The number of bloodthirsty spectators in attendance tonight are nearly twice as normal. Words been getting out that more fights going down lately and I guess I'm partly to blame for that. The regularly scheduled matches can't be stopped so asking to be thrown in means adding an unplanned face-off.

Not that the big man in charge is disappointed about it. More fights mean more money, and the crowd bets high when one of us is set to go.

Monte DeLuca sits on his fake throne—a black leather lounge chair cracked from years of use—elevated two feet by a raised platform. It's just high enough for him to see over the rusted railing of the warehouse's second-floor balcony, giving him a decent view of the carnage below while he puffs on his cigar and fills his pockets.

"He looks fucking pleased as punch, doesn't he?" Travis asks, appearing beside me out of nowhere.

"Yeah." Like a fat king reveling in the blood of his fallen soldiers.

But I don't say that last part out loud. Travis already doesn't like Monte as it is, and adding my sour mood to the mix will only make it fucking worse.

It's not that I have anything against the guy. He gave us a way to release our anger and make some money on top of it, but there's just something about him that doesn't always sit right with me. Like when his twisted smile widens on his chubby face every time a body hits the mat.

"Something eating at you, man?" Travis asks, turning his attention away from Monte.

"Not really." I shake my head and shoulder my bag. "Just been a long week."

The two of us head for the makeshift locker room against the wall of the second floor, the one opposite of the open view of the warehouse and the railing separating us from the crowd below. No one's allowed up here unless they're a fighter, trainer, or one of Monte's men. Once in a while, a girl or two is given permission to play Monte's arm candy but if anyone else wants a piece of ass, they have to take it elsewhere.

"Did you ever track down Lexi yesterday?" Travis asks, opening the steel door for the both of us.

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And what? When did you get so fucking interested in my love life?"

Travis's head jerks back. "Relax, damn. I was just asking. No need to bite off my fucking head."

I huff out a heavy breath, already irritated with my bad mood.

After making Alexis moan my name in the school closet yesterday, I should feel a million times better. And I did, for a little while. Then her words started to eat at me.

She feels like she doesn't have a choice when it comes to being with Derek, said it's "complicated", whatever the fuck that means. But that's the thing, I need to know what it means. I need to know why she's with someone she doesn't want to be with, especially when it's clear as fucking day that she still wants me.

"Who's getting their head bit off?" Wilder's cheery voice asks right before he appears at the end of the busted lockers already dressed in his neon green shorts with the head of a zombified clown on the left leg.

"You eavesdropping asshole." Travis laughs and shakes his head.

Wild hooks a thumb over his shoulder, indicating to the room behind him. "I was taking a piss. Not my fault your big ass mouth can be heard from a mile away."

Travis rolls his eyes while I head over to the locker I share with Wilder. There's not enough for all of Monte's regular fighters to have their own so most of us have to double up.

Like sharing with Lexi at school.

I wrinkle my nose at that thought and the fact she moved to a new one. Even if it is right next to mine, it's not the same, and her never showing up when I'm there is just another painful reminder of how everything's gone south.

Reaching back, I grab my shirt and pull it off before dropping it on the floor along with my bag. I briefly stretch out my arms and then crouch down to find my fighting gear.

"Glad to see you sober, bro," Wild quietly says as he places a hand on my shoulder.

"Gee, thanks." I scoff and shake off his hand of encouragement. "You're starting to sound like Kade. I'm fine. Just needed to clear my head this week. I'm good now."

I'm starting to get fucking tired of having to say 'I'm fine' every day. I get they're worried but everyone deals with shit in their own way.

"I know...just hate to see you go down that path...you know, since I'm kind of an expert on the subject." Wild's voice drops again, making my gut tense with regret.

I can't jump his ass, not about this, and I should know where he's coming from here. Watching people drink their sorrows away is something Wild's had to deal with more than any seventeen-year-old should. He doesn't need to watch me do the same thing. Even if I am hurting, he's like my brother, and seeing me at the bottom of a bottle every night must mess with him.

Standing up, I hang my head with a sigh. "Sorry, brother...I wasn't thinking. I'm not like him and if it makes you feel better, I'll be the DD for the bonfire tomorrow."

