Page 85 of Burning Your Lies

I nod. I pace the hotel room as I think about anything else I’ve missed. “Xavier is an alpha male. He likes his women to be submissive.”

“From everything you’ve told me about your little girlfriend, I find that hard to believe. Or is she submissive in bed?” My thunderous glare makes her laugh. “Touchy subject. Got it.”

“When you meet with us, only carry your burner phone. It cannot be traced. We have to assume Xavier will track your other phone. If you’ve told him you’re going home, then drop your phone off before meeting us.”

“Anything else?”

“You need to emulate Emery. That is the woman he married. She was softly spoken and followed his orders. But make him feel like he needs to work to get you. If you give in too easy, he’ll get suspicious.”

“How do you expect me to do that?”

“Tell him you’re not ready for a relationship. When you find about Savannah, try to leave him.” I stop in front of her. “And if you feel you’re losing control over him, tell him you love him. If you’ve done that, tell him you want to marry him. Xavier craves the image of a family. He won’t be able to resist the temptation to have it all.”

Brynn climbs off the bed and watches me go through every possible scenario. “That’s all fine and good. But you haven’t considered the most important thing. What if he doesn’t want me?”

We stand toe-to-toe. “Make him want you. Give him every reason to see a victim in you. We need to get you within his four walls. We need to know his comings and goings. We need someone inside the house to jam the signal long enough for me to override the cameras with a loop. It has to be you, Brynn. You cannot fail.”

“What if he finds out and kills me?”

“This is poker. We’re all betting our lives.”

“And what if Rowan finds out the truth?”

“I have covered our tracks. And if he pulls out a miracle and finds out about you, we have our agreement in place.”

“Does she know?”

I shake my head. “It’s best to keep how we met a secret from Savannah. She won’t like it.”

“I like secrets. It’s makes everything more … fun. Let’s play.”

39

Savannah

“You okay?” Huxley asks,when I abruptly stop.

I close my eyes and inhale a lung-full of the damp air. I smile as the breeze brushes my skin and makes it sting. “Freedom,” I whisper. “I’m free.”

His lips curl into my favourite smile. “For one night. And then tomorrow you sign it away when you marry me.”

His embrace is too warm and enticing to not snuggle into it. “This is the only type of prison I want.”

He allows me a few more seconds before pulling away. “Come on. Everyone awaits.” He leads the way through the cemetery.

When I see Mia and Jordan in the distance, I run towards them as fast as my legs can carry me. The wind flies through my hair and has it flowing like a cape behind me. My lungs squeeze tight from the combination of laughing and running. I jump into their arms and hug them as tight as I can.

“I think she missed us,” Mia laughs.

“It’s good to see you, Sav.”

I pull back and grin at my friends. “You’ve seen me.”

Jordan shakes his head. “No. It’s good to seeyou.” He takes my hand in his and squeezes tight.

“I never got the chance to thank you properly for everything you helped me with before it all went downhill.” I smile at my two friends. “Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for risking everything to be here.”

Mia wipes her tears away. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be.”

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