All The Truths (Lies & Truths Duet #2) by Rina Kent

“We met…” I trail off. “I think I planned to escape with her.”

Asher’s hand tightens on my thigh and I wince as I keep my head down. He was right all along; I did plan to escape.

But it was bigger than Blackwood and any reason I had to hate him.

Or maybe it has everything to do with him after all.

“She said something about having business to finish and that she’d find me…I think.”

How do I even remember that?

Alex gives a sharp nod. “She has Nikolai’s ledger, which holds all the names, numbers, and dirt on the people he did business with. He announced before his death that the owner of that ledger is his sole heir. Ivan can’t get the others’ blessing to be Pakhan without that book. That’s why he’s hunting her down.”

“So she’s alive?” I nearly choke on my own breath.

“I believe so, yes.” He rubs his chin. “I got a text from my guy that she was safe a day after your attack.”

“Nothing after?”

“Unfortunately, no. But this guy wouldn’t make any contact if he thought it would put Rai in danger. Besides, Ivan is flipping the city upside down to find her, so she must be on the run. I wouldn’t be surprised if she got out of the country.”

A breath leaves me, but it’s not complete relief. Reina is still in danger. If this Ivan finds her, he’ll take that ledger and skin her alive.

They torture people in the mafia.

They kill them in cold blood like they did to Mom.

“I’m hiring that security for you, Reina.” Alex’s tone becomes non-negotiable. “If Ivan thinks using you against Rai will bring her forward, he won’t hesitate to beat you like the other time. Just because they’re quiet doesn’t mean they forgot.”

“I agree,” Asher says.

My spine shivers at the memory of pain all over my body.

This war is so much bigger than I thought.





It takes Reina three days to move out of Alexander’s house.

Three fucking days.

She had to have a sappy goodbye with that fucker Jason, who’s starting to get on my nerves.

If I watch him put his arm around her one more time, I’m breaking it and killing any chance of him going pro. Every time he watches a game on TV, he’ll think about me and wish he’d never laid a hand on what’s mine.

Reina had a small farewell gathering with Elizabeth and the staff then made sure Alexander was good with her move and that he stationed her new security at her apartment.

The old Reina would’ve never minded people surrounding her. She’d have made her decisions in a heartbeat and the world could suffer.

Well, it turns out she’s Rai or what-the-fuck-ever. I should’ve known Alexander had all this information. I just never thought he and Gareth could’ve hidden an identity switch this way.

Does her name matter? Does it change anything?

No, and fucking no.

I was never interested in Reina prior to her disappearance. The one I got entangled within all the wrong ways was the girl who returned with Gareth that day.

The girl who watched her surroundings every time she moved as if suspecting someone was chasing her. Turns out, she really had people chasing her all along.

I didn’t know how to feel as I listened to her conversation with Alexander a few days ago. She suffered in her childhood and was a kid on the run with no one but her mother—and even that support was taken away.

It’s sort of like Ari and me after Mom died.

No. I won’t think about Ari.

That’s the thought I’ve been pushing away since I found Reina unconscious in that cottage and after she nearly jumped off the balcony.

She almost fucking jumped.

My muscles tighten at the memory as if I can see her in front of me, shaking, eyes welling with tears and her leg threatening to give up on her.

Just like Ari.

I briefly close my eyes as I push the building’s door open. The concierge nods in my direction. He knows better than to question me. After all, Alexander owns the whole damn thing.

True to his word, the man who calls himself my father got her security. They’re stationed outside the building, and one of them is at the far end in the corner, near the concierge’s desk. Even the latter has some security training and would react fast in case of danger.

I press the button for the penthouse’s floor and enter the code. As the doors close, I lean back, placing both hands in my pockets and letting my mind roam around the endless fucking possibilities that arose out of nowhere.

Reina will never be safe unless her sister is. Even if her sister is dead, there’s no telling if Ivan will come after her. He’d want to eliminate the last descendent of Nikolai Sokolov’s bloodline.

So far, only Reina remains.

And Rai.

She lived amongst them for years, so I’m hoping she has a trick or two up her sleeve like her mother did.

True, there’s always that tiny possibility the twins switched back when they reunited that night. With the memory loss, Rai could’ve thought she was back to being Reina.

That possibility barely exists for me.

I recognize Reina no matter who or what she is. Her personality deviated a little—a lot—after the memory loss, but there are those few tells.

The way she shuts out the world by crossing her arms over her chest. The way she leads the cheerleading squad like she was born for it. How she dances, how she jumps, and how the corner of her mouth twitches when she smiles.