Page 125 of Depraved

I didn’t see it coming…and neither did Onyx. Ink launched himself at Onyx, swinging his arm, punching him right in the face. Onyx reacted, slamming his shoulder into Ink’s gut, forcing him back and crashing into the wall.

It happened so fast, and all I could do was flatten myself against the concrete wall behind me, holding my breath while watching two men tear each other apart.

The sound of bodies colliding and fists swinging, the rush of air as they knocked the wind out of each other, was scary as hell. Terrified and frozen solid, I stood there shocked and unable to take a breath.

Dutch forced his way between them, trying to tear them away from each other, when I felt two hands grab and pull me to the other side, away from the impending carnage of two savage giants.

The man shoved me in behind him when I heard Granite’s voice cut through the chaos. “Enough!”

I peeked around the broad shoulder standing in front of me, Dutch forcing Ink to the side while Granite had Onyx pinned against the wall by his throat.

“Dutch, get Ink the fuck out of here,” Granite growled, never taking his eyes off his brother. “Manic, take Alyx back to her room. Now.”

The guy in front of me turned, and I cringed when I saw the grotesque scar on his face, the big, fat line of skin stretching from one eye to the other side of his mouth.

He winked at me. “Pretty, ain’t it?”

“Wha…what⁠—”

“Watching two assholes trying to kill each other.”

I closed my gaping mouth. But the grin on his face made it clear his question had double meaning.

“Come on. You heard the man.” He gestured for me to walk the other way, and I glanced at Granite one more time. But as I turned, I noticed the dark-haired woman still standing in the exact same spot, glowering my way, arms crossed and animosity toxic.

“Who is that?” I asked Manic without looking at him.

He glanced her way. “Oh, that’s Tanit. Sister of an old lady. Now, go on, before Granite has a hernia.”

“What’s an old lady?”

He raised a brow, the scar moving with it. “Do I look like a crew Q and A? Now, hustle. I want to get back in time to see the brothers kill each other.”

“O…kay.” I blinked, not exactly sure if I should try to say anything else. So, I turned and walked the other way, listening to his footsteps behind me.

As we got to my bedroom door, I stopped. “Can I go to Neon’s room instead?”

He crinkled his nose, his lips pouted. He shrugged. “Why the fuck not. Go, go, go.” He rushed by, pushing me farther down the hall.

What a strange man.

A little unsure and slightly uncomfortable, I slowly stepped in the direction of Neon’s room. The more steps I took, the faster I began to walk. The entire situation was too unsettling, and I needed to be around someone—someone familiar. And something told me Granite would be occupied for quite a while.

I gently eased the door open, peeking inside to see whether she was awake. The doctor stood by her bedside talking to her, so I knocked.

“May I come in?”

The doctor looked at me then down at Neon, whispering something before approaching me. “Sure. She’s awake. Just don’t stay too long. The more she rests, the better.”

“Thanks, Doctor.” I smiled and waited for him to leave before making my way around the bed.

Neon’s eye opened, and the corner of her mouth curved. “Hey, Swan Lake.”

“Hey.” I pulled up a chair and took a seat next to her. “How you feeling?”

“Well,” she took a breath, “I have an idea that if I say I feel better than I look, I’ll be lying.”

“That bad, huh?”