Page 36 of Burning Your Lies

I let out a sigh of relief. I turn around and smile at him. “Took you long enough, Mr Rivers. It’s been getting boring playing on my own.” I lift my heavy skirt up as I make my way over to him and take the seat opposite him. “What took you so long?”

“I thought you were smart enough to know not to play with me again. It seems you have forgotten who reigning victor is.”

“We’re not playing chess anymore. We’re playing poker.” I lean in closer. “And you’re not the king,” I whisper.

Amusement dances in his eyes. “Enlighten me, Savannah. Who are you in this game?”

“The queen of hearts.”

“And Ray?”

“The king of spades.”

He chuckles. “I guess that makes me the ace ofdiamonds.” The sickening grin on his face makes my skin crawl. “After all, I always have a trick move up my sleeve and this all started with a diamond.”

I stare at him and laugh. “I cannot wait until I’m standing over you, claiming my victory. You won’t even see it coming. I am going todestroyeverything in your life. It’s all going to comecrumbling down so hard you won’t even know where to begin. And then, when you’re covered in the ashes of all the people you murdered — your mother, Sara, Caitlyn, Elliot, and Emery — I am going to light a match and watch youburn.”

He grabs my hands and squeezes tight. “I amGod.I am untouchable. I choose who lives and dies.”

I lean closer. “New game. New players. New rules. You won the last game, but only because you set the board. Look around, Xavier. What have I spent the last eighteen months doing? I changed the game. I’ve shuffled the deck. I made the knight into a king. I’ve set the table. And only when I wanted, Iletyou see the game I’ve been plotting since the day you whisperedzugzwangin my ear.” I pull my hands out of his hold and stand up. I stare at him with the hatred I have barely concealed the past year and a half. “Ibelievedyour lies. Icarriedyour lies. Now stand back and watch the flames rise. You won’teversee it coming through the thick fog of smoke. It’s going to suffocate you until it’s so deep in your lungs you willbegme for mercy.”

Xavier stands too. His hands curl into fists. “You don’t scare me. All it takes is one phone call, and Savannah Hayes never existed.”

My eyes set to stone. “You already killed Savannah Hayes. I do not deny you won game one. But I am no longer Savannah Hayes. I am Savannah Ray-Hayes and she exists. She exists as an employee in XR Securities. She exists on her marriage certificate. She exists on the court papers I filed for joint custody. Savannah Ray-Hayes cannot vanish so easily. She has a husband. She has a family. She has a daughter. She lives a mundane life.” I stand taller. “Do you finally understand, Xavier? This is notyourgame.Iam the dealer and the cards are dealt. We are playingmygame, atmytable, withmyrules.”

He doesn’t flinch. “My name is Xavier Rivers. You don’t scare me.”

“I should,” I threaten as I get into his face. “I shouldterrifyyou because I am the ghost of all the people you wronged. And we will not stop until we are done burning your lies.” I can barely contain my breathing as we stare each other down. I open my arms and smile at him. “At last, the mighty Xavier Rivers takes a seat at the table. I look forward to takingeverythingfrom you.”

Xavier laughs. His arrogance and hubris seep from him and fill the room. “You are as stupid and naïve as you were back then. I have an ironclad fortress. I have anempireto protect me.”

“That just means you have so much more tolose.” I turn on my heels to leave the room before pausing. I look over my shoulder and shoot a smile I know will torment him. “Welcometo game two.”

PART TWO:

The Bluff

19

Savannah

Xavier and I standoutside the chambers, silently staring at one another. I don’t know how he managed a private meeting with the magistrate, but it’s irrelevant. He won’t rise as the winner in this situation.

It has been four weeks since my reception party. While we vigilantes have been slowly making our moves, things between Xavier and I are normal. Xavier is playing nice and lets me have Elise for one evening a week. We work professionally and keep our game out of the office. Outwardly, we don’t seem to hate each other. Butweknow it. It’s why when we lock eyes, it chills the room.

We’re called in and share one last look before walking into the office with our heads held high. We wait for permission to be seated and then we stare ahead.

The judge, an elderly woman, appears near retirement. Years at the job have taken a toll on her, and she looks exhausted. Perhaps that is why she doesn’t succumb to Xavier’s charming smile. “I don’t know what strings you pulled to get yourself in my chambers, Mr Rivers, but I hope this is worth my time.”

Xavier runs his hand down his tie and sits taller. “I assure you, Judge Callahan, this meeting behind closed doors was essential. The applicant has applied for a joint custody order. With the field I am in, I cannot risk the safety of my family by having the public inside such personal matters.”

“And what field is that?”

“Security for public figures, including politicians. It is a high-risk job that puts me in danger.”

She looks even more unimpressed than before. “And a man who is so equipped to protect the mighty politicians of the world cannot protect his own family? A little ironic, no?”

I hide my smile with my hand.

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