Page 39 of Cruel Betrayal

She’s not there. I don’t know where she went, but somehow she got out of the damn cuffs.

There’s going to be hell to pay when I hunt her down.

I shove my way out of the ring, running back to grab my clothing. I don’t have another fight tonight, thankfully, so as long as I can get out of here before Noah finds me, I can go track her down.

And then I can show her who the fuck she’s playing games with, since watching a fight wasn’t warning enough apparently.

Chapter Twelve

EZRA

What if someonein the family took her? What if Noah knew she was here, and she was snatched out of my hands?

I have to find her. Now.

No sooner have I stepped into the back room, ready to grab my clothes and go hunt down Jade, maybe drag her back to the cabin, kicking and screaming, then Noah is in my way.

Noah puts a hand on my chest, pushing me back a step when I try to grab my sweats. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I don’t have another fight for the night. I was going to go home and relax. Unless that’s going to be a problem for you?” I need to get out of here and find Jade as soon as possible.

If he has her, I’m not going to be able to find her, though.

He has hiding places I’ve never heard of. Ones that his inner circle know and wouldn’t dare whisper to another soul. And even though I’d like to think I’m part of the inner circle, I know that I’m kept on the fringes of it.

It’s how Noah operates. Keep them close enough to keep them loyal but make sure that no one ever knows as much as you do.

Noah eyes me up and down, shifting so he’s more in my path than he was before. “Actually, there is going to be a problem for me. I don’t know where the fuck this new attitude of yours is coming from, but it stops now.”

“Maybe it’s coming from the fact that you treat me like nothing more than a goddamn puppet in your game. That you think that if you say jump, I’m going to say how high.”

People filter into the room, turning and running from it just as quickly. They’re smart. They don’t want to be caught in the middle of whatever shitshow is about to happen.

And I know without a doubt there’s going to be one.

If he put his hands on Jade, I can’t trust myself to remain calm.

Noah steps closer to me, a cold and icy anger radiating off him. “You getting some balls on you, boy?”

“Boy? Fuck off. I’ve been a man since the day my father and brother died, and you know it.”

He gives me a sinister smirk. “Are you sure it wasn’t the day you killed your own mother for being a traitorous whore?”

I snap. I know I shouldn’t, but there’s nothing to stop me. All of the normal triggers that would hold me back are gone.

I lunge for him without a second thought.

My anger fucks me, though.

He catches me by the throat, squeezing hard as he spins and slams me into a wall.

Noah glares at me. “I’m going to let you go, and it’s only because you’re my cousin. If you even so much as think about swinging at me again, I will slit your throat where you stand.”

I nod, taking a gasping breath as he lets go of me and takes a step back.

What the hell was I thinking?

“Sorry,” I grunt out, shifting to the side and putting more distance between us. “Tough fight, and I haven’t been feeling up to my best lately. Shouldn’t worry about it, though. I’m going to be fine for the rest of the fights.”