The Lies: Landon Academy book 1 Read online

  The Lies

  by

  Natalie W.

  Copyright 2021 by Natalie W.

  All rights reserved.

  This book may not be reproduced in any form or means, including information storage or retrieval system. The author reserves all rights to the content of the book. Without written permission from the author, the book may not be reproduced, with exception for the quotations in a book review.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “Em wake up! We need to run, they found us!” I open my eyes and focus on the person in front of me, Tyler.

  “What the fuck is going on Tyler?” My voice is hoarse from sleep. I did not have full eight hours sleep as I should because of him. Why the hell he is here and how stupid he is to wake me up?

  “There is no time for questions. Get up and run as fast as you can. The car is waiting outside the house. Do not stop and do not look back. I will be right behind you. Wait for me in the car but only for 2 minutes, if I will not come after this time, you need to go alone.” I hear his instructions; something is really bad. My father taught me how to act in dangerous situations. His voice automatically rings in my ears: “Remember Emlyn, when the life will push you to run, you need to run, and when the obstacle will appear on your way to freedom, destroy it and do not regret it.” Yeah, I know harsh words but how true. I rush to the door and down the corridor to the nearest staircase. The building is old and unwelcoming, but this is my home. I quickly run down the stairs to the emergency exit. The black SUV is right in front of me. I want to look back and check if Tyler is behind me, but I can’t. I take my phone and set the timer. 2 minutes starting from now.

  The time is ticking slowly, too slowly. I look out the window and desperately stare at the door. Please open up, please open up. Suddenly, the doors open but the first thing that I could see was a black cloud of smoke. Oh no, no, no, no! The building is on fire! I look right, then left to check if someone is coming, but the street is empty. Completely ghosted from people, which is kind of unexpected because London never sleeps, but here we are, not a single soul. The knots in my stomach tighten even more. Where are you Tyler, you have 20 seconds left. I prayed in my head for my family to be okay but then the person appears in the doorway. Tyler! My heart explodes in my chest and I rush to open the door, but when I did, I realized that the person who just came is not Tyler. Nether someone I know. The guy is huge and dirty from smoke. His ugly face turns to a hideous smile when he raises his right hand and points his gun at my head. Quickly, I removed my Colt Cobra from my holster and point right at him. My quick moves surprised him, and I use the moment to shoot. Bang! The bullet passes right between his eyes. Hm... One less. My phone starts to ring to remind me that the time is up. I look out the window for the last time but there is no sight of Tyler. The driver starts with the squeal of the wheels and begin to drive away from the building.

  Couple seconds later I hear a loud explosion. I turn around to look out the back window and realise that the building, from which I escaped 2 minutes ago, is dancing in flames. My home is gone as well as my family. A single tear runs down my cheek as the driver and I rush past the streets.

  Chapter 2

  I don’t know where the driver is taking me. We pass London’s buildings as I stare out the window. I would never think about my life without my family. ’Family’ it is not even my real family. I have been adopted when I was four. My father found me on the street, without shoes and jacket. That was a raining day, a normal day in London. I was sitting alone on the bench in the park. I don’t remember how I get there nether I remember my real parents. Tom, a man who found me, become my father. I remember how cold I was, and then I remember him approaching me out of nowhere. I was staring into his green eyes and caramel colour skin. He was like an angel back then; he took my hand and lead me out of the park. He was quiet and mysterious, but I didn’t feel bad vibes from him. He was my rescuer, I was thinking, and I wasn’t wrong. We came to the old building with the big, red sign ‘entry for club members only’ on double doors. I was curious what I will find behind those doors. My watery eyes were scanning my surroundings and then Tom kneeled next to me and asked if I want to come in.

  “There is no coming back if you gonna step to the club, even if you’re small, the decision is yours. You can either come in and become a ‘snake’ or you can turn around and you will never see me again.” Temptation, that I was feeling back then. I didn’t know him, but I trusted him. I cannot explain why, maybe that was this curiosity or maybe I felt safe.

  “What is behind those doors?” I asked because I wanted to know what I am signing to. He laughed, his laugh was welcoming and honest, he looked me in the eye and answered: “home”. And that was the word I was expecting. I pushed my chest up and made a step, a step to my new home.

  I shake my head rapidly to brush the past from my thoughts. I scan the view out the window and realise that the car is not moving anymore, and we are at the airport. I brush my fingers through my long, blonde hair and push the doors open. I step into large space; a cold wind caresses my bare thighs and a shiver went through my body. I locate a big plane at the beginning of the pass. I start to march there but the big hand on my shoulder stop my movements. I quickly remove my cobra from my holster and turn around to shoot.

  “You have to be more focus because next time it could the enemy” big smile appears on my face when I heard his voice “Papa”. I rush to embrace him in a big hug, but he stops me.

  “We don’t have time for this now little princess, they still are following us” he takes my hand and we step into the plane.

  The plane is huge, but there are no people inside, only two young ladies in white uniforms and black hats. The first one has ginger hair that is reaching shoulder length. She starts to walk towards us with a big smile on her face. Her brown eyes scan me from toe to head and her smile disappears.

