Twisted Lies

by Ana Huang

“Get in the car, Stella.” I got in the car.

“My apologies,” Christian said dryly. “I didn’t mean to insult the beautiful Mr. Unicorn.

How am i only 71 pages in and i want to pounce on Christian Harper? Im so giddy with him

“Careful, Stella.” His low warning pulsed between my legs. “I’m not the gentleman you think I am.”

Catch me diving head first into Christian Harper

Green eyes. Green dress. Symbolic of life and nature.

It was all so cordial I wanted to shoot someone just to liven things up.

I love him

“Because I don’t want to be jailed for murder if anyone touches a hair on your head.”

Ahhhhhhhhh this man has never heard of being nonchalant and im soooooo here for it

“STELLA! I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE. OPEN UP!”

I just know that that is Jules

I shouldn’t have put Jules on my list of approved visitors,

My shoes echoed against the polished floors, where the giant gold V etched into the middle glowed against the surrounding black marble.

V for Volkov?

The library at Valhalla Club

Ahhh not Volkov

Alex Volkov pinned me with a wry stare.

Oh but hes there anyway

Alex and I had standing chess matches at the Valhalla Club every month for the past five years. Our games were always hard fought and harder won.

Thats so cute

“I want you and Brock shadowing her until we find this fucker,” I told Kage. “Don’t let her see you.”

Hes a the size of a mountain, its not going to be subtle

“Touch her for any reason other than to save her life, and you die.”

That’s my girl.

Dead.

Okay, then. I’d struck a nerve, though I had no clue which one.

Is that about Magda?

But now that the creep had gotten into her apartment, in my building…

I bet its that desk guy from the start of the book

Learn how to accept compliments, babe. “Thank you” is a perfectly adequate response. Jules’s voice echoed in my head.

Jules my love

The rush of tears pressed harder against the dam of my willpower. Cool, calm, collected. Cool, calm, collected. Cool—

Shes stronger than i am cause ive already started crying

Thickness clogged my throat. “Because they chose you.”

Well now im sobbing

The only thing that looked out of place was the hideous painting in their art gallery.

Magda!

There was nothing more upsetting than considering someone a friend only to realize they didn’t feel the same way about you.

Christian’s brows dipped into a V. “I thought you’d like it. You said you needed a new watch.” I had said that. It’d been an off-the-cuff comment I made weeks ago. I couldn’t believe Christian remembered it.

Oh i just love him so much

I couldn’t hear the footage, but I could hear the boom in my head as his car exploded into flames.

god Christian... That was a little dramatic

“Go to your room, Stella.” My harsh command shattered the raw intimacy of the moment. “And lock your door.”

Mmmmm yummy

“I suggest you don’t finish that sentence.”

Bark bark bark

No one had defended me before. Ever.

Aw baby

(In my defense, that curb came out of nowhere).

Fair. It happens

But his gaze held my voice captive, and before I could free it, his phone rang and shredded the moment to pieces.

Every. Damn. Time. Im dying over here

“Drop your arms for me, sweetheart. I want to see you.”

BYE AHHHHHHH

I may not be her first, but I would damn well be her last.

“You asked for a kiss, Stella.” Christian’s rough voice scattered tingles through my stomach. “This is how I kiss.”

hotttttttttt

“Just the way I like it,” I said.

Thats my girl

I guess that was what happened when girls with a need for academic validation grew up. They developed a praise kink.

Oop me

“Touch another man, he dies. Let another man touch you, he dies. Tell me I can’t touch you…”

“And I will fucking die.”

“I thought it was obvious, but in case it isn’t, you’re mine, Stella.”

I THOUGHT YOU KNEW

I was too stunned to say anything before he left.

Thats the worst part and then you’re in so much shock theres no way to identify who did it because your mind erases it

waited until Frank’s palm hit the wooden surface before I pulled the blade from my drawer and drove it through his hand. Flesh and bone yielded like butter to the cold, razor-sharp steel.

Oh yeah. Thats my man.

“I’m in a good mood, so I’ll leave your hand intact.” I could’ve stretched our session out for another hour, but it was taco night with Stella, and I needed to buy the ingredients on my way home.

IM IN LOVE WITH HIM

“Just a minor irritation at work.”

He killed a guy

The best boyfriend in the world <3

Im starting to get nervous cause im pretty sure this series has third act break ups

I pulled my gun from my waistband and kept it in hand as I stepped into the office.

Why is picturing that so hot?

The turquoise ring weighed heavy in my pocket. A symbol of the secrets I’d kept and the lies I’d told.

Im so curious about that ring. He always has it

I walked over and retrieved the turquoise ring from the ground.

Oh my god

“It’s deeply concerning that you can quote me word for word. Find a new hobby, Larsen. Obsessing over me isn’t healthy.”

I lifted my head and opened the secret drawer that used to hold her files. Now, it was filled with letters I’d never sent. One for every day we’d been apart. It was the type of sappy, pathetic behavior I’d derided in the past.

Wow.

You will always be my first, last, and only love.

Oh for fuck sake. If i needed more of a reason to be bawling my eyes out

It was there that I watched Kage exit his car and greet Kurtz.

What?? Nooooo I love Kage

Kage snorted. “That fucker was getting on my nerves. Always trying to kiss ass and one-up me. Thank fuck we made him the fall guy and Harper fell for it. One less problem on my plate.”

Oh damn so he really sucks