Page 88 of Cruel Academy (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 2)

I point a finger directly into his face. “I’m calling you out.”

Callouts happen regularly enough in the underground, but the crowd still gasps at the drama. Mostly because I don’t usually fight Hell Princes. It makes sense, considering I don’t lose fights.

The Hell Princes don’t want to look like they can’t stick up for themselves—even though most of them can’t—so I’m pushing my luck by calling one of them out.

Still, I’m too angry to think about the consequences.

“Come on, man.” Felix appears to the left, hands held up in defense before I even turn towards him. “You won your fight. Why don’t we just call it for today?”

A chorus ofboosrings out from the crowd. They came here for a show, and right now, I’m giving them one.

Haley wraps her arm around mine and tugs me gently towards the door, but I wrench my arm away and take a step back towards the ring.

Levi has gone pale, but I have no sympathy. “Are you getting in the ring, or do you refuse my callout?”

There isn’t a punishment for refusing a callout—unless you count social shame and being viewed as a coward as a punishment.

I can tell Levi is weighing the options in his head, trying to decide if being beaten to shit is better or worse than being viewed as a coward.

But before he can answer, John steps forward with a laugh. “Of course, he’s getting in. The Hell Princes don’t refuse a fight.”

A mixture of shock and betrayal crosses Levi’s face, but he musters a thin smile and joins me in the ring.

Haley runs to the ropes, her eyes pleading, and grabs the waistband of my shorts to pull me closer. “I didn’t ask you to fight for me, Caleb. You’re training me for exactly these situations—so I can fight for myself. Why are you doing this?”

“I’m training you to be able to fight when there is no other option,” I correct. “Right now, I’m your other option.”

She opens her mouth to argue some more, but there is no point. I’ve called Levi out, he is in the ring, and the fight will start any moment.

I don’t have time to fight with Haley about it.

So, before she can say anything else, I grab a fistful of dark curly hair at the back of her head and bring her lips to mine.

The crowd titters at the revelation, and I hold onto Haley a little bit tighter. I warned Haley about the dangers of Bumper thinking we are “together,” but I can’t be bothered with the thought of him right now.

Right now, I want everyone in this building to know that if they fuck with Haley, they’re fucking with me, too.

Reluctantly, Haley’s lips part and soften. I nip at her lower lip and then release her, walking backwards to the center of the ring, winking as I go.

“We’ll be out of here in ten,” I assure her.

“Promise?” she asks.

“I swear.”

31

Caleb

Five minutes.

Five minutes is what it takes to have Levi out cold in the middle of the mat and my arm, once again, raised into the air as the winner.

I suspected he’d have a bit more fight in him since, unlike that night several weeks ago, he was sober.

But no.

Levi is just as uncoordinated as ever. He holds his fists up to protect his face, but as soon as I jab once, he loses his composure and his ability to defend himself.

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