Page 9

T he sound of the crowd ripples around me, muffled and distant, as I take another sip of my beer. The cold aluminum of the can is a welcome distraction. From up here, perched on the top row of the bleachers, I can watch the fights unfold below without being caught up in the noise, without anyone noticing me too much.

The club is packed. The low hum of excitement pulses in the air, and I can feel it reverberating through the wooden bleachers beneath me.

I pull my hoodie tighter around me, hunching my shoulders to block out the world. The hood casts a shadow over my face. A part of me wonders why I’m even here. I thought this would be a distraction, a way to get out of my head for a few hours, but now, sitting here alone, it feels… empty. Isolating.

The opening fighters below are throwing punches, their movements a blur of fists and muscle, but I can barely focus on the action. My mind keeps drifting, thinking about Levi. About everything that’s been happening. I find myself taking another long sip of the beer, hoping to dull the ache in my chest.

That’s when I notice someone approaching, making their way up the bleachers toward me. I tense instinctively, my fingers tightening around the can as I glance over. A guy, tall and broad-shouldered, with blond hair, similar to Silas’, that falls in soft waves just above his eyebrows, is moving toward me with an easy, confident stride.

He’s dressed casually—a simple black T-shirt that clings to his muscular frame, a leather jacket, and faded jeans. His eyes are a sharp, ice-blue, but when they find me, they soften a little.

I don’t recognize him at first, but there’s something about the way he’s looking at me—like he’s trying to place me, trying to connect the dots.

“Hey, Sable, right?” His voice is smooth and casual. It’s slightly unsettling.

I blink, nodding slightly as he sits down beside me, leaving a respectful amount of space between us.

“Yeah… do I know you?”

“You probably don’t remember me. Kade. Kade Sinclair.” He pauses, studying my face for any sign of recognition. “We met as kids. At one of those parties our parents used to drag us to. My family moved overseas when we started middle school.”

The name sparks something in the back of my mind—faint memories of stuffy, formal parties with too many adults and not enough places to hide. I vaguely remember a nerdy boy with messy hair and glasses, always trailing behind his parents, just as miserable as I was to be there.

But that was a lifetime ago.

“Kade… yeah, I think I remember you now.” I offer a small smile, the first genuine one I’ve managed all night. “Your parents used to host those big holiday parties, right? The ones with way too much food?”

He grins, nodding. “That’s the one. I’m surprised you remember.”

“Hard to forget those,” I say, relaxing a little in his presence. “They were always a little… over the top.”

“Tell me about it. I’m pretty sure my dad tried to impress everyone with the wine selection, and I don’t think anybody ever really cared.”

I laugh softly at that. For the first time in a while, it feels like I’m having a conversation that doesn’t come with strings attached.

We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the fighters below as they exchange blows, the thud of fists hitting flesh echoing through the gym. Kade takes a sip from his own beer, his gaze flicking toward me.

“Do you enjoy these fight nights?”

I shrug, taking another sip. “Not, really. Just needed to get out of my head for a bit, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that.”

There’s something about him that feels… different.

He’s not looking at me like he wants something.

Not trying to pry or push, just… here.

It’s nice.

“So, I see that your parents are also ones of tradition. Making you attend this shithole.” I point to the serpent patch that is stitched onto his letterman jacket.

It’s not a choice to go here. All legacies are to attend AGU, and by the look of it, he’s an officer of his fraternity: Psi Theta Omega.

“It’s… not the greatest,” he admits, glancing around the crowded gym. “Things could have been different. I wish I could have continued to go to school overseas. But it’s nice to be close to my parents now that they are retired.” He pauses, studying me for a moment before adding, “You managed to do a few years at Lakeview U, though, right?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Stalking me?”

He smiles, but there’s something a little sad about it. “Social media is a thing, Sab.”

He says my nickname and my heart does a flutter. It’s one that a few people came up with when I was a kid. Although not many people use it.I let out a bitter laugh, and he matches it with one that makes one dimple pop up on his cheek.

“Yeah… well… AGU has a way of dragging people back here.”

Kade doesn’t push for more, and I’m grateful for that. We lapse back into silence, watching the fight continue below. The noise of the crowd feels distant again, like it’s happening in another world.

The bell rings, signaling the start of the next fight, and the crowd around us roars to life. My eyes immediately find the fighters stepping into the ring, and my breath catches in my throat.

Silas.