A sad smile hints on his face before morphing into his usual goofy grin. "Nah, everyone's allowed to party. Just gotta remember there's a time and place for that shit."

"And don't make it a habit," I add his common phrase for him.

"That's right." Wild laughs and cracks open the locker. "So, speaking of Kade, where is your pain in the ass cousin? Thought he'd be fighting tonight."

"The old man's got him helping out with prospect training."

Smirking, Wilder shakes his head. "That sorry bastard. I can just imagine Jo giving him hell."

"And Raegan," Travis adds, walking over. He's dressed in his blue flamed fight shorts with one hand already tapped up. "I feel bad for anyone who's gotta deal with her smartass."

"At least Ro and Eddie will be there too. Heard they got new recruits with bikes sharing with those who don't, to practice riding," I fill them in as I slip out of my jeans and into my black shorts with the sword on the leg. My hand instantly flies up to the matching silver sword hanging around my neck, trying to fight down thoughts of Lexi.

Get your head in the game.

"That's just great." Travis groans. "All those busted bikes are gonna wind up in the fucking shop tomorrow. I'll be lucky to get them fixed by the end of the day."

"Better theirs than ours." Wild shrugs.

I nod and start tapping up my left hand.

"What about Marcel though?" Wilder asks as he sits on the bench next to Travis, beginning to help him finish wrapping his other hand. "He can't ride with his leg in a cast."

Travis shrugs. "He could. It just wouldn't end well."

"Asshole," I say, halfheartedly throwing a roll of tape at Travis, hitting him in the chest. "He's on his feet now so he'll be there to observe. At the very least, he can pick up on what not to do watching the others fuck up."

Even if Marcel doesn't learn much at the barn, I'm just happy he's on the mend, both physically and mentally. The damage to his leg wasn't extensive but I get the feeling his hermit behavior has more to do with losing Caleb than his injuries. Now that he can get around better though, he'll be back to training.

It might sound a little selfish, but I'm also hoping he'll be able to talk some sense into his pseudo sister once he sees how things are at school. I haven't told him much about it despite talking to him almost every day and I doubt Lexi has either. If she has, he must be waiting to see how bad it is before bringing it up to me. Which is probably best anyway. Seeing first-hand beats hearing it from someone else.

We finish up getting ready in silence, all three of us slowly switching into the mental state needed to beat the shit out of another guy in the cage. A couple more guys show up to get dressed or grab their things but as a few clear out, a lanky blonde dude—who I know for a fact is not fighting tonight—walks in with his chest puffed out.

The Freshmen carries that same boss energy his dad, Monte, does, but he's not so bad. Even surprised us a couple times by having our back. Though now that he's training under Wild, he likes to hang with us during the fights.

"You guys hiding out in here all night?" Kellin asks, leaning against the wall across from the lockers. "Or are you just gossiping like a bunch of broads?"

Travis stabs a finger in his direction. "Better watch who you run that mouth to if you plan on getting in the ring next year."

The kid shrugs without a care in the world.

"What're the numbers looking like out there, Kell?" Wilder asks, his game face on, ready to earn a fat stack of cash tonight.

Kellin's icy cold eyes switch to his mentor. "High. At least three grand per fight, but more are still showing up. Pops said the final match could go as high as five."

Five grand. Shit.

The last time that much was earned from one fight was when Monte's buddy from the military stopped into town and decided to have a go with the top fighter at the time. We were still rookies, amazed by the ruthless battles and flow of money. But we'd never seen anything like it before or since. Not till tonight.

Rubbing his chin, Wilder nods a few times, already lost in thought. As things are right now, he's the top fighter and the last match will go to him. Five grand is a lot for anyone, but for Wild, that's a treasure chest of possibilities a guy like him doesn't get very often.

"Good. Real good," Wilder mutters and heads for the door. "I'm gonna have a word with Monte. See you guys out there."

Travis gets up to follow him out but when I shut our locker and take a step to do the same, Kellin blocks me with an outstretched arm. The look in the kid's eyes is different as he watches the other's clear out, leaving us two alone. Normally he's more guarded than Fort Knox, never letting his pale gaze give away any sign of emotion. It's an eerie kind of look that is just wrong for someone so young to already have like he's seen more evils than most men ever will.

