Page 66 of Cruel Betrayal

The two men block my way, both of them more like brick walls than humans.

I stand up, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

Noah shakes his head, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “That was a fucking mistake you’re going to regret.”

“Going to kill me?” I chuckle and stare at him, my gaze locking with his. “You need me, and we both know it. I’m the one bringing in tons of money with the fights, and for you to replace me would mean that you didn’t just have the fucking shit beat out of Tyson.”

He glances at Tyson, who is passed out, his body limp and hanging from the chains, purple bruises already spreading.

When he looks back at me, there’s a cold look in his eyes. “Who are you loyal to?”

“You.” I don’t hesitate, even though it’s a lie. “I’ve been loyal to you for my entire life. I killed my parents and my brother for you. It’s fucked that you have to ask that.”

“Really, because after you attacked me, it seems like a perfectly reasonable question to ask.”

“You weren’t thinking straight about everything going on. You know I’m on your side and always have been. I just think you’re moving faster than you would if you weren’t feeling pressured by the snakes surrounding you.”

It’s the only thing I can think of to get him to listen.

He’s always been suspicious of anyone in the inner circle who isn’t blood, and now with Gia and Zoe turning against him, he’s been more paranoid than ever.

If I play to the logical part of his mind, he might see past whatever’s happening right now and stop to think for a couple of minutes.

“Or I’ve thought about the fact that my own family turns against me. That they lost sight of the bigger picture.”

“That was them. Not me. I’ve done everything you ever asked of me.”

“And yet, here we are.” He pulls out the gun, flipping the safety.

My heart slams into my ribs, and the rest of the world fades away.

He’s going to kill me. I know he is. He’s known me since I was a child. He spent a lot of his time turning me into the man I am today.

Noah’s finger wraps around the trigger. “Who are you loyal to?”

Fuck.

Chapter Twenty

JADE

It’sthe cold metal of the barrel of a gun that stops me in my tracks.

“You should know better than to walk alone at night.” Noah appears in front of me, the gun lowering to be hidden between our bodies, but it doesn’t make it any less threatening.

Especially since the people across the street aren’t paying any attention to what’s happening over here.

I swallow hard, hands shaking as I try to center myself.

If I can beat Aiden in a fight, I can beat Noah. There’s just the matter of getting him to drop the gun first.

“I can see the fight in your eyes,” he says, his voice low, the corner of his mouth tipping up. “I have to admire that about you. You’re not the kind to just roll over and take it, are you?”

My blood rushes in my ears. “I’m not going to be taking anything from you.”

“No, you’re not.” His gaze rakes up and down my body. “You’re not my type. And I’m far too old for you. And there’s the smallmatter of your family being the ones who keep getting in my way.”

“Don’t see what that has to do with me.” I try to shift to the side, just enough to avoid getting hit in a vital organ if he does pull the trigger.