Our Bloodline

by KC Kean

  Twisting the blade, I pull it out of his neck, letting his body fall to the floor in a heap. I feel his blood swipe across my skin, flickering up from removing the blade, but there’s no use wiping it when there is more to come.

  “Which motherfucker is next?” I grunt, moving forward.

  I feel my boots squish on the ground beneath me. Mud, this is why everyone has come out covered in dirt. Parker had it up his jacket sleeve and down the side of his pants. Who pushed him to the ground? Someone is going to pay for that.

  I can’t stop my eyes from frantically searching around me, but I’m never going to adjust to the darkness if I keep it up. Focusing straight ahead, I start to see the space come into view more. The floor is uneven for as far as I can tell, with what looks like large rocks placed around the room too. Trying to see if there is anything else I can pinpoint, my eyes start to take in the outline of men standing around, ready to attack.

  My brain tries to calculate how many people are actually in this room, but I’m cut short as someone charges at me. Pity they can’t run quietly, because they give themselves away. Swinging my arm upwards, my elbow connects with their face, throwing them backwards.

  “Just keep walking, Oscar.” I hear Luna say, and I’m not sure if she actually did, or if it’s my imagination using her voice as an encouragement to carry on.

  Continuing to put one foot in front of another, I feel someone step up behind me. Before they get a chance to touch me, I drop to a crouched position and swing my blade up and over my head. I feel as the tip of the blade punctures skin, keeping the pressure going, and sinking the steel all the way to the hilt.

  The attacker groans, as I stand and turn, all while holding the blade in place. Punching out, they connect with my cheek. My head snaps to the side with the impact as they hit again, meeting my stomach this time.

  Fuck.

  Shaking my head, I focus. Pulling my blade from their body, I swipe my left fist out, hearing the crunch of my knuckles against their face. My knuckles are still sensitive from yesterday, but I still crush their nose in the process. Not wanting to waste any more time here, I thrust my blade forward again, stabbing them in the abdomen. Pulling my six-inch blade out, I do it again and again. Feeling them lose the strength to fight back, I pull my blade out for the final time and push him to the floor.

  Bracing my hands on my knees, I try to catch my breath. Sweat trickles down my back, and my t-shirt sticks to me with a mixture of blood, sweat, and filth. Pushing my hair from my face, I stand to my full height, feeling the sticky substance of blood coating me everywhere.

  The longer I’m in here, the more my eyes adjust, but now I’m a little disorientated, and I don’t know which fucking direction I should be going in.

  “Oscar? Oscar, are you okay?” Luna shouts, trying to remain calm, but I can hear the panic in her voice.

  “I’m just fine, baby girl, don’t you worry,” I call out, keeping all emotion from my words. I’d rather give her nothing, than too much. I’m sure Kai has his hands full keeping her at bay enough as it is. If it was up to her, she’d be over here slaying them all with me, one by one.

  Her voice came from my left though, and I know she was near the exit when I stepped in, so that’s the way I head. Trying to keep my pace up, the door is in sight, the handle inches from my fingertips. When something is smashed against my shoulder, knocking me to the ground, making me drop my blade.

  Holy shit. Pain ricochets through my body as my shoulder throbs with the impact.

  “It’s about time someone taught you a lesson, O’Shay,” I hear from above me, and I instantly know it’s Brett. He should have kept his damn mouth shut. I’ve wanted an excuse to fuck him up since his drunken sneers and groping of Luna.

  He lifts what looks like a bat over his head, ready to drop it on me again, but he’ll not get the upper hand twice. Placing my feet on the ground, I throw my injured shoulder into him, the momentum knocking him on his ass. I grapple to get the bat out of his hands, bringing it down between us to add pressure to his chest.

  He laughs maniacally as he releases the bat to claw at my face, like a bitch. His fingers prod at my eyes, trying to blind me, and I push the bat from between us to fight him off. Dropping a hand from my face, he punches me in the stomach before I can hit him. His hips push up, and he quickly has the tables turned. Leaning over me, his hands wrap around my neck, choking me.

