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“This isn’t over,” my father shouts.
“Your life ends as soon as I give my son the word.” Demetri’s voice exudes power.
“Wait,” I interject and quickly kiss Sukie. “Go stand with my brothers.”
Sukie eyes me with concern. “It’s over. We can go now.” She grabs my hand to take me with her, but I resist.
“No. It’s not. Now go.” I look up and jerk my chin at Salem to get him to lead Sukie away.
“Wait,” she cries as my brother takes her by the arm and pulls her back.
I turn to face Demetri. “He’s mine.”
Demetri studies me for a moment, then nods. I meet my father, who is now an unarmed man and army of one, standing alone.
“How does it feel knowing you couldn’t defeat me alone?” My father sneers.
“It’s only you and me.” I roll my shoulders, ready to fight.
My father slowly removes his suit jacket and rolls up his sleeves. He’s in excellent shape for his age. I’m aware this fight will be challenging for me.
“And if I win?” He stares me down.
“You won’t.” My voice is cold with hate.
We walk circles around each other, both well-trained in hand-to-hand combat. My father lunges at me, and I sidestep, landing my first blow to the side of his head. He comes back swinging, with an uppercut to the jaw. With every blow I deliver, he matches it. This goes on for several minutes.
I land another blow to his head, and he stumbles. He shakes it off and delivers a powerful punch. Pain radiates from the center of my face, and I feel the warmth of my blood as it trickles from my nose and over my lips. Satisfaction flashes in his eyes that he drew first blood.
He comes at me again, only this time I block his blow and bury my fists in his face, feeling his teeth scrape against my skin. My father stumbles again, but I don’t give him time to recover. Grabbing the back of his head, I drive his face into my knee, then land a blow to the back of his head. He falls to one knee, breathing heavily and spitting blood.
“Get up,” I growl and fist his hair to bring him to his feet.
My father comes up swinging. The blow he lands on my side is an iron hot poker shoved through my lung. We lock eyes, and he presses his body into me. I grunt from the intense pain. He pulls back, revealing the knife in his hand, my blood dripping from the blade.
“Didn’t I always tell you there’s no such thing as a fair fight? You fight to win.” My father comes at me again.
Raising my arm, I block his second attempt at stabbing me by grabbing his wrist and bending it until I hear it snap. My father cries out. Breathing becomes a struggle, and the pain tearing through me is almost unbearable. Trying to catch my breath gives my father time to recover and come at me again. He lands blow after blow, targeting where he drove his knife into me. I fall to the ground, trying desperately to suck air into my lungs.
“Luca!” Sukie screams.
I roll my head to look at her. She struggles to break free of Salem’s grip, but he keeps a firm hold on her. I see her mouth moving, but I hear nothing, only my heart pounding.
“Don’t give up, dammit! I love you!” Her voice breaks through to me.
Sukie’s words give me the strength to fight through the pain.
My father hovers over me. “I win.”
He goes to stomp on me, but I sweep his other leg out from under him, and he lands hard on his back, smacking his head against the concrete. I roll over, straddle his body, and press my hands against his windpipe. He jabs his fist into my side again, but I absorb the pain, burning with red hot rage. I seize the knife he dropped a moment ago and, in one swift motion, drive the blade into his chest. My father stares up at me in disbelief.
“You lose, motherfucker.”
I rip the blade from his chest and watch him take his final breaths. Only when I’m sure death has taken him do I stand. Dropping the knife, I turn and walk away.
“Oh, my god.” Sukie barrels into me, and my vision blurs from the pain it causes. “Why are you so hard-headed?” She touches my face.
“Shut up and kiss me.” I huff.
