In front of her.
He had warned me that day in the gym. He really did want to tear me to pieces in front of Zoe. Was it just because she'd broken up with him? Could he be so petty?
A man like this... yes.
Twisting away from Reese's strike, I caught Zoe watching. Her eyes were crystallized, pure terror. Twice tonight, she'd been sure I would die.
I hoped I could prove her wrong again.
The next time his knife came for me, I knew what I had to do. Reese was sloppy, I was weak, but while he was fighting out of hate... I was fighting for her. This was about more than my own skin.
Reese would never understand that.
Metal sliced into my shoulder. It burned like acid, turned the edges of my vision black. It wasn't a vital spot, that was what mattered.
Grabbing him by the wrist, I filled my chest with air. Everything flexed, my weight slamming us both towards the ground. Across one knee, I cracked Reese's wrist. His scream muddled my ears, the knife bouncing along the cement.
Crushing him down all the way, I jammed my knee into his stomach. His head lolled, then fell to one side so he could vomit. The noise that left him was hardly human.
It took all of my inner strength not to hit him again. The man was terrible, he deserved to suffer, but... fuck. I was so tired, I wanted nothing to do with any of this. I wanted to be done. I longed to curl my busted body around Zoe and go to sleep somewhere warm.
Ten more years, I reminded myself.
When I'd first realized how long I'd be at Zoe's beck and call, it had been intimidating. I lived day to day, and ten years was as long as an infinity.
But now...
Now, I couldn't picture a world without Zoe Lillith. Ten years, twenty, a million. I would take them if I could get them, no matter how they had to be spent.
Some people go their whole lives, never knowing what they're fighting for.
I'd been graced with a reason.
At least, now, I'd never have to fight Reese again. There was no way he wasn't going to jail over this, I'd see to that.
Standing, I said softly, “You lost. It's over.” My eyes darted, finding Zoe. She was dazed with disbelief. Around us, barking rained down from the attendees.
I was the dog that had come out on top.
Reese groaned, his lashes fluttering in his disorientation. He found me, animosity filling his vision. My smile didn't help, probably. When he said nothing, I turned away. I hid my wince, limping towards Zoe as she came to meet me.
“Huck! Are you okay?”
“Nope,” I chuckled darkly. “Shit, everything hurts. I can hardly stand.”
She smiled, starting to speak. I saw her lips pucker, remembered what she'd said to my deaf ears earlier.
I love you.
This time, she said, “I'm so glad you're okay.”
“Okay is a strong word, doll.” I was too dizzy, focusing was a challenge. She looked around me, her nervousness demanding I look, too. Spinning, I nearly passing out from the motion. All the damage was catching up with me. I was wrecked.
Nehro walked past Reese, not sparing him a glance. He hovered over us, a human crafted from a fucking vulture. “I've never seen someone do what you did tonight. Congratulations, Huxton. You're one of a kind.”
Smiling, I put my weight on Zoe. Then, I lifted a hand and flipped him off. “We're leaving. Unless you plan to fight me yourself, now.” Fuck, don't let that happen.
Shaking his head, Nehro's lips twitched into a sneer. “No. I'm too smart for that.”
“Well, thank fucking god for brains,” I mumbled.
He said, “Huxton, I wanted to offer you something else.” Pausing, he watched as the patrons started moving into the ring, eyeing Reese where he was on his knees, groaning.
I nodded at the doubled-over man. “You plan to take care of that?”
“In a minute. Listen to me, first.” His hands linked at his lower back. Pretend politeness, like I could be fooled by his mannerisms. “You realize your current position, right?”
He didn't need to elaborate. The blood on my face and hands and all of my screaming muscles made it clear. “Let me jump ahead,” I said. “Are you about to threaten me?”
“Hardly.” Nehro blinked, then smiled. “Maybe a little. You'll be in no shape to fight for the next week, I'm sure. So what will you do if I call on Zoe?”
Twisting enough so I could stare down at her, I gave her a tiny hug. “You promised me a week off if I won. Guess I'm not shocked you'd take that back.” I was too tired to be disappointed. “If you're trying to grind me into hamburger, it won't work. I'll come to the damn fights, and if I know I can't win... I'll tap out. She doesn't default as long as I show up, right?”
Something dark wormed through Nehro's glare. “You don't need to win, true. But a fight has to end with a man defeated, or go as long as five minutes before one surrenders. Otherwise we'd have people cheating the bets by jumping in and giving up instantly.”
I laughed humorlessly. “Can't have people cheating, right?”
Nehro sighed, looking over at Reese again. He was waving people away from him. “You think I let him take the weapon in there?”
Zoe spoke first. “Of course you did!”
Shrugging, Nehro let a sickly-sweet smile grow. “Fine, assume I did. That means you should listen to me extra well, if you believe I'd go that far.” There, his eyes hardened. He wasn't fooling around, voice dropping low. “Huxton. If you keep fighting for her, you're going to end up as a corpse. Why not take my offer, instead?”
“I don't want your fucking offer.”
He said, “You haven't heard it yet.”
Swaying, my energy dissipating, I leaned on Zoe. “I know it won't favor her. Why the fuck are you so determined to make her sell her body to you? What's the point of your obsession?”
Tilting his head, long strands of midnight-black hair rolled over Nehro's shoulder. “Tell me, why are you so obsessed?” I straightened up at his question. “Perhaps the answer lies in you, Huxton. You're willing to die for her, is my desire to have her in my control so shocking?”
Those silent words that pierced my heart now flowed through my head.
I love you.
Tensing my jaw, I heard my molars creak from the pressure. “It's different for me. What you're doing is cruel.”
“My offer isn't too cruel, for you.” He offered his hand, waiting for me to shake it. “Here's my deal. I'll pay you triple per fight, let you rest up between them, and all you have to do is not fight for Zoe anymore.” His smile was sharp as a scythe. “You can pay her debt down with your own money, if you wish. It'd be cleared in less than five years, half the time you'd both struggle doing this.”
Ice flowed into my belly. I stared at his hand, not touching it. “No.”
His fingers twitched. “The crowd loves you. I'd like to keep you here, fighting and bringing them in, even if it means letting Zoe out of her debt faster.”
“But not letting her go entirely,” I snapped.
“No,” he agreed, smiling. “Not entirely.”
Slapping his arm away, I snarled. “You don't get it. Five years, one year... I wouldn't agree to anything like that.”
Zoe pushed her palm against my chest, starting to lead me away. “I told you before, Nehro... I'll fight those men myself before I sleep with you. Your plan is flawed. You'll never have me.”
“Oh no, you're wrong there.” In the light, his teeth looked yellow. “I will have you. You owe me enough money that I have the luxury of time to think of a method. Perhaps I'll consider your earlier suggestion?” He turned, moving into the ring and towards Reese. “Your grandmother is a delightful pawn, after all.”
She locked up, and I thought I was going to have to hold her back from attacking Nehro. Crushing her with what strength I had, I whispered in her ear, “It's okay. We'll figure it out. He can't force you to do anything. I'll make sure of it.”