Tongue (Ruthless Kings MC #8) - K.L. Savage Page 0,73
left, is hate.
“I’m okay,” I tell Tongue, wiping my cheek. “I swear.”
I can tell he is torn. My wicked warrior wants to come to my side, but right now, I’m filled with so much rage toward Andrew that I need Tongue to finish this once and for all. I want to move on with my life because now I realize how stagnant it has been.
“The last fighter. May the best man win,” Maximo announces, a knowing smile on his face. Was Andrew not enough to torment me with?
Tongue’s murderous smile fades, and I follow his line of sight until I see a familiar redhead wearing a kilt.
Both men stare at each other in shock and that’s when I realize what Maximo has done.
Ruthless King vs. Ruthless King.
And only one man can come out alive.
I’ve lived through a lot of nightmares, and I’ve killed a lot of men. I’ve lost count of the number of tongues I’ve cut out and how many of my victims begged for their life. I’ve laughed in a dying man’s face because it was deserved. I’ve bathed myself in blood and I’ve been so turned on by death, I’ve jacked off to the memory of inflicting pain.
But this…
I don’t think I can survive knowing I killed Skirt. My brother. My family. I know there is a rift between me and the club right now for what I have done, but that doesn’t mean I won’t ever have their back.
“What the fuck is this Maximo? You said you had a fight for me. You didn’t say this,” Skirt sneers, clenching his fingers around the brass knuckles. I bet he is holding himself back from beating the living shit out of Maximo. I know I am.
“I’m not fighting him,” I state, and the crowd boo’s me. I flick them off, not giving a fuck what they have to say. I was doing this for Daphne, but I can afford to buy her my own ring and we can get married anywhere. I was only doing this because Maximo made a deal. I’ve hurt the Kings enough by hurting Sarah. Skirt has a little girl now, a wife, a son, and he is my family.
I’d have the power to kill him, but truth be told, I’d let him kill me if it meant him going home to see his family.
I’m vicious. I’m cruel. I’m fucked up.
But the one thing I’ve learned I’m not?
Heartless.
Daphne has made me realize that.
“If you don’t do this, you do not get what you want,” Maximo warns, wrapping his hand around the back of the throne.
I shrug and walk around the ring to pick up the tongues I’ve cut out. My swamp kitties are going to have a nice treat waiting for them when I overnight these bad boys. “I got what I want,” I say simply, sliding the appendage in my cut pocket and staring at Daphne.
She gives me one of those smiles that makes it seem like everything is going to be okay.
“Fight or the girl dies,” Maximo says, snapping his fingers. One of his goons presses a gun against Daphne’s head and that beautiful, brilliant smile fades.
“Let her go or I swear to god, I’ll fucking kill you,” I warn Maximo.
“She’d be dead before you could. I refuse to lose money because you can’t nut the fuck up and fight.”
“He is my family!” I roar, spit flying out of my mouth as the rage turns to lividity.
“I thought she was your family?” Maximo runs a finger down her cheek, touching her.
Only I can touch her.
“I’ve stabbed you once. I’m not afraid to stab you again.”
“Tongue, it’s fine. We fight until one falls, not dies,” Skirt says, walking toward the fence. “Just don’t cut out me tongue. I need it. Dawn likes it too much,” he winks, trying to lighten the mood, but I’m furious.
No wonder they call Maximo the damn Devil. He should name his resort Hell’s Playground because that’s all Maximo really likes to do, play in the fires until someone burns.
“I’m not fighting you,” I tell him and grip the fence in my hands, blood dripping off them as I try to get as close to his face as possible. “Please, Skirt.” I’m not the man to beg, but I am right now.
I can’t handle the guilt.
He climbs the fence and lands beside me. “Ye girl is in danger right now, and if we don’t fight, Maximo would probably kill her.”