Burning Your Lies (King and Queen Duet #2)

37

Huxley

The cold weather attacks me as soon as I step out of the taxi. Compared to here, winter in England feels like summer. I pull my jacket around me tighter and enter the rundown building. The voices of two men arguing travel down the beaten hallways and I rush to room 407. Three sharp knocks from my fists hit the door.

There is silence on the other side, followed by the unmistakable sound of the locks turning. The door creaks open and instead of coming face to face with Chase, I’m staring down the barrel of a gun. The blonde smiles at me.

“Nice of you to join us, Huxley Ray. Please do come in.”

I brush past her and take in the view before me. Eliana, bound and gagged, sits helplessly across the room. Chase is tied to a chair, struggling against his restraints. As she switches weapons, the mystery woman deftly slips the gun into her waistband and retrieves a glinting knife.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Her sinister smile stays trained on me as she walks over to Chase. Stopping behind him, she grabs a fistful of his hair and yanks his head back, exposing his throat. The blade runs across his skin, careful not to cut him.

“Would you like me to do the honours, Chase?”

I find it hard to believe the brother of Rowan Ashford could be such a coward. He stares at me helplessly without saying a word.

“I don’t have time for theatrics.”

She hums under her breath.

“I must agree. We can’t leave Savannah alone for too long now.”

Who the fuck is this woman and how does she know Savannah?

“You have five seconds to tell me who you are before I kill you.”

She releases Chase to make her way over to me.

“Maya Adams.”

She offers a handshake.

I don’t place my hand in hers.

“It seems you already know who I am.”

Her tongue runs along her blade.

“I would have finished my business before you got here, but it seems you have my money. Now, if you would kindly hand it over and we can go our separate ways.”

I gesture to the two hostages.

“And these two?”

She clicks her tongue.

“That is my business.”

“Are you one of Rowan’s?”

At that, she bursts into a fit of laughter. Her mocking pout is directed at Chase.

“You really fooled everyone, didn’t you?”

All the humour from her eyes vanishes as she turns back to me.

“Did you really think a dimwit like that could come up with something so brilliant? I was the one who came up with the plan. I met the poor little Ashford reject in a club. It only took a few drinks before he was crying about his brother’s riches he was denied. What was it I said, Chase?”

His darkened gaze follows her as she glides around the room.

“Man up and take what is yours.”

Maya giggles.

“Except your brother knew what a useless piece of shit you are and wouldn’t let you into his kingdom. That’s where you came in,”

she says, pointing her knife at Eliana.

The petite woman’s eyes widen with terror, her body trembling uncontrollably as tears stream down her face.

“We needed access to his funds, and only those he trusted with his life knew how to get their hands on that. Rowan trusted few and loved even less.”

She looks at Eliana with disgust.

“Can you believe that the powerful Rowan Ashford fell in love with his cleaner? Did you ever love him?”

Her head drops to the ground. Maya’s face lights up with a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with delight as she revels in the muffled cries of her captive.

“You should have loved him more,”

she taunts.

“Maybe it would have been more challenging to get you to betray him. All it took was a measly few months, and you were convinced Chase was the right brother for you. But then you wanted to leave Rowan, and everything I worked so hard for was about to disappear.”

Chase lets out a howl when her knife goes through his hand.

Maya yanks the knife out and studies the blood that covers it.

“It was Chase who came up with the next idea. It was brilliant, if I say so myself.”

I already know this part of the story.

“He told Eliana that Rowan found out about their affair and put out a hit on her. He then sold me the same story.”

“The man who makes people disappear,”

she whispers, in awe.

“If Chase didn’t tell me the entire plan, I would never have found them.”

I gaze at the trio in the room, contemplating which faction to choose. No one is innocent in this. But are any of us truly innocent? Eliana’s soft cries pull my attention to her. She was manipulated and lied to by everyone but the one person she didn’t trust.

“You got what you wanted. Why are you doing this?”

She stands in front of Chase and forces him into a kiss.

“I loved you and you betrayed me.”

“No, I didn’t!”

he pleads.

“Huxley, dear, pass me the glass from the table.”