But right now, that wall is nearly gone as his eyes bounce around, his slim frame slightly shaking as the door seals shut. He drops his arm and slowly turns to give me his full attention, uncertainty etched into his features.

"What's up, Kell?" I ask while an odd sensation raises the hair on the back of my neck.

It feels like my body is trying to give me a warning sign, and that awareness only heights when Kellin hangs his head to look at the grimy cement floor.

"I heard you guys were looking for those guys from that night at the club. The ones who killed your friend."

I grind my teeth, fighting back the images from that night.

"I also heard you guys were scoping out a warehouse on the edge of the East Side. A place the Vipers just bought."

How the fuck...?

There's no way Wilder told him all this. The part about looking for the shooters could be an easy guess. It's not hard to believe I'd want some kind of retaliation for what happened to Caleb.

But only a select few know about our recon mission on the Viper's delivery. Not even my own uncle knows cause he'd kill us for even getting that close or thinking about taking matters into our own hands.

"What were you fucking thinking? This isn't how Guardians do things! You four could've gotten killed!"

Shaking off the words Uncle Rob yelled at us two years ago, I look back at Kellin with a new sense of caution. He's young, nearly fifteen, but he's a DeLuca which means he has access to more than anyone his age. His father's hands reach far in this city.

"Wild didn't say a word if that's what you're thinking." He shakes his head before briefly looking back at the door. "I have my own connections around here. Guys who are loyal to me."

"Does your dad know?"

Not that Monte would be all that concerned about Guardian and Viper shit. But I don't like the idea of him knowing what we're doing, especially since Uncle Rob doesn't. This fight is mine and I don't need interference from anyone.

"I don't think so."

"Then why are you bringing this to me?" I ask slowly, my eyes narrowing on the kid who looks nervously at the door again.

Kellin's never nervous. He's pointed a gun at three Vipers and didn't shake or hesitate once. He took our side against Derek and the jocks when the line in the sand was drawn and had no issues giving them a piece of his mind.

His face twists into a painful grimace and his eyes fall to the floor again. "I...I have a hunch."

He pauses and I silently stand waiting for his next words. Whatever he's trying to say is hard and for someone like him to be hung up like this...I can't even imagine what would classify as scary to him. But that's how he looks, scared as he mentally tears down roadblocks fighting to keep him from talking.

It's a look I've seen a few times on others. Like when Josie was too scared to tell us about what the Valentine brothers did to her, or the first time Wild showed up at my door in the middle of the night with a black eye, or the day Kade finally broke down and told Uncle Rob he needed help for his emotional issues.

It's always the same thing. They knew what they needed to do, what the right thing was, but that didn't make it any easier for them.

"I can't say a lot, because I'm honestly not for sure. It's just a guess...a feeling." Kellin blows out a sigh and drags a hand through his spiky bleached hair. "But you guys need to be fucking careful."

"Careful about what?"

The locker room door bursts open but neither Kellin nor I turn to see who it is, our attention solidly locked on each other.

"Trust," he answers.

I narrow my eyes.

"Jace!" Travis's voice shouts from the open door with an urgency that barely registers in my head.

Kellin drops his eyes one more time and lowers his voice. "Not all snakes in the grass are obvious. Be careful who you trust, Jace."

With those final words, he turns away.

"Jace!" Travis yells again.

Pushing down the tightness in my chest at Kellin's cryptic message, my eyes jerk to look at Travis.

"Vipers just pulled up outside!"

Fuck!

The next few seconds are a blur. I rush from the locker room, find Wilder somewhere in the faceless group of fighters, and drag him towards a door in the back with Travis following. The second-floor exit is never used which will give us an advantage. Running out the main doors on the first floor is too obvious, they'll see us before we see them.

Rushing down the metal steps that trace the outside wall of the warehouse a cold sweat breaks over my skin. The old stairs creak with each pounding of my feet and only get worse with the others behind me, slowly falling back as my pace kicks up. But I can't wait for them to catch up or even bother with the fact I'm fucking barefoot and dressed for my match. All I can think about are the sick bastards who have the balls to show their faces here.

