63. Adrian
He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck as Jace sneered at him a few paces away.
“Just can’t get enough of me, can you?” Jace smirked as if his taunt actually carried weight. Last time, he’d been allowed the upper hand. He was mistaken if he thought that’d ever happen again.
Adrian’s smile widened.
No one touched his family and got away with it. Especially not his sweet witch.
His lips twitched at the memory of her holding onto his weapons, ethereal and devastatingly exquisite, his guiding starlight cloaked in darkness. The best sight in the whole fucking world. For her sake, he’d fight the devil himself.
Speaking of which, Jun turned with a sneer. “Fucking pricks. I’ll make damn sure to get it through your thick skulls to stay in your lane.”
Adrian readied his fists and shifted onto the balls of his feet.
“Hey, got the wrong opponent, fucker.” Raptor followed with a lightning-fast swing that hit Jun square in the jaw. The crowd erupted as Jun spat out blood. Raptor’s face darkened. “That one’s for Riley. The rest are for me.”
Then all hell broke loose.
Jace launched forward, aiming for Adrian’s head, but he swerved just in time and then lunged back in full force. Blocking the next hit, he fired off a jab to Jace’s side and landed an uppercut in quick succession. Their arms and fists collided with brutal force, and they exchanged blow after blow.
Breaking away, he sucked in a deep breath and circled Jace.
By the grunts and groans coming from the left, it seemed Jun had his hands full. Raptor bested almost anyone in bulk, but Adrian knew Jun would be lighter and faster. Both VPs had the honor and pride of their MC on the line, unwilling to face a loss in front of their men. Their match wouldn’t end anytime soon.
Jace wouldn’t be so lucky.
Panting, Adrian wiped the sweat from his brow. Adrenaline surged through his system, and blood trickled from his knuckles, slick and sticky between his fingers. His ribs burned, stinging from a sharp inhale as he side-stepped a hit aimed at his ribs. Time to end this.
He ducked and spun on his heel, then grabbed Jace’s collar and slammed a fist into his nose. A satisfying crack preceded a hot rush of blood. With a hiss, Jace jabbed his elbow into Adrian’s chest, and they broke apart.
A wave of murmurs echoed throughout the crowd, some cheering while others cursed. It all faded into the background, pointless noise as he prowled around Jace.
Facing each other head-on, Adrian drew a painful breath as Jace licked blood off his lips. The silver rings on Jace’s hand flashed in the firelight, mirroring those on his brother’s hand. The sight made Adrian’s vision burn white hot.
“How’s that privilege feeling now?” Adrian taunted. “Still think like you can get away with anything you want?” He sprung forward and landed a hard blow to Jace’s stomach, digging into his liver. Jace grunted and contorted his face in pain. “Still think you can get away with murder, and no one would care?”
Doubled over, Jace snarled at him through a row of bloody teeth. “I said no one would care about you , asshole.”
Adrian unleashed a solid kick that knocked Jace to the ground. Red Dragon shouted while Royal Flush roared. Then he got what he’d been looking for.
That pathetic look in Jace’s dull eyes. Not one of a murderer.
Fear.
Adrian locked an arm around Jace’s neck and held him from behind. “If you were capable of killing, I’d be dead by now,” he rasped. “You didn’t have to walk away that night. You could’ve come after me anytime, but instead, you targeted Ivory. You’re the weak one, and you know it.”
Jace struggled to reply, fingers clawing at Adrian’s arm, but it was no use. His body had its limits, and without oxygen, he slumped into unconsciousness on the cold cement.
“Get up!”
“On your feet, Jace!”
The Dragons’ encouragements were of no use. Maybe now they’d see how pathetic Jace was. Adrian tossed his body to the side and stood up, eyes narrowing over toward Jun and Raptor.
Before the match began, he saw something he couldn’t forget. Jun carried a Glock-19. The same weapon that fired the bullets found at the crime scene. Bullets that ended his father’s life. Was he supposed to chalk it all up as coincidence? One person who had motive, opportunity, and the murder weapon?
It was past time he found out the truth, even if he had to beat both brothers to a pulp.
For a split second, Jun caught Adrian’s deathly stare. That was all Raptor needed. His fist sailed through the air and connected an uppercut to the side of Jun’s head. Bracing himself, Jun retaliated with a swift kick to the inside of Raptor’s knee and followed with a harsh jab to his throat.
“Always getting in my fucking way,” Jun muttered as Raptor shuffled back with a grunt. He turned to glare at Adrian. “Like father, like son.”
