Page 31

“Matthew?” The guy in front of me asks, and I realize that he’s talking to the true leader, waiting at the back.

The true leader growls as he demands, “Let us through the gates.”

“No,” I reply simply and firmly. I should just leave it there, but I am fucking itching for a fight. So I add, “Fuck off back to wherever the fuck you came from, you pathetic piece of shit.”

The expression that crosses the leader's face is pure, undiluted anger. I brace myself just in time for him to launch himself at me. I hear shouts from Saint and Zee, who apparently can’t get through the gates, as the remaining four fuckers come at us.

I can’t help it, my smile widens, and I hear Luc chuckle. It’s been a while since we’ve had a fight and not had to follow strict protocol.

I didn’t realize quite how much I missed it. The part of me that craves blood, violence, and pain pushes forward for the first time in a long time, and I welcome it with familiarity.

‘Hello, old friend, let's do this.’

I have a hell of a lot more control over that dark part of me than I did when I was younger, which is a good thing considering I am a far more skilled fighter than I used to be.

Matthew’s eyes widen slightly as he catches my expression, swings for me, and I duck.

These guys definitely didn't come to play, they’re out for blood, but Luc and I aren’t strangers to these kinds of fights. As I land an uppercut and spin out of the way, I catch Zee and Saint staring tensely from the other side of the gates. The mechanism must have failed since they can’t get out.

They know better than to shout anything at us because it will distract us, but they have a weird look of concern and vicious pride in their expressions. It’s an interesting mix.

Matthew’s fist catches me in the stomach, and I barely manage to move out of the way to avoid his knee that immediately aims for my face as I crumple forward. I end up throwing myself sideways and then rolling so he can’t pin me to the floor.

I am not in the mood for a wrestling match.

We carry on exchanging hits and circling each other.

Luc has already taken one of his opponents out and is fighting another one, and the third one tries to charge at me from behind. The only reason I am aware that there is a threat behind me is that Mathews' eyes briefly move behind me before they refocus on me again.

Spinning, I grab the attacking guy by the throat and then use his momentum to move him so that he’s between Mathew and me. The guy's eyes are wide as I pin him to the floor with my hand around his throat and then give him two punches in quick succession to knock him out.

When I stand up again, my fists raised and my eyes on Matthew, I’m surprised to see him simply standing there and staring at me. When he doesn’t immediately charge me, I raise my eyebrow at him.

He tilts his head to the side slightly, looks at his knocked-out man at my feet and at the two groaning on the floor around Luc, and shakes his head.

Clenching his hands at his sides, he orders, “Let’s go.”

The two on the ground near Luc scramble to their feet, looking worse for wear as Luc stands there grinning a bloody smile and watching them go.

“You two are fucking psychopaths,” Matthew snarls as the two who Luc took on cautiously approach and pick up the guy on the floor at my feet.

Me being the asshole that I am, I wait until they’re close by and then snap my bloodied teeth at them, making them panic and quickly drag the guy at my feet back to the car.

“Fucking psychopath,” Matthew spits again.

I shrug and tell him honestly, “I’ll take limbs next time.”

His words aren’t anything I haven’t heard before.

My eyes don’t move from the fucker as he backs up to the car and jumps in, slamming it into reverse and heading back down the drive.

Luc comes to stand next to me. “Been a while since I’ve seen you fight like that.”

“I enjoyed it more than I probably should,” I admit quietly. Keeping my gaze on where the car disappeared to make sure that they don’t come back.

“Me too,” Luc says. He grins, “We’ve never been sane. Jensen is going to be so mad that he missed out.”

“I always knew that you guys were insane,” Saint starts, and I turn around to see the gates opening. “But that was beyond crazy.”