Page 175 of Tell Me Pucking Lies

“Actually,” I say, stepping out from his cage, ducking under his arm. “Fuck every single one of you!”

“All of us?” Revan scoffs.

“The fight!” I accuse wildly. “That fight in the parking lot—it was staged, wasn’t it? You were all working together!”

“It wasn’t staged,” Atticus says from across the room, his accent cutting through the chaos. “We were legitimately trying to kill each other.”

“We were on opposite sides,” Revan adds, his voice measured.

I scoff.

He continues, “Until you came into the picture. You changed everything.”

“Bullshit!” But even as I say it, I remember the violence of that fight, the blood, the genuine rage in their eyes.

Axel moves forward when Koa steps to me.

Koa points at Axel with that drug-dealer-defense look in his eyes. “Stay back.”

That’s it. That’s the line. He wants to threaten my brother?

I slap Koa. Hard across the face. The crack echoes through the room and his head snaps to the side.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” My voice breaks on the words.

Koa’s jaw tightens, and when he looks back at me, there’s something feral in his eyes. Then he ushers me back to the wall and kisses me. His mouth crashes against mine, angry and desperate and claiming.

I freeze, shocked into stillness. My hands are caught between us, pressed against his chest, and I can feel his heart hammering.

The house goes completely silent.

When he pulls back, we’re both breathing hard. His forehead rests against mine and his voice comes out as a whisper. “I’m sorry. For all of it. But I’m not sorry for keeping you and your brother alive and safe.”

I want to hit him again. Want to scream at him. Want to make him hurt the way I’m hurting.

But I can’t move. Can’t think past the feeling of his lips still burning against mine.

I whisper, “So, that was the plan the whole time? Get me there to drag the rat out and then get me out?”

He nods.

I shove him away finally, needing space, needing air. My chest is heaving, and I feel like I’m drowning.

I turn to Atticus, who’s watching everything with those calculating green eyes. “Take me out of this place.”

“Lexi—” Koa starts.

“Now.” I don’t look at him. Can’t look at him.

Atticus pushes off the wall, ready to move. I turn to Axel, my heart squeezing at how fragile he looks, how young despite being older than me.

“Are you coming with me?”

Axel glances at Koa, then at the floor. “I want to go home and sleep.”

“Axel—”

“I can take him,” Koa says quietly.