And god help them when I find out which one shot Caleb.

I jump over the last couple steps and dart around the corner only to stall at the sight of four bikes idling just a yard away.

"Took you long enough, Hall."

Vincent and Paxton—the Vipers' second and third in command—as well as Jamal and Diego—two of their top enforcers and Marcel's cousins—are already facing the side alley like they expected our chosen path.

No one uses the outside stairs. There's no way they should've even considered that option. And yet here they are, their bikes turned directly at me as Wilder and Travis run up behind.

"Not all snakes in the grass are obvious."

A threatening rumble sounds from my right where Wilder glares at Paxton like he could kill him right now with his bare hands.

"Missed me, blondie?" Pax smirks and crosses his arm, one of which is wrapped in a cast.

I did that.

It's been a little over a month since the Vipers broke into the barn in the middle of the night. Paxton killed a vetted Guardian, a good man, and friend, and I broke his arm trying to capture him, the sound of snapping bone can still be heard in my head as if it happened yesterday. He got away after that and this is the first we've seen him since he went into hiding.

But he's not hiding anymore...why?

Wilder sneers at the psycho and takes a step forward with balled fists. It's the exact reaction Pax is looking for as he raises his scarred eyebrow with amusement.

"Don't." I lay a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

I get it. He took out one of ours and the urge to return the favor is a thick greedy poison traveling through our veins, but we have to be smart. Their leader could be waiting nearby with others, and then we'd be fucked.

"Where's Vic?" I ask, still holding Wild in place.

Vincent, Victor's younger brother, shrugs. "Busy."

Searching his sickly thin face for a tell, I try to figure if he's lying or not.

Vincent isn't as cunning as his brother, when he lies it's normally easy to pick up on whether it be a twitch of his eye or twisting his family ring on his finger. But there's no twitch and his ring is currently hanging from a chain around his neck, most likely too big to fit his skinny finger now after years of drugs eating away at his body.

Not that any of that should count him out as a threat. What Vince lacks in mind games and body mass, he makes up for with a demented hunger for inflicting pain even at the cost of his own suffering. In other words, he can take a beating from those stronger but if there's a way for him to play dirty to get the upper hand, he will. Then he'll make you pay for it.

"What do you want?" Travis asks next, his voice so chilled he could freeze hell over.

Diego leans on the handlebars of his bike, two long braids hanging on each side of his head. "Maybe we just wanted to come give our condolences." A toothy smile twists his face as he looks at me. "Heard about your buddy. What a shame."

Every muscle in my body tenses and I turn my glare towards the damp sidewalk beneath my feet.

Don't react. Don't react...Don't fucking kill them.

I draw out a deep breath, ignoring the pounding of my boiling pulse in my ears as best I can. They want me to make the first move, their stares burn into my skin expecting it. But I can't do it. No matter how much the noose of rage tightens around my neck, or how much my hands twitch with the need to strike.

"You'd know all about that, considering it was your guys who gunned us down." My voice comes without my permission through gritted teeth while I keep my eyes on the ground.

An easy silence stretches for a minute while Travis and Wilder stand to my left and right. They're fighting the same thing I am. The need to take them down, to get justice for our fallen friends. I can feel those pent up emotions rolling off of them in waves.

Hold it together.

Vincent clears his throat as the sound of boots planting on the wet gravel crunch in his direction.

He's getting off his bike.

I can't look at him, not without losing it completely; not without picturing Motto's bloodied face or feeling Caleb's last breath leave his body. I'm walking a thin line right now and I don't know how much longer I can hold on.

"You know, Hall," Vince taunts, creating cracks in my mental armor. "It's a good thing that girlfriend of yours was inside when it happened."

Blackness tints my vision.

"Would hate to see something happen to that hot piece of ass...Lexi is it?"

My head jerks up and my eyes pinpoint the bastard, the vision of him edged with spots and shadows as my control snaps. "Motherfucker!"

I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna rip his fucking head off his body and shove it down his brother's goddamn throat!

