n faded into black. His senses were violently dragged back

l of the Fire Cup MVP trophy. His adrenaline was surging, pumping wil

r player then. They ducked into a dark, narrow brick alley behi

rusted streetlamp flickered above them. Puddles on the unev

s chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He tur

the rain. His pale, handsome face was illuminated by the flickering light. Tho

stasy of winning, the love Clifton had been holdin

the ground with a heavy splash, sending mudd

reezing cold face with both hands. He tilted his head down and kis

nst Justice's, the passionate re

terrifying rigidity seiz

if a high-voltage wire had been jammed into his s

eepen the kiss, a massive f

istic choke. His hands shoved hard against Clifton's ch

d. His spine slammed hard into the rough brick wall.

saw next burned into his brain, becoming

. Justice's hands were clamped over his own mout

was a lethal poison. His eyes were wide, filled with naked ter

foot splashed into a deep puddle. His entire body was shaking

in the cold air. The rain quickly soaked his sleeve. His h

crystal clear. It was raw. It was unfakeable.

e. It was instantly replaced by disbelief, and then, a

ether. His voice shook

d you spend the last six months playing duos with me

r, shaking his head frantically. He tried to speak, but the severe atta

meant only one thing: default. It was the gu

on. He bent down and picked up the muddy t

ing every ounce of his stre

ed out of the muddy alley, leaving that violen

eme humiliation, Clifton blocked Justice's phone numb

ave known-was that two hours later, a

a singl

not you. Please

ed. The number wa

e dark, in a cheap motel room paid for with tournament winnings that were almost gone, and tried to

knew that the one person who had ever made him feel safe ha

essage a teammate, to do anything-Aegis had already flown to a bootcamp in Seoul. An

anding in a basement academy room in Los Angeles, watching the man he'd n

shback

the Aegis kitchen. His fingers had dragged across

ver his skin again. His breathing grew heavy. T

een. His thumb hovered over his blocked list. There it was. The Disc

be

re was something left inside him worth burning for. As if he hadn'

ightened. He ma

self be fooled by th