Last Kiss Goodnight - By Gena Showalter Page 0,123
your blood.”
Matas snorted, not the least bit intimidated. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
Jecis was too lost to his rage to notice the two men were arguing. And he was too lost to his rage to notice Solo wasn’t actually asleep. Because of that, he made the mistake of opening the door to the cage.
“Now,” Solo shouted, his jaw heavy but still workable.
In the process of stepping deeper into the enclosure, Jecis froze, the Targon taking control of his body. Every ounce of Solo’s strength was needed to pull himself into a sitting position, but he did it. His gaze met his enemy’s, and he smiled slowly, with relish.
Dr. E stopped laughing. “What’s going on? How are you doing this?”
Ignoring him, Solo said to Jecis, “Just so you know, the only one who will suffer today is you.”
Fear joined the rage in Jecis’s eyes. Solo could see the skull writhing beneath his skin, attempting to jerk out of the Targon’s control. Gritting his teeth, Solo kicked out his leg, nailing Jecis in the stomach and sending him propelling to the ground.
Dr. E vanished.
Solo was quick to follow his opponent, jumping out of the cage. Every action loosened his muscles and lifted some of the weight of the drugs. Now it was time for a little dirty pool. He threw his leg into another kick—nailing Jecis between the legs.
Air burst from the man’s mouth, but that was it, his only reaction.
“You’re free!” Kitten said, fist pumping the air. “I told you this would happen. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Let me out!” Criss shouted.
“Me too! Come on, man. Over here!”
The Bree Lian jumped up and down. “Beast Man! Over here!”
“Can’t . . . hold them much longer,” the Targon called. “Their magic . . . fighting me.”
Solo bent down and grabbed Jecis by the wrist. He dragged the man past an equally frozen Matas, and to the Targon’s cage, where he pressed Jecis’s thumb into the lock. A flash of white light, and the tumbler gave way.
The Targon burst from the cage and launched himself at Matas. That’s when he lost his hold on the bodies, both Matas and Jecis erupting into action.
Jecis jerked from Solo’s hold and rolled to his feet. There was no exchange of words. They simply dove toward each other, fists flying. Solo landed several punches, but he took one, too. The ensuing sting enraged him. What had Vika endured at this man’s hands over the years?
Rage . . . cold, harsh.
Drugs . . . drip, drip, dripping, trying to weaken.
Calm, he told himself. Remain calm. He couldn’t allow himself to morph, not in any way. And for once, it wasn’t an impossible task. Vika had taught him a better way to live.
He blocked a punch, ducked, and threw one, smashing into Jecis’s kidney. He heard a hiss, though he knew the man wasn’t out for the count. Far from it. The violence must have engaged his dark side, because the skull shot out, little gold flames appearing in the darkness as it tried to chomp on Solo. Just before contact, a giant version of X swooped in, catching the skull like a basketball and falling to the ground with it clutched to his chest.
Jecis unleashed a pained wail, as if the evil were attached to him, and he could feel its defeat. Solo struck, nailing him in the temple once, twice, three times. The man’s head rattled from side to side, but on Solo’s fourth swing, he managed to get his hands up and block.
Solo aimed lower. Contact. Again, air burst from Jecis’s mouth.
From the corner of his eye, he saw that the Targon had Matas pinned to the ground. The shadows that had always hovered over Matas’s shoulder had stretched out and were biting and biting at the otherworlder, but the male paid them no heed. He continued to rain fists of fury into his opponent’s face. Again and again. Until it wasn’t just blood flinging in every direction. Until the shadows slowed . . . stilled . . . flopped to the ground and vanished.
Jecis used his distraction against him and landed another punch to his jaw. His head whipped to the side, and he went with the motion, dropping to his side and kicking up his legs. His boots knocked Jecis’s teeth together, sending him stumbling backward.
Solo straightened and followed him, grabbing him by the collar. Swollen, bloodshot eyes peered up at him.
“Kill me, and she’ll never forgive you,” Jecis spat.