by Penelope Sky
He faced me in silence, waiting for me to look at him.
I refused. I sat on the bed with my knees to my chest, my gaze focused out the window.
Liam grew impatient and spoke. “I released Catalina.”
I turned to him, my eyebrows raised. “You did?”
He nodded. “I released her yesterday.”
“Why?” Did he have a change of heart? Did he realize his behavior would never get him what he wanted?
“Because I have a better idea.”
Hope drained from my body again.
“I challenged Damien to a fight. Tonight. Winner takes all.”
I didn’t even process everything before I reacted. “What? Are you insane? We aren’t animals, Liam. Why would he agree to that when you’re the professional fighter?”
He shrugged. “Well, he did.”
No. God, no. I crawled out of bed and got to my feet so I could face him. This was the closest I’d been to him, because I always stayed on the bed or kept an obstacle between us. “Please don’t do this…”
“I’m not making him do anything.”
“But you know it’s not a fair fight. You know you’ll win.”
He smiled at my misfortune. “Yeah, I know.”
“Please don’t do this. Let’s just move somewhere and start over. Forget about him.”
He shook his head. “I’ve learned that neither one of us can live a full life while the other is still alive. He’ll always come after me, always look for you, and as long as he’s breathing, he’ll remain in your heart. One of us needs to die, and it’s not going to be me.”
“Dead or alive, he’ll always be the man in my heart. You don’t become the winner by default. I’ll never love you again. I’ll never want to be with you again. Don’t you see this is ludicrous? If you really kill him, I’ll always hate you.”
He stared into my eyes for a long time, as if he was searching for my sincerity.
“I mean it.”
“Give it enough time. You’ll change your mind.”
My temper took over, and I shoved him in the chest. “Fuck you, Liam.”
He faltered back into the wall because he hadn’t expected me to hit him. He growled when his back hit the solid surface, closed his eyes as he gathered his patience. Then he turned back to me, his eyes filled with the same anger. “I’m going to kill him, Anna. That’s it.”
I was so angry, brand-new tears flooded my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. If only I were bigger, stronger, I’d figure out a way to kill him myself, to put an end to this madness. All our good memories were gone from my mind, all my affection dead in the ground. It was hard to believe I’d ever wanted a family with this man, that I’d ever vowed to love him forever. Now I wanted to murder him with my bare hands. “I hope he kills you first.”
He came closer to me, bringing his face nearer to mine so he could whisper. “Just for that, I’m gonna make you watch.”
It’d been a long time since I’d been here, to this underground room where the most brutal men fought to claim the lives of their opponents, to add another notch on their belts. It was a place where I once saw Liam betray me, agree to a fight to the death without even telling me about it.
I should’ve left him then.
A part of me was excited to see Damien, but there was another part that hoped he wouldn’t show up, that he would realize his life wasn’t worth the risk.
Liam kept me close to his side as he led me through the crowd. Just to make sure I wouldn’t run away, he kept his other fighting cronies nearby, circling around me so I couldn’t slip through the cracks and disappear. He obviously anticipated that Damien would try to extract me in some way, and he wasn’t gonna let that happen.
Liam took me to the stands and put me in a chair. The other five men sat around me, giving me no avenue of escape. He pulled his shirt over his head and stood in his black running shorts. His physique was muscle on muscle, strength on top of strength, and he was so strong, he was like a wild animal. And in addition to that, he looked livid.
There was nothing he wanted more than to kill my lover.
A part of me wished I could have stayed at the house so I wouldn’t have to watch this, but I also couldn’t abandon Damien. If he won, I wanted to be with him as quickly as possible. I wanted to run into his arms and finally be with the man I loved.
But he had to win first.
I wasn’t ignorant of the odds. Liam was a professional, a veteran, and, worst of all, undefeated. The odds weren’t in Damien’s favor.
The stands were packed with men who’d come to see the fight. Since this battle was the most anticipated, even though it had been posted on such short notice, Liam and Damien were going to fight first. My eyes looked across the room to the other side of the stands, where I knew Damien and Hades would be. My heart was racing with adrenaline, and my stomach was sick with unease. I just wanted this to be over.
And then I saw him.
He walked up the stairs and headed to the platform. Instead of wearing a suit or jeans and a shirt, he was in only a pair of shorts, dressed like the other fighters. His toned body was tanned and shiny because oil had already been rubbed across his skin. He had two distinct pectoral muscles, a tight waist with chiseled abs, and narrow hips. His body was the exact opposite of Liam’s, toned and athletic rather than big and burly.
It’d been weeks since I’d seen him, and I forgot just how beautiful he was.
Hades was with him and also Catalina. I was surprised she’d made the trip, would approve of this barbaric match, support her brother, no matter what.
My breathing quickened the longer I stared at him, the longing overwhelming. I couldn’t watch his man die; I just couldn’t. He had to win.
