Page 212 of Blackwood

Dr. Monroe doesn’t move. “You’ve seen him spiral before.”

“Yeah.” My throat tightens. “But not like this. Not with me in the middle of it.”

He waits.

I shake my head. “He won’t see it coming. Not until the second he lays eyes on my fighter. And by then, it’ll be too late. The donors will be watching. Cameras. Eyes. Money on the line.”

He scribbles something, then asks, “Who is he?”

I hesitate. “Someone deeply invested in earning my trust and respect.”

His brow lifts.

“Let’s just say… he has a lot to prove. To the donors. To Lex. To me.”

“You trust him?”

“Not completely,” I say honestly. “But I trust how badly he wants me to accept him, how badly he wants me to like him.”

Dr. Monroe watches me for a beat. “So, you’re handing that kind of power to a man you don’t trust, while keeping the one you do in the dark. Why?”

“Because it has to be real,” I say, and the words feel heavier than I mean them to. “The fight. The rage. The outcome. They’re not going to buy it if it feels staged. These people bet with blood in mind.”

Dr. Monroe’s expression doesn’t change, but his pen pauses. “So, you’re using Lex’s reaction as part of the strategy.”

“I mean I don’t really want to, I hate it.”

He waits.

I sigh. “But yeah… it helps. His jealousy. His fury. He’s already half feral when it comes to me or Cade. This will push him the rest of the way.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“No.” The word rips out of me before I can stop it.

He watches me. Silent. Waiting.

I look down at my hands. “I can handle it.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I exhale, jaw tight. “I’ll do what I have to. I always do.”

“And what will that cost you this time?”

I pause. “Maybe him.”

“Lex?”

I nod. “I’m just worried he’s going to hate me for it. For keeping it from him. For setting him up to snap in front of everyone. And when he finds out what I have to do to sell it…” my voice trails off.

“What exactly do you mean by that? Sell it?”

“I mean I can’t just stand in the corner and cheer like normal. I have to make it look personal. Like I’m emotionally invested in the other side, in all of my fighters. All night long. I have to be touched, teased, claimed, if that’s what it takes.”

His brow lifts slightly. “So, your plan is to exploit his possessiveness.”

“To make sure the donors believe it? Yes.” I meet his eyes. “Because if they believe it, they’ll invest. If they invest, Rez and Lex can breathe.”