Page 45 of Web of Lies

Riley

I'm sitting on the large outdoor sofa on the back porch, hugging my legs to my chest. My gaze is fixed on the lake, captivated by the water and the way the late-summer sun reflects off its sparkling surface.

I observe the waves rolling toward the shore in a rhythmic pattern.

Every so often, a flock of ducks swims across the water.

The quiet out here is both soothing and suffocating.

I'm used to the constant noise of traffic, voices, and the rush of the big city.

Out here, it's very different, and for the first time in weeks, I feel like I can finally breathe.

There's only the wind rustling through the leaves, the occasional coo of a dove, and birds chirping in the distance.

Soft footsteps followed by the tapping of claws against wood draw my attention to the large glass door behind me.

Evelyn steps outside, carrying a tray of fresh drinks and snacks.

Whiskey is right beside her, staring up at her with pleading eyes.

When she sets the tray down, I spot the reason for his excitement.

On a small plate sits a raw bone covered in scraps of meat.

Evelyn picks it up and holds it out. Whiskey gently takes it from her and dashes down the porch, then flops onto the grass and starts chewing.

She turns her attention to me, grabs a glass, and hands it to me. "Here you go," she says with a smile.

"Thank you." I offer her a smile and take the glass from her, stealing another glance at Whiskey. "Can he really eat a raw bone like that?"

"Yes," she says, settling down beside me with her own drink. "It's actually great for him. They're packed with nutrients, and they help keep his teeth clean. Plus, they provide good mental stimulation. Which he needs a lot of," She chuckles and takes a sip.

"Interesting," I hum, keeping my eyes on Whiskey as he happily gnaws on his bone.

Beside me, Evelyn stays quiet, sipping her drink and occasionally reaching for a chip from the tray. I lift my glass and take a longer sip this time, letting the cool taste settle. Then, I shift in my seat to fully face her, catching her gaze locked on me.

"Evelyn, I'm really sorry," I finally say. "I never shared any information about you, Hunt Corp., or Noah. The Butcher was my only interest. Nothing else."

"You don't owe me an apology," Evelyn says with a soft sigh.

"But I still lied. Maybe not directly, but I kept the truth from you."

"Technically," she shrugs. "But we never really talked about work like that, even when I was still working for Hunt. You're still the Riley, I know, aren't you?"

"Yes, everything about me has been the truth, except for a few details about how I ended up with Hunt."

"See, you didn't pretend to be someone else. You just didn't share every detail."

I study her for a moment, searching for any sign of negative emotion, but her face remains neutral. "You are way more empathetic than I expected, especially considering how you reacted earlier."

Evelyn pops another chip into her mouth and chews slowly before answering.

"We all have our baggage," she says. "You, me, Noah, and Kyle.

We've all done things we aren't proud of.

Some of us have done worse than others. But it's not a competition.

" She shifts, pulling her legs up onto the sofa.

"Am I upset? A little. Confused? Sure, but it's not the end of the world.

If I can forgive Noah for attempting to kill me three times.

" She flashes me a small smile and adds, "I'll get over the fact that you joined Hunt with an ulterior motive. "

"Thank you," I say, my voice barely audible. Evelyn's hand lands on my thigh and gives it a soft, reassuring squeeze.

"Hunt has a way of finding us when we're at our lowest," she says with a chuckle. "Even though it started as a setup, maybe it was meant to be that you ended up with us. Still, I don't think the boss should find out the truth. At least not until everything's taken care of."

"He'd have me six feet under before I could blink."

"Probably," she laughs, shooting me a smug smile. "But who knows? You're one of his favorites."

"Jealous?" I tease, raising a brow. "No need to be. He talks about you a lot. You made him good money, and I think he's hoping that you'll come back one day."

"He can keep dreaming," she says, rolling her eyes. "I'm done for good. The only person I'd ever kill for now is Noah and our hypothetical children."

My gaze lingers on her. The way she talks about killing, as if it's just another task to check off a to-do list. To her, it's normal.

Routine. But to me, it feels like stepping into foreign territory.

Sure, I've changed over the years, and I've grown desensitized to watching someone die after spending countless hours deleting security footage and watching Hunts' killers at work, including Evelyn.

All of them make it look effortless every time. Cold. Clean.

"Riley." Evelyn's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. "Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, even though I already suspect where this is going.

"You want to kill someone. Right?"

I hesitate for a second, but then I nod with a sigh. "Yes, I do. Right now, it's the only solution that makes sense to me."

"I'm sure there's another way." She tilts her head. "Why not hire someone? We know many capable people. Really good ones. Two of them are in this house right now."

"I have to do this myself," I say, my fingers tightening around my glass.

