Page 95 of Cruel Betrayal

Zoe shakes her head and gets up, looking at me like she’s never been more disappointed in her life.

Aiden approaches, his hands in his pockets as he looms close. “It’s time for you to go.”

“Does anything in this family stay a secret for more than two minutes?”

“No.” Aiden grabs my bicep and hauls me to my feet as several of the other men start gathering close. “Now go.”

I yank my arm out of his grasp. “You don’t need to tell me twice.”

He follows me to the gate, men with guns already waiting for me.

Aiden’s hand lands on my arm once more, pulling me to a halt.

“Get your fucking hands off me.” I know I can’t do anything to him without getting a bullet in my head.

Aiden grins, but it’s cold. Detached. There’s nothing but a killer shining through. “You might think this is the right choice, but you’re wrong. As soon as she is over you, I’ve got no problem hunting you down and killing you. If Noah doesn’t finish the job first.”

He lets go of me and the moment I’m free, I don’t waste any time hurrying down to the car waiting for me.

My driver casts me a long glance.

Great!

This is going to be reported back to Noah. There’s no doubt about that.

And if he doesn’t kill me in the meantime, Aiden eventually will.

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I recline in the backseat.

I should’ve known it was always going to end this way.

You can’t play both sides and win.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

JADE

Men are trash.I don’t think there’s anything left to think about them at this point.

All Ezra has done from the start is disappoint me. We’re two nights closer to the fight, we haven’t spoken since the barbecue, and I keep checking the news to see if his death is going to make it there before the weekend.

It shouldn’t. Noah needs him.

Psychotic men have done crazier things before, though.

And I don’t know how I’m going to live with getting him killed.

When he said that he didn’t belong the other day, I should’ve convinced him that he did instead of sending him away. I should’ve told him that he belongs with my family and to give us a chance. To spend more time with us between now and the fight.

I should’ve made him see that I believe he can be more than just Noah’s killing machine.

Groaning, I pull my head over the blanket, ignoring the sound of my buzzer. If it’s Aiden, he has a key. If it’s any of the others, well…I don’t know if I can deal with them right now.

The sound of the front door opening has me peeling the blanket off, sitting up, and smoothing down my wild hair, hoping Ezra is going to walk through that door.

It’s a foolish hope. But thankfully, someone almost as great enters my room.

Haven prances into my room with a bottle of wine held high over her head and several more clinking together in the bag slung over her shoulder. “We’re getting drunk tonight and pretending that men don’t exist!”