Damien faced my direction, and it only took him a few moments to find me in the crowd. His gaze landed on mine, and he stared for several seconds, his face stoic but his eyes filled with layers of emotion, of longing, desire, and, most obvious of all, love.
Instinctively, my eyes watered.
He mouthed something to me. “I’ll win. I promise.”
When I inhaled a breath, it was painful to my lungs. There was nothing I wanted more than to go home with this man and for us to spend the rest of our lives together. Hearing a promise like that didn’t make me feel better; it only made me more afraid.
Afraid to lose that dream.
The MC turned to Liam. “Ready?”
I faced Damien again and mouthed back, “This doesn’t mean anything.” I got out of my chair and walked up to Liam. I had to make sure he lost, make sure Damien would have the best chance possible. I grabbed Liam by the arm and tugged him toward me.
He looked down at me, hostile because he was pumped for the fight. He was focused, angry, ready to rip my lover to shreds.
That was exactly why I was going to do this. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier… I don’t want you to die. I don’t wanna watch you die.”
His eyes were still guarded, impenetrable.
“Call the fight off. I don’t want either one of you to die tonight…especially not you.” I pressed my hands to his chest, right over his heart. “I’m sorry about what I said before. I was just mad, upset. I don’t want you to go in there thinking I hate you, because I don’t. I still love you…”
He began to soften.
It was working. I rose on my tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. It wasn’t soft and smooth like it used to be. I felt like I was kissing the dirt in a rocky desert. It was disgusting, like kissing a cousin. It was hard to swallow my hatred and do something I despised, but I believed it would make a difference when he walked into the ring. I pulled away and lowered myself to my chair.
Now, his macho energy was gone, and he wanted to stay there with me. He was snapped out of his focus, no longer the angry animal that wanted to take another human life.
Good.
“Let’s just go home. Let’s call this off.”
“You know I can’t do that.” H
e leaned down and kissed me again.
I had to suffer through it.
He gave me a firm hug before he turned away. “Wish me luck.”
I took a deep breath and forced myself to say the words. “Good luck.” And I watched him take the stairs and enter the ring. His shoulders weren’t as tense, and his skin wasn’t bright red because some of the rage was gone. His focus was disrupted now that he wasn’t the bloodthirsty animal he’d been just moments ago.
I looked across the arena to where Damien stood.
His eyes were still locked on mine, and instead of being hurt by what he’d just watched, he understood exactly what I’d done. He gave a simple nod of appreciation.
Then he took the stairs and stepped into the ring.
Twenty-Five
Damien
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.
I stood in the ring, coated with oil, while the men in the stands cheered for us to begin the match. Liam was a large opponent, having more muscle density than I possessed, and coupled with the fact that he was undefeated, my odds weren’t the best.
I could hold my own in a fight, but I’d never participated in a match like this. I always had other tools at my disposal—guns, knives, and different objects in any room I could turn on my opponent.
All I had now were my bare hands.
I saw the way Liam was worked up on the other side of stands. He threw his fists around to get his blood flowing, and the crazed look in his eyes showed how pumped he was. It hurt to watch Annabella touch him, kiss him, but I knew she might’ve just saved my life.
She said something significant to him, to think about his love for her rather than my death, I assumed. She’d successfully toned down his rage, and when he stepped into the ring, he wasn’t behaving like an animal anymore.
I hadn’t had much time to prepare for this, and I knew that was by design. I would have to focus on him, watch him, be quicker than him.
And then kill him.
Liam shook out his arms as he stared at me, waiting for the buzzer to go off so he could attack me. There would be no mercy from him. The second he got me on the floor, he would crush my skull with his fists or his feet.
Whenever I was in extreme circumstances like this, my heartbeat was suspiciously slow. Right now, it was calm. Maybe that was an asset, or maybe it was a flaw. It allowed me to be more pragmatic, not to give in to the spikes of adrenaline, anxiety, and all the other shit that dumped into my blood.
The buzzer blared, and the match began.
Just as I’d anticipated, Liam tried to run me down as quickly as possible, to get his hands on me so he could finish this match in record-breaking time, just so he could humiliate me further.
Since I knew it was coming, I dodged out of the way.
His momentum carried him forward, and he hit the side of the ring with the loud thud.
I came up behind him and slammed his face directly into the corner. I didn’t linger because I knew I didn’t have the time to stay, so I quickly jumped back before he spun around with his hand outstretched to grab me.
When he turned, his face was red and bruised, but he wasn’t bleeding. He was still slightly confused since it had been a hard hit, but he was still too dangerous to overpower. He started to pace toward me, both of his hands tightened into fists.
I kept my fists close to my face and tuned out the noise around us. I got in sync with my opponent, studying him, watching him, trying to be him.
When he was close enough, he swung.
I ducked and slammed my fist into his stomach three times before I danced away.
He grunted when the air left his lungs, and he released a deep growl of pain. “Chickenshit, fight me.”
Slow and steady wins the race.
