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“Bloodbath my ass. I bet Reaper has him on the ground in less than a minute.”
“Destroyer’s got a death wish. Reaper’s fuckin’ psychotic. I know where my money’s goin’.”
“That asshole should forfeit now.”
Wait a second. They thoughtDairewas going to win against the huge guy?
“Just a reminder of the rules,” the host shouted. “There aren’t any. Just no weapons, and don’t fucking kill each other. First one to knock out or get the other to concede wins.”
Daire was singularly focused, his dark eyes never leaving the man standing a head taller than his six-two frame. His tattoos and the angular cut of his jaw somehow made him look even more dangerous under the harsh overhead light, and for a moment, I believed he could take the Destroyer down.
And then the big guy swung, his long arm easily able to cross the distance between him and Daire. Fear clenched my stomach as I watched in horror, but the man’s fist never connected. In the time I blinked, Daire had dodged out of the way, landing a blow of his own to the Destroyer’s ribs, and then continued to pummel him, one strike after another.
A booming roar escaped the man as he pivoted back to face Daire, his anger rising at not getting in the first hit. But if Daire felt threatened, you couldn’t tell. His lips curved into a cruel smirk.
Destroyer lunged then, his meaty fist soaring through the air toward Daire’s face. But before it made contact with any part of him, Daire sidestepped the blow and kicked his leg out in a sweeping arc that connected with the back of Destroyer’s calves and knocked him clear off his feet.
The crowd went batshit crazy, and as the circle seemed to tighten on the two under the spotlight, a thunderous chant began to echo around the space. It wasn’t until it was repeated over and over again that I realized they were chanting, “Reaper! Reaper! Reaper!”
I pushed forward in the crowd, trying to get a better look of what was happening now that shoulders and heads were blocking my view, and when I finally found a clearing, my heart raced.
Daire was straddling his opponent, landing blow after blow to different parts of the guy’s body.
From somewhere behind me I heard, “The deathblows,” and I almost turned around to ask them what the hell they were talking about. But it was clear, so painfully and blood-red clear, that Daire’s nickname was because of this move. The swift kick to the legs, the gaining of the upper hand, and then, finally, these continuous blows…the deathblows.
It was shocking, an eye-opening scene to witness, as I stood there absolutely paralyzed. It wasn’t until someone bumped into my shoulder—hard—that I realized Daire wasn’t the only one people were now looking at.
“What do we have here?” the thug who’d just knocked me around jeered. “Looks like preppy boy got lost on the way home.”
I swallowed as he looked over my suit, his shaved head and tattooed face making me take a step back until I ran into something solid behind me.
“Or maybe he wanted to slum it for the night. Place a few bets on some rabid dogs.”
My pulse pounded as sweat popped out on my brow. The fight-or-flight response started to kick in as I realized the biggest danger was no longer in the center of the crowd under a spotlight, but was circling around me.
“Is that it, Preppy—got some money you want to throw around?” The guy behind me grabbed my arm and spun me around, his bloodied nose telling me that he’d been one of tonight’s earlier participants. “Or maybe I’ll just take this fancy watch of yours.”
He held my arm up, shoving the sleeve of my jacket out of his way. Total fear had my words stuck in the back of my throat, and just as I was about to try to yank my arm free, I caught sight of something dark and ominous coming my way, right before I heard a bone-chilling snarl.
Then all hell broke loose.
TEN
daire
WHATEVER CHAINS RESTRAINED the savage inside me from finishing off the Destroyer, bloodied and groaning beneath me, snapped when I saw a flash of platinum hair out of the corner of my eye.
I saw fucking red.
Between one heartbeat and the next, I was on my feet, fists swinging and bodies falling as I carved a brutal path between me and the last person who should be anywhere near this place. I ignored the shouts that begged me to stop, because all I could see was a look of pure terror in Gavin’s eyes as the trash beside him touched him.
They fucking dared totouchhim.
The noise that escaped me didn’t sound human as I watched the prick lift Gavin’s arm. I didn’t think. I just reacted.
My hand shot forward, wrapping around the asshole’s throat before he even knew I was there. He dropped his hold on Gavin, his first smart move of the night, but unfortunately for him, it would also be his last.
I squeezed his soft flesh, and his face went red and then tinged purple.
