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Before she could finish her thought, Krieger shoved Luke out of the way and ran in her direction. She sighed. The fact that she saw him was proof she wasn’t concentrating on the fight before her.
Don’t look at him. Whatever happens, don’t look at him.
She turned her back on him, determined to pay attention to the fight before her. But he took hold of her arm, and with a force she wasn’t expecting, he turned her around to face him.
His grip was firm, anger and fear swirled in his eyes. “You’re not going out there.”
For a moment, she basked in his concern and the husky vibrato in his voice and the way his thumb absentmindedly caressed her arm.She even let the word sweet form in her brain. Her crew, so used to this type of situation, thought little of her safety, yet his anxiety was refreshing. But then the reality of what he was doing sank in. His words were not a question—he was demanding she not go out there. Who did he think he was?
He was here as a soldier. Another guy that took orders, from her no less, not gave them.
Over his mounding shoulders, she saw that her crew was watching. And Donald’s men were watching. Donald himself was eyeing her with a suspicious gleam in his eye.
She yanked her arm from his grasp and narrowed her eyes on him. The anger took hold in her gut as her blood rushed through her veins, fueling her adrenaline for the coming battle.
“Lock it up. This is not a debate. Luke, make sure he doesn’t interrupt this fight... no matter what happens.”
“Yes, Eva.” Luke moved to Krieger and tried to haul him back to the group, but he shook Luke off.
She turned back to the fight but felt the brush of his hand against hers. Her gaze held steady as he whispered, “Just be careful.”
She couldn’t stop herself from giving him a short nod in response. She wanted to answer him, let him know she appreciated his concern... on some level.
Behind closed doors—absolutely. In the privacy of the woods—of course. But not on the doorstep of a death match, in front of all these men. This was not the time or the place.
She stepped away from Krieger and motioned for Donald to come forward. The men formed a circle behind them, per tradition, and began shouting. The smell of wood rot and the reek of the men surrounded her as she ready her stance.
Someone yelled for blood while another screamed for a quick death. She wasn’t really in the mood to drag this out; the latter may get their way. The Others, well, she’d let her crew handle them if they became unruly.
Was today a quick death kind of day... maybe, but how?
A jab to the heart or a slice to the neck. Decisions, decisions.
No guns were allowed in this type of match, but she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. There was only one real rule in his game, and that was there weren’t any.
Sizing her up, he circled her and opened his arms wide, his grin turning into a snarl as his feet moved with a telling rhythm.
Watch the eyes... they’ll let you know when an attack is imminent. How many times had her father said those words to her? Her father, conversation, marriage.
Anger filled her then, and she got lost in her thoughts. Her father had suggested she marry their sworn enemy. This was all the repercussions of the apocalypse. Mother Earth, what lengths would she have to go to preserve the land that kept her and the people of Everwood alive? What would she have to sacrifice? A feeling of dread settled in her gut as she averted her eyes from the threat before her. Mother, she was distracted—
In that moment, Donald took advantage of her preoccupied mind and tackled her to the ground. He straddled her waist and belted her in the head. Blinding, hot pain branded the side of her face as spots filled her vision, but then the voices of her crew registered.
Krieger’s voice stood out among them. “Come on, Eva!”
He was cheering her on, supporting her in this battle he hadn’t wanted her to fight.
She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision. Donald was winding up for another hit to her head, but this time she would be ready. She threw her arm up to block his swing, and with quick movements, she took hold of his wrist and bent the palm backward with all her strength. His back arched as the pain registered.
The lapse in his concentration was all she needed. She rolled on her side, taking his weight with her and using it as an advantage as he fell onto his stomach and his face met dirt. A hard jerk on his wrist forced his arm into an awkward angle just above his head.
Eva stood and hovered over him, applying more pressure to his wrist. His scream ricocheted off the buildings.
The men had gone silent, but she refused to take her eyes off Donald. If he moved, if he even blinked the wrong way, she’d force her weight onto his bones and snap the sucker in two.
She leaned in close to his ear as her knee rested on the middle of his back. “Listen carefully. I will give you one chance. And one chance only. Leave now and forget you ever saw us. Don’t, and I’ll finish what I started.”
“Go to hell,” he spit between heaving breaths.
