Page 53 of Beautiful Liar

I wrapped an arm around my torso and winced as I sat down next to him on the step. “I’ll be fine. Nothing an ice bath can’t cure. What’s up with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

His expression changed and he looked away before I could make sense of it. “The reapers came. They took Amir’s things.” He looked at his hands, rubbing his index finger against his palm in a nervous twitch. “Do you know we aren’t allowed to take pictures? I don’t even have a picture of him or Jack. Once the memories go, they’ll be gone forever.”

“I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe we can write about them, so we won’t forget. We can keep their stories alive.”

He snorted, “I didn’t even know them that well. Only the songs.”

“Well, you have that.”

“They sucked,” he chuckled.

I did too. “They were pretty bad.”

“That’s the thing. They were never meant to be good. It was just a way to drown out the rest of the noise, you know?”

I hadn’t known. Always wondered. But it made sense. “I’m sorry, Morgan. Jack…” I lowered my eyes to my hands.

“I know,” he said, saving me from an explanation I couldn’t give. “I know. I just don’t want anyone else to die.”

I dragged my hand down my thighs. “Then let’s make surethey don’t.”

He scratched his ear. “Listen, about Kieran and me—”

I really didn’t want to listen about Kieran and him. I got to my feet, swallowing the pain. “It’s not my business.”

He got to his feet too. “He saved my life. He didn’t have to, but he did.” Morgan followed me inside the house. “The others, they honor the brand.”

“And what did you give him for it?” I hadn’t meant to sound so pissed, but, oh, well.

He licked his lips. “Just told him what Amir wanted. Jack said he had something to bring down the families. Amir thought maybe you had it. That’s why he was with you that night.”

“But I don’t have anything.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

“And you told Kieran this?”

He nodded. “He cares about you. I mean, you know, it’s not my business, but I think he does.” He shrugged.

I felt so damn tired. “I need to get ready.”

“Are you serious about that ice bath?”

I nodded, unsure how I was going to make it through the night.

“I’ll get it ready for you before I leave. The least I could do since I … uh…”

He was supposed to be my tail. “I won’t tell Kieran you weren’t following me.”

He smiled. “Thanks, man.” Then he slapped my arm, and I bit back a cry. “Sorry. I’ll go get that bath ready,” he said sheepishly and headed to the kitchen. “Some guy came by with a tux. I left it in your room along with all your mail. Dude, open your mail,” he said as I made my way up the stairs.

The tux was hanging on my closet door. A black fancy thing with shiny shoes and a bow tie. I’d never worn anything like it before. And my unopened mail was scattered on my bed.All of it from Maddox Brennan. I ignored the letters as I had been for the past three months and started to peel out of my clothes. True to his word, Morgan prepared an ice bath before he headed out.

I climbed into the ice water. It felt like sharp nails against my skin until it numbed everything. I considered bypassing this stupid dinner. I didn’t need to meet the Four. I already knew two of them. Mancini and Brennan. Maddox and Alessandro. My brother and the man I once loved. I’d see them both. Together. And then in a few hours, Luca Mancini would kill me. I wondered how he'd do it. A puncture to the throat like Kieran had killed Jack? A bullet to the head the way I had killed Fortuna Bruno when he’d threatened Henry. Or by fire the way Maddox had killed my dad and brother.

There were so many ways to die.

The cold against my wounds felt good. But shit wouldn’t last. It never did. After soaking until the ice melted, I drained the water and showered. A fancy dinner meant trying to tame my curls. I did that the best way I could. I couldn’t do anything with my busted lip or the bruise forming around it.

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