  “Mr Bonnet, we didn’t expect you with anyone…” My father stops her immediately.

  “Miss with due respect, who are you to tell me who can fly with me in my damn plane? I think I am the person responsible for your wages and I would be very careful if I were you, what your next words would be!” Whoa, lady, you have big, big problem now because as I know my papa, he either will kick you out of the plane now or sometime during the flight.

  “I am very sorry Sir, I didn’t mean anything wrong, we just prepared equipment for one person.” Her eyes are now big like two-pound coins. I cannot remove a smirk from my face because I can see her next mistake in her response, and if I can see it, then my father sees it for sure.

  “You see…” he looks at her name badge and continue “Jessica. Your job is to not ask questions or explain yourself. Your job is to prepare the plane for two people as soon as you see me approaching with my daughter.” Her eyes are now like orbits, I think they may fall off from her head and lend next to her feet.

  “Y-your daughter? I am sorry Sir and Miss I did not know that she is your daughter, this is my first day of work, please forgive me.” She begs now, WOW, my father does
n’t like begging. I never knew the person who would make so many mistakes in 2 minutes. She already sealed her fate. My father put a polite mask and smile.

  “Of course, darling, nothing happened, please go back to your work,” this would mean that she will fly with the birds today. I am waiting for the time when my papa will expand his ways of killing people.

  For me it is nothing new, this is the environment I have been growing up: gangs, killings, fights and drugs, normal life. My father is a drug dealer, yes, it is non- pleasant type of job for normal people, but my family is not normal. My father is a leader of a gang called ‘Snakes’, they produce and export the drugs to smaller groups around London, at least this is what I know because papa doesn’t like when too much information is renewed to his princess. I have two brothers: Tyler and Tobias. Tobias is sixteen and Tyler nineteen like me. Tobias is kind and polite but only for a reduced group of people, read, the gang members. Tyler is the right hand of my father, he always helped him and have been involved in everything that is going on with the gang. This is because our father wants him to be a leader when he will no longer be able to. This sounds ridiculous because we do not have that much money to have a hair, so this was unexpected for me when my father said that the plane is his. We never had money for expensive stuff, so there is no talking about the damn plane. I have even more questions now than I had before.

  “Father, tell me what is going on? Where is Tobias and Tyler? Who put the bomb to our home and where the hell we are flying?” His eyes lend on me in this typical intimidating way of his, but it’s not working on me anymore. Not since I was six and he taught me how to hold a gun.

  “Princess, better sit down because when I will start to talk, your life will change for 360 degrees.”

  Chapter 3

  I pass my dad and sit on the comfortable white leather seat. The plane chair was never so comfy before. Maybe because I never been in the plane before, so scratch that, the chair is comfortable enough as for the first time. My father sits on the seat in front of me and motions his hand at me.

  “Well princess, feel free to sit” his eyes scan my face as he is looking for some kind of sadness, but he will not find it because he thought me how to not show feelings and how to not feel at all. Maybe I have feelings somewhere inside me, but I did not have time to explore them yet or maybe I did but I didn’t realise it before.

  “Well father, start talking,” My voice is even and calculated. I will not give anything for him to see. Do I feel sad? Maybe a little because I do not know what is happening with my brothers, with Tyler. Yes, Tyler is my brother, but we don’t share the same blood. His father adopted me, and we became very close but not as brother and sister. He always cares for me, always been next to me. He showed me how to shoot people without as much as a blink of an eye. Maybe it’s not so romantic but the connection that we share is unbreakable. When I look in his eyes, I see us, not myself, nor him, us. I cannot explain what I feel for him, but I know that I will give everything to feel his touch again.

  “Focus, this is something that you never have trained to perfection princess,” Well maybe it’s true but what he would do in my position? Oh yeah, he is always focused and prepared for danger. I am as well but my brain has a default and sometimes my body is present and my brain not.

  “Tell me, father, do you always need to turn every single situation into some kind of training?” He smiles at my words and spreads his arms for me to hug him. I rush from my chair and jump into his embrace.

  “You are right, this is not a time for training my princess but remember that your brain needs to be focused all the time because situations like this… you never know what will happen,” he whispers into my ear. I sigh loudly.

  “Yes, father I know, I am sorry, but I am also confused. I don’t know what happened and where is Tyler?” My voice is not even a whisper, so I am surprised when he answers, “Ok princess, sit down, I will explain everything.”

  I sit on my chair and focus my eyes on him. “Tyler and Tobias are fine, that’s for starters. I have asked them to stay in London to close some… business. Our home had been burned to the ground because of our enemies, but don’t worry your beautiful head, I have everything under control. Actually, that was unexpected but really good change of my plan.” I am shocked, good? Where the hell is something good in this situation? Our home does not longer exist, my brothers stayed in London and I have no idea where they would stay. My friends, my family, read, gang members, are maybe dead and we are peacefully flying to God know where, in a plane that God knows is whose.

  “Good? Explain,” I snap.

