Page 99 of Burning Your Lies

I throw her against the wall. My arm presses against her throat as I pin her in place. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“Get off me!”

I apply more pressure. “You better say your goodbyes, because I am going to tear you apart piece by piece and feed you to the dogs like you deserve.”

She smirks at me. “You smell like the police station.”

I spit in her face. “Worthless.”

Her smile fades. She wipes her face clean of my saliva as her eyes narrow. “How does it feel to be on the losing side?”

Grabbing the front of her top, I slam her into the wall. “I’m going to tie you to a chair and murder everyone you have ever known. Then I’m going to shove the gun down your throat before I pull the trigger.”

“Get your hands off my wife.” Ray’s calm tone doesn’t match the anger in his eyes.

I let go of her and walk towards him. “Was it you?”

“Was what me?”

“Henry. Was it you that murdered him and then framed me for it?”

His eyes are on his wife. The shock that I wore only an hour ago reflects in his features. “He’s dead?”

I should feel relieved that it wasn’t him. But the statement proves a doubt that I’ve tried to ignore for too long. “So you were helping her all this time?”

Ray isn’t looking at me. When he speaks, it’s directed at her. “He was innocent.”

I follow his gaze to her. While his is in disbelief, mine is in pure hatred. “Your precious wife murdered him.”

I can easily argue the accusation of murder away, but that interview exposed more than I wanted. I saw the suspicion in them when I failed to answer their questions about my motherand the relationship I had with Henry. But that was what she was counting on.

When I break the silence, my voice is shaking. “What was it you used to say all the fucking time? You’re in the snake’s den?” I don’t wait for him to answer. “Congratulations on welcoming the poison into your life. Thatbitchis nothing more than that.”

She doesn’t have the courage to face the betrayal on his face, so she stares at me. “Don’t act like you cared about him. You stole his entire life before I did. You took his wife, children, home, and job. All because your mumfuckedhim.”

My hands are around her throat before anyone can blink. I can feel the muscles constricting as I hold her life in my hands. I’m being pulled off her before I can completely take it.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” Ray warns.

I can’t help but laugh. My hands run through my hair as I stare at the pair of them. They stand side by side like a true pair. “The queen of hearts and king of spades,” I mock. “You might be at the top of your house of cards right now. But a river is coming and I’m going to take great pleasure in watching you drown. Throw as many grenades as you want. I have an empire.”

“An empire that isburning.”She steps out from behind him. “You’ve got fires on every floor. And just as you’ve put one out, I’m going to light another. And another. And another.”

“The river will extinguish everyone of those.”

“And all you’ll be left with is ashes.”

“At least you will be dead,” I spit. I look at Ray one last time. “If it wasn’t already made clear, me and you are done. Hand in your badge and equipment to security within the next hour. You’re fucking fired.”

44

Huxley

The moment the doorslams shut, my rage-filled stare lands on Savannah, who is still scowling in the direction Xavier stood. Her eye twitches and her fingers curl into fists. She shows no guilt for executing an innocent man. She couldn’t spare the life of a man who had already lost so much.And all for what?

“Why?” The question comes out with a tremble. My fingers tingle with the urge to punch something.

She peers at me from the corner of her eyes. “It had to be done,” she states as a matter of fact. As if her crown might drop, she walks away with her head held high.

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