“What the fuck did you say about my father?” Adrian growled. The corner of his vision grew dark.
Raptor paused, eyeing them as Jun sneered and took a step closer. A quiet stillness fell over the crowd as the men waited to see what would happen next.
“Do you think winning tonight means it’s over?” Jun popped his jaw. “It’s over when I fucking say it’s over. When my gun puts a bullet through your thick skull.”
Adrian’s blood ran cold. Those were the words of a killer. “You shot him.”
Even he could hear the twist of hatred in his voice, the undercurrent of rage ready to crush everyone in its depths.
Jun’s face transformed into wicked triumph, gleeful that he’d hit where it hurt most. “Yeah. That’s right. I killed your old man on the same night I took out that asshole’s son.” He cocked his head toward Cortez. Bloodlust tainted his features, eyes absorbing all traces of light, and his lips curled in a wide, awful grin. Crimson liquid dripped down his face and stained his clothes. “Should’ve seen the look on his face when he died. Oh, wait—you did, didn’t you?”
That fucking bastard .
Adrian lunged at the same time Jun reached for a brick that had been pushed into the ring. Shouts signified a wave of chaos on the sidelines, then a gunshot rang through the air.
“Enough,” Cortez yelled, silencing the crowd in an instant.
Raptor yanked Adrian back and tackled Jun to the ground, knocking away the brick. Several Dragons rushed over to pull a dazed but conscious Jace to the sidelines.
Yu frowned at his sons, then focused on Jun. “Stand up,” he ordered.
Jun threw Raptor off, and they both got to their feet, returning to opposite sides of the arena.
Cortez lowered his gun and cocked his head. “Thought I heard something interesting just now.” He took a few measured strides toward Jun. “Care to repeat yourself?”
No one spoke. Jun bristled, but he wasn’t enough of a fool to incriminate himself more than once.
Too damn bad that it was too late.
Adrian raised his voice and cut through the silence. “If he doesn’t want to talk, I will.”
He stepped over to the sidelines, where Riley held up a square box for everyone to see. Next to her, Ivory looked between them with questioning apprehension.
Like hell he’d leave tonight without a guarantee of her safety. The recording device had been a backup, one that would pick up conversation from long distances in order to catch Jace if he made any threats, but now they had something better. Adrenaline buzzed through his veins.
Taking the device from Riley, he showed Cortez. “Got it all right here.” Adrian turned his eyes toward Yu. “After all these years.”
He clicked the replay button and sped forward. Static from the fire and shuffling bodies muddled the background, but then the sounds of the fight grew quiet, and Jun’s words came out unmistakably clear.
“I killed your old man on the same night I took out that asshole’s son.”
Fury tore across Cortez’s face, and without hesitation, he pointed his gun at Jun. Half a second later, every member of Red Dragon drew their weapons, aiming at the other end of the clearing where Royal Flush stared down the barrel of their own guns.
“Stop.”
Yu’s voice froze the countless trigger-happy fingers; the men willing to die despite being locked in a futile stalemate. “This was outside of my knowledge, but I’ll be the one to deal with it.” He held up his hand, and with a nod from Cortez, both sides lowered their guns.
Yu turned to Jun. “You are the Laoda. My eldest son. You could have ruled half of my empire, but instead, you tore it down by going around my back to feed your own ego. Then again by leaving the job unfinished. I taught you better than that.”
Yu scowled and raised his weapon at Adrian’s chest, intending to destroy the evidence and the one who held it.
“Don’t!” someone shrieked.
Fuck. No. Not that voice.
Not her.
Adrian turned, oblivious to the gun aimed at his heart or to the fact that he was about to die by the same people who had murdered his father.
Ivory pointed his gun at Yu. Risking her life for his. Shedding her innocence in order to preserve his own tarnished, corrupt existence.
The gentle features he’d grown accustomed to were replaced with hardened determination, arms unwavering and locked in position. She leveled her gaze on her target, but he knew her muscles were tuned into his slightest movement.
His heart tore a frantic cadence into his chest, and every moment they’d ever shared flashed before his eyes. He’d die a thousand deaths before he’d sacrifice hers.
You could tell so much about a person from the way you looked at them.
And now, he looked at her as if she were his very soul. Because that was the truth. The only truth that mattered.
There were no options left. He tossed the recording aside and stepped between Ivory and Yu, who regarded him with hard eyes.
Adrian set his jaw. He wouldn’t back down. Not before, and not now.
“You should know,” Yu muttered under his breath. “A father’s honor rests on his son. Yours would be proud.”
Bang.