Page 111 of Xavier

“Get up!” I yell at him, nudging him with my foot.

He groans but barely moves.

“I’m not done with you yet, you shitfuck!” I say, my leg digging hard into his side.

He’s just a warm bag of sand to me at this point. A pinata that I want to bust. His salvation paid to Malynda in blood.

I drop to the ground next to him, the sweat stinging my eyes, as I slap him hard across the face.

“Wake up, asshole!” I didn’t know it, but I’ve been training my whole life for this moment. “Don’t you pussy out on me now.”

I stand up, nudging his side with my foot. He moans and opens his eyes, turning on his side and pushing himself up. He already looks a mess.

Good.

“Ready?” I say. “Come on, put your fucking hands up and fight.”

He sways, but lifts one hand up, covering his face. “I’m sorry,” he whimpers.

“It’s too late for that. You shouldn’t have come back. You should’ve jumped off a cliff or in front of a fucking bus but you should never have come back.”

“I didn’t… I don’t know what… I swear,” he stammers between pants, a lying fuckwit to the end.

“I’m not really one for believing would-be rapists.”

"I made a mistake…" he says. And it sounds so pathetic, I almost pity him. Almost. Until I remember how frightened she looked as she told me the story. And the utter shame that has followed for her whole life.

That tore us apart.

“Yes, you did. And now you’re going to pay.” I lunge at him, ramming my shoulder into his sternum. I feel the air escape from his lungs and his body crumples against me and onto the floor, I pull my leg back, and take a breath. Ready to deal the last kick. One he’ll remember for the rest of his life. If he remembers anything ever again.

“NO!!!” A yell echoes around the room from behind me.

I turn to see Malynda run into the room, I barely have time to pull my leg back before she pushes against my side with both of her hands, and I stumble three steps back, surprised by the attack. And for a split second, something about this moment reminds of the first day we met and her intervening into my fight. Except this time, I’m the one she’s trying to stop. I catch the sight of Kaine and Ram coming in behind her in a reflection of the mirrors, but I'm focused only on her.

Her.

Here.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I shout at her, but she doesn’t even flinch.

“What the fuck… what the fuck am I doing here? What the fuck are you doing here?”

Her head moves from me to him and back to me, eyes wild, her mouth dropped open.

Is she kidding me? What did she think was going to happen once I found out what had happened?

“I came to… make sure he never hurts you, again, Malynda.”

“I don’t know what he’s talking about…” Damien stutters as he tries to sit up, his hands cradling the side of his waist, his face smeared with his own blood.

“Shut the fuck up. I am not done with you,” I growl at him.

“Xavier! Stop!” Malynda yells and I turn back to face her. “I didn’t ask you to do ANYTHING! There are other ways to do this!”

I can’t help but guffaw.

“Other ways? What other ways?” I challenge her with a look.