"If I hire someone, it'll take time: planning, searching, payments.

But if I reach out to him myself, he'll come running for the information.

" Evelyn hums and takes a slow sip of her drink.

"But," I say, my voice dropping to a whisper, "I'm scared. "

"You don't have to," she says softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "You have Kyle, me, and Noah. We will not let you go through this alone."

I nod slowly, then take a breath. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What does it feel like to kill someone?" The question that's been nagging at the back of my mind.

"How does killing feel?" Evelyn repeats, her voice quiet as she sets her drink down and falls back into the cushions, her gaze drifting up to the sky.

"It's hard to explain, but the first time, I was scared. I didn’t know if I could do it.

But when I pushed through the fear, I felt powerful.

" She pauses, her gaze still on the sky.

"You know a little about my past. I grew up weak.

Killing gave me something no one else ever did.

The ability to protect myself." Then, she turns her head toward me.

"It got easier over time, and I don't regret the people I killed.

Most of them were monsters. Worse than I'll ever be.

But after a while, it gets heavy. Even if you don't feel guilt, you carry something with you.

" She pulls her knees up and hugs them close to her chest. "I stopped because I didn't want to feel like this anymore.

I just wanted peace. I wanted a quiet, normal life.

I didn't want every step I took to feel like someone was out to get me. "

We both fall into silence, and I stare at her.

Her words echo in my mind: power, control, peace.

I don't know if it was the answer I wanted to hear or the one I needed.

Maybe both. Maybe neither. My stomach churns, nausea bubbling up, thick and bitter.

I grip my glass a little tighter and set it down before I drop it.

What if I like it ? What if I go through with this just once to protect myself and, instead of feeling relief, I feel what Evelyn felt?

For years, I've watched people get killed from a safe distance on a screen, where I could pretend it wasn't real.

However, there's a huge difference between watching death and causing it.

I steal a glance at Evelyn. Of everyone in this world, she's the one I thought I could relate to most. She's been on both sides, done the things I'm considering, and has still managed to hold on to her true self.

"Do you feel you achieved what you wanted? Did you leave it behind?" I ask, interrupting my train of thought before I spiral. My fingers are trembling as I reach for my glass again, as well as a chip.

Evelyn startles me with a sudden laugh that bubbles out of her chest. It's not mocking but filled with irony. "Far from what I imagined," she says, her laughter fading into a chuckle. "If I had really wanted the normal I craved, I should've fallen for a man with a nine-to-five job."

"You're happy with how it is, though?" I ask.

"Yes." She nods, a genuine smile on her face.

"It's not always easy. Some days are good.

Some days are awful. But the important thing is that we face those days together.

That's what love means to me. Not just the easy parts.

It's choosing each other when it's hard.

" Evelyn tilts her head, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"But enough about Noah and me," she says, nudging my leg with hers playfully.

"Because if we're going to sit here and talk about feelings and existential dread, the least you can do is spill the tea.

" Her eyes sparkle with curiosity. "You two are dating ? "

"Honestly, I don't know," I say, letting out a soft laugh, my eyes fixed on my drink.

"It all just happened." I look up and meet her gaze.

"He reached out to me earlier this year.

At first, it wasn't supposed to be anything serious.

Just some fun, casual hookups." Evelyn raises an eyebrow but says nothing.

Instead, she traps her straw between her lips and sips quietly while I talk.

"But there's something about him. He's reckless, infuriating, and completely insufferable most of the time.

Yet somehow he makes me smile." The mere thought of his nagging and inappropriate comments makes the corners of my lips twitch upward.

Her own lips curve around the straw before she lets it go. "He definitely has a special personality." She chuckles.

"He does," I agree, my smile widening. My cheekbones already burn from holding it too long.

"He makes the world feel just a little less heavy.

And one day, I looked at him and realized I'd fallen for him.

" I run a hand through my hair and sigh.

"It's so messed up. I know who he is now and what he's done. I should hate him for it—but I don't."

Evelyn hums softly, her fingers drumming against the rim of her glass as she thinks. "Love rarely makes sense. Look at me. It never happens the way we expect it to."

"Thanks for not thinking I'm crazy."

Her mouth curves into a slow, knowing smirk. "Oh, you're definitely a little crazy." She tilts her glass toward me. "But so is everyone else in this house. So, welcome to the family."

A laugh bubbles up from my chest, and I shake my head.

Maybe being a little crazy isn’t so bad.

Maybe it's the only way to survive in this world. And falling in love with a monster may not be the worst thing after all. Evelyn did it, and she managed to tame hers. And maybe, just maybe, that means there’s hope for us too.