Page 225 of Devious Lies (Cruel Crown)
We held eye contact until Brandon flung the door open. A row of black SUVs lined the front of the hotel. We headed to the one in the middle. He clutched the handle at the same time Emery sprinted out.
“Wait!”
Panic engulfed her face. She chased after us, giving me less than a second to react before she jumped on me and kissed me hard. The slit on her dress tore. I covered it with my palm, trying not to laugh at how Emery this situation was.
(Of course, she was a verb, adjective, and noun.)
Still clinging to me, Emery faced Brandon. “Please, just give us five minutes.”
Why the fuck was she asking him?
He offered her a shrug and stepped to the side with his agents, Delilah, and Francine. I ignored the crowd and focused on Emery. She loved words so much, but it looked like she had none for me.
“I read your placard,” she finally whispered, threading her fingers together behind my neck. “You say I fixate on words, and you’re right. Yet, I’m here, wondering why I can’t put my feelings into words, thinking that love is too inadequate a description, and I realized it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because I’m not alone. I don’t need words to keep me company. Falling in love with you is like diving blindly into a book, not knowing it’s destined to be my favorite. Whatever’s more than love, I feel it for you. I am only ever going to be in love with you.”
I popped a brow up, tightening my grip on her. “You more than love me.”
“Yes. I don’t care if you have,” she glanced at Brandon and lowered her voice, “you-know-what that can exonerate Dad, and you didn’t tell me. Maybe it’s fucked up, but I don’t care about anything but us. I’m sorry I never said this sooner. I love you. I’ll wait for you. However long it takes.”
“However long what takes?” The puzzle pieces clicked together. I set her down, so she wouldn’t fall with my laughter. Only she could make me crack up on the same day I signed a plea bargain. “I’m not going to jail, Little Tiger. I’m a witness. I made a deal.”
Brandon piped in. “Confidentially.”
“Brandon, seek help for your obsession with hearing your own voice.” I angled us away, shielding her with my body. “I made a deal with the S.E.C. I’ll serve as a witness against Balthazar, Eric, and Virginia. Your dad will be absolved. I’m not going to jail. I promise.”
The girl with all the words—speechless again. My ego could get used to this.
I tugged at her dress, using it to reel her to me. “Come back to me?”
“Always.”
Two Years Later
I don’t believe her when she tells me she may be happy.
My devious fucking liar.
Her black hair flies everywhere, resembling a wild horse’s mane. Outside, the ground has frozen over with snow, thick layers that have hardened into crystal cement.
Fire saves us from the frost. The flames flicker, shadows dancing on the wool walls. My Tiger looks like royalty, her hair glowing each time the flames climb.
Red lips tempt me. Her gray eye—the color of moonstone—shines so bright, it’s almost colorless. The other is as frosty as Lake Baikal, a bottomless courier of wisdom, flecks of white battling the blue.
Neither will win.
There never is a victor with Emery.
Only a battle.
Constant.
Fervent.
Beautiful.
A love that deserves chasing to fuel it.
“There’s no may,” I enunciate. “You are happy to see me.” I try to flatten a few strands of her hair, but it’s useless, and taming Emery would be like taming a tiger. If I try, I’d be changing everything that makes her who she is.
