Page 100 of Manic

I turn to Rio, fixing him with a hard stare. "You betray us, and what the Patriot would do to you will seem like a picnic compared to what we'll do. You get me?"

Rio swallows hard but meets my gaze steadily. "I understand. I'm all in."

As I look at him, I can't shake the feeling that this moment, right here in this dingy basement, could be the turning point in our war against the Patriot.

It's a hell of a gamble, but then again, that's what our life is all about.

"All right," Fenrir says, his tone final. "We'll take it to the Prez. For now, you keep playing along with the Patriot. We'll be in touch."

As we prepare to leave, I can't help but wonder if we've just made a brilliant move or a catastrophic mistake.

Only time will tell, and I pray we have enough time on our side.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Meghan

My blood boils as I stare into her eyes. "Watch yourself, Lexi," I growl, taking a step closer.

Lexi's brown eyes glitter with malice as she snickers, "You wouldn't dare put your hands on me."

The rage that's been simmering beneath the surface finally erupts.

I laugh in her face, a harsh, bitter sound that echoes through the room. "Wanna bet? You fuck with my daughter and it's fair game, and you already pissed me off."

Lexi's face contorts with anger, her carefully crafted mask of superiority slipping. "Your brat had it coming. Maybe if you spent less time trying to play house with Tor and more time teaching her some manners?—"

I cut her off, my voice low and dangerous. "Don't you dare speak about my daughter. You're treading on thin ice, Lexi."

She scoffs, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Please. You think you're so special just because Tor decided to slap a label on you? You're nothing but a glorified whore, just like the rest of us."

The words sting, hitting too close to home.

I push down the flicker of self-doubt, reminding myself of how far I've come. "Is that what this is about? You're jealous I’m an ol’ lady? His ol’ lady?"

Lexi's eyes narrow. "Jealous? Of you? Don't make me laugh."

I take another step closer, invading her personal space. "Then what's your problem? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're throwing a temper tantrum because you can't handle the fact that I've got something you want."

She tries to push me back, but I stand my ground. "You don't know anything about what I want," she hisses.

"Oh, I think I do," I retort, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "You want the status, the security, the respect. But you're too busy playing games and stirring up drama to earn any of it."

Lexi's face flushes red with anger. "You think you're so much better than me? You're nothing but a?—"

"Careful," I warn, cutting her off. "Remember who's the ol' lady here and who's thehora. Plus, I already kicked your ass once already."

The reminder of our previous altercation seems to give her pause.

I can see the conflict in her eyes, the desire to lash out warring with the memory of her defeat.

"You got lucky," she spits out finally.

I shake my head, a humorless smile playing on my lips. "Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night. But we both know the truth."

Lexi opens her mouth to argue, but I hold up a hand, silencing her. "I'm done with this petty bullshit. You want to come at me? Fine. But leave my kid out of it. Next time you even think about messing with Tindra, I won't be so nice."

She scoffs, but I can see the uncertainty in her eyes. "Nice? You callthisnice?"

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