Page 19 of Cruel Academy (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 2)

Before I can voice anything else, Caleb is in my space. His face is an inch from mine. His warm, even breaths wash over my face. Minty.

“You don’t know me, get it? We don’t speak or interact. And you sure as hell aren’t going to mention the fights. Do you understand?”

No. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

His hold tightens, and I feel his hips brush over mine. A strange warmth moves through me, and I try to press it down, like smothering a fire that is quickly growing out of control.

“Let go of me,” I respond, desperate to get away from him. Fear and heat swirl in my belly until I feel nauseous, dizzy.

Bad thoughts bubble up, too.

Levi forcing me against the brick wall.

John dragging me around by my arm and, occasionally, my hair.

The Hell Princes laughing. Watching. Letting them do whatever they want to me.

That and more flickers across my vision like a very old, very bad movie.

I’m sick of being weak and small. Of being touched and directed and intimidated.

“Not until you tell me you understand,” Caleb breathes, breaking me out of my thoughts. “We don’t know one another, and you aren’t going to speak of the fights. Or I will make your life very, very unpleasant.”

Caleb has been fighting in the underground for two years. He isn’t new to the scene. It’s not like he’s aluchadorfighting in a mask. Everyone there knows him.

Then it hits me.

Everyonethereknows him.

“Everyone” being Hell Princes, kids from Public, and people from the next county over.

Now that I really think about it, I can count on one finger how many people from Ravenlake Prep have ever been to a fight.

No one at this school knows Caleb is a fighter.

Somehow, he has kept that huge part of his life a secret.

Anow here I am, a collision of his normal life and his secret life.

“Do you understand?” he growls, lip pulled back in a sneer.

“Yeah, I understand.” I can’t help it. I smile.

His brown eyes narrow in confusion, but his hold on my arm loosens. “Good.” He starts to turn away.

I clear my throat.

“I understand that you don’t want anyone here to know about you fighting for money. I understand that, for some reason, it’s a secret you don’t want getting out.”

Fire burns behind his brown eyes, the streaks of gold growing more obvious. The bright Texas morning cuts a sharp line across his face, hollowing out his cheeks.

One subtle movement is all it takes for his appearance to shift from beautiful to menacing.

“Don’t fuck with me, Cochran. I promise you’ll regret it.” His voice is a low growl that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I know Caleb could hurt me right now. He could toss me around however he wanted. In a second, I could be pinned to the pavement, helpless and begging.

And that is the fucking problem.

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