Page 75 of Burning Your Lies

He tucks the gun back inside his pocket.

“You said if I chose one, the other would live.” My scream of pain echoes in the empty room.

“I’ve evened the playing field. It’s just you and me at the table. The queen of hearts versus the ace of diamonds. How ironic, considering the queen’s heart is broken and the ace’s diamond is stolen.”

I charge towards him, ready to kill him with my bare hands. “I’m going to kill you!”

He takes his pocket square and wipes off the small smear of blood my hands left on his face. He tosses the dirty fabric at me. “I’ve only just begun to play. Let therealgame begin, Miss Hayes.Welcometo hell.”

33

Savannah

Just as it waswhen I first entered this home, I feel lost. Back then, it was because I was exhausted from the mundane routine I found myself in. Huxley was being a ruthless boss. I narrowly escaped homelessness; I now know that was at Xavier’s hand. I was being pumped with hormones and forced to follow Xavier strict rules. Emery was a mystery I couldn’t figure out.

But I created happiness for myself, not realising the heartbreak it promised. I was so desperate to feel unchained, I blindly walked into Xavier’s handcuffs.

I walk around the small space that was once the base for my tryst. I stare at the bed and am warped back to the past.

“Where does Emery think you are?” I ask, breaking the kiss.

Xavier shrugs his suit jacket off. “Do you really want to spend our time talking about her?” He walks forward until we’re at the bed. “I can think of something much more fun to do.”

I feel uneasy at the thought of sleeping with him when only a few hours ago I was with Huxley. “I’m still a little sore from last night. How about we just talk?” The look on his face makes mefeel foolish. Of course, he doesn’t want to talk; he came here to fuck his side piece. “Or we can meet here tomorrow. It’s up to you.”

The soft gaze on his face melts my heart. He tucks my hair behind my ear. “I just want to be with you, whether or not we’re having sex. It’s you I want, Savannah.”

The irony isn’t lost on me at him making such a statement while wearing a wedding ring. But with the way he’s looking at me makes those thoughts fade away. I climb into my bed and pat the space next to me. “It’s nice when I get you alone. In the office, you’re always so busy and at home you’re someone else’s husband.”

He lies on his side so he’s facing me. “Well, for the next few hours, I’m all yours.” He threads his fingers through mine and kisses my knuckles.

“Won’t she ask where you are? Or did you tell her you’re going to the office again?”

“I don’t use the same excuse twice.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Sounds like you’ve done this once or twice, Mr Rivers.”

He kisses my shoulder. “No woman has ever captured my attention quite like you, Miss Hayes. You are truly exquisite.”

My fingers trace his features. I love how everything about Xavier is gentle. Well, everything except the way he fucks. “How many women have you had?”

“Four, including you.”

“I bet they were all beautiful. You’re too perfect to settle for anything less.”

His lips are back on mine. “None of them come close to you,” he whispers.

“I tried to Google Emery before I met her,” I admit.

The corners of his lips curl upwards. “I know.”

I recall Xavier telling me not to believe everything on Google, and I laugh. “I literally couldn’t find a single picture of her. I thought I could read all the gossip about your marriage, but there was nothing. How do you do that?”

There’s a subtle arrogance in him. “I make it my priority. It’s important to separate my business from personal life. They are two entities that live inside me. If they mix, it breeds trouble in both elements. My privacy is my protection in this job. And I’ve always enjoyed a private life; one where people can’t pick apart and judge the decisions you make. Sometimes we do things that are driven by the heart, despite logic and moral ruling telling us it’s wrong.” He sighs. “Sometimes I just want to do whatever makes me happy. Even if it’s only me that knows about it.”

I walk over to the bed I shared with that monster. My tears fall as I truly understand how that decision has led to the death of four people. In that moment, I thought the biggest consequence was going to be breaking Huxley’s heart and Emery’s dream. But even then, I couldn’t stop. I was so enthralled with Xavier; it was intoxicating, and I couldn’t say no.

“I don’t want to go,” he murmurs between peppering my neck with kisses.

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