Page 75 of Beautiful Liar

Tomás

“It isn’tyouI want.”

The look of betrayal on Kieran’s face after Luca told him those words shattered whatever pieces I had left of my heart. With a blade in hand, Luca approached me. I pulled back. “Luca,” I said. “Let him go. You got what you came for.”

“Luca,” Kieran warned.

But Kieran wouldn’t be able to save me. Not this time.

Luca spun me around and cut lose my wrists, then shoved the collar in my hand. “Put it on.”

The collar felt wrong. I should’ve burned it. “Luca, please.”

Anger flushed Luca’s face and before I had time to think, he rushed to Kieran who hadn’t had time to move before Luca brought down the knife into Kieran’s thigh. A burst of a pained sound slipped out between Kieran’s teeth, but he reined it in quickly going for anger instead. I launched myself at Luca, driving him back away from Kieran, but the fucker was too quick. He spun me on my back. I hit the ground hard.

He got up as if he hadn’t exerted himself and plucked the collar off the floor. The knife with Kieran’s blood in his fist. He tossed me the collar, then put the knife against Kieran’s throat. “Put it on.”

With trembling fingers, I did as he said. Except, the final piece had a lock which Luca had the key for. He used it to clasp the lock and shoved the key into his pocket.

“So what happens now?” Kieran asked, unconcerned.

“Your lover never told you?” Luca smirked and tsked.

My blood ran cold. I shook my head.Please. Don’t. Not like this.

Luca approached me. I backed up until I had nowhere else to go. He pushed me against the wall, crowded my space, and slammed his mouth against mine. The kiss was wet and messy. It was like kissing an overeager teenager who didn’t know what to do with his mouth or tongue. His hands tangled in my hair, and he pulled me back hard. “Not good enough,” he growled out. “Kiss me like I’mhim.”

I cupped his face and kissed him. He smelled of oil and alcohol. And tasted of cinnamon. I dropped everything from my mind and just focused on the kiss. Luca tasted different. He smelled different. The feel of him on my tongue, how he kissed was all different. Blood pulsed in my head. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be what he wanted and everyone I cared for would suffer for it. I couldn’t pretend to like it. I couldn’t pretend that he was Kieran. Not even to save our lives.

I pulled away, tasting my own tears. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I need you to see.”

“Why the fuck does it matter! You’re going to kill me. You’re a coward. A dog. Nothing.”

He squeezed my throat. “You are too quick to sacrifice yourself. To lose. There is no fight in you.”

I spat in his face. He wiped it, taking some of the paint with it. “And you hide behind a mask.”

“Or is the mask who I truly am?” he said. “Which one is your mask, Tomás? Which is the real you?”

I couldn’t answer.

“Do you want him?” he asked.

“No.” I said without asking what he meant. I knew what he meant. The wedge in my throat, the pain inside, I knew. He was talking about Enzo.

“Did you want him?” he asked again.

“No! I didn’t want him! I never wanted him!” I screamed.

“Then answer me this. No more fucking lies.” He pulled me in front of him to face Kieran. I lowered my eyes, ashamed of myself but Luca cupped my chin and forced my eyes to Kieran’s. “Do you wanthimto save you?”

“Yes!” I cried. Defeated, guilty, raw for not wanting to do this on my own. Kieran promised to protect me. He’d always protect me, and I trusted him. But I didn’t want to be the reason he suffered, the reason hedied. But even knowing that, I still wanted him to fight for me. To fight with me. To be with me in the end.

Luca released me. “Get him ready to walk.”

Like a fucking lunatic, Luca disappeared away from the light.

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