Dangerous Lies (Lies 5)

That’s when he turns the knife around and directs it toward his own heart.

“Langston….what are you doing?”

“Have Enzo cut out my heart. It’s going to be too hard for you to do it. Then take it to Tokyo. The exact address is in the bag.”

“Langston, no!”

“I love you, huntress. I always have.” Then he jabs the knife into his chest, directly into his heart.

He collapses to the floor, away from me.

“Langston!” I yell.

I wait, looking for any signs of life.

He groans.

He’s still alive.

But then I see a puddle of blood on the ground underneath his body.

I can’t tell if his chest is rising or falling.

“Langston!” I shriek again.

My yelling does nothing. This is why he tied me up. This is why he was so heartbroken. He knew he had to die, and he knew I would try to rescue him unless I was bound.

I reach for the rope that’s hanging down. My fingertips just barely touch the bottom of the rope.

“Don’t you dare die, Langston!” I yell through my tears. They’re flowing uncontrollably down my face. I’m going to have to get used to the tears because if Langston is really dead, there is no way I’m ever going to be able to turn the tears off.

I cling to the end of the rope and pull with everything I can, but nothing happens. I try to jerk my wrists free, but somehow the ropes tighten. I can barely see through my tears.

“Help! Help!” I scream at the top of my lungs, knowing there are yachts nearby, but I don’t see any headed our way.

I tug again, and again, trying to free myself. Nothing happens. I can’t move.

“Langston!” I cry out again, desperate for him to get up, for him to not die, but that’s not my life. He’s gone. I can sense it. He would do anything to save Declan, even die.

He just didn’t think through the whole tying me to the mast, so I can’t escape thing. Hopefully, he texted someone to come here, because if not, who knows how long it’s going to be until someone comes to look for us.

My stomach flips, and I think I’m going to puke. My entire body trembles as saltwater sprays my face.

I want to collapse into a ball. I want to grab onto an anchor and drown myself, so I can be with Langston, but that’s not fair. The kids need me if they can’t have their father.

Tell them I love them.

Fuck you, Langston.

Fuck you.

I hate you.

I sob again, uncontrollably. A wail leaves my body that I’m sure rattles the entire earth in a massive, global earthquake.

I hate you so much, Langston.

I feel the ring on my finger.