Chapter 8 #2
I grunted and climbed in the limo. I’d expected the King of Macao to be difficult, but leaving me alone with DuPre and expecting me not to kill him was so far past that.
DuPre had tortured my sweet wife for how many years?
He’d bruised her, but that was nothing compared to years of psychological torture.
I needed his pain, his screams, his slow, agonizing death.
Instead, I was sitting across from him where he casually lounged, eyes ripping me apart as he restrained his own vicious impulses. This monster had been sick, like her, but was now miraculously recovered.
I smiled at him. “You look well also. What do you want Wilson’s research for? Seems you’re already cured.”
“As long as my Sunshine suffers, how can I rest?”
The memory of Sunshine’s bruises and tears had me tensing up in spite of myself. “So you’re here to help my wife?”
He flinched, and then his face was a mask of rage. His psychopath was very close to the surface. So was mine, come to think of it. “She isn’t yours. You think that you can take anything you want? Because you’re the so-called ‘Prince of Beasts’?”
“You’ve got it all wrong, DuPre. She asked me to marry her.” I held up my left hand. “She carved my wedding band with her pretty little hands. And all thanks to you, the one who scared her into my arms. I really should thank you.”
He clenched his teeth and looked out the window. “You don’t know anything about her. You haven’t seen her endure the pain. Nothing is so beautiful.”
Suddenly my chest felt hollow. She didn’t want any more treatments.
She wanted to die with me pleasantly, but here I was, chasing down more pain for her.
I should kill DuPre and then turn around and go back to the airport and give my wife what she asked for.
Should I? She was a stoic. She believed that people should fulfil their potential and do their best. Just because she’d rather avoid pain didn’t mean she’d rather leave those behind her in pain without her.
Daniel needed her to be his conscience. Aunt Willie was clearly all kinds of diabolical, but she was focused on mitigating pain instead of causing it thanks to Sunshine.
And me. What would I become if my beautiful bundle of sunshine stopped shining?
Somehow, DuPre and I got to the fortress without killing each other. We got out of the limo in a courtyard made of thick stone and cement, with barbed wire across the top. It wasn’t very subtle. It reminded me of Jezebel’s place.
“Now we’ll talk,” the King of Macao said, showing me the gold in his teeth as he gestured me towards the steps.
“Monsieur, you’ll go with Kai. She’s been looking forward to meeting you in person.
” King gestured at DuPre and nodded at the Asian woman with a katana sticking out behind her head.
She was generously scarred across her face from what looked like knives and acid.
Michael DuPre gave her a blatantly dissatisfied sneer and then followed her to a side door. I breathed easier once he was out of sight.
“You didn’t kill him. That’s interesting.” King said brightly, his tone much lighter, whimsical, like Jezebel had said he’d be.
“I haven’t killed anyone for years. Not since I left my mother’s house. I will make an exception for DuPre, but not until I’ve gotten what I came for.”
He shot me a look as we climbed the very long, broad steps. “Have you fought since your destiny was unleashed?”
I studied him coldly. Destiny unleashed?
Was he talking about the accident? The way I’d controlled all those minds instinctively?
How could he possibly know? “I haven’t fought for a few days.
” Not since that war of the Flowers. Which ended in him calling me son.
I’d be having nightmares about that. If I ever slept again.
I wasn’t tired, though. Tired of being away from Kitten.
Tired of her struggle to live, but nothing sleep could help.
He nodded. “I knew your father. Your birth father, not the Senator. He could fight for days, weeks, months most likely. He’d lose himself to the blood, never feel the pain, and fight until there was no one left to destroy. Sometimes he’d eat human flesh. Are you hungry?”
I blinked at him. He sure painted a picture. “I shouldn’t eat right before a fight.”
“When is the last time you’ve eaten?”
We hadn’t had more than breadsticks at the restaurant. Before that had been sleeping, recovering from the war. I wasn’t hungry. I should be hungry.
“It’s been awhile. I had wheat grass juice on the plane.”
“Perfect. It’ll give you some vegetable essence to go with the human flesh.”
I frowned at him. “I don’t eat people.”
“I knew your father.”
“I’m not my father.”
He sighed. “His skin took that exact sheen when he was in the battle. Impermeable flesh. Instantaneous healing. He was a machine of death, and you are primed for battle. My concern is that once you start fighting, you won’t stop.
Fighting is business to me, good business.
I’ll start you with those I don’t mind you killing.
I have at least a dozen whose deaths would be a gift to the world. After that…” He shook his head.
“I’m not killing anyone. I’m not an executioner, and I don’t do death matches.”
He flashed another bright smile. “I thought you wanted the Chemist’s research. No? I should just give it to DuPre?”
I bared my teeth at him then remembered to smile. “I’ll kill him if you’d like.”
