Page 37 of Cruel Betrayal

I follow him through the hallways at the back. “What’s up?”

“Look, there are big things in the works. Especially with this fight. It’s going to bring in enough money to get the rest of the funding we need, which means you need to be in your best form.”

“What kind of things?” I start wrapping my hands, though it’s going to do little good. My knuckles will still be aching and bruised by the end of the fight.

“The kind that’s going to bring in a load of guns bigger than we’ve had before and with it, a new round of allies.”

“Thought you didn’t need allies.” I step around a couple of people heading our way, pulling my wrapping tight.

“And you’d be a fool if you really thought that.” Noah turns and eyes me. “I know you’re not a fool, so do you want to tell me what the fuck you were doing with a Lynde at the party the other night?”

“She’s not quite happy with the life her family’s put in front of her.” I smirk. “Seems that she’s looking for a way out and an end to the war. I figured they keep stealing some of ours, why not steal one of theirs and see what we can get from them?”

Noah studies me for a minute, suspicion in his eyes, his eyebrows pulling together. “You don’t know these people and what they’re capable of. She’s going to play you for a fool.”

“I spent months talking to her online to get her into the position I did.” I have to lay the lies out now in case he starts digging into everything I’ve done.

And they’re not all lies, not entirely.

I did find her in the chatrooms and started talking to her to bring her to me. I was originally planning to kill her and string her upfrom the front gates at her family house. It would’ve been brutal and bloody. The Lynde family would’ve been left cowering, and it would’ve been the perfect time to strike.

But then I got to know her, which got me as torn as I feel today.

Noah scoffs and shakes his head. “You don’t think she’s going to be loyal to you, do you? The Lyndes are loyal to nobody but themselves, and I can promise you that she’d die before she told you anything.”

“Then that just might be what happens.” I give him another confident smile as my name is called over the speaker system. “Looks like it’s time to go fight. Don’t worry about her. I have her tied up and locked away, and sooner or later she’s going to break and tell me everything we need to know.”

He tucks his hands in his pockets. “You better be right about this.”

I wait for him to leave before letting out a breath and heading through the next set of doors and out into the ring.

As I duck between the ropes, I shake out the nerves.

The man across from me is one I’ve fought before. His nose is more crooked than ever, but apart from the apparent hits to the face he’s been taking, the man has always been a beast, in and out of a fight.

The bell rings as I shuffle out of the way of the first jab he throws. He’s testing me, trying to find out my weak points.

I don’t have any. Not when Jade is sitting there and watching me.

Her eyes are burning a hole in my back, but I can’t risk a glance at her.

Get your head in the fucking fight.

The fist that collides with my face snaps my head to the side.

I whip back around, fists up in front of my face.

He moves to the side, testing me again.

Cheers and shouts roar from the crowd surrounding us.

The lights are hot and bright, sweat already dripping down my back.

An opening appears. I move, kicking him hard in the thigh before bringing around a hook to slam into the side of his head the moment his hands falter.

I hop back from the attack, keeping out of his range.

He spits blood to the mat between us. “You’re going to be a dead man for that move.”