Chapter 7 #3
Dread flashes across his face, and I fight off the amusement that surges through me. I’m not like Lochlan, who turns his kills into a game. And Rohan is almost emotionless when he takes a life. I prefer to make things interesting.
I won’t drag this out, not when I spot Eden staring at me with a heated gaze that makes it hard to focus on anything else. But I do want to remind everyone that I should be feared. Death shouldn’t be quick and painless—not in this context at least.
The buzzer sounds through the arena, and I finally let a crack show in my composure. A menacing grin spreads over my face, and I see true terror in my opponent’s eyes.
With the bloodlust flooding my system, I stop holding back. I lunge forward, landing a quick combo of hits as I back the other man up the chain-link fencing. He’s forced to cover himself as blow after blow lands.
He tries to push me back and get some space, but I headbutt him with his guard dropped. He grunts as he falls back, blood pouring from his nose. The sight only spurs me on, especially when a metallic taste floods my mouth. I’m certain my smile has turned bloody.
In a desperate attempt, he takes a few blows to the head as he takes my legs out from under me. But I twist immediately, getting him under me so that I can keep landing blows.
His face is a mess at this point, and with his arms in the way, my focus is forced elsewhere. But I don’t discriminate where I can cause pain—as long as I’m inflicting it.
He cries out when I manage to crack a rib, and it forces him out of the protective position he’s been in. He squirms, attempting to flip me, and I let him. Instead of him throwing me to my back, he only manages to twist in my hold.
I sink back, my legs pinning his to the mat beneath us as my forearm presses against his throat. He has nowhere to move as I tighten my other arm in place, choking him.
He thrashes, but I hardly move, not giving him any room. I don’t feel his nails clawing at my skin or his meager attempts of breaking my hold.
I’m too focused on Eden.
Her cheeks are flushed, and she’s nearly out of the chair she’s leaned so far forward. She looks stunning as her teeth rake over her bottom lip, eyes heated and locked on me. She’s nearly frothing as she watches, like it’s taking everything in her to stay put.
Still holding her gaze, I relax my arms. The man sucks in deep breaths, but he doesn’t realize this isn’t a mercy. Instead, I drop both hands to either side of his head and twist.
Eden’s teeth sink into that lip, her gaze blazing as he goes completely limp in my hold. She looks like she's seconds away from an orgasm, and I want to get her out of here before anyone else gets to see it.
I ignore everyone else as I get up, stalking toward her. She’s already on her feet, and Jude doesn’t interfere as she rushes to me.
I drag my eyes from her long enough to look at his angry gaze. I know that this time, he won’t bite his tongue on the ride back up the mountain. He’ll give me an earful about taking a challenge—especially with no weapons on me—and tell Rohan for good measure.
But it’ll all be worth it.
“Collect my guns for me,” I tell him before turning toward the door that leads out of the cage.
With my hand pressed to Eden’s back, I usher her off the mat and down the hall. Her skin is searing me through her shirt, and she seems just as eager to get away from prying eyes.
As soon as we reach her door, she shoves it open, whipping around to shut it behind me. It leaves us alone in the dim room, and the tension between us has never been so thick.
I arch a brow at Eden, who seems to be holding on by a thread. And I’m dying to make it snap.
“I won.” I don’t move even though I want to pin her against that door and find out how much watching turned her on. “And I want to collect my winnings.”
Her chest heaves, and I know she’s seconds from breaking. “I don’t run the betting tables.”
“Good thing I don’t want money as my reward.”
She wets her lips, and I think that maybe I won’t be able to wait her out. “What do you want?”
“You.” It comes out as nearly a growl. “I’ve been dying to fucking taste you, Eden.”
As soon as the words leave my lips, she’s rushing across the room to me. One hand slides up my chest, moving to the back of my neck. The other reaches for my face, and I let her guide me down as she pushes up on her toes, sealing our lips together.
Breaking that last bit of tension shatters us. In a breath, we turn feral. Her lips part, and my tongue swipes in. Her hands fist my hair, and mine slide down to grip her thighs. I lift her as her legs wrap around me, spinning to pin her to the wall so I can devour her.
Eden kisses like she does everything else—with passion and fury. She doesn’t let me take. She fights me every step of the way until one of my hands is wrapped in her dark curls, yanking her head back and forcing her to relent.
She whimpers as I dive in, fingers digging into my scalp and shoulder, but she finally lets me take charge. And fuck, I lose myself in her.
I knew that once I finally got a taste, it would be my undoing. But I severely underestimated just how much Eden Resnick would fuck me up.
Too bad I’m already in too deep to care.