I can't focus but my body knows exactly what it wants. My feet move on their own, my hands already clenching to do damage. A strangled roar rips through my chest and up my throat as I charge.

I reach Vince before his backup can disembark their bikes, my fist smashing into his face like his bones are made of glass. My next swing hits harder, landing on his jaw with a crack before he hits the ground.

Climbing on top of his frail form, the sounds of others fighting faintly reach my ears, but I'm too far gone. All I can see is the unhinged grin on Vince's face as blood coats his teeth and spills from his mouth. All I can hear is Lexi's name on his lips.

Clamping my jaw shut, I grasp the collar of his jacket with one hand and rain down hit after hit with my other. He fights to push me off but there's no use, I'm bigger and stronger than he'll ever be even if he weren't poisoning his body. Yet that chilling smile stays on his face, unwavering while I beat the shit out of him, making my blood boil and my vision blur.

Another thunderous sound erupts from my mouth, clawing its way out like a pained animal as I grab him with both hands and yank his head off the ground. "Never say her name again!" I shake him while he struggles to keep his eyes open. "Do you hear me?"

The sounds of fists flying all around suddenly stop.

"Do you?" I scream, my voice unrecognizable as his head lolls back. "You forget her fucking name, Valentine!"

My fist cranes back again to deliver one final blow when two pairs of hands grab me and yank me from the ground. Vince slips from my grasp and falls back to the ground with a thump, but the rage keeps spewing from my mouth as I'm dragged away.

"You hear me, you sick fuck? Forget her name!"

Surprisingly, the twisted bastard laughs from his sprawled out position on the sidewalk. It's then that I take in what's happening.

Two guys the size of mountains tow me over to where another two have Travis and Wilder held back. Each of my brothers are sporting minor scrapes but when I look back over to the Vipers, I can't help the smile that finds me face at the shape they're in.

Diego and Jamal are shoved over their bikes with their arms craned behind their backs by another pair of monstrous guys, their faces split and bruised to the point they look like they've been hit by a train. Paxton is in similar condition, blood spilling from his mouth with a black eye, sunken cheekbone, and bruises marring the entire left side of his face. Though unlike his buddies, the man decked out in all black behind Pax has him on his knees in a puddle, both arms restrained

But any amusement I get from seeing those snakes with their asses handed to them quickly dies when Vince sits up. He cackles again, turning to look at me with his one good eye, the other completely swollen shut.

He got what he wanted...a reaction.

Fuck!

My escorts shove me back, forcing me to fall in line between Travis and Wilder while the sound of clapping resonates from the front entrance of the warehouse.

"I must say...that was quite a show." Monte slowly approaches, more of his men flanking his back. "But all of you should know the rules. Warehouse District...my territory is off-limits to gang warfare. This is neutral ground where everyone is welcomed as long as they can keep themselves in check." He crosses his meaty arms and looks from the Vipers to us. "So what happened here?"

No one says a word. It doesn't matter how much you hate someone or how deep the bad blood runs, not snitching is something that's just ingrained into people like us. At least when it comes to petty bullshit like this. Exchanging important intel for your own needs is one thing. Pointing the finger at a guy for starting a fight is another.

So despite how much I wanna take another swing at Vincent Valentine, I grit my teeth and keep my mouth shut.

Monte looks to his moneymaker and raises an eyebrow far into his receding hairline. "Wild?"

Wilder's jaw pops with his lips sealed, his eyes burning in Paxton's direction, but he doesn't say anything either.

"I can't allow this kind of shit here. It's bad for business." Monte sighs dramatically. "If someone doesn't talk, I'm gonna have to blacklist all of you, and as much as that's gonna dent my pockets, it could completely demolish some of yours."

Wild hangs his head, his blonde hair draping over his face, but his body tenses with the resolve to keep quiet. As bad as he needs the money from these fights, he won't do it. We handle our own issues. We don't need Monte and his crew of thugs to take care of these snakes for us.

"We just came to talk to you, Monte."