He strides toward the center of the ring, his bare chest glistening under the harsh lights, muscles tense and ready for the fight ahead. His fists are wrapped tight, and the familiar intensity burns in his eyes.

“Isn’t that one of your boys?” Kade’s voice pulls me back, and I feel his gaze on me.

I hesitate, glancing at Kade before looking back at Silas in the ring. “Yeah… that’s Silas… but he isn’t one of ‘my boys.’”

Kade leans back, a smirk playing on his lips as he watches me for a moment, clearly amused by my reaction. “Trouble in paradise?”

“There was no paradise.”

“So you weren’t dating the Horsemen ?”

There’s a teasing edge to his words, and I feel my cheeks warm.

“It’s… complicated,” I admit, my eyes flicking back to the ring where Silas is already circling his opponent, his movements deliberate and calculated.

Kade chuckles, leaning in slightly. “Complicated, huh? That’s one way to put it. You don’t seem like the type to get mixed up with guys like them.”

I arch an eyebrow at him. “And what type am I, exactly?”

His smile widens, the corner of his mouth lifting in a way that’s undeniably flirtatious. “The smart, careful type. You know, the kind that doesn’t get too close to danger unless you’re looking for trouble.”

“Maybe I am looking for trouble,” I counter, surprised by my boldness. There’s something about Kade’s easygoing demeanor that makes me drop my guard, even just a little.

He laughs softly, shaking his head. “Then don’t let me stop you.”

I don’t miss the way his gaze lingers on me. Part of me wants to shut it down and remind myself that my life is currently a mess.

“You used to cause all sorts of trouble with Silas back in the day.”

I glance away, not really knowing how to respond. Silas and I were glued to the hips as children. But now I’m sitting here, in the corner of the fucking arena, watching him like a lovesick puppy instead of in the DSN box with his frat brothers. But before I can respond, the roar of the crowd suddenly intensifies, pulling my attention back to the ring.

Silas is in motion, his body a blur of power and precision as he lands a brutal punch to his opponent’s jaw. The guy stumbles back, barely catching himself before Silas is on him again.

But it’s his eyes that catch me.

For a brief moment, in between dodging a punch and preparing for another strike, Silas’ gaze lifts—and locks directly onto me.

His jaw tightens as he takes in the sight of me sitting there next to Kade, and I can see the smoldering anger flickering behind those eyes. A war raging beneath the surface.

And the way he’s looking at Kade, even from across the room, is enough to send a clear message: back off.

Kade, oblivious to the silent hit being placed on his head at the exact moment, shifts closer, his arm brushing against mine. He leans in, lowering his voice so only I can hear. “I do have a question, though, about your… dynamic?”

“What kind of question?”

The bell rings, and my focus is back to the ring where Silas stands, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath, his skin has a thin sheen of sweat under the harsh lights.

His eyes, though… those are what I can’t pull away from.

They’re still locked on me.

“He fights like a beast,” Kade says.

“Yeah,” I manage to say, but my thoughts are elsewhere, tangled in the way Silas’ expression continues to harden as he watches the two of us. There’s no mistaking the tension radiating off him now. He’s not just focused on the fight anymore. He’s watching me—watching Kade beside me—and it’s clear that it’s driving him wild.

Kade chuckles, leaning back slightly, his body language all easy charm. “You know, I always thought you’d end up with him. He’s just always had this… thing with you. I never understood it until I felt it with my girl.”

I force a laugh, trying to play it off. “Silas isn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with,” I admit, my eyes drifting back to the ring, where Dayton and Kai fuss over him. Dayton hands him a towel, wiping the sweat from his face, while Kai presses a water bottle into his hand.

I should be down there with them. Cheering them on, standing in the DSN box with the other brothers, feeling like I belong.

But I’m not. I’m sitting here, apart from them, watching from a distance.

“You okay? You seem… distracted.”

“Yeah, just… a lot on my mind.”

“If you ever want to talk… I’m here. We may have lost touch for a while, but I meant what I said earlier. I remember you, Sable. And I remember that you’re not the type to just sit by and let things happen to you.”

Before I can find the right words, the sound of the bell rings out again, signaling the start of the next round. My attention snaps back to the ring just in time to see Silas rise from his corner, his body coiled and ready for action. But as he moves to face his opponent, he glances up at me one last time, his eyes burning with something raw and visceral.

Jealousy. Possession. Maybe even anger.

Whatever it is, I’m fucking terrified for his opponent.

“Oh shit.”