I kept moving on my feet, knowing if I stayed put, it would just be a battle of strength, which I couldn’t possibly win. I had to tire him out, make every hit count because I couldn’t linger.
The fight went that way for a long time, bringing us together for short bursts that ended up with a few blows, before I bounced away again. It wasn’t a traditional fight, much longer than the kind the men usually witnessed. I got a black eye, and Liam had a cut along his cheek.
“You know what I’m gonna do tonight after I kill you?” With his fists near his face like a boxer, he circled as he drew closer to me, looking for the right time to charge me. “I’m gonna take Anna to the courthouse, marry her, and then take her home and fuck her.”
I resisted the urge to respond, told myself to stay focused and unemotional because losing my pragmatism could lead to dire mistakes, but it was a good trick because it pissed me off.
“I’ve enjoyed fucking her as my woman. But I want to fuck her as my wife.”
The image made me sick to my stomach, to imagine Annabella sleeping with him, whether by choice or force. But I didn’t allow him to make me drop my guard. I pretended I was about to sprint at him like he wanted, and he threw out his fist automatically to land several blows. But once his fists had been launched, I came at him and landed a series of hits, striking him in the temple, the face, pounding him in the stomach, and then I twisted him around so I could kick him in the back.
He tried to stop the fall, but he was too heavy. He landed hard against the concrete.
I didn’t let the opportunity slip from my grasp, so I got on top of him and locked his neck in my arms. I squeezed his throat so he couldn’t breathe as I started to turn his head to snap his neck.
The crowd was so loud, cheering because they were about to win their bets at unbelievable odds, while others booed because they were about to lose their money, having bet on the guy who wasn’t supposed to lose.
Liam tried to get out of it, and the longer he didn’t have air, the quicker his pulse thudded against my skin. He was strong, fighting with power, fighting for his life—which was about to be extinguished.
I’d thought I would feel good about what I was about to do, killing this guy. He didn’t deserve to live. He didn’t deserve to be spared after everything he’d done. But I didn’t get pleasure out of my victory, out of taking his life.
And I knew why.
Annabella understood I had to do this. She wouldn’t hold it against me; it had to be done.
But I knew she’d loved him for a long time, had been married to him, wanted a family with him. He needed to die, but it would still hurt her, still haunt her. So, I did something really stupid.
I pulled his neck tighter, so close to snapping his neck. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
He couldn’t say anything because he couldn’t breathe. All he could do was fight my twist, fight the pain in his neck before it turned into complete paralysis.
“I let you live, you disappear.” Hades would be pissed that I’d offered this guy any mercy. Even my sister would think I was weak. I had no love for him, but I loved Annabella so fucking much that I would do this for her. “Do you accept those terms?” He might say yes but turn around and stab me in the back. He might say yes and change his mind later. I was willing to take that chance.
“Yes or no?”
He breathed hard to stay conscious.
“If you say yes, I don’t wanna see you ever again. You can’t contact Annabella again. You leave us in peace.”
He tried to fight me again as if he might be able to get out of it.
But then I twisted him a little harder, making it clear he would lose. “You have to decide—do you want to live and lead a life without her? Or would you rather die?”
He stopped fighting. His body relaxed completely. Then he nodded.
I let him go and stood up.
The crowd was silent because they couldn’t believe what had just happened. Death was the only way these matches ended, but a life had been spared rather than taken away. I walked away with my hands on my hips, regaining control of my breathing. I turned to look at Hades.
All he did was shake his head.
Liam slowly got to his
feet, looking weak now that he’d been defeated. He turned to look at me, his face red because he hadn’t had adequate oxygen for minutes. Living with everyone’s disappointment was probably the worst part. He had been defeated by a man with no professional experience, a man who wasn’t even in his weight class. He swallowed his shame and could barely look at me.
When I knew he wasn’t going to pull a stunt, I turned to the MC. “This match is over.”
Twenty-Six
Annabella
I couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Did that just happen?
Damien could’ve killed the man who had tortured us both…and he didn’t.
I knew he’d done that for me, and I couldn’t describe the way it made me feel. I knew he loved me to be able to do something like that, to spare the life of the man I used to love just because it would be hard for me to watch him die.
And he’d had my full blessing to kill him.
Liam took the stairs and returned to the platform where I was sitting. Some of his men came up to him and exchanged quiet words, either condolences or pity.
I got to my feet because I didn’t know what to do. All I wanted to do was run across to the other side so I could be with Damien, but I felt like I had to speak to Liam first, to say goodbye.
Liam walked up to me with sadness in his eyes, either because he’d lost or because Damien was the bigger man…again. There was no doubt who I should be with; Damien was a better partner to have for a lifetime. Liam had to see it by now.
In silence, he stared, at a loss for words. “Did you mean anything you said before?”
I actually felt bad for lying to him. Instead of answering with words, all I could do was shake my head.
He didn’t seem disappointed, as if he expected it.
“I’m sorry…”