The poor miss looks like she can’t possibly believe her eyes. As though I’m an enigma she’s never seen before that dares to step in her path when she, the Queen, is in her own house.
Apologies, Miss.
There is a beat where neither of us moves. Her gun is trained on me, and mine is in Olsen’s big jabber that got us all into this mess.
The ‘me’ that isn't Christian is actually a bit happy.
I always wondered what it’d be like to be in a real stalemate.
Unfortunately though, Christian Adler can't die here.
I click my teeth, before turning to the man half-conscious on the floor, “You have kids, Olsen?”
There’s a single beat, where a familiar expression passes over his face, but it’s immediately obscured by pain and indifference as he grinds through his teeth.
“No, I don’t.”
Interesting.
Before I can even remove the gun from Olsen’s mouth, Tobias is grabbing my arm and hoisting me off the ground, taking my gun away from me with a pointed look.
Xavier’s hands are up in surrender as he steps between me and the Mrs. “He's concussed, Ma’am. Talking nonsense.”
I find it impressive how quickly we all seem to be retreating to the far end of the ring.
“I was just about to concede,” I defend myself.
“If you don't shut up, I'll shoot you myself,” Tobias grinds through a fake smile and Mrs. Taiga regards me with sharp precision.
“Teach him proper courtesy.” Her command is clear. “There won't be a second time.”
“Of course, Ma’am.” Xavier does a little bow as she puts her gun away. She gives me one last withering look, but for some reason, her expression is just a bit softer.
When she turns on her heel to walk away, the whole room seems to be holding their breath, and it’s only when the last of her personal guards leave, that I notice a familiar person in a corner of the room.
There’s that familiar tempest in Reuben’s eyes. The expression that I have yet to decipher, and like all the times before, it makes my insides itch. It creates a tether between us that feels much too close to my core.
Once again, immediately followed by the terrifying sensation of being seen through.
I look away, breaking the tether, and oxygen circulates the room again.
Luckily, that's the moment I choose to fall over.
Xavier barely catches me, but the stream of curses that leaves his mouth makes him sound very much like a Spanish Reuben.
It's refreshing.
“I’m surprised you didn’t shatter your fucking skull, cookie man.” I tune in just in time to hear his last words as he and Tobias help me out of the ring.
Even Gabriel appears with a small kit and starts bandaging my bleeding hand, pressing down gauze and wrapping it up as tightly as he can as we move.
“Everything about him is built like a giant.” I strain as Xavier throws my arm over his shoulder. “Except his head.”
“Don't bullshit me, you had more than enough chances to end the fight,” Xavier mutters. “Fucking lunatic.”
“… I was inspired?”
“Shut up if you’re not going to talk sense. Where’s the fucking doctor?”
