Page 106 of Paper Thin Love

Jared clenches his fists, the muscles in his arms tightening as his chest rises and falls with heavy, ragged breaths. His jaw locks, and his eyes darken with growing fury.

“I’m guessing your dad got caught doing something he shouldn’t have.” I provoke, knowing I just hit the nail on the head.

“My father was nothing but a worker who had a gun put to his head. He was forced to spy.”

“He should have gone to my father and told him the truth. Your dad picked the wrong side and suffered for it, and now you will, too.” I take a purposeful step to my right as I begin circling him. Enough talking.

Desperation clouds his eyes as he mirrors my movements. The crowd inches closer, and students lean their upper bodies over the chalk line, eager to see the fight begin.

Jared’s eyes lift with pride.“I tasted her. I know the sounds she makes when she starts to get wet. I know how her body reacts when—”

I interrupt him as my steps become firmer; my thighs tighten as I prepare to attack.“Not like I do. She never let you sink your cock into her. She let me.” I smirk. However, on the inside, I’m disgusted with myself. I don’t want to use my time with Mila as fuel to this fire, but the outcome is a fast spiral into madness and loss of control from him. That's what I need.

His delightful smile falls down a fraction.

“I will. I’m going to have her every single night.”

I pause, my feet digging into the dirt.“Not even in your nightmares,” I respond with a cold malice that my father possesses.

Even if I die here, I know Cillian and Dante will never let Mila near Jared. I know she will be safe and protected.

“Who said anything about asking? I’ll take her, regardless. The more fight, the better.” Jared’s eyes spark alive with a dark and twisted cruelty that I will never allow to even look upon Mila.

My vision narrows and turns into shades of darkness. The thought of Jared forcing himself upon Mila is like an ax swinging, then slicing through a simple thread. All my restraints vanish.

Poof.

I attack, heels digging into the dirt as I lunge towards him. I know as soon as I act, I made a mistake.

Don’t care.

I commit fully, even though I’ve handed Jared the upper hand. He’s faster, stepping to the side with ease. The sounds of his laughter are the last thing I hear clearly. Before I can recover, his hands clamp down on my shoulders like iron. Hands that would destroy Mila if I fail. With a swift motion, he swings me toward the ground.

The world tilts as I fall, dirt rushing up to meet me. The crowd roars with cheers and gasps, creating an intoxicating cocktail I’m forced to swallow down. But just before I hit, his foot slams into my ribs. Pain explodes in my side, and the breath is violently ripped from my lungs. The air escapes me in a wheezing gasp, my body paralyzed for a moment. It feels eerily familiar—like the bone-crunching agony when I broke my leg.

My vision blurs, and I fight to stay conscious as my lungs try to fill with air again. The taste of copper sharp on my tongue.

A heavy weight presses down on my torso as Jared straddles me and punches me twice. If I hadn’t turned my face at the last second, he would have broken my nose. I’ve been in this position before. Cillian forced me to practice it. We all knew my opponent would try to get me down on the ground. I jerk my hips up, bucking Jared off balance, and then I free myself as I tuck and roll.

I see students cheering, yet all I perceive is that familiar buzzing blocking out any other distractions.

I waste no time because I have not one second to spare. I push myself up, the dirt grinding painfully deep under my fingernails.

Mila.

If you lose, he will have her.

Mila.

I land a punch.

Jared wipes the blood from his mouth and laughs darkly.“I know the sounds she makes when you kiss her. She made those sounds for me.” He tips his head back slightly as if he’s at ease and on a beach vacation.“I dream about those sounds.” His eyes darken.“I can’t wait to hear them again.”

I can play this game.

“I can’t wait to hear them, too. I will, Jared. I’ll be the only man to hear them.” I flex my fingers, pumping blood into them.“You won’t live to see the sun. You’ll never see Mila smile again; you’ll never hear her laugh. You won't hear, taste, or touch. You will feel absolutely nothing because soon you will be nothing.”

Jared’s fist swings toward me, a blur of force. I duck just in time, feeling the air from his punch brush past my ear. My own sweat drips into my eyes, blurring my vision for a moment. My heart pounds in my chest as I retaliate, swinging low in a desperate attempt to bury my fist in his ribs hard enough to break his heart.

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