Until we get these snakes out of the grass where the innocent play, they’ll never truly be safe from their venom.

“The process of dismantling this global elite human trafficking operation is complicated,” Koyn explains as he toys with his cigarette pack. “It’s multi-layered and it’s going to require some help.”

“Most everyone is compromised from the local police all the way to the top government. Where will we get that kind of manpower?”

“I know other biker bastards from sea to shining sea who owe me favors. We’ll have the manpower,” Koyn assures me. “What we need is the element of surprise.”

I rub at my temple, doing my best to think how we’ll attain such a massive goal. There are so many people involved. So many. Most are picture-perfect according to the public eye, like that of our US president. Not everyone can simply be killed without repercussions. Once we light the match, it’ll spread like a wildfire. Either we figure out a way to contain it, or it’s going to consume us.

“First thing we need to do is figure out how to dismantle the Stem Lock shit,” I say with a groan. “I don’t know enough about it, but I hate that it has some unseen control over us.”

“It can be disrupted,” Romy says, leaning forward. “I swear the storms interrupted the feed somehow, which is how I was able to snap out of it.”

“Bermuda has a program running as we speak. He’ll find a way to hack into the software.” Koyn casts his gaze to a window where his woman stands, their baby on her hip. He flashes her abrief smile before turning his gaze back on me. “Give him three days tops.”

“I think I’ll have it cracked by tomorrow,” Bermuda calls out from the shallow end, clearly eavesdropping.

Luckily, Kaitlyn is too engrossed in playing to pay attention to the adults talking.

“Three days,” Romy mutters. She sits up straight and shoots me a panicked look. “Eva. Oh my God. I was so happy to get out of there, I completely forgot she was coming for me. I have to get in touch with her.”

Koyn nods. “We’ll track her down. Is she a friend?”

“Stepmom,” Romy says. “She’s divorcing my dad.”

“So she might have useful information to our operation?”

“She will. My real mom, too. Vivienne. Huxley got her pregnant while she was in his custody and doctoral care.”

“The plot thickens,” Koyn says, standing. “I’m going to get Halo on it.”

He stalks back into the house. I watch him kiss his wife and baby before they all disappear from the window. My chest aches at the sight. I’m going to make Romy my wife soon. We’re going to be a family, and no one will take that from us.

“Want to swim?” Romy asks, frown lines between her brows. “I’m getting hot.”

I pull off my T-shirt and follow my pregnant woman into the pool. Bermuda, once satisfied we’re going to entertain Kaitlyn, exits the pool, dries off, and heads inside.

“Throw me like Bermuda did,” Kaitlyn says, bobbing in the water beside us. “He can do it high and far.”

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