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The second gunshot made her duck. She peeked around the side of the shield, expecting to see Lucifer on the ground. Instead, she saw Lucifer rip the cane out of Steven’s hands and break it over his knee before he backhanded Steven with enough force to make the smaller man spin and fall on his hands and knees.
Lucifer met her gaze from across the room. “You want your revenge? Take it.”
She was so shocked that she didn’t notice Steven crawl beneath the table and launch himself at her until it was too late. She saw the flash of metal and brought up the shield instinctively. His knife landed on the shield and scraped over its surface.
She backed up and shifted the shield in time to see Steven coming at her again. The impact of his blow made her stagger backward. She grasped the shield desperately, which was too fucking heavy for her to lift with one arm as it was intended to be used.
“Go on the offense,” Lucifer called like a basketball coach.
She jumped back as Steven aimed below the shield to slice her legs or belly. He swung savagely. She wouldn’t be able to hold the shield forever.
“I’m going to carve your heart out and shove it in Pyre’s face,” Steven ranted as he bashed the shield. “He’ll kill me, but he’ll have nothing.”
His vicious, mocking tone made her stop in her tracks. Something dark unfurled inside her. No running. This would end here. Steven came at her again, and she braced for impact. As he slashed down, she rammed the shield up and into his hand. Steven screamed as the knife went flying. He cradled his hand and froze when she blocked him from retrieving his weapon.
They stared at one another. In the arena, the crowd booed. She and Steven both turned to look. Eli was sprawled on the sand. Angel stood over him, trying to keep the last of the masked men at bay. Gavin ran toward Blade who was trapped against the wall by three men who were tossing daggers at him as if he were a dartboard.
Steven glanced at her, his expression malevolent and sly. He hopped into the arena and grabbed a scythe. He would do what he did best—hit when no one was looking. She searched for his knife and then turned back to the arena. She took aim and tossed the knife as hard as she could. It sank into Steven’s lower back. He staggered and howled in pain.
She wasn’t aware of anything but her prey. This was it. She hefted Lucifer’s shield, hopped through the window, and rushed across the sand. She used both hands and all the momentum she could get and bashed Steven in the back of the head, sending him face first into the sand. Rage obliterated all thought. She gripped the shield, raised it over her head and brought it down with every ounce of strength she possessed. For Manny, for her mother, for Vinny, for Carmen—
The shield was ripped from her hands. She whirled, teeth bared, and stared at a blood-streaked Blade, Gavin, Angel, and Eli. Beyond them, the arena was strewn with body parts and hundreds of silent spectators in the stands.
“You took the show, sweetheart,” Angel said.
“You want to tell me why you’re trying to dismember the Vega wimp?” Gavin asked.
“It’s him,” she panted.
“Who?”
“Sadist.” No comprehension on his face. “The crime lord.”
Gavin froze. “What?”
“It’s him. He’s the wolf in sheep’s clothing. He doesn’t have a stutter. He’s the right body type, dark eyes; he’s been here the whole time!”
Gavin kicked Steven onto his back. His limbs flopped at odd angles.
“I testified against your clients and caused you to lose some high-profile cases,” Eli said quietly.
“And you were at the hospital before Santana’s men attacked,” Gavin said quietly. “You’re the one I talked to on the phone the night I killed your father.”
Something evil stirred to life in Steven’s eyes.
“You think you’re big shots,” Steven hissed, blood oozing from his mouth. “You’re just like Rafael. You push your weight around. You think no one will challenge you.” A deranged smile curved his mouth. “I showed you. I took everything from you.”
“I should have killed you the night I killed your father,” Gavin said.
“I did what my dad and Rafael could never do! If you hadn’t shattered my knee and I didn’t get my jaw wired shut, I would have killed you sooner.”
“That explains the four months of silence,” Gavin said.
“I had you,” Steven snarled, his face twisting into something less human. “If Lucifer hadn’t interfered, I would have exterminated the Pyres and ruled—”
Gavin ran Steven through the chest with his sword. The sound of the blade sliding through muscle and grazing bone made her feel sick, but she didn’t look away. Steven screamed, the sound so high pitched and tortured that her hands fisted at her sides. It took every ounce of control she possessed not to look away.
Gavin walked away and returned with another sword. The power-hungry demon retreated when Steven realized he would be impaled again.
