Page 18 of Lawless God

If there’s one thing I hate in life, it’s disappointing my crew.

“What’s wrong now?” Elliot sits straighter, forcing Jade’s head off his chest where it was resting.

I look at my feet. “You guys know I’d do anything to protect you. But things are getting out of hand. The Kings’ grip on the North Shore is…pretty much non-existent.” I lick my lips and look up. “I agreed to a fight in the Death Cage.”

“What?” Jade gasps. “When?”

“Tonight.”

“When I said find a solution…that is not what I meant,” Elliot says mockingly. He’s never liked taking anything too seriously.

But I do, and I have no response.

There’s a stretched silence that makes me shift on my feet before I get my shit together. “I need help choosing our fighter.”

Elliot designates himself without a second thought. “I’ll do it. Whoever they send, I can assure you I’m bigger than the—”

“No,” Jade cuts him off.

“I’m crazier,” Ethan adds. “I’ll rip their fucking heart out. Send me.”

“No!” she insists with a rapid shake of her head. “Are you two crazy? I’m not losing either of you.”

“You won’t lose us. Whoever goes will win,” Elliot explains, like it’s so simple.

“You’re not going,” I interject. “You guys are like my brothers. I can’t send you to your death.” Elliot and Ethan have been with me for long enough that I consider them family.

“You have to send someone, Kay,” Ethan says softly.

“Caden would destroy anyone,” Jade murmurs. The mention of my younger brother kicks my brain back into gear.

Jade isn’t wrong. Caden is as unhinged as they come. But he also had dreams of leaving this place behind, and he did. It’s not my place to drag him back and even less to the Death Cage. I’m not taking that kind of risk.

“No. No, no, no. If I’m not sending you two, I’m not sending my brother by blood.”

“I’ll go.”

We all turn to Ivan.

“I’m a Wolf,” he says with pride. “The kind of training we get isn’t found anywhere else.” He shrugs. “I’ll kill him, and then it’s done.”

My mouth twists. “Emma said she’d give us the money back if we win. We keep our hold on the town, we get the money. All our problems will be gone.”

I did have strong feelings for Ivan once, but they’ve left with time, and I don’t know if they’ll ever come back. Our relationship started because of what I needed from him, and while my heart knows this is wrong, my scheming brain understands what I need to do. That man is our best option for the fight.

“I’ll do it, Kay. I have no doubt I’ll come out of there alive.”

Something pinches my heart. Maybe I do have remnants of love for him.

“Promise?” I whisper.

He smiles at me, cupping my jaw. “I promise.”

My phone keeps ringing as I walk into the warehouse. This abandoned area of the North Shore has two of them. One for our casual fights. One for the Death Cage.

I walk in through the south entrance, reserved for the Kings. The same way I know Emma will be coming in through the north entrance for NSC.

We all keep separated in here. Rules are rules, and each crew gets their side.

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