Page 102 of Heart of Thieves

Lola grasps Jade’s arm. “Wait.”

Jade refuses to look at Lola. “I want to believe you’re on our side,” she whispers. “So tell me you haven’t been lying to me about where you’ve been going during my visits to Gran.”

Lola swallows, tears glistening on her lashes.

“Then there’s nothing else to say.” Jade pulls out of Lola’s grasp, and the Tentacles disappear through the door, leaving me with nothing but the roaring in my ears and the ache of Lola’s heart.

Or maybe the ache is mine this time.

I’m not sure anymore.

Perhaps I never was.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

LOLA

My stomach bottoms out as the door snicks shut behind Jade. “You need to leave,” Nic says softly. “Laurel will be here any minute.”

“Enzo?” I ask, approaching the Thief.

He stares blankly after the Tentacles. Septavia unwinds curiously from his wrist, crawling out of his sleeve and up his arm to his shoulder, popping one of her suckers against his jaw like a gentle prod.

He doesn’t react.

“Lola,” Nic warns.

The emptiness unfurling from Enzo’s heart yawns wide, and it is my fault this time. My Unbreakable Lie made him impervious to his Tentacles’ valid points, made him loyal to me when I did not deserve it.

I cost him the only family he has.

“I can’t leave him,” I croak, the words raw and serrated. As they should be.

But when Nic meets my gaze, I see those words struck him as well. His mouth thins as though bracing against the impact. “Of course you can’t. He did mark you his, after all.”

“Nic,” I say, but he’s already gathering his things.

“No. It’s fine,” he says coldly. “Everyone in the world can put their necks on the line for you, and you can keep choosing the one person who won’t.”

He shoves past me, and I grasp his elbow. “Where are you going?”

“Laurel will come for me.” His nostrils flare. “So unless you feel like being turned into a puppet, you’d better stand aside.”

“You’re not being fair.”

“Liars aren’t known for fairness,” he says, pulling out of my grasp.

“Nic, wait.”

He pushes through the door and lets it slam behind him.

My mind whirs. My heart aches. Anger and hurt battle in my chest.

“You all right?” I ask Enzo, choking on tears I refuse to let fall.

He doesn’t reply until I step in front of him. Then he swallows. “Delightful.”

“I wasn’t trying to—” I begin, but he holds up a hand to silence me.