Page 34 of Relentless Touch

“No, I’m not.”

Izan braced both hands on the counter. “You want to fight, we can fight.”

Rio waited. It was like baiting a bear. Patience then power.

Izan’s eyes flicked to the knife block. Then he lunged, grabbing the butcher’s knife, and swung for Rio’s throat.

Rio ducked. The blade whooshed through empty air. He slammed his own fist into Izan’s ribs and heard something crunch. Izan howled and swung again, but the wild edge was gone. Rio grabbed Izan’s arm and twisted, forcing him to drop the knife. Metal clattered across the tile.

Izan fought dirty. Didn’t matter. He jabbed for Rio’s eyes, tried to knee him in the groin, but Rio countered every move. He pinned Izan against the fridge, one hand fisted in the bastard’s collar.

“Don’t pretend you’re an alpha,” Izan spat. He jerked, trying to break the grip.

Rio slammed him even harder against the metal door, denting the fridge. “You hurt my mate.”

Izan laughed, low and guttural. “The impala? He begged for it. So desperate to be wanted, he’d take it from any hand that offered. You think you matter to him? Give it a week. He’ll be gone. They always run.”

Fury spiked through Rio. Izan knew nothing about Kevin. His mate wasn’t leaving. He’d made it clear he wanted a future with Rio. He wasn’t here for macho speeches. He was here to end it.

He released Izan, letting him stagger sideways, and then caught the man’s chin with his elbow. Izan’s head snapped back. Blood spattered the counter, bright red on cheap laminate.

“You don’t get to talk about my mate.”

Izan swung again, but his aim sucked now. There was blood in his eyes. Maybe he couldn’t see straight.

Rio swatted Izan’s fist aside and hammered a punch straight into Izan’s solar plexus. Izan folded, gasping. Rio yanked him upright then drove his knee into Izan’s midsection so hard the man’s feet left the ground.

Izan sagged but didn’t give up. He clawed at Rio’s arms, nails gouging skin, but Rio barely felt it through the adrenaline. He twisted, spun Izan around, slamming him face-first into the edge of the counter. Bone cracked.

Izan went straight for the gun taped under the slab. His hand fumbled for it, but Rio spotted the motion and stomped the man’s wrist flat against the wood. Bones snapped. Izan screamed.

He managed to yank the gun free, but Rio kicked it from his grip before Izan could even bring it level.

The weapon skittered across the tile, out of reach.

Rio wanted to drag this out, but every instinct screamed for a clean finish. He wanted to get back to his mate.

He grabbed Izan by the hair and yanked his head back. “This is for Kevin,” he said.

Rio’s claws slid free, razor-sharp, then plunged then into Izan’s chest, then yanked out his black heart.

Izan collapsed in a heap.

Rio dropped the muscle and wiped the bloody fingers on Izan’s shirt.

He took a second to steady his breathing. Izan had been sure of himself until the end, foolish enough to leave himself unguarded.

Rio cleaned his hands under the kitchen faucet.

Outside, the air felt lighter. Not quite fresh but not as rotten as before. Rain still fell, tapping against the SUV’s roof as he climbed in. His hands ached from the fight, but it felt good. For once, Rio had done more than just protect. He’d finished the threat.

He drove home, the headlights slicing through fog and dark pine.

Each mile closer made him want to see Kevin more, just to prove he’d done what was promised.

House lights glowed gold from the long windows. Rio turned off the engine, sat quiet for a second, and let the storm fade from his head before he moved toward the house.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Warmth greeted him, and the scent of cinnamon rolls still lingered from Kevin’s last kitchen raid. His shoes were in the mudroom.