But fair or right did not exist in this place. Not one guard stopped them, not one person tried to break them up. Not for me.
Darkness seeped into my mind, pulling me away from reality, detaching me from the excruciating agony, blood blinding my vision and choking my throat.
“STOP!” A voice thundered through the room, the vibration rumbling deep into my bones, yanking my soul back to the surface, forcing my eyes open with a gasp.
Warwick.
The herd halted, twisting around, their brutish egos flipping off like a switch.
“Shit!” Three of them scrambled back, horror streaking their features.
The main guy stood still, folding his arms, but I could see his jaw shifting, his shoulders rising in defense.
Footsteps hit the floor, and I heard gasps and movement as people got out of Warwick’s way, letting the Wolf cross the room.
Warwick parted the crowd, stepping up to the new buffalo leader. Emotionless, he stared at the man, but I noticed the tightness in his shoulders, a twitch under his eye. Signs that rage boiled under the surface.
The buffalo man was huge, but Warwick’s frame towered over him. The shifter gulped.
“You have the right to touch her?” Cold. Detached. His gravelly voice was somehow calm and threatening at the same time.
“Uh—well—I mean, she is HDF. Markos’s daughter.” The bull motioned to me. “And she cheated. Rodriguez’s death was not a fair fight.”
“You’re right; it wasn’t.” Warwick tilted his head, his words feeling like a trap.
“I must avenge my friend. And this bitch walks around here like she owns—”
Warwick’s arm darted out, his hand clamping down on the man’s neck, baring his teeth. “I didn’t say why it wasn’t fair.” He squeezed, the shifter gasping and pawing at Warwick’s hand. “Rodriguez was completely outmatched. She was by far the better fighter, killing two people in the arena while your friend pranced around like it was a pageant.” He yanked the man’s body closer to his face, their noses knocking together. “You are the one dishonoring his death by being a bully and coward,” he seethed, spitting in his face. “You touched her. Breaking the rules. You know what happens when someone starts acting as if they are in charge here?” The buffalo’s skin turned a deep purple, his mouth open, his eyes bugging. “They are shown the error of their ways quickly.”
“Hey! He can’t breathe!” A buddy tried to step up, but Warwick glared. The guy stumbled back behind the others, hiding.
Warwick snorted. “Do you see anyone coming to save you? The fear pumping in your veins knows not one guard, not even your buddies here, are going to stop me. I want you to feel that. I hope it is your last thought.” Warwick squeezed harder, and the man’s legs bowed. “You get off while six of you try to beat a tiny girl to death? Did it make you feel like a man?”
Tiny? I am not tiny, you asshole.
His gaze darted to me for a second.
“This is what I do to sad, insecure men like you,” Warwick snarled, clamping down harder. The shifter tried one last struggle, but his fingers dropped from Warwick’s grip, the whites of his eyes bursting red, a snap of his neck, and his jaw went slack.
Warwick let go, and the man’s lifeless figure fell to the ground with a thump.
Holy. Shit.
He killed him—without hesitation or effort.
“That’s a lesson for all. Do not test me, or you will join him.” Warwick boomed to the stunned room, anger seeping through his statement. “And if I hear one more of you touches her, or so much as breathes in her direction?” He paused, circling to all the inmates. “You will be next. And I will not be so generous in how I kill you.” He glanced down at me, his eyes rolling coolly over me. “She’s mine.” He paused for a moment, our gazes locking at his words before a cruel grin twisted his mouth. “My kill…”
The brief moment my heart fluttered into my throat was ruined by the ball of lead that entered my stomach, smashing my last bits of hope.
He crouched down, leaning in close to me.
“It’s you and me in the ring tonight. Your life is now mine, Kovacs.”
Now I understood why he had stepped in and saved me…
To kill me himself.
Chapter 24
The excitement from the crowd buzzed far down the corridor, lighting the air with sparks. Terror weaved deeply into my bones, and I struggled to breathe or even stay conscious.