Page 90 of Knotted By the Triad

The Prime Minister swung at me. The weak-ass blow landed against my cheek before I drove my boot into his chest. He flew backward onto the opposite seat. I planted my foot against his sternum and pinned him there. He grabbed my ankle. I pressed harder. His face reddened.

“You're just mafia scum,” he spat. “You'll never be a true prince.”

I smiled. “I've never wanted to be a prince.”

His fingers tightened around my boot. The carriage bounced hard over the road.

“But I must thank you,” I told him. “If it wasn't for you, the King never would've forced us to marry a daughter of the Bane family. And we never would've found our mate.”

His eyes widened. Then his mouth twisted into a sneer.

“Your mate isn't even a whole woman.”

My smile vanished.

“You may not believe it, but she was experimented on,” he continued.

“I know.”

That stopped him. I leaned closer.

“Her golem died. My mate is whole now.”

His face lost some of its color. I drew my sword.

“But you’re about to be in pieces,” I told him.

I took my foot off his chest and leapt over the space between us. My fist smashed into his face. His head snapped backward. I hit him again. Blood burst from his nose. Again. His lip split against his teeth.

He tried to cover his face. I grabbed one wrist, ripped his arm away, and drove my fist into his mouth. Blood spattered the window. He swung blindly. I took the hit against my shoulder and punched him again.

His head struck the carriage wall. Once. Twice. Again and again. His face disappeared beneath blood. I thought of Zuri sitting in my office looking lost and helpless when she’d learned about what her father had done to her.

I thought of the man beneath me casually offering to make her sterile. I hit him again. His body sagged. The carriage began to slow. I grabbed his hair. His swollen eyes opened. I put my blade against his throat.

He tried to speak. I didn't care what he had left to say. I cut and continued cutting, taking him out the Triad way. Blood poured over my hand. His body convulsed beneath me before going still.

The carriage rolled to a stop. By the time footsteps approached outside, the Prime Minister's head rested on the carriage floor. His arms lay beside it. The door opened. Daemin stood there. Blood covered part of his clothing from the fight, but that wasn't what caught my attention. He looked panicked.

“Kai.”

I straightened. “What?”

“The onlookers said Mei Lin shifted. They saw her flying toward the princes' manor.” Daemin's breathing was hard. “I think she's going after Zuri.”

Cold dread slivered down my spine. Zuri. We'd left her there because we'd believed she'd be safe. My dragon roared inside me. I shoved past Daemin and jumped from the carriage.

“We have to get to our mate,” I roared.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ZURI

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“I think the fire pit should go there.”

Allie followed the direction of my finger toward the far side of the courtyard.