Page 72 of Betrayed in the Dark
Scarlett sits up straight. “Wait, what did I miss?” Her eyes bounce between me and Alina. “I knew I should have skipped my weekend getaway with Leo so I could have gone!”
“You didn’t miss anything,” I tell her, waving a dismissive hand. “Besides, Leo would have actually murdered me if you did that.”
“But something did happen between you two,” Scarlett insists, her eyes reading me like an open book.
My lips part. Then close. Part. Then close.
“I knew it!” she exclaims, pointing a finger at me and beaming with excitement.
Heat engulfs me, and I cover my face with my hands.
“Oh my God, this is amazing!” Alina practically squeals in delight. “You and your bodyguard. Well, technically, it’s yourchildhood crush. Or would we consider this your brother’s best friend?”
I shush both of them, peering around the store before quietly saying, “Yes, something—well, I guess some things—have happened.” They both look ready to cheer, so I quickly cover their mouths with my hands. “But nothing can come of it. I’m engaged to another man.” I lift a shoulder, dropping my hands. “It was just…a little fun to get out of my system before the wedding.” I feel the bitter lie roll off my tongue as I watch them deflate. “Nothing more than that. Now, can we please talk about something else? Like anything else?”
Scarlett doesn’t appear to believe me, but for my own sake, she nods and rests her head on my shoulder.
Alina relaxes against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. “What should we do now?”
“I’m game for anything,” I reply.
Anything to keep my mind distracted from everything else that is currently taking over my thoughts.
A moment passes before Scarlett’s voice cuts through the silence. “I know what we can do.” She pulls out her phone and starts typing a message.
“What?” Alina and I ask at the same time.
Scarlett’s phone vibrates, and a smile spreads across her face. “He’s ready for us.”
Alina and I share a look.
“Who’s ready for us?” I ask.
An hour later, I find myself standing in the center of a sparring ring, with Alina and Scarlett beside me and Mauro in front of us.
I groan as I glance around the space. The place reeks of sweaty men, mostly guards, who come here to get their daily workouts. It’s disgusting. “When I said I was game for anything, I probably should have clarified that I meant anything except this.”
Scarlett grabs my arm and drags me toward the dummy in the center. “Come on. It’ll be fun.” She gestures to Mauro. “Mauro’s a great teacher.”
He smiles proudly, crossing his arms over his chest.
I roll my eyes.
Mauro has spent the past few months with Scarlett, helping her learn self-defense. More importantly, he has helped her come out of her shell by showing her how strong she truly is, whether she realizes it or not. She may never be quite the same after everything that happened to her, but it makes my heart happy to see how far she’s come.
He points to me.
“Oh no.” I step back, nudging Alina forward. “She volunteers as tribute.”
Hey, he may be my brother, but he still intimidates me.
Alina swallows nervously, her big brown eyes appearing like a deer in headlights. “W-what do you want me to do?”
He gives her a come-hither motion with his index finger, and she takes a few steps until she stands directly in front of him. “Now what?”
He tilts his head and slowly reaches around her, locking his hands behind her back. And because Alina is Alina, she wraps her arms around Mauro and rests her head on his chest. He stiffens, his neck transforming into a deep shade of red.
“Like this?” she asks, closing her eyes.
