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He grins. "I've been itching for a challenge. It gets boring when everyone hits the canvas after the first punch." His eyes glint with anticipation. "But you, Constantino, you might take one or two more."
"Spell it out for me," I demand, though I'm already seeing where this twisted path is leading.
"A fight to the death," Declan declares, his voice echoing off the bare walls. "In the ring. Just you and me."
I'm standing there, the words "fight to the death" still ringing in my ears like a death knell. My mind's racing, flipping throughevery dirty street fight I've ever had, but this—this is leagues different. This is Declan O'Leary, muscles like steel cables and a rep for laying out men twice his size. And me? I'm Constantino Maldonado—no pro fighter, just a man who knows how to survive.
"Why the hesitation?" Declan's voice cuts through my thoughts.
I open my mouth to spit back a challenge, but he barrels on, knowing he's hit a nerve. "It's because you're epileptic, right?"
My blood runs cold. How the hell does he know? The secret I've guarded with my life spills out into the open, and Declan is laughing—a deep, mocking bellow that fills the room. He shakes, feigning a seizure, and the sight of it ignites a fury in me, hot and blinding.
"Laugh it up," I snarl, fists clenching at my sides. The weight of the weapons under my coat feels like a promise. "But I'm not backing down."
"Brave words." His eyes glint with sadistic pleasure. "So let's sweeten the deal, shall we? You want to see your woman and brat before our little tango?"
"Damn right I do." My gaze doesn't waver from his; I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing fear in my eyes.
"Fine." Declan shrugs as if he hasn't got a care in the world and strides over to a door concealed by shadows. With a casual flick, he opens it, and there they are. Evelyn, blue eyes wide with worry, and Evan, a spitting image of Sebastian, all innocence and trust.
Evan cries out upon seeing me, his little legs pumping as he sprints toward me.
Evelyn follows, more reserved but no less relieved. I drop to one knee, catching Evan as he leaps into my arms, his small body a solid weight against my chest. Evelyn's hand touches my shoulder, tentative, as if she's afraid I'll shatter.
"Are you okay?" I ask, voice rough with unshed emotions. If I look away from Declan now, I'm done for.
"Yes," Evelyn says quietly.
Declan watches us, that sick grin plastered on his face, but I don't care. I've got something worth fighting for, something worth living for. And come hell or high water, I'm going to make sure I'm the one left standing when the final bell rings.
"Make sure you cherish this little family reunion, Constantino," Declan sneers with a mocking tilt of his head, the cold glint in his eye as haunting as a ghost's whisper. "Because in one hour, everything changes." His lips stretch into a cruel smile, and he waves his hand dismissively. "Stay here. My boys will come to get you when it's time."
I watch him strut out, the door clicking shut behind him, sealing off the rest of the world. The moment his presence is gone, the air seems breathable again, and I pull Evelyn and Evan tighter in my arms, their bodies small and trembling against mine. My heart clenches like a fist around shards of glass.
"God, I'm so sorry," I choke out, my voice rough as gravel. The words are barely audible over the pounding in my ears, that relentless drumbeat of fear and fury. "For all of this...for bringing this hell down on us."
Evelyn's blue eyes swim with unshed tears, brimming with a quiet strength that somehow finds its way into me. Her fingers grip the fabric of my coat, holding on as if I'm the only solid thing in this tempest we're caught in. Evan's small frame buries itself deeper into my side; his innocence is a weight I've never felt so acutely before.
I kneel, enveloping them both, letting the raw edges of my soul bleed into the embrace. "You two are the only damn things I got right," I whisper fiercely, the truth of it cutting deeper than any blade could. It's a confession, a prayer, a plea.
"Constantino," Evelyn murmurs, her voice threading through the carnage in my mind, "you came for us. That's more than anyone's ever done."
My chest burns with something too big to name, and I press my lips to the top of Evan's head, memorizing the feel of his hair under my mouth. This kid, he deserves a world without monsters hiding in the shadows. And Evelyn, she deserves a man who isn't a walking storm of violence and bad choices.
"An hour isn't long enough," I say, but it's a lie because no amount of time would ever be enough to fix what I've broken.
We stay there, huddled together, a makeshift fortress against the coming storm. As I breathe them in—the scent of Evelyn's shampoo mingled with Evan's childish sweetness—I know that this, right here, is my reason to keep fighting. They are my light in this endless night of blood and betrayal.
And I'll be damned if I let Declan—or anyone—snuff that out.
Chapter Forty-One
The air tastes thick with anticipation, a mix of sweat and old blood staining the atmosphere. I'm standing there, my heart thumping like it's trying to burst out of my chest, when the door opens, breaking the silence. It's obviously an Irish foot soldier. "Declan's ready," he grunts, sounding about as enthusiastic as a tombstone. "Follow me."
I glance over at Evelyn, catching the worry in her baby blues that she's trying too hard to camouflage. Evan's holding onto her hand like a lifeline, his eyes wide, taking in more than any kid should. "Where do they go during this circus?" I ask the soldier, cocking my head to the pair, voice steady though everything in me is rattling.
"Safe distance," he mumbles, avoiding my gaze like it's poisonous. "They'll see it all, don't you fret."