  Blinking through the pressure, I force myself to remain calm. Panicking isn’t going to save me here. I feel the mud seeping into my clothes, as he pushes me further into the ground with his weight on top of me. I can hear Luna, but she sounds even further away than before.

  Closing my eyes, I remember all the times I would practice scenarios like this in the gym at high school with guys. Only this time, I remember what else I have in my holster. Moving as slowly as I can so I don’t draw attention to the movement, I try and grab my other weapon. His fingers are digging into my neck, biting the skin, as my vision becomes blotchy, the darkness seeping in.

  I fiddle with the gun wedged between my body and my arm, feeling my fingers wrap around the handle fills my body with relief. I click the safety off, and if he hears it he doesn’t falter, only continuing to add pressure to my airways.

  My head is fogging as I fight to breathe. I’m not dying at the hands of fucking Brett Rhodes, not a chance in hell. I’m going to make him suffer. Aiming the barrel of the gun, I pull the trigger. The scream that fills the room is like music to my ears.

  His hold on me instantly falls away, as he rolls to the side. Gulping in as much oxygen as I can, I rise to my knees, my head swaying close to the ground, as I push through the burn of breathing.

  “Oscar! Oscar!” Luna’s cries fill my ears, forcing me to stand, anything to show her I’m okay.

  “Luna, I only like it when you cry out like that when we’re fucking, okay?” I say, my voice croaky, trying to relax the moment. I don’t need her to worry, and I need to teach this motherfucker at my feet a lesson.

  “Screw you, Oscar. I heard the gunshot and I … and I …”

  “I know, baby girl. I know,” I murmur back, feeling her emotions in every breath.

  I hear Kai murmuring to her too, so I focus my attention on this little prick. I really wish he could see the devil in my grin right now, because I’m going to take a lot of pleasure from this.

  “How’s your little dick doing, Brett? Hmm? Did it turn you on when the bullet just blew it to pieces?” I have never loved shooting anything as much as I enjoyed making him lose his dick.

  He cries out, rolling in pain, but I’m far from fucking done. Lifting my foot up, I bring it back down hard on his ankle, putting all my weight behind it. The sound of his bones breaking, only offers me encouragement, as he wails in pain.

  Crouching down beside him, I whisper in his ear. “How does it feel to be helpless? Maybe I should do to you, what you longed for Tyler to do to Luna. What do you say to that?” I growl, fury filling my body again as I remember his words. “Maybe I should put a bullet through your skull, lay you on your front and fuck you like you tried to do to my wife?” My words only add fuel to the fire, wanting to give him a taste of his own medicine, and if that means dropping to his level for a moment, then I will.

  “Please, please…”

  “That’s it, Brett, beg me. Beg me to save you,” I spit out, as I force his head to turn so he’s looking in my direction. He doesn’t stop me, his hands are too occupied holding his junk together. “Unfortunately for you, I can be a little sadistic from time to time, when people cause my wife pain. So, I’m going to make you wish I’d killed you today, but instead, you’re going to enjoy your life without your little manhood in your pants. Living in constant fear that I’m going to hunt you down and finish the job.”

  Standing tall, I wrap my hand around his crushed ankle, making him scream louder, as I drag him along behind me to the exit door.

  “I love you, baby girl.”

  “I
love you too.”

  Stepping through the door, I find myself instantly face to face with Parker. His eyes are filled with rage, as he tries to search every part of me at once. Looking past me to Brett at my feet, he pulls the gun from his holster. Aiming down at Brett he doesn’t waste a second before pulling the trigger, shooting him straight between the eyes.

  Dropping the leg in my hands, I look at him with a raised eyebrow.

  “Nobody touches what’s mine,” he says, turning to sit back in his chair, as someone comes to pick Brett’s body up.

  Screams and shouts fill the room, but I refuse to pay them any attention. If they want to approach us, then they best be prepared for us to aim them down too.

  “You sappy fuck,” I chuckle, and he shakes his head at me as we get comfortable.

