Page 106 of Barinov

Lex catches it with a low grunt.

The bat cracks into his palm, halting mere inches away from his skull. He pulls the bat down, bringing Vlad closer to him. Lex rips the knife off the mat and plunges it deep into Vlad’s neck.

It all happens so fast that if it wasn’t for the fountain of red now pouring out onto the mat, I would have missed it. Vlad crumples, choking on his own breath.

“Motherfucker!” the last brother roars, launching from the bench at me like a missile.

I don’t have time to react as arms wrap me up from behind, spinning me around and crashing my back into the cage. My windpipe collapses under the weight of his grip. I claw at his hands, but my fingers slip on his sweat.

“You took my family,” the last brother snarls at Lex. “Now I’ll take yours.”

My mouth opens, but no air comes out.

His collar begins to beep and glow. I can feel the tremor ripple through his hands as his body is shocked, but it’s like he doesn’t feel it. Or if he does, he doesn’t care. Hell, he’s got nothing left to lose.

“Get the fuck off—” Rez growls, but the guards pull their guns on him and Roman before the guys can even attempt to reach me.

“Lex,” I try to shout, but it’s a drowned whisper in my own body.

“CADE!” Lex’s voice roars full of fury.

Footsteps shake the mat behind me. There’s a quick whistle and a slight blur.

THUNK.

The man crushing my throat jerks once. A knife handle sticks out of his eye socket like some sort of grotesque flower. He falls to the ground, taking me with him. The back of his head slams into a sharp, rusted corner of metal as our bodies crash into the bleachers. He twitches twice before his grip finally loosens on my throat.

I roll off him, coughing and wheezing. As I push myself up, my hands slip in the rush of warm blood and skid against the freezing metal of the bleachers.

“Cade?” Lex’s muffled voice sounds from the ring.

I scramble toward the cage and interlock our fingers through the metal. His ice-blue and wild eyes meet mine, searching.

“I’m okay,” I rasp. “I’m okay.”

The gym lights flicker back to normal as Luca’s voice oozes from the speakers. “Well,” he starts, adding a sick little chuckle. “That wasn’t exactly how I imagined my Red Hour going. But, you did well, Lexie.”

A pause.

“Messy. But entertaining as ever.”

None of us respond.

“You boys go ahead and clear out,” he continues, his voice slick with disdain. “My guys will clean up your mess.”

The two guards head over and pick up the slumped body that’s bleeding out on the bleachers. Rez takes a step in front of them when they begin dragging their cousin out.

“Rez,” Luca’s voice chimes in.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

“Don’t even think about it,” he warns.

Rez looks over at Lex, whose beeping collar is now glowing a brighter red. Everyone freezes.

“Very good.”