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He yanked her close, now fully holding her and immobilizing her. “I told you to shut up.”
She didn’t. “They’re fighting each other. See?” She yelled the words at Joaquin, even though the man didn’t seem like he could hear her at all. “I did what you asked. They’re obeying you, and they didn’t have a bad reaction. Stop this now.”
She winced as Callum got in a brutal punch to Mark’s ribs, and then they really started going at each other, both getting blows in. They moved closer, grappling before breaking apart and going back to circle each other.
They didn’t stand apart for long. Callum threw himself at Mark and took them both to the floor. Jenna tried to keep herself neutral, but seeing him go down had her heart in her throat. How many minutes had it been? How long until they started to realize they were being forced to do this and stopped?
“Stop playing with each other,” Joaquin said.
They were still on the floor, and suddenly, Mark was on top, landing several hits to Callum before he abruptly jumped away. He shook his head like he was trying to clear it, and Jenna did everything in her power not to react.
Come on. Please work.
Callum executed a perfect kick that Mark dodged before tackling him once more. This time, they grunted as they grappled, seemingly losing control and becoming more feral.
They rolled apart and came to their feet. They circled again, and when Jenna looked at Joaquin, all she saw was glee. This was everything he wanted. Two people who didn’t share a similar DNA profile, who liked and respected each other, fighting to the death. Entirely under his complete and utter control. Willing to kill someone else because their entire personhood was erased.
Mark took the advantage this time, lunging for Callum, and the sound of fists hitting made her sick. She had to do something. If the compound didn’t begin to wear off in the next minute, either Callum or Mark would end up dead.
She could fight.
Shewouldfight.
It was a long shot, but maybe she could take out Joaquin and his men before they could pull their guns. Then knock both Mark and Callum unconscious so they didn’t kill each other.
The chances were slim, so very slim, but she had to try.
She couldn’t sit there and do nothing while the man she loved was killed or killed someone else.
She looked down to find her own hand shaking. She didn’t feel like she could take anyone on right now. Where was the woman who’d put a stranger in the hospital just because he’d happened to touch her shoulder the wrong way?
She’d forced that woman so far down inside her psyche that maybe she didn’t exist anymore. Maybe the only thing she could hit with any power were the BOBs in her gym.
Maybe she was useless.
No.
What you can do is all you can do.
She heard Mark’s voice clear in her mind. She wasn’t useless.
And if she was going out, she was going out fighting. Not crying, not cowering, like she’d done for way too long.
She was about to make her move when she saw where Mark’s hand was wrapped around Callum’s neck and froze. There was no pressure. Callum’s skin wasn’t tight, and there was no force behind Mark’s grip. His eyes flicked to hers and back.
That simple motion alone had relief pouring through her at the same time she was strengthening her stance, grounding her feet to the floor, waiting for the change.
Her plan had worked, and now they just had to survive the aftermath. She would do whatever she had to do to ensure that happened.
Suddenly, both Callum and Mark snapped apart and leaped straight for the two guards. Jenna moved, throwing her hips back into the man who held her to throw him off-balance before slamming her foot down onto his so hard it didn’t matter what kind of shoes he was wearing, she broke his foot.
Rage burned under her skin as he released her, and she turned, unleashing everything she’d always tried to keep carefully locked down. He was still off-balance, and a punch to the throat had him falling back.
Jenna was barely conscious of the moves she was executing, only knowing that she was making them. She felt the crack of bone under her hands, and the man was on the floor fully unconscious, face slack with it.
Joaquin was halfway to the doors. Mark and Callum were still fighting their respective guards.
It wasn’t a decision. She ran, throwing herself onto the man’s back just before he reached the double doors, slamming him into them and taking them both down to the floor.
