Page 100 of Heart of Thieves

“Pretty much,” I snap, but the buzzing in my skin reaches a fever pitch, and all at once I realize what it is.

The Unbreakable Lie.

I jolt away from Nic, focusing on the bond with Enzo to see how close he is just as the door slams open again.

Enzo, Jade, Soren, Isla, and Arden spill into the room.

Enzo’s eyebrows rise, but Soren’s face goes red. He shoves past Enzo and stalks toward me. “What the depths—” he growls, “is going on here?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

ENZO

I stare at Lola, at Nic, then back at Lola again. Her cheeks are flushed. His are pale. There is blood everywhere. Her hair is mussed, her makeup smeared, and the top buttons of her jacket undone. Her state of disarray could be a sign of a scuffle, but with the way they keep glancing at each other . . .

But before that thought concludes, there she is again in my mind’s eye, walking toward me on the beach when I was so sure she was gone forever. Heartbroken and hurting, but still willing to put aside my grievances.

I trust you.

I swallow hard as Soren glares her down.

Whatever happened here, there has to be an explanation. She would not betray me after giving up so much to believe me. She just wouldn’t.

“It’s not what it looks like,” she blurts.

“Really?” Soren snaps. “Because to me, what it looks like is this: You’re working to undermine us with one of our sworn enemies.” He nods at Nic, who purses his lips.

She crosses her arms. “I’ve barely spoken to him.”

“It wasn’t just a rumor, was it?” Arden accuses. “You really did fall for the Liar.”

“That doesn’t . . . ,” Lola starts.

“So you don’t deny it?” Jade jumps in.

“I swear to you,” Lola says, “I’ve never gone back on my oaths.”

“And we’re supposed to, what, take your word for it?” Soren scoffs, his words grating under my skin.

“Don’t speak to her that way,” Nic snaps.

“You stay out of this!” Arden rounds on my brother.

“He’s right,” I say, voice lethal, grabbing Arden’s elbow to halt him. “Don’t speak like that to Lola. Any of you.”

Soren’s amber eyes flash. “Don’t tell me you believe her?”

I hold his glare. “I do.”

“Let me guess.” He jabs a finger at my chest, pinning the purple pendant hard enough to pierce my ribs. “Because you share a heart? Because you always give her special treatment? Because you’re too afraid to face reality?”

“You’re out of line, Soren,” I growl, shoving his hand away.

“No, you’re out of line. We gave up our lives for you! We gave up our families to become Tentacles. We risked everything because we trusted you.”

I trust you. We trusted you. I trust you. We trusted you.

Round and round and round Lola’s words swirl in my thoughts alongside Soren’s. Present, past, wrapping in and out of each other, tangling up, tearing in half.