Page 104 of Wanna Play A Game?

She holds her head higher, a bunch of emotions rolling across her face.

I shake Sawyer’s hands off me and cross my arms, trying to get myself back under control. I try to think of something I can feel and focus on that instead of everything else. I have a hangnail on my left thumb. I scratch at it. It’s just like when I’d calm myselfbefore Dad would beat me. I need something else. I need to do something else to take this back.

I look into the woman’s crystal blue eyes. “See that cage…Cali?”

She turns her nose up at me.

“Miles is going to put burning coals on top. The rats will have nowhere else to go but inside your boyfriend’s belly. It’ll be agonizing, and it’ll be slow.”

I see a flicker of disgust and fear run over Cali’s pretty face before she hides it in anger.

I chuckle. “What? The killers are hot until they’re doing what you know they do?” I lean down into her face. “How many people do you think Miles has killed, girl?”

“Ryder…” Miles says.

I snap my gaze at him. “You’d prefer to lie to her?”

He glares at me but stays silent.

“Over 30.” I turn back to Cali’s angry face. “Handpicked, each one. Brutalized each one. Do you know what they usually die from?”

Her furious gaze is on me. We’re so close her breath puffs out onto my face. I just want to lean into her and suck all the breath out of her. Make her fight and cry and beg for it back. Make her submit to me.

I keep my face blank. “Internal damage. It’s a rough way to go. Slow. Fists don’t kill quickly.”

Cali’s gaze flicks to the man on the gurney and back to me.

I need her to snap out of this stupid crush she has on my men. I lean in, “Isn’t that what this guy did to you? Fists?”

“Ryder!” Miles barks.

I don’t look at him. I’m trying to protect him. This gorgeous woman brings nothing but prison and life sentences. And the breakup of my family. I’d rather him hurt briefly than for the rest of his life.

“Think about it, Cali.” I stand. “Now. If you want to be so involved, why don’t you help?

“Ryder, no.”

I whirl on Miles. Fear swirls in his eyes, but I know it’s not fear of me. It’s for her. Which makes me even angrier.

I grit, “If you want her to like you so bad, then stop hiding things from her, Miles.”

“It’s not that.” He swallows roughly.

“Get the coals,” I tell him.

He crosses his arms. “She’s not one of us. I won’t make her do that.”

“I’ll do it.” Cali’s voice comes out strong. I ignore her and lower my voice, “Oh, but you want her to be like us, don’t you?”

Miles gives a tiny flicker of a reaction, then nothing.

“How do you think she’ll be like us if the thought of what we do makes her sick?” I lean into him. “This. Will. Never. Work. Get it through your head.”

“Stop this.” Miles shoves into my chest. “You’re acting like an ass because you’re jealous.”

I cross my arms, defensive anger running through me. Jealous? I’m not jealous. My stomach clenches. I’m trying to protect these men from their own lust and stupidity.

“No,” I tell Miles. “I’m telling it like it is. The sooner you see reality, the less it’ll hurt.”