Chapter 31

The fight started the second Serial stepped fully onto the mat.She moved like a predator—fast, precise, no wasted motion. Riley raised her fists, trying to find her center, but her body betrayed her immediately. The limp made her stance uneven; every shift of weight sent fresh pain spiking up her leg. Serial didn’t hesitate.The first strike came as a jab to Riley’s ribs. She blocked—barely—but the force rattled her teeth. Serial followed with a hook that clipped Riley’s jaw, snapping her head to the side. Blood bloomed inside her mouth.“Fight back, 100!” Serial snarled, circling. “Or is running all you know how to do?”Riley ducked the next punch, weaving left, but Serial anticipated it. A knee drove into Riley’s midsection, folding her in half. Air whooshed out of her lungs. She staggered, gasping.Lucas frowned from the edge of the mat. “Serial. Enough. Let her get up.”Serial ignored him, landing an open-palm strike to Riley’s shoulder that spun her halfway around.“Continue,” A

Chapter 32

Riley’s POVFor the first time in what felt like forever, sleep actually felt safe.No nightmares clawing at the edges. No phantom gunshots. No triplets lurking in the corners of my mind. Just darkness—soft, heavy, merciful. I curled tighter into the pillow, nuzzling deeper, chasing that rare, fragile peace. Except… the pillow was wrong. Too firm. Too warm. Too alive.Something—someone—breathed against the back of my neck. Slow. Deliberate. Hot.My eyes snapped open.Armani was right there.Lying beside me, propped on one elbow, staring down with that slow, vicious smirk that always made my stomach knot and twist in ways I hated admitting.“What the fuck,” I hissed, jerking upright so fast the room spun. I scrambled backward until my spine hit the headboard, heart slamming against my ribs like it wanted out.He laughed—low, dark, amused—and rolled onto his knees. Then he crawled forward. Over me. Caging me beneath him without even touching me yet.My pulse roared in my ears. “What the

Chapter 33

Armani’s POVI crashed my mouth against hers like I could force every jagged word she’d just screamed back down her throat. Like if I kissed her hard enough, deep enough, I could erase the way she’d said she wished she was ash. Erase the gun I’d thrown across the room. Erase the fucking tears burning holes in my skin where they touched.She bit me.Hard.Teeth sank into my bottom lip until copper flooded my tongue—sharp, metallic, real. Pain lanced straight through the haze of rage and hurt churning in my chest, and for one stupid second I almost smiled against her mouth.Because she was still fighting.Even now. Even pinned under me, sobbing, shaking, hating me with every fiber—she still had teeth.I didn’t pull away.I pressed harder instead. Let her taste the blood she drew. Let her feel how I didn’t flinch. My hand slid up to cradle the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair, holding her exactly where I wanted her while my tongue pushed past the sting and claimed what she

Chapter 34

Riley’s POVI woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck—every muscle heavy, bruised, sore in places I didn’t even know could ache that badly. My eyelids felt glued shut, but I forced them open anyway, blinking against the soft gray light filtering through the heavy curtains. The room smelled like him: cedar, gun oil, sweat, and something darker, something that still clung to my skin no matter how many times I tried to wash it off.I shifted, trying to sit up.A thick arm banded around my waist instantly, iron-tight, yanking me back down against a hard, warm chest.“Don’t go,” Armani’s voice rasped, low and rough from sleep, right against my ear.My heart stuttered. I already knew it was him—only he held me like he owned every inch of space my body occupied.“Will you let go of me?” I muttered, wiggling against him in a half-hearted attempt to break free.Big mistake.The movement dragged my bare ass right along the length of him. He groaned—deep, guttural, vibrating through my back

Chapter 35

Riley’s POV“No, no, no—I can’t do this.”The words tumbled out of me the second the door to my room clicked shut behind us. I paced the small space like a trapped animal, hands shaking at my sides. Skylar sat cross-legged on the edge of my bed, watching me with wide eyes. Quinn leaned against the wall, arms folded, looking way too amused for the panic clawing up my throat.“What do you mean you can’t do this?” Skylar asked, head tilting. “Girl, you should be happy. You just got the spot of the top seductress. You literally kicked Amy off her throne.”Quinn smirked, pushing off the wall and standing up straight. “You should’ve seen the look on Amy’s face. Gosh, she looked like she was about to faint when they called your name. Priceless.”They both laughed—light, easy, like this was some kind of victory party. I stopped pacing and stared at them. How were they laughing? How were they okay with any of this? I’d only been here a few months and every day felt like drowning slower than th

Chapter 36

Riley’s POVThe club was a pulsing, living thing—strobe lights slicing through thick clouds of smoke and perfume, bass so deep it rattled my ribcage, bodies grinding on the dance floor like they were trying to disappear into each other. Everyone wore masks: glittering Venetian styles, feathered half-faces, sleek black dominoes that turned strangers into shadows. Perfect for hiding. Perfect for hunting.We’d arrived as a group of eight—me, two other girls (Jade and Mara, both higher-ranked wild cats who actually knew how to play this game), and four guys including Anthony. All of us dressed to blend: sleek black dresses for the girls, tailored suits for the boys, masks that made us look like we belonged in this glittering underworld instead of being the intruders we were.Anthony pulled us into a shadowed alcove just inside the entrance, voice low under the thumping music.“You all know what to do,” he said, eyes scanning each of us. “Scatter. Act like you belong. Don’t forget to stay