Page 77 of Burning Your Lies

I shake my head and turn to look at him. “No, thank you. I remember it clear as day. And it’s only tonight I realise you were mistaken.”

He puts his hands inside his pockets. His eyebrows shoot up. “About what?”

“You said you never use the same excuse twice. You’re wrong. Your mother, Caitlyn, and Elliot. In those instances, you acted in a moment of anger and killed them. You then panicked and said they all went abroad. That is going to be your downfall. I am going to prove none of them got on a plane. I am going to prove a pattern of people dropping dead around you.”

He grabs my arm when I try to walk past him. “You don’t have what it takes to win against me. Did you not learn that last night?”

“You’re wrong,” I drawl. “Because you played your entire hand. I have no reason to return that diamond back to you.”

“I showed youpartof my hand. The deck is still full. There are plenty more people that you love. Including Elise.”

My heavy chest caves at his threat, but I show no emotion. I stare him down. “Go ahead. I once told you I lead with my heart because life is not a game of chess. Well done, Xavier. You burned that heart to ashes. I care for nothing and no one. And that is why I will do anything to bring you down. I will destroy anyone and anything that stands in my way.Youturned me into your worst nightmare. So, congratulations because I have nothing but hatred inside me. The great Xavier Rivers,” I mock. “Larger than life; God himself. Well, even God had his enemies on earth. And while you might be greater than God, the devildoesn’t even come close to the fury I’m about to unleash. You once said I was naïve, but that Savannah is dead. And this one will stop at nothing to bring hell to earth. I will not stop until you are burning.”

34

Savannah

The chilly air barelytouches my skin. I stand on the cliff’s edge with silent tears running down my face. Ahead of me, the streets of London stretch into the unknown, and I yearn to disappear within their depths. The mournful howls of the trees behind me resonate with my heavy heart, showing the sadness I long to release.

I haven’t seen Huxley since our fight. When I returned home, covered in Mia’s blood, I imagined him asking me a million questions, but I was met with emptiness. I guess he meant it when he said he wanted no part in this game anymore.

The past two days have been filled with Mia’s and Jordan’s screams. And when my pleas for them to stop are met, I suffocate on the silence.There’s no winning.

But I have to win, especially after I lost so much. Their deaths can’t be in vain. Xavier has to pay the consequences.

Xavier wasn’t the one that killed Jordan.

I open my eyes and take a deep breath. There’s no time to grieve. There’s no time to stop playing. Three players are out, so I need a new game plan. But I need something first.

The leaves behind me crunch as they stop behind me.

“What took you so long?”

“I’m good at many things, but hiking isn’t one of them. Is there a reason we’re meeting here instead of in our usual place?”

“He’s going to be watching a lot closer now. This only works if he doesn’t know about you.” I take a deep breath and give a voice to my new reality. “It’s just you and me.”

“What happened to the others?”

“Huxley quit. Xavier forced Mia and Jordan out of the game.”

“Savannah.” A step closer. “What does that mean?”

I hear the worry in their voice “It means they are dead and we move to Plan B. Are you still in?”

A grin is audible in the single affirming word. “Always.”

I nod. “Did you get what I wanted?” There’s a flash of red in the corner of my eye.

Brynn smiles at me. “When have I ever let you down?”

For the first time in two days, relief floods me. But when I reach for the envelope, she holds it hostage. “Give it to me.”

“Are you sure this is the path you want to go down?”

I stare at her with my brow arched. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with him.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m a high-functioning sociopath, remember? I’m not wired to fall in love with anybody.”

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