Page 164 of Loving the Liar

Luke stays silent.

The only conclusion I can come to is that Ella warned him to record. It was going to be her only proof so she could get rid of me.

God, I love that woman. Nothing and no one can take her down. Not even me.

“It was a smart move, Christopher,” Duval says calmly. “Deserving of a Shadow.” He shakes his head. “If only you didn’t get caught. Things like this can’t go unpunished.” Huffing, he looks me dead in the eye when he adds, “I had so much hope in you. Your cunning brain is unmatchable. It’ll be hard to replace you.”

I suppose that’s meant to be a compliment.

Luke approaches me, looking me up and down with a completely unreadable expression on his face. Is he sad? Furious? Is he eager to kill me? Does he already regret it?

“I warned you,” he says with enough composure it keeps me calm too.

“And I told you I would stop at nothing to have her.”

“That’s why I have to be the one to stop you. I chose the spot where you’ll be buried myself.”

I nod, showing my understanding. He’s right; if he doesn’t stop me, no one else will be able to.

“I’ll take care of your father’s funeral,” he adds. Like a true best friend. I’ll kill you, but I’ll take care of your grieving family.

“I will get out,” I tell him. Licking my lips, a rush of unfamiliar fear pours through my body, numbing my limbs. I’m not scared of death…I’m scared of never seeing Ella again. “But if I don’t…tell Ella I love her. Tell her I tried with all I have to crawl out of a grave for her.”

His jaw tightens, and even in the dark of the night, I see the pain crossing his eyes. He’s my oldest friend. My brother.

“I wish you hadn’t put us in this situation.” His voice is strained, and I force myself to ignore the fact that I hurt my best friend in the process of getting the love of my life.

“I wish it was easy loving her.”

Nostrils flaring, he takes a deep breath through his nose, and he holds something in front of me. I will say, that hood doesn’t announce anything good.

He puts it on me, and next thing I feel is some sort of leather around my wrists. They slam together, and I understand Luke tied me with a belt when I feel the buckle against my skin.

“I’ll tell you what, Christopher.” I recognize Duval’s voice. “If you get out of this one…it’s all forgiven. I’ll grant you whatever you want. Good luck, boy.”

They force me to lie down in the grave they dug for me, and the longest minutes of my life start. Punished by the Circle. Buried alive.

The sounds of the shovels are unbearable, and the feeling of heavy soil slowly separating me from the world of the living is a nightmare I’ll never forget.

I expand my lungs, turning my head in a position that I think will allow me some sort of air pocket, but nothing is promised. So all I can do is think of the woman I love, and how I would go through this a hundred times over if it means I tried everything to have her.

When the world disappears, and it’s only me, I finally realize something. That Ella is going to be alone. Without me. And that I’m going to die without her. That everything I did…it separated us early rather than give us a second chance.

I can’t die like this.

Chapter Forty-Three

Ella

Slower - Tate McRae

Tears stream down my face as Luke drives across Stoneview. Gated mansions whizz past my eyes. Perfectly trimmed grass on the sidewalks, joggers in luxurious gym clothes, small dogs running with them. A chauffeur opens the door to a man dressed in a suit, already on the phone at 6:30 a.m. A maid walks toward a gate, stopping at the interphone to ring for her morning shift. And I know that beneath all this luxury, in the underground of disgusting riches, the Silent Circle rules everything.

The show feels strange once you’ve seen backstage. You can’t unsee the strings holding the puppets.

This town makes me sick.

“I told you to call it off,” I rasp through the tightness in my throat. Licking my dry lips, I rub the palm of my hand across my wet face. “I told you to call it off.”

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