Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
That I would fight for her.
Die for her.
That I hated that I’d dragged her into my mess, but I would do whatever it took to get her out of it.
She was led back down the opposite aisle, chants riding up through the darkened atmosphere as she was forced up the steps and across the walkway to the cage where Stefan waited.
The whole time, my heart hemorrhaged in my chest.
Bleeding out.
While the aggression rose to take its place.
Taking over.
Stefan pulled Tessa in front of him, his arm around her waist and his mouth at her jaw while he glared down at me.
Violence streaked across my flesh, and every muscle in my body flexed, my being rigid and rolling with aggression.
Anticipation rushed through the murky haze as I moved to the ropes and slipped into the ring.
My opponent climbed in on the opposite side.
Bets had already been cast, and there was no question left about what they were betting on.
Death.
And Stefan was sure, this time, I would see it through.
The bastard wielding Tessa like a tool, the threat of what would happen if I didn’t concede inscribed in the memories of my wife.
He cracked an ominous grin as he played with a lock of Tessa’s hair, baiting me, loving the way the rage burned across my flesh.
He wanted me on my knees.
My teeth ground, and I inhaled a violent breath and focused. Getting distracted wasn’t going to win me any points.
The ref gestured for both of us to meet in the middle. He lifted our hands in the air, holding us by our wrists.
My opponent sneered. “I hope you’re ready to die tonight.”
No question, this wasn’t the first time he’d stood in a ring such as this.
He took pleasure in it.
But it wasn’t either of us who were dying tonight.
The ref dropped our wrists and jumped back to indicate the start of the fight.
I conjured all the focus and strength I had as the fucker came at me, setting free the rage I’d tried to tame for years, letting it boil over into the aggression.
I punched him so hard that he was out cold.
Dropped like a brick to the floor.
Because we only had one chance, and there was no messing around.
Shouts erupted, “End him! End him!”
It curled around me in a cloud of iniquity.
Only it shifted to confusion when I ran across the ring, heading in Logan’s direction.
I tossed myself over the ropes, flying by Logan and snagging the knife he’d hidden at the bottom of his shoe as I went, running for the stairs.
At the same time, I could hear the shouts and screams tear through the vileness as shots began to ring out.
Without having to look, I knew it was Jud and Trent taking out the guards who stood at each corner of the basement.
I didn’t slow to verify, no seconds to waste.
I started to race up the stairs, the metal clanging under my feet as I took them two at a time. Shots pinged through the air, missing me each time.
That was the thing about this set up—what I’d been counting on—the cages might have protected Stefan and his men, but it also put them at a disadvantage since they couldn’t get in a good shot.
Uncertainty rocketed through the grunge, chaos erupting below.
A toil of bodies crushing into each other as more shots rang out.
I made it to the top just as a guard was reaching the end of the pathway. Before he could whip around the corner and get a shot, I reached around and took hold of the barrel of his gun, wrenching it out of his hands. I shifted around and used the butt of it to slam into his face.
He somersaulted down the stairs behind me, and I had his gun lifted, firing at the next guard who came running my way.
His body rocked back with the blow before he fell facedown, and I stepped over the top of him on the way to my girl.
I could feel the pandemonium that ensued as shots kept ringing out.
Trent and Jud and Logan in a battle below. Undoubtedly, an army of men had descended on the scene as soon as things had gone awry.
My insides ripped and screamed, praying they were good, that my seedy life wouldn’t cost more than it already had.
I couldn’t fathom it.
Couldn’t.
But I didn’t pause to give myself time to contemplate.
Because Tessa…Tessa was relying on me, and I wouldn’t stop.
A shot rang out as I enclosed on the cage. A guard had edged around just enough that he could pop off a shot.
I felt the heat as it grazed my left shoulder, pain burning through, but I ignored it. I lifted the gun, steady, waiting.
The second he edged around again, I took the chance and fired.
He dropped in a pile at my feet.
Below, people raced everywhere, trampling each other, pussies who were all too keen to watch someone else get beaten to death running for the doors at the thought that they might get caught in the crosshairs.