Page 28 of Paper Thin Love

I part my lips to ask Mila who he is, but when I look at her, those wide, ever-watchful eyes are already watching me, knowing what I’m going to ask.“You want to know who they are and where they are going?”

I nod. Herfake smile fades like a tender tulip in a desert. Her eyes look at my broken leg.

My throat thickens. Here it comes, the danger, the truth. You can always scent it in the air; it’s sweet and sour, savory yet knots your stomach.

“There is one thing you should know, Dash King.” Her sweet voice has lost its sugary flavor. I want to scream at her to stop looking at my leg. My weakness.“Not everyone here lives to survive the weekend.”

Chapter 9

Mila

I expect his face to fall or his eyes to glance down at his broken leg. Lucky for Dash, there are rules here during the weekend: no one injured. The fight has to start fairly.

I said nothing about it ending fairly.

I might have tricked Dash. He thinks he needed me to learn the ropes, to be his eyes and ears. In a way, he does, but no one is going to touch him until his leg is healed.

So that favor? Well, he didn’t have to give it to me.

Dash remains expressionless. He should be scared. He’s right; he’s a King, the top of the food chain, and he’s…broken. The other guys here, well, they are going to smell his blood, and they are going to want to taste it as soon as he is cleared to go.

“I got to pick my extracurricular here, which is ballet. Not many guys get an option. Their parents send them here for a reason, and that’s to learn,” I begin.“This isn’t just a normal school. You know that. We’re catered to here.”

I open my hands and look down at myself.“I’m a ballerina. The school provided the best teachers for me.”

I nudge my head towards the second group of guys jogging, training for tonight.“The guy in the red shorts,” I state,“that’s Salvatore Romano. His dad runs the biggest black-market pharmaceutical ring from Canada to Mexico. Sal’s dad needs his son to be ruthless. A killer. That is catered to here.”

Finally, I see an emotion cross Dash’s face. But it’s a slow tug of his lips into a grin.“Now it makes sense.” He mutters to himself.

“As you can imagine, Sal isn’t the only kid who has to take over an empire. Every guy here,” I nod,“is a predator. Some have killed, and some are just festering wounds ready to sicken others. Some girls are, too, so watch your back and your dick if you choose to sleep with anyone.”

He snorts a laugh.

“Every Saturday night in those woods, there is a test. It’s called The Cleansing. You enter at your own risk. But you can alsobeentered. You or your legal representative have to sign a contract. Legal got involved after some kids died, and then their families went to war with other families for revenge. Things got too bloody, so now they are more civilized and make contracts. There are rules during the matches.” I glance down at his leg.“You won’t be able to fight or be considered a target until you’re healed.”

His cold eyes narrow like the tip of a knife pressing against the delicate skin of my neck. My next inhale feels sharp.

“It’s the truth. I have no reason to lie.” I declare with all the confidence I can muster.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

I shrug, faking the confidence I wish I could maintain 24/7.“You should have let me go, Dash King,” I warn him. Does he see how much my bottom lip wants to tremble?

His left eye twitches.“You’re trapped to me whether you like it or not, little fox,” he retorts in annoyance.

We hold each other’s stare in a silent debate. Why did he say that? Why did he kiss me?

My tongue sweeps out, still tasting him on my lips. Why has his taste lingered when so many others faded?

“My name is Mila.”

“No, I think little fox suits you. You look so cute and tiny, but you’ve got teeth.” A quick flash of his teeth blinds my eyes.“You’re too timid to use them, but that doesn’t mean you’re not sly, Mila.”

I back down from our glaring contest, allowing him to win this round.“The tests, fights, or challenges—no matter what happens to you, your family cannot seek revenge against another. It’s solo. Only you. No backup. That’s why so many guys here enter. It’s a thrill.” I confess.

“Or an escape.”

I nod.“Yes, death is an escape here, but the kids don’t want to escape, Dash. Those who enter The Cleansing want power. And they get it.”

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