  Glancing to the other end of the room, I spot Roman instantly, his eyes widening at the state of me. God, I must look bad. Looking down at myself, I’ve got blood and dirt wrapped around every part of my clothing and exposed skin. My fingers trace my cheeks, feeling it all on my face too. My abdomen is killing me, but I won’t let any of these fuckers see.

  It’s all totally worth it to be standing here.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  (Luna)

  “I love you, baby girl.”

  “I love you too,” I respond automatically, but how the fuck is he strolling out of here so casually? The pounding of my heart is still ringing in my ears, and my breath is still coming in short bursts, as I try to calm down from what we just saw.

  We’ve been in here so long our eyes are much more adjusted than the travelers. I thought I might cry when I watched Parker complete The Tunnel, but watching Brett wrap his hands around Oscar’s throat plays on repeat in my mind.

  Leaning my head back on the wall behind me, Kai finally moves back a little, reminding me why I’m mad at him. Shoving at his chest he doesn’t move.

  “When we get out of here, we’re seriously going to talk. I can’t even deal with you right now. He was in danger, and you didn’t let me help.” I’m keeping my voice low, but he sure knows how fucking mad I am.

  Of course, when we first realized they weren’t going to pull us out when the guys did the challenge, I promised to stay to the side. But I didn’t agree to stand by and watch them get hurt, that wasn’t the fucking deal.

  “Sakura, I’d rather you be mad at me than have you both in danger. You heard the guy when we came in here. We could only attack, no helping.” His lips brush against my ear, intoxicating my senses, but I’m still furious. “I’m not staying trapped in here, being outnumbered in the dark. Besides, Oscar knew what he was doing. We’ve practiced scenarios like that a lot.”

  Is he serious? They’ve practiced strangling each other? And I thought my training was intense. The knowledge helps relax me a little, but I’m still on edge, and I will be until Roman has made it through too.

  As if reading my mind, the door to our right opens again, slamming shut behind the next person. It’s either Roman or Wren, that’s all who is left.

  “Luna?” Roman’s deep voice rumbles through the room, and my heart pounds in my chest again.

  “I’m here, Rome,” I respond, as Kai leans back from me slightly.

  “I find it rather insulting that not one of you called out my name, you know,” Kai chides, and I can’t help but chuckle. He’s clearly listening to Oscar whine too much, and now he’s picking it up.

  “Shut up, Kai. How’s our girl doing? Is she mad at you yet?”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe,” Kai says back, placing a kiss to my forehead.

  “Princess, you need to relax. Kai, I need you to keep her busy until you hear the door slam on the other side, I can feel her pulse from here.”

  Before I process what he just said, Kai’s mouth comes down on mine. Lost to the feel of his lips, my hands clench the opening of his leather jacket, bringing him closer to me. His fingers trail around my neck, cupping the back of my head as he lets me explore his mouth. While his other hand grips my hip.

  A grunt sounds out around the room, reminding me why we’re in here, and exactly why Kai is trying to keep me occupied.

  What a load of fucking Aceholes.

  My grip on his jacket instantly turns into trying to shove him away, my palms flat against his chest. He holds me in place tighter, moving his lips to my neck. My head falls back, as my body encourages the distraction, wanting all the attention he has to offer.

  Changing tactics, I bring my lips to his, intensifying the moment. I relax into him, and when he least expects it, I bite down hard on his bottom lip.

  The moan that pours from him gives me goosebumps as heat tingles at the surface of my skin. I taste blood on my tongue with the force of the bite, yet he’s kissing me harder, wanting more.

  Holy fuck.

  His fingers are holding my hip in place so tight, I know I’ll have fingertip bruises there later.

  “All good, Princess,” I hear Roman shout before the door slams shut behind him.

  Kai doesn’t release me like I expect him to. Instead, he deepens our kiss. Taking more from me and leaving me vulnerable. Pulling his lips away, he leans his forehead against mine. Before I can yell at him, his finger is against my lips stopping my words.

  “Sakura,” he whispers huskily. “Before you go crazy on me. Please remember that we will always do what we have to do to protect you. As much as you can handle yourself, the fear in us is real and unavoidable. Luna, you are our wife, and that means everything to me.”

