Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Before the man’s dead body hits the sand, Kaeso is leaping onto the wall and climbing up to the Emperor’s box. He pulls himself over the stone wall and stands before the Emperor, covered in blood and heaving hard breaths.
“Great spectacle!” the Emperor says as he stands up and claps his hands. “Well done, Kaeso!”
“You slapped my girl?” he asks in a deep cold-blooded voice.
The Emperor’s face drops. He looks so confused. “What—?”
I hurry over to my man’s side and Kaeso wraps a heavy arm around my shoulder.
“Oh,” the Emperor says as his face pales. “She’s yours? I didn’t—”
I gasp as Kaeso lunges on the Emperor and grabs his head in his big hands. He screams shrilly as Kaeso squeezes hard, crushing his skull. The Emperor pounds his fists onto Kaeso’s massive chest and arms, but they do nothing to stop my man’s wrath.
“She’s mine,” he hisses in a deep raspy voice. “And anyone who touches her is dead.”
The whole crowd gasps in one collective breath as Kaeso tosses the Emperor’s trembling body into the arena down below. The thud it makes when it lands gets the attention of the hungry tigers and they run over and leap on him, tearing him to pieces as they fight over his fresh corpse.
General Gaius Agricola leaps up from his seat beside us and starts barking orders to his guards. “Close the gates of the city. Round up the Senators. I’m taking over.”
The Emperor was widely disliked by the people and they’re all cheering as they watch his gruesome demise.
“Kaeso!” the General barks as my gladiator wraps his protective arms around me once again.
We both stare at him for a few long tense seconds. Kaeso just assassinated the Emperor in front of fifty thousand people. Will he order our execution as well? Even a beast like Kaeso can’t fight off a whole Roman army and that’s exactly what the General has camped out on the outskirts of Rome.
“Thank you,” the General says with a nod. “Now hurry and go. Be free.”
Without another word, Kaeso grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. He clutches onto the back of my thighs and runs.
To our freedom, to our future, to anywhere but here…
Chapter Nine
Kaeso
It’s chaos on the streets of Rome as the masses in the Colosseum exit and General Gaius’ army moves into the city to take over. The city guards loyal to the Emperor that I just fed to the tigers meet them to battle.
Clanging swords and the screaming of dying men ring out all around us as I hold onto my Venus and flee with her to safety. This is not my fight. My fighting days are over.
Okay, maybe just one more…
I spot my old master Septimus loading up a carriage with his vast wealth. This is not the first General to take over the city of Rome and when they do, the soldiers like to steal from the wealthy citizens. I’m sure that Septimus knows that and is escaping to lay low for a while.
His eyes go wide when he sees me approaching, but he covers his fear with an easy smile. “You made it out, old friend. I was worried about you.”
He steps a little closer to his carriage as I charge up to him with murderous intent. “You sold my Venus? To the Emperor?”
His chin trembles, but he quickly hides his fear with another smile. “I certainly did not,” he says indignantly. “The Emperor’s guard stole her from you.”
“It was him,” Elovissa says as she glares at him. “He came into my cell and took me. He said he wanted you to see me on the lap of the Emperor to throw you off your game.”
“She lies!” Septimus says as his easy veneer begins to crack and he begins to show his true panic. “How long have we known each other, Kaeso? I’ve treated you well! You’re going to believe her over me? She’s nothing but a whore!”
My hand darts out and wraps around his cowardly neck. “Please!” he gasps as his hands wrap around my thick wrist. “I’ll give you money!”
“The money you made off me?” I ask as I squeeze a little tighter. His mouth opens but nothing comes out. “The money you made off Elovissa?”
His tanned skin begins to turn a light shade of blue as I choke the life out of him.
“I’ll take your fortune,” I say as his wide eyes begin to fall closed. “Because it’s mine. I earned it. I deserve it. You deserve nothing but what Hades has waiting for you in the Underworld.”
I squeeze until his body stiffens and his eyes go blank. When I let go, he falls to the ground in a lifeless heap.
“In the carriage,” I tell Elovissa as she stares at him with a blank face. “Don’t look at such things, my love.”