Page 91 of Kade

A fighting ring.

The Red Demons.

This kid was asking Max if he wanted to fight, and I was officially pissed off. Max had shit out a Hulk-sized dump because he went to the fighting ring last Friday and lost his marbles. Now Cieran was asking if he wanted to fight?

As if sensing my anger, Max reached over. His hand went to my leg.

My hand covered his, and I began digging my nails in. I wanted to break skin, motherfucker.

He hissed, glaring at me before extracting his hand. Or he tried because I wouldn’t let him. I kept digging in.

“Ouch! Fuck, Maddy.” He pulled his hand away.

Cieran frowned.

“You know what?” Max flashed Cieran a hard smile. “When’s the party again?”

“This Friday.” Cieran’s smile was wide and filled with sinister promise.

I didn’t like him. I looked over at his car where Stevie was pressed in the backseat between another guy and a girl. I also decided she was too good for this guy. Too good to be his friend. Too good for anything else.

I wasn’t going to allow it.

Max let out a soft sigh and shook his head. “Sounds good. Let me know the details and rules. I’ll be there.”

“Yeah?” Cieran’s eyebrows shot up. He stepped back from the truck and held up a fist. “Right on. This will be awesome.”

Max’s mouth pressed in a firm line, but he hit Cieran’s fist with one of his own. As the guy strolled back over to his car and got in, I seethed.

Max turned to me. “Do—”Knock!Knock!

Max stopped talking as someone pounded on my window.

This time it was Beltraine. I rolled it down. Axel and Steele had also come over. They were looking in the direction Cieran had driven.

Traine lifted his chin up. “What was that about?”

“Nothing.” Max’s tone was cool.

He didn’t like these guys. Well, I didn’t like Cieran and his group. So there.

I smiled. “Max just got invited to fight again, except this time it’s at a different location. And guess what? He’s going to do it. This will be so much fun.” I kept my face blank, looking back at Max.

He rolled his eyes, reaching forward and starting his engine. “Can you be more dramatic?”

“Yes.”

He shook his head.

Steele stepped closer to the truck. “You’re fighting?” His words were for Max.

“I said I would.” Max’s eyebrows drew together. He didn’t know Steele.

Steele stepped back, sharing a look with Traine and Axel.

Max looked at me, and I shrugged. “I’m not on their telepathic mind wave. You, yes. Them, no.”

He closed his eyes, his jaw going rigid. “Do you have to say everything you think?”

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