Scarlett's POV
I was panting, my chest heaving, sweat dripping down my neck. Ethan stood over me, his face covered in dust, his eyes glowing with a dark, satisfied smirk. He reached out and wiped a smudge of dirt from my forehead with his thumb. The touch was lingering—too long for a fake partner.
"Not bad, little partner," he murmured, his voice dropping so low the crowd couldn't hear. "But if you ignore my lead again, I'll throw you out of the circle myself just to keep you from getting hurt."
"You don't care if I get hurt," I snapped, pulling away from his touch. "You just don't want to lose."
The look of pride in his eyes vanished, replaced by that cold, stony mask. "Exactly," he said, his voice flat. "Keep that in mind for the next round."
We walked out of the ring, but as we did, I saw the other brothers.
