Page 109 of Kade

The younger Moreaux was running back and forth on the side of the cage. He tagged down and sprinted back. Fuck. This place was hot, and Phillip was making his kid do shuttle runs?

I pulled my phone out, half of me going numb, the other half becoming bloodthirsty. I angled it in front of me and hit record.

“You’re going to keep fucking running until I tell you to stop!” he screamed. Then he turned toward the others.“Keep fucking hitting each other!You think you’re getting off easy? You hit until you’re red and raw.”

Axel glared at him, his hands jerking up before he stopped himself.

“What?” Phillip stomped over to him. “What, Axe?! You think you’re going to fucking tattle to your daddy? You think he gives a fuck about you? You want to stay friends with my son? Come to my house? Eat my food? Drink my liquor? You don’t think I’m aware that you basically live at my house, and I’m just going to be okay with it? You fucking hit that kid or you’re losing all privileges. And you,” he spat as he focused on Steele. “You want to keep living at my place, using my address, letting my family name cover for your lies, and your sister’s, then you get fucking swinging too. The one who knocks the other one out won’t have to do shuttle runs with this piece of losershit my sperm brought into the world. As of now, your efforts are pathetic. You’re nothing. Why the fuck are you even here? You fucking little boys can’t do a goddamn thing for yourselves. Parasites. Every goddamn one of you. Burdens. You’re at my house because your parents don’t give a fuck where you are. If they did, you wouldn’t be here. Well, you’re going to earn your keep tonight.Keep fucking running! You hear me?” An ugly laugh burst from his chest. His face twisted in a smile that wasn’t a smile. It was soulless. “You’re going to keep goinguntil I tell you to stop! At this rate, we’ll be here all fucking night.” Another sick-sounding laugh chortled from him.

The boys started swinging at each other again.

His kid kept running. Head down. Sweat dripping.

If they kept at this for even another hour, they were going to pass out. All three of them played nearly the entire football game earlier.

Brett started rumbling next to me.

Right there with you, buddy.

“No!” Moreaux was screaming again. His feet scraped over the dirt that was packed on the floor. “That’s not how you swing—” He cut himself off, swearing viciously. “Get out. Get the fuck out. I’ll show you how to fucking hit.”

Oh, hell no. I’d heard enough.

He got in the cage, and instead of taping his hands like he’d had the boys do, he put on boxing gloves. Boxing. Gloves.

Axel remained in the cage and Steele climbed out, but he stood by the steps, not going far. He saw us first, and he gulped, paling, but he didn’t move. Beltraine collapsed on the ground, his chest heaving as he seemed unable to get enough air. Brett went to his side when the kid started wheezing.

I remained locked on where Phillip was snarling at Axel, and I hated to do this, but I raised my phone. The camera was on, still recording. Steele jerked himself out of frame.

“This is how you do it!” Phillip roared. “Bend your knees. Come on. Bend your fucking knees.” He swung.

Axel dodged, and in that moment, he saw what was happening. I felt bad, and I raised an eyebrow at him. Was he okay with this? The kid was smart. He gave me a slight nod and bounced to the side, making Phillip Moreaux move so his back was to me.

Thank you, buddy.I moved closer, getting everything.

He swung. This time, Axel couldn’t dodge fast enough.

I felt the anger rising. That darkness in me, the one that helped me survive Fallen Crest, came to the surface, and I waslivid. Still, I forced myself to wait. I needed a little more. He’d get heat for the verbal abuse. But he could say things got out of control. That he was only trying to help get them into better condition.

He could say that he went in the cage to help him out. Show him better form. It was just a little sparring. Some boxing. Right?

So yeah because I wasn’t going to let him get away with this. We either used this recording and go the legit route to punish Moreaux, or I’d be dishing out my own personal punishment. If we went that way, that’d be a risk for myself and my family. Remembering Logan’s words, I held back because I needed enough to bury him.

Just a little more.

Phillip roared and he began raining blow after blow, pushing Axel into the corner. His shout was savage. “I’ll show you how to take a hit, you little fuck. All you little fucks. I’m going to ream your assholes open. You’re going to—”

Axel’s knees gave out, and he slumped to the ground.Fuck.Phillip was going to stop… No, he wasn’t. He knelt down, spreading his knees to give himself a better base and raised his hand again—No!I snarled. I was there in a flash. Using the side,I gripped it and launched myself over the ropes, right into the cage.

He froze at the sound, but it was too fucking late.

I took him down. As soon as he was clear, Axel scrambled away.

He tried fighting me, rolling, but I just smiled. Grabbing hold of his arms, I yanked them backward and twisted them. Something snapped as I twisted his body, and threw him into the far side of the cage. He stayed, the wind was knocked out of him.

My phone hit the ground.

I glanced at Axel behind me as Channing ran in. He threw himself into the cage and, giving me a cursory look, went straight to Axel. He scooped him up, carrying him out of the cage. “You okay?” he shouted at Steele.

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