  The truth and emotion in his words almost has me to my knees. I don’t know how to process the rawness he lets me see. Behind this quiet and observant man is a soul so passionate, he leaves me needing more.

  Out of nowhere, it dawns on me, and I feel a fool for never seeing it earlier. I may not like the way he feels the need to protect me, but I think he’ll go above and beyond to do so because of his sister. Leaning back I try to see into his eyes, but the darkness that surrounds us makes it difficult. I have to respect the pain he must feel, and the fear he must have of losing me. As much as I fear for my Aceholes, his anxiety must be ten-fold.

  In the distance, I hear the door open again for the final time, but I’m too focused on my handsome in front of me. Raising my hands to cup his face, I tilt my head back and kiss him on the forehead for a change. Trying to portray my feelings the same way I’m recognizing he does.

  “Watch out,” someone suddenly yells, and Kai quickly turns to protect me. I can just about make out Wren casually walking along the path with no one attacking her, like this is just one big set up for her to breeze through.

  A movement directly to my right catches my attention, I’m not quick enough to respond. The glint of a blade enters my vision, as I feel the sting against my cheek.

  What the fuck?

  Not willing to waste any time contemplating what is going on, I pull my own blade from my holster. Pushing Kai forward, I swing my right arm to the side, throwing whoever this fucker is into the wall. The right answer is to always strike first, ask questions later, and that’s no different right now.

  I stab my knife straight into their gut, forcing all my strength into the handle of my blade. My hand aching against the cross-guard in protest. The scream that rings in my ears is definitely female, and if it isn’t Wren, it could only be one girl.

  Becky.

  Stupid fucking bitch.

  Pulling the blade from her stomach, I repeat the action, feeling as the blade penetrates her skin.

  “I saved your life once, I won’t make that same mistake again,” I grind out. I can’t make out her eyes, but I pull the blade out of her body and wipe it on my pants.

  Kai’s arm comes protectively around my body, holding me against his chest, as he tries to process what just happened.

  My heart is pounding, and my breathing is heavy as I watch her fall to the floor, sobbing in pain.

  “Sakura, you’re bleeding,” he says, his hand clamping tight on my sho
ulder, as his finger trails through the cut on my face.

  I’m too in shock to register the pain and suddenly taken by surprise when the overhead lights turn on. Blinking at the intrusion, it takes me a moment to adjust to the light. Looking at my feet, I see the fear in Becky’s eyes as she hangs on to her life by a thread.

  Before I can finish the job, Kai is spinning me around to look me over. His eyes fall quickly to my cheek, and he frantically starts looking for something to stop the bleeding. As he goes to take his leather jacket off, a black bundle of material is thrust between us.

  To our right stands Conor, shirtless, with concern on his face.

  “I’m sorry, I saw her move, and I tried to warn you, but my shout didn’t give you enough time to prepare,” he murmurs quietly, his voice gravelly.

  Kai stares him down for a moment, before taking the top from his hands, bringing it to my face and applying pressure.

  “It’s not your fault, but thank you,” I mutter, not really sure what else to say.

  “No worries, I’m here if you need me. Trudy said you’d make her pay for her mistakes, no matter the threat she was under. Even still, she begged for me to help you guys with whatever you need. So, here I am.”

  He’s walking for the exit before I can even catch up with what he said.

  “Come, Sakura. We need to get this looked at,” Kai mutters, keeping the cloth to my face, as he guides me by my arm to the door. It is instantly thrown open, and I can see a thunderous Roman from here.

  He blocks Conor’s path, staring him down for a moment until he finally lifts his hand. Without question, Conor takes it, something passing between them before he lets him by.

  “Just fucking pick her up, Kai.” I hear Oscar groan, getting frustrated with the time it’s taking to be reunited. The smile that graces my lips surprises me. I barely did anything in there, yet I feel utterly exhausted. Clearly worrying about the safety of my Aceholes, while also having someone slice your face can be tiring.