Page 163 of Loving the Liar

“Call everything off. I need more time with Chris… I changed my mind. I don’t know. But call it off.”

I want to scream that I’m in love. That this was the biggest mistake I ever made. That I would rather the Circle kill me than touch Chris. I want the man who made sixty-nine pearl necklaces because he missed me by my side.

“Ella—”

“His dad just died, Luke.”

He pauses for a second. “That’s the Circle.”

How could I think for one second that everything would be okay? Of course it won’t. I told my brother to set the Circle on Chris.

Reality crashes into me, fear wrapping itself heavily around me.

“Oh my god,” I whimper. “Call it off.”

“It’s too late, Els. They’re on their way.”

And with perfect timing, I hear a commotion downstairs. A window breaking, followed by grunts.

“Chris!” I shout, running down the stairs two at a time. “Wait…wait…leave him alone!”

My heart is racing, my ears ringing when I get downstairs.

I’m too late. I can hear tires screeching, and all that’s left is the broken mug and coffee spilled all over the kitchen floor.

They’ve got him. They made him weak by killing his dad, and when he was at his lowest…they got him.

And they’re going to kill him.

Chapter Forty-Two

Chris

Work Song - Hozier

She’s the only thing I think of as they drive away.

When they take me out of the car in the middle of the forest, I don’t resist. Fighting isn’t on my mind. Ella is.

There are four of them walking me to the hole they dug for me. The president of the board, of course, Eugene Duval, is leading the way. The only two men they found who are bigger than me are on either side of me.

And behind me, my best friend, Luke Baker, isn’t saying a word.

It’s barely big enough for me, but deep enough that a strong man couldn’t dig his way out.

Duval’s unimpressed look doesn’t make me feel a thing.

All I see are blue eyes, perfect porcelain skin, and all I hear in my mind is the way she came undone for me tonight.

My beautiful Ella.

Duval plays something on his phone. It’s a recording of me admitting to Luke what I did tonight. That I murdered Megan McLean and threatened Ella to pin it on her if she didn’t accept me as her Shadow.

There isn’t an ounce of regret within me. I can’t feel it. Because I felt the way Ella was coming back to me tonight. I felt her mind open to mine. I felt that tug between our hearts.

It’s beautiful.

Why would I regret how I got to that?

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