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My stomach dropped.
A man with more weight jumped on Remington’s back, interrupting his success in knocking half these clowns to the floor. Another guy kicked his knee cap, and he dropped to the ground, joining the men he’d put there. He made no sound, other than his bone cracking in one knee.
He was drained, his chest rising and falling. The man on his back pinned his skinny arms, revealing evidence of drug abuse near bulging veins. His pretty-boy face was slammed into the dirt, that broken nose making my toes curl in my shoes when it crunched again.
Bucking, Remington struggled to get the man off him, and more piled on to barricade him to the grass when he almost succeeded.
The devil’s presence had them parting, each one delivering a final kick or punch. The star didn’t move as a million others twinkled in the sky.
Alerion looped a noose around his neck and tugged, yanking him from the ground onto his ass, in time for the brute from his back to kick into his trachea with a brutal blow.
He choked, reaching for the thick rope that only tightened around the injury.
My fingers itched with the need to help him. My knees bobbed, ready to step in, and I blamed the night air for my vibrations while I still contemplated the reasons not to get myself killed while trying to save this man.
“Beg me not to fucking kill you.” Alerion’s words were so close to Remington’s ear that he must have heard them.
“Have we switched roles?”
Alerion laughed, his smugness irritating. “I think you’ve forgotten all the times you cried for me to stop hurting you. Beg me. I dare you.”
Bloodshot eyes found Alerion in the dark, but Remington didn’t beg. Didn’t say a fucking word.
Teeth sank into his tongue, making it bleed.
Alerion gave the go-ahead, and kicks came again, hitting and mutilating the poor fucker’s face.
His tanned skin was covered in red. Deep purple sat beneath, every inch of him bruised.
“Sure you don’t want to beg?” Alerion was the one laughing now as he tightened the noose. He pulled the cigarette from behind his ear, taking one last drag before stubbing it out on Remington’s skin.
“I’d rather die.”
“You will fucking die.”
Alerion nodded. The brute kicked Remington between the legs again, and everything hanging between mine shriveled up in sympathy.
Remington didn’t flinch, taking his bloody tongue between his teeth again.
“After everything I’ve given you. After ignoring your stint last night, you pull this shit tonight. Walk out of the show. No after-party. No girls. If that’s how you want to play it, tell me, Remington, what is the point in keeping you around?”
“Don’t. I’ll never perform again anyway. I’m fucking done.”
“You are fucking done. You’ve had too many chances off me, boy, and you didn’t deserve the first one. I only kept you for one reason. You could bring in better replacements. Younger. Fresher. Not as desensitized.” Alerion tightened the noose again, making Remington’s every breath a struggle. “You were only ever good for two things.”
Alerion’s tongue spread over Remington’s cheek, and that was the first time he’d flinched tonight.
Singing was the one thing I knew he was great at, and the look of disgust on his battered face told me the other thing was something far more sinister.
“But now, you’re nothing more than a worthless junkie cunt, who just happens to have a good fucking voice. You can be replaced. In time, no one will fucking miss you.”
“Then what are you waiting for? End me,” Remington dared with a red-toothed smile.
“All this for one whore’s pussy, Remington. You throw away your career…give up your life,” Badeaux couldn’t wait to step in, adding his two cents. “It wasn’t fucking worth it, kid. All cunts taste the same, and you could have had your pick.”
If only looks could kill, the battered rockstar would have slaughtered them all, ending his problems and mine.
His agent—forgot his fucking name—unnerved by Remington’s appearance, drifted to the back of the crowd, sulking his way to Badeaux with a hobble, still feeling the pain in his bruised ball sack. Words were hidden by a cupped hand as he whispered into his ear.
