AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My arm was moving before I realized what was happening, my fist slamming into his jaw. Kaash’s head snapped back. When he leveled his gaze on me again, his eyes sparked with malice. His tongue darted out to taste the blood on his split lip.
“So fucking predictable,” he said on a growl before violently shoving me against the battered table behind me, my spine torquing into a strange angle, bowing back over the unyielding edge. I’d been in enough prison brawls to know how this worked.
Cocking his arm back, he delivered a punch that left me dazed for a moment. Before he could deliver another, I shifted to the side, watching Kaash’s hand sail past my head and collidewith the solid wood. He let out a grunt of pain. Getting vertical again, I didn’t hesitate to land a few more punches, slamming my fists into his kidneys.
Kaash let out a feral sound, dropping his head and slamming his shoulder into me like a linebacker, tackling me to the floor. My head connected with the hardwood, the second blow in as many minutes not helping. My brain was foggy, processing much slower than it should have. Even though I tried to buck his body off me, Kaash held fast.
He straddled my hips, landing punch after punch to my ribs before wrapping his hands around my throat. His eyes were wild as he stared down at me, his teeth bared, his jaw tight. Bright blue eyes like ice shards hammered into me. Rage projected from his body, and it was then that I realized the depth of his hatred toward me.
Leaning down, he snarled in a low voice, “Why can’t you just fuckingdiealready?”
I gasped, my throat burning. Pushing at his hands, I desperately tried to loosen his grip.
“Daddy Rixon’s motherfucking golden child.” He spat, his fingers twitching. “You know, Nick,” he continued conversationally, “I’m already beginning to wonder where your loyalties lie. Especially while you fuck around with that bitch. You know the one… Talon La Croix’s daughter.” He smiled, tightening his grip even more. I sucked in shallow breaths, trying to pry his hands off me.
“You’re surprised I know who she is?” His mouth curled into a snarl. “Who the hell do you think tipped off Gunnar’s source?” Humor laced his tone. “What are the rest of the Hunt going to think when they find out you’ve been fucking around with the enemy? They’ll assume you’ve been feeding them information about our club. Telling them where to hit us the hardest.”
His fingers continued to tighten. My movements became sloppy—uncoordinated. He leaned closer, the pressure on my throat crushing. “Want to know another secret?” he whispered. My awareness began to fog around the edges, the supply of oxygen to my brain dwindling too quickly.
He began to speak.
A ringing started in my ears.
And still Kaash talked?—
Darkness filled my field of vision.
—and talked.
I was desperate to pry his hands from my throat, but my grip was too sloppy. The fight left my body, but Kaash’s words bobbed at the top of my consciousness for a moment longer before I got sucked into the undertow.
“Jesus,fuck!”
The words sounded far away—muffled—like I was listening through a wall of water. Everything else was quiet here. There was no pain. Only quiet edges and softened blows.
“Nick?”
Someone was calling my name, but I had no idea which way was up, and which was down. The only thing I did know was that the pressure that had been bearing down on my throat had lifted. I let out a desperate gasp, sucking in a large lungful of air. My eyes opening, I found Eli and his VP, Will, holding Kaash up against the wall.
Eli looked at me over his shoulder. “Nick, you okay?”
Doubling over, I gasped in air as I rubbed my throat. I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious for. How close to death I’d really been.
“Nick, talk to me,” Eli urged.
Unable to speak, I nodded, then straightened, trying to get my feet back under me.
“Take it easy,” Eli warned, then yelled for another one of his guys to come in. “Reggie, help Nick up.”
Reggie did as he was ordered, wrapping a strong hand around my upper arm and hauling me to my feet. I was dizzy, but I knew that was just the remnants of the oxygen deprivation. The feeling would pass, but the words Kaash had said to me would not. They were seared into my brain.
“Get the fuck off me,” Kaash yelled, trying to dislodge Eli and Will.
Eli looked to me. “Nick?”
Clutching at my bruised throat, I watched Kaash’s upper lip curl into a sneer, and I knew he would’ve finished the job if he hadn’t been pulled off me.
“Nick?” Eli prompted.
