Page 88 of Cruel Betrayal

“It’s not going anywhere good.”

If I don’t try to end this one last time, I’m never going to be able to forgive myself.

I brush past him, scraping my hair up into a tight ponytail and slipping the hair tie off my wrist. I secure it in place before slipping between the ropes and into the ring.

Ezra’s gaze locks on mine, and my heart goes thundering through my chest.

I jerk my chin at the other man in the ring, and he arches an eyebrow, cracking his knuckles and advancing at me.

I saunter over to him, toying with him, adding a swish to my ponytail and a sway to my hips.

His gaze rakes up and down my body while Ezra looks murderous behind him.

As I put my hands on the man’s shoulders, his hand skims the curve of my waist.

And that’s when I bring my own knee up, hitting him right in the balls.

He groans and doubles over. “Bitch.”

I crouch down in front of him, meeting his angry gaze. “Get out of the fucking ring.”

When I straighten up, Ezra gives me an approving look from the other side of the ring.

He leans against the ropes, his skin glistening with sweat, droplets trailing down his toned stomach.

I launch myself at him, catching him off-guard and kneeing him in the balls too. I don’t know what it is today, but it seems like the most effective fighting move I’ve ever learned.

Ezra makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat and glares at me. “What the fuck?”

“That’s for the cameras you have all over my apartment, you fucking creep. We’re done, so you go back to spying on me? Did you really think I wouldn’t have the entire place searched?” I scoff and hop out of his reach as he takes a swipe for me.

He smirks and pulls out his phone, unlocking it and showing me a feed of a camera that has to be in the ceiling fan above my bed. “You didn’t find all of them.”

I rip the phone from his hand and turn, flinging it across the room and straight at the stone wall. It collides hard, shattering and raining pieces down onto the ground below. “I’ll fuck your life up.”

Ezra holds his arms out to the sides. “You already have. Twice.”

“No. You choosing to go through with this fight is what’s going to fuck your life up a second time. You don’t have to go through with the fight, and you know it.” I grab the wrap and start covering my hands.

He swings at me, a sardonic grin on his face. “Do you know how it sounds when you insist on living in a fantasy like that?”

“I don’t live in a fantasy.” I throw the first punch, forcing him to take a step back.

I advance, feigning another before getting my hands back up in front of my face, keeping my weight light and shifting from foot to foot.

“If I go to this fight, he’s going to trust me again, and once he trusts me, I can get close enough to kill him.” Ezra tries to sweep my leg from beneath me, but I move fast, throwing myself at him.

He’s off balance as I tackle him to the ground, my knees landing on either side of his torso.

As I scramble to keep him pinned, he grabs me around the waist and throws me off.

I groan as a dull ache starts in my body, my head cracking against the floor.

He flies at me, ready to punch me in the face.

With a roll to the side, I’m up and on my feet again, but the ground doesn’t feel as steady beneath me.

Ezra sighs. “You shouldn’t be here.”