Everyone's heads snap in Paxton's direction as he lifts his head and blows a strand of sandy brown hair away from his face. "I can't fight right now...not in the cage anyway. So I wanted to talk to you about getting Diego and Jamal in your cage. But then these assholes..." he nods towards us, "showed up looking for trouble."

The snarl that forms on my lips is unavoidable.

Monte, on the other hand, looks entertained. His mouth quirks to the side as he rubs his hands together. "So, you're telling me that some of my prized fighters came out here to start a fight with you four for no reason?"

Paxton gulps, his eyes pleading. It's an act. Pax doesn't have emotions. He's not scared of Monte or worried about the consequences of fighting on neutral ground. All the asshole wants is to stir trouble for us...and he could if Monte wasn't smarter than that.

"I think you're full of shit, Pax, and because you've not only shown up at my place of business to attack some of my guys but also lied about it, you're banned from here until I say otherwise," Monte clasps his hands behind his back, his usual way of saying, 'I'm done here' before turning to walk away. "And that goes for the other three as well. Don't show your faces here until you're ready to grovel."

Paxton's mask of innocence drops like a hot coal as he growls at the older man. He, Diego, and Jamal are let loose but Monte's men direct them back to their bikes, making it clear they're to leave right away. Vince pushes off from the ground and stumbles over to his own, climbing on and shooting us one last wicked grin before they take off.

As their lights vanish into the dark, I'm left with one thought on my mind.

I need to check on Lexi.

Pulling up out front Lexi's house, I'm both sore and tired.

All I wanted was to rush here after the Vipers dipped out but I had committed to a round in the cage and couldn't back out of that. Instead, I knocked out my opponent in the first twenty seconds and got out of there like my feet were on fire.

It's nearly eleven, not exactly super late but probably too damn late to go knocking on the front door, even with the downstairs lights still on. Which leaves me with texting or calling Lexi and hoping she fucking answers for once.

Jace: I know you're up. Your lights are on. Come outside.

It doesn't take long for the message to indicate as 'read' but there's no bubble filled with dots to show she's answering. I wait a minute, staring at the screen and mentally willing her to fucking respond. When it doesn't happen, I type out another.

Jace: I'm not fucking playing around, Alexis. Outside. Now. Don't force me to pound on the front door and make a scene.

Her response is nearly instant.

Alexis: Fine! Just hold your damn horses. I'm grabbing a jacket.

With a sigh of relief, I pocket my cell and get off my bike. By the time I remove my helmet and start walking towards her house, the front door opens. Lexi shuffles outside, closing the door behind her and leaving the porch light off. She's bathed in darkness as I get closer but that doesn't stop the nerves inside me from sparking to life.

Fuck, I wanna touch you so bad right now, baby.

"What's going on?" She asks softly once I reach the top step.

I thrust my hands into my pocket, fighting the need to grab her. "I needed to check on you. See for myself that you're alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Shit. I can't tell her about the Vipers showing up tonight or that they know her name. That'll only scare her and I don't know yet that they actually intend to do anything. As far as I know, they're just trying to fuck with me...with all of us.

Her bright hazel eyes, illuminated by the moon and the color of honey and seafoam with flecks of blue, assess me cautiously. I could get lost in that gaze for hours, days even. It annoyed the hell out of me that I could peer into them properly yesterday in that dark closet but I needed to catch her by surprise. The darkness helped to do that while also giving me a chance to question her without showing every emotion on my face; fear, longing, suspicion, and hunger.

Kissing her wasn't the plan but she started freaking out and I did what I hoped would calm her. As for dry fucking her against the wall...I lost control. That's what she does to me, no matter how much I try to fight it.

Even now, with her pressed against her front door, hand on the knob, and ready to run at any second, I'm still struggling not to touch her. Every inch of my body can still feel hers from yesterday but it's faint and I'm dying for more. I wanna get so close to Alexis that the feel of her seeps into my bones and never leaves.

"Jace," she harshly whispers, making me stop the advance I hadn't realized I was taking. "Why wouldn't I be alright?"

Running a frustrated hand through my hair, I shake my head. "No reason. It's just been a bad night and...I needed to know. I needed to see you."

"Did..." she bites her lip as an internal struggle dances in her eyes before she huffs and steps towards me. "Did you fight tonight?"

