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"Fuck, fuck, fuck." I hobble forward, dragging my wounded leg. One step, a second. A thump, and I know the first of the men have hit the ground. Another thump, then footsteps thud in my direction. I try to speed up, make it another few steps before someone slams into me.
I hit the ground and am turned over. I throw up my arms to protect my face, and a fist smashes into my chest. Fire lights a path to my brain. I wheeze, keep my arms raised as fists pummel my side, my chest. I curl into a ball, then manage to pull back my uninjured leg and kick out, catching the guy in the face.
He falls back. I manage to jump up, but the second man swings at me. His fist smashes into my forehead. Pain slashes through my head. Sparks flash behind my eyes, and fucking hell—not my face, you bastards—I lower my head and manage to head-butt him.
He staggers back, crashes into the first guy who’s already rightened himself. He goes down again and doesn’t move.
The second man swings at me, this time, landing an uppercut. Sparks explode behind my eyes. Blood drips from my mouth. I manage to straighten, and he lands a punch in my forehead.
The force throws me back. My body arcs through the air, and I hit the ground. He races toward me and kicks me in the side. I yell, but he kicks me again and again. I manage to grab his leg and twist. He falls to the ground. I kick his head, and he stops moving, only a third guy appears from out of nowhere.
He charges toward me. I kick his leg out from under him, and he hits the ground, only to jump up again.
Fucking hell.I manage to stagger to my feet, then land my fist in his face. Fucker’s bigger than me. He absorbs the blow and keeps coming. I block his next hit, then he smashes his fist into my nose. There’s a breaking sound, and blood pours down my chin. White throbbing flashes of agony shudder out to my extremities.
I throw up my fist, miss. He lands his next punch in the side of my head. Black spots flash before my eyes. The world tilts. I look up to find I’m on my back on the ground. The second guy grins down at me. At least, blood smears his teeth.Motherfucking bastard.He raises his leg, I grab at it, tug, and he hits the ground and stays still.
My panting fills my ears, and blood thuds at my temples. Every breath I take sends spears of agony screeching up my side. I try to rise up, but my arms and legs don’t seem to be cooperating.
Then, the first guy I felled hobbles over to me. He raises his leg, and sneers at me. "You dare touch one of our girls? You’re going to pay for it, youtesta di cazzo!"
He brings his foot down toward my head, and everything goes dark.
* * *
I come awake with a start. White. Everything is white. The scent of antiseptic clogs my nostrils. I try to move, but pain slices through my side. I must groan, for a face appears in my line of sight.
"Easy, ol’ chap," Knight murmurs.
"What happened? Am I in a hospital?"
"Indeed. You’re back in Blighty."
"How?" I cough.
Knight’s face disappears from view, only to reappear holding a bottle with a straw. "Here."
I sip from it, and when I’m done, he places it on the side table. “It didn’t sit right that I’d let you go on alone. Within an hour of you leaving I came after you. I found them beating the shit out of you, and fuck if I didn’t return the favor."
"Motherfuckers," I breath through the next wave of pain. "I should have done a better job of defending myself."
"You injured them; gave me a fighting chance to get the better of them. It’s what saved your life."
"He’s being modest. If he hadn’t gotten you on a flight out of there with doctors in attendance to patch you up, you might have popped it, buddy," a new voice growls.
I groan, "Fuck, don’t tell me; it’s the prodigal son, himself."
"You bet." Cade slaps my shoulder. Bursts of white and red flare behind my eyes. I grit my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing my groan.
"The fuck you doing here?"
"Heard you got beat up; had to come see how your pretty face was faring."
Face. My face.I reach up to touch my forehead, then wince. I have a bandage around my forehead, and oh, I’m in a neck brace. Fucking hell. "How bad is it?" I snap.
Cade and Knight glance at each other. Neither speaks.
"How bad? Tell me."