  “You see, I had planned to leave London soon, but I did not know how to do it just yet, without my enemies to suspect something, but now they helped me to realise my plan. I was working with a friend on some business in California. I invested money on something unimportant right now, and the investment has been a grant success. As you see, I can afford the freaking plane and staff, and many other things. We are travelling to California where I will be able to focus on more innovative project which would help us to live in higher standards than in London.” He is saying the words like the ‘snakes’ does not matter to him anymore. Who is that men and what did he done with my papa who had his family on the pedestal?

  “I see, so now our family does not matter to you, you earned some cash and now become a businessman?” I am irritated and he can see it. His eyes turn a shade darker, but the smile stays on his face.

  “You will not talk to me with disrespect ever again! You are too young to understand the problems of the bigger world because I never showed you the details of my business. This is my fault that you see me as a monster right now, but soon you will understand that this is a better option for us. Our only option.” I know that he is probably right. He always planned everything with attention to details. His plans never disappointed our family and I trust him with our lives. My shoulders relax and I exhale the breath that I didn’t know I were holding.

  “Ok, I trust you with my life father, you know that already, I am sorry for my attitude before, it will never happen again.” I smile and he relaxes in his sit as well.

  “My princess, I cannot be mad at you for longer than a minute. You are everything to me and I promise that our life even when it’s gonna be different, it will not change that much. All I am asking is trust and everything will be okay. Now, you are probably worried about our family, so stop to worry. Everyone is safe, actually you have been the only person left in the building at the time of the explosion. I need to tell you that you have been lucky, and it is because of Tyler. We had a meeting in West London, and you forgot about it…” he stares at me with a hard eye. ” …and Tyler noticed your lack of presence and rushed to collect you. Then, we received a call from him about the attack and that you are safe, and I have instructed the driver to bring you straight to the airport, and asked Tyler to stay with Tobias behind and find the new place for the family. They will come to us soon but first they need to take care of some business as well.” Well this is rescuing to know that my brothers and family are okay. I am wondering how long it will take for them to join us in California.

  “Now, stop asking more questions and go to the bed, we have an eight-hour journey and you are probably exhausted. I need to tell you one more thing actually, I am proud of you my princess. You have been always a good shooter, but straight between the eyes without as much as aiming… impressing.” I smile at him.

  “Your lessons were always very interesting father.” I stand up and rush to the back of the plane to sleep the stress of this day off.

  *

  “Please daddy, don’t let them hurt me!” My eyes are roaming the space around me. Where is my mommy? She needs to be somewhere; she’s been here a minute ago. A minute before those monsters come for me. “Mommy!” I am crying, I cannot stop the tears to make their way down my cheeks. One monster is holding both of my arms behind my back. It hurts. He is not gentle at all. I tried to kick his le
gs, but he is bigger than me and much stronger. My father is looking at me with pity and tears in his eyes. He is sitting behind his huge, oak desk and second of those monsters is holding the gun to his head. “Please, leave my daughter alone, you already took my wife from me, leave my princess alone.” My daddy is crying now. I never seen him cry before. One of those monsters came into the room in a grey suit. He looks professional, so why is he acting like a criminal, I don’t understand and why I cannot see his face, it’s like a blur but I think that I know this face. I know that I saw it somewhere. “You see my friend, my dear Carol, you owe me a lot of money, and you are late with a payment, and as you know I am a very patient person, but time was up long time ago.” The monster in a suit approached my daddy with a smile on his face, I think is a smile or rather a smirk because I cannot see it straight. “You took something from me and you refuse to let it back, so I took something from you and now there is no chance that I will return it to you, we are even, and remember, I am the leader, not you, you will never be me and there is no chance that I will forget your sins, Carol.” And then my vision went black.

  I wake up with sweat at my forehead and chest. Heavy breathing filled a quiet room. I had those nightmares before, and they have been always the same. I must have watched some bad movie in the past and now it is following me in my dreams. I check the time and the clock shows 3 am but the room is filled with sunshine. Strange. Soft knock rings out and my father appears in the doorway.

  “It’s time princess to meet the new opportunities. You have a new set of clothes in the wardrobe and the bathroom is on your left. You have 20 minutes until we gonna lend, so hurry up.” I smile at him and nod my head. I quickly grab some trousers and t-shirt from the shelf and went to the bathroom to have a quick shower. The water is hot and relaxing. I put my forehead on the cold tiles in front of me to think. What is waiting for me outside that plane? Am I gonna be alright without my brothers? I’ve been happy in London, if you could say that killing people and being the cappo of my father is a happy existence. But for me, that was the only life that I knew and cherished. I am the best shooter in the city and people were scared of me and my brothers. My father trained us to be assassins. How ridiculous that sound. As a leader, he has many enemies and people who did not pay debts on time and then we came into view. We were assigned to kill those who weren’t capable of listening and keeping their word, in different words, debtors. For all of my life, I’ve been trained to not care about people who do not matter to my father. It could be said that he trained me to not have a heart, and he succeed. The only feelings that I show or rather fell is for my family.