She slowly reaches out and grazes her fingertips along the scrape on my jaw, the one shot my opponent in the cage got before it was lights out. Her touch is so soft but sparks of electricity jolt from that one spot and rush through my veins.

You're killing me, Lex.

Even as my body comes alive under her fingers, every muscle in my body painfully relaxes like a spring that's been coiled for too long. "Yeah. I had a match tonight."

"You won." She states with a nod, already knowing the answer.

"I did. Not that it matters much. I just needed the...release."

She sinks her teeth into her full bottom lip again and I nearly groan. Her hand is still on my face, still lingering on my skin, and I'm a second away from grabbing it and yanking her against me when her phone dings in her pocket.

"Shit." She steps away, cutting off my ability to breathe normally for the first time in a week.

Can't believe it's only been a week.

Without checking her phone, she crosses her arms like she's putting up a wall between us. "Well, you see I'm okay. You should probably go."

"Why?"

I hate how weak I sound but fuck if I can help it right now.

She looks away and a sick feeling twists in my gut. I step forward, closing the gap she made between us, and pinch her chin, forcing her to look at me.

"Who just messaged you, sweetheart?"

Her tempting mouth tips down. "D-Derek..."

My hand drops like I've been burned and I step away.

"...he's on his way over."

A sharp knife of emotion shreds its way through my chest. Everything that was healed by her touch a moment ago returns to its original, aching position.

"Why is he coming over here so late, Lexi?" I sneer. "What are you two planning on doing?"

She narrows her eyes. "Seriously?"

Clenching my jaw, I don't even bother to nod. She knows I'm not fucking around.

"We don't have anything planned." Her arms tighten around herself but she's doing the same thing I am, falling into the roles we've been handed; pissed off and hurt. "He's still my boyfriend, Jace. Even if I'm not happy about that, there's nothing I can do. And if he says he wants to come over to watch a movie or just bug the shit out of me, I have to keep my trap shut and go with it."

"And what if he wants to fuck you? You gonna keep your trap shut and let him do that too?"

Lexi's jaw drops. "Wow...so that's what you think of me?"

Fuck!

"That's not what I meant."

"Really?" Her voice rises. "Cause I think that's exactly what you meant. I may be going along with most of this but I will never just lie on my back for any fucker who wants a piece of ass!"

Fire burns deep in my veins, destroying any sense of calm I have left. "What am I supposed to think, Lexi? You say it's complicated but it's not. You either want him or you don't. You either want me or you don't. It's not that fucking hard!"

"Fuck you!" She spits. "Just go! Leave if I'm such a fucking whore!"

"I never said that. Don't put fucking words in my mouth."

"I said go!" She shouts, pointing towards the road and stomping her foot.

"Fine." I fish out the stuff I picked up for her earlier and toss them at her feet. "At least do me one favor and keep that shit on you at all times."

With that, I turn and walk away, but not before I see the gleam of tears in her eyes. It's that sight that rips me apart more than anything. More than any hit I've taken in the cage, any word she could throw my way, or any image of her and Derek. Because those tears are from me, I caused them. When all I want to do is grab hold of her and make everything better, I make her cry.

Fuck, I'm sorry, baby.

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Hey, loves, happy update day...or night. This chapter might be a little rough. I gave it a quick edit but didn't want to make you all wait longer. So if you notice anything odd, feel free to point it out. Every little bit helps, especially your awesome comments regarding the story.

Which brings me to my questions!

What did you think of Wilder and Jace's conversation? Do you think Jace needs to find another way to deal with his issues? What about Kellin's warning, any guesses what he's talking about there? What did you think of the Vipers showing up? Do you think Jace should be worried they know about Lexi? And what about Jace and Lexi's argument? Think maybe their emotions are just getting the better of them?

You can leave your thoughts in the comments and if you like what you read, please hit that star button!

P.S. I'm personally excited for the next chapter. I finally get to introduce some characters that I'm hoping you all love!

As usual, the teaser for chapter 10 will be posted on my Instagram and Twitter in a day or two. Keep an eye out for that!

Until next time, loves! 💜 xoxo