I search the room before locating the glass of red wine.

She shoves it in his face.

“Open wide.”

He screws his mouth shut and shakes his head.

The glass flies across the room before splintering and staining the carpet red.

“You thought you could poison me?”

she seethes.

“I’m the one that taught you about drugging and poisoning someone.”

Where has this woman come from?

She’s back to standing behind him. Her arms wrap around his torso and her fingers run up and down. Maya looks directly at Eliana, who still hasn’t stopped crying. Her eyes close as she presses her lips against his ear.

“She’ll meet you in hell soon,”

she whispers. And then, without hesitation, her knife slices his neck.

Behind me there’s a scream, but my eyes don’t move from the blood spurting out of him. Maya steps back as if it will protect her from being painted with his blood. She walks over to Eliana, but I step in front of her.

“Don’t do it.”

Her blue eyes are lifeless.

“Nobody steals from me and gets away with it.”

I push her back.

“But she doesn’t have the money. I do.”

She wipes her blade clean on her trousers.

“And now you know what will happen if you don’t give me what is mine.”

“You kill her, and I will tell Rowan all about you. You won’t be a shadow figure pulling the puppet’s strings anymore. Your face will be plastered on every corner of the world until he finds you. Because he will find you. You know it’s her he’s looking for. I’ll release her somewhere unknown and she won’t speak of this to anyone. Isn’t that right?”

Eliana frantically nods, hope now alive in her at the chance of making it out of this alive.

I continue.

“You will get your money and I will walk away from this. Nobody else will get hurt.”

She looks at me as if I’m a child.

“And how do I trust that you’ll give me my money?”

“If you want it to be free of Rowan, you’re going to have to give me a little more time.”

She rolls her eyes. “No deal.”

Come on, Huxley. Think. You can’t let an innocent woman die.

“What if we came to an agreement that would serve us both?”

“I’m listening.”

My heart pounds in my chest as I try to think on the spot.

“Rowan is doing deep dives into everyone Chase and Eliana were associated with. It’s only a matter of time before you crop up in his results. What if I could give you a new identity?”

The corners of her lips raise.

“The man who makes people disappear.”

“The trick behind the magic is simply distraction. In searching for one person, they cannot see another who has appeared. I can give you that and there would be no ties to the Ashfords.”

“And what would you want in return?”

Any sane person would rather die than get into bed with a crazy person like her. But I need her to get into bed with someone equally insane. Maya is the perfect person to plant in Xavier’s home. She is beautiful, manipulative and brilliant. She serves more purpose to me alive than dead right now. And with the money as leverage, she won’t double-cross us.

“You help me take down Xavier Rivers.”

She cannot hide her laugh.

“Isn’t he your boss?”

“Are you in or out?”

She looks at me, then at Eliana.

“And the money?”

“Will be yours at the end of the game.”

Her knife clatters to the floor, and she offers another handshake.

This one I accept.

“Get yourself to a hostel. Check in as Brynn Jones.”

“Who’s that?”

“You. From this day forward, you are Brynn Jones.”

With a wink in my direction, she exits the room without a care that she’s covered in blood.

As the door shuts, I release a sigh of relief. The room is a bloodied mess. I need to discard of Chase but before that I need to free Eliana. I untie her mouth gag first and then move onto her hands and feet.

“You’re going to be fine.”

“Please don’t send me back to Rowan,”

she cries.

“I don’t have a choice.”

“He’s going to kill me.”

Perhaps the crazy is rubbing off on me because I’m almost certain he won’t. Rowan’s search for her alive is because he wants her back. I don’t know what future that means for her, but it can’t be my concern. I have my own damsel I need to save.

“I thought he loved me.”

Her grey eyes are focused on a dead Chase.

I glance at him, too.

“Maybe in the end he did.”

Eliana doesn’t respond because the door flies open and a bullet is fired across the room. Her eyes widen with fear as she touches her chest where blood pours out.

Maya stares at me.

“Let that be a warning that even Brynn Jones does not tolerate betrayal and is capable of murder.”

The door slams shut behind her.