Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
The boys started swinging at each other again.
His kid kept running. Head down. Sweat dripping.
If they kept at this for even another hour, they were going to pass out. All three of them played nearly the entire football game earlier.
Brett started rumbling next to me.
Right there with you, buddy.
“No!” Moreaux was screaming again. His feet scraped over the dirt that was packed on the floor. “That’s not how you swing—” He cut himself off, swearing viciously. “Get out. Get the fuck out. I’ll show you how to fucking hit.”
Oh, hell no. I’d heard enough.
He got in the cage, and instead of taping his hands like he’d had the boys do, he put on boxing gloves. Boxing. Gloves.
Axel remained in the cage and Steele climbed out, but he stood by the steps, not going far. He saw us first, and he gulped, paling, but he didn’t move. Beltraine collapsed on the ground, his chest heaving as he seemed unable to get enough air. Brett went to his side when the kid started wheezing.
I remained locked on where Phillip was snarling at Axel, and I hated to do this, but I raised my phone. The camera was on, still recording. Steele jerked himself out of frame.
“This is how you do it!” Phillip roared. “Bend your knees. Come on. Bend your fucking knees.” He swung.
Axel dodged, and in that moment, he saw what was happening. I felt bad, and I raised an eyebrow at him. Was he okay with this? The kid was smart. He gave me a slight nod and bounced to the side, making Phillip Moreaux move so his back was to me.
Thank you, buddy. I moved closer, getting everything.
He swung. This time, Axel couldn’t dodge fast enough.
I felt the anger rising. That darkness in me, the one that helped me survive Fallen Crest, came to the surface, and I was livid. Still, I forced myself to wait. I needed a little more. He’d get heat for the verbal abuse. But he could say things got out of control. That he was only trying to help get them into better condition.
He could say that he went in the cage to help him out. Show him better form. It was just a little sparring. Some boxing. Right?
So yeah because I wasn’t going to let him get away with this. We either used this recording and go the legit route to punish Moreaux, or I’d be dishing out my own personal punishment. If we went that way, that’d be a risk for myself and my family. Remembering Logan’s words, I held back because I needed enough to bury him.
Just a little more.
Phillip roared and he began raining blow after blow, pushing Axel into the corner. His shout was savage. “I’ll show you how to take a hit, you little fuck. All you little fucks. I’m going to ream your assholes open. You’re going to—”
Axel’s knees gave out, and he slumped to the ground. Fuck. Phillip was going to stop… No, he wasn’t. He knelt down, spreading his knees to give himself a better base and raised his hand again—No! I snarled. I was there in a flash. Using the side, I gripped it and launched myself over the ropes, right into the cage.
He froze at the sound, but it was too fucking late.
I took him down. As soon as he was clear, Axel scrambled away.
He tried fighting me, rolling, but I just smiled. Grabbing hold of his arms, I yanked them backward and twisted them. Something snapped as I twisted his body, and threw him into the far side of the cage. He stayed, the wind was knocked out of him.
My phone hit the ground.
I glanced at Axel behind me as Channing ran in. He threw himself into the cage and, giving me a cursory look, went straight to Axel. He scooped him up, carrying him out of the cage. “You okay?” he shouted at Steele.
Steele gaped at me, his eyes just blinking. Wide. His jaw slacked.
“Kid!” Channing snapped his fingers in front of his face.
It did nothing.
“His name is Steele,” I said.
Channing twisted around. “Steele! Wake up, kid.” He had to get in his face before he registered him. As he did, Steele jumped backward, cursing.
“What the hell is going on here?” Phillip growled, wincing as he used the chain-link of the cage to pull himself up. Some blood trickled down his face. He reached up, touching his forehead. Pulling his hand away, there was a blank look in his eyes, as if he didn’t understand what he was seeing. He was gone. I saw it now. The anger was too much. The guy wasn’t in the room. He’d let his monster out too.
Difference was that his monster hurt kids. Mine hurt monsters like him.
Punishment. Well-intentioned discipline. Training. I had no doubt he would use those words to excuse his behavior. All would be a lie.