“You can’t kill DuPre. His family would send torpedoes at me.
I hate torpedoes. It would be like killing you.
” His eyes narrowed at me. “I’m not sure exactly how to kill you.
” He waved a hand. “Not that I would. How do you like working with your crew in Las Vegas? I go out every year for the Three Hundred.”
“It’s work. Some things are more satisfying than others.”
“Of course. You don’t mind people watching you fight?”
“Not particularly.”
“Good. We’re going to broadcast worldwide. I expect your own crew to take bets. First, you’re going to eat as much as possible.”
“I’m not hungry.”
He shrugged. “Eat anyway. Otherwise, afterwards, if you’re able to stop fighting, you’ll eat for days.”
“You don’t know me.”
“No?” He cocked his head with a madman’s smile, but his eyes were calculating. Cold. He suddenly reminded me of Jezebel. That would be terribly interesting if they were related. “My talent is reading people. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s gotten me where I am today.”
“Reading people? That sounds very useful.”
“That’s why poker’s my game. You don’t play. Pity. Your mother’s more chess, but what’s your game?”
“I like fishing. Fish and game, without the games.”
“Fishing? You need a lure for that. A nice bright, sparkling lure, like those females you have on your team.”
Was he going to say Jezebel’s name? Was she his daughter or a niece?
“I’m a team player.”
“You were. We’ll see what you are on the other side.”
He left me in a banquet hall. I ate my way steadily down the board until a man notified me that it was time to get ready for the fight.
My silk shorts were yellow. I stood in that small room and made a call.
If she didn’t answer, I’d leave a message.
I’d told her I loved her. That was against the rules of our game.
Like asking her to marry me was against all of my rules.
We were supposed to have a pleasant time together at the end of the world.
Of course, I hadn’t realized it was the end of her actual life when we’d made the deal.
“Nix?” she said, her soft voice shy, careful.
I sat down on the wooden bench and ached to be holding her, to make sure she was safe, emotionally as well as physically. “Hey, Kitten. I’m wearing yellow shorts. How are you feeling today?”
She snorted. “My husband ran off to the other side of the world when I started thinking I’m the one who should be running. That’s incredibly disorienting, you know? If I run away now, I’ll look like I’m chasing you.”
“You already caught me. For better or worse.”
“Til death do us part. You know what would be really annoying, is if you died first. If you do that, I don’t think I could ever forgive you.”
“I bet you could. You’re just that sweet. Did you get stitches?”
“Three on my forehead. I didn’t really need stitches. I’m a fast healer, but Daniel was relentless. He’s like a bulldog sometimes. He just showed me his teeth.”
I smiled slightly. “I’m glad he’s watching over you.”
She sniffed. “Yes, but who’s watching over you?”
“You are.”
“I can’t watch over someone that far away. It’s not possible.”
“My fight will be broadcast all over the world. It’s just a normal workday.”
“You didn’t mean it, did you?”
“What?”
She hesitated, silence growing on the line until she finally whispered, “That you love me.”
My chest throbbed with the agonizing need to make her feel loved, so she wouldn’t have to ask. “Yes, Kitten. I love you.”
“So, you’ll have to come back and see me again, drawn back by my irresistible magnetism.”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. I trust you.”
The dark-haired man came into my small block room. “It’s time.”
“I love you. Be careful. Don’t take any chances.”
“That’s my line. I’m just going to lounge around pools while you’re gone. Be careful. Don’t take any chances. Also, I…” She took a deep breath. “I’m going to kill you if you don’t come back.” She hung up, leaving me hearing the words she almost said. If she loved me, she couldn’t die without me.
I tucked my phone back in the pocket of my folded pants before I walked out into the ring.
Not a ring. The square fighting mat was inside a large metal cage. It felt archaic. Medieval. It didn’t match my yellow silk shorts.
My opponent was about my size, but his eyes were haunted, with anger threaded through him.
If I had a week, I could turn him into a smooth piece of a machine.
He needed oil, therapy, purpose. I was the Prince of Beasts, or at least I’d been raised as such.
I knew how to make criminals function as a unit.
Instead of rehabilitation, I’d destroy him. It was a pity, but that was the game.
I worked him over like usual, but then while we were grappling, he broke my ring.
Kitten’s ring. It simply cracked in two pieces and fell to the black mat.
I’d forgotten to take it off. How had I forgotten something so important?
It happened so easily, so quickly, leaving me without her precious work. Leaving me with nothing of hers at all.
That’s how delicate she was. How breakable. She was closer to death with every beat of her precious heart. In my mind’s eye I saw her turn her head, blood running down her face.
Reason walked out of that cage, leaving me with one aim. Destruction. My opponent wasn’t a possible asset, he was the enemy, and I was going to destroy him and the rest of the world.