I lifted my fists...but I couldn’t. Sparring had been hard enough but actually hitting her, bare knuckle? I’d never raised my hands to a woman in my life.
“You have to,” mouthed Sylvie over the crowd. I could see tears in her eyes.
Behind her, Rick raised the gun. I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot both of us, if we didn’t give him what he wanted.
I drew back one fist—and saw Sylvie flinch and brace herself.Oh, Jesus, no!I couldn’t do it if she did that! Christ, she was terrified.What am I doing?Even death would be better than this.
Mydeath. But not if Rick killed Sylvie too.
To save her, I had to hurt her.
I did it fast, before she had too much time to be scared. I swung fast and got her right in the mouth. Her head whipped to the side and she cried out...and the crowd roared even louder.Jesus, the sick bastards!
When she looked at me again, her lip was split open and blood was dripping onto her tank top. I’d picked the place where it would look the worst, to appease Rick, but where there’d hopefully be no lasting damage. So I was ready for the blood. What I wasn’t ready for was the look on her face—the momentary shock and then the deep betrayal. The look that no man should ever, ever see.
I looked at her in horror. Then I lunged at her and pulled her into a clinch, gasping in her ear so that she’d hear me over the crowd. “I’m sorry!”
And then the bell went for the end of the round and Rick’s goons were dragging us apart.
54
SYLVIE
I satdown on my hay bale. My mouth was filling up with coppery, salty blood and I knew that I’d vomit if I swallowed it, so I spat it out.
Rick had left the ring. He knew that we got it. He knew that we’d finish it, now. The only question, for him and the crowd, was how it played out. Had we made a pact...and would we honor it?
I stared at Aedan across the ring. Both of us had tears in our eyes. Both of us knew it had to happen.
I nodded at him and he nodded back, looking relieved. He thought I was going to go through with the plan. He thought I was going to kill him.
And he had to go on thinking that. Right up until the very end.
The bell went and the final round began.
55
AEDAN
This time,when we came towards each other, our fists were already raised. This time, neither of us was denying what needed to be done.
I felt this overwhelming sense of...relief. She was going to be okay. Sylvie was going to be alright.
Her first punch slammed into my forehead, hard enough to make me stagger. Good. She was going for the head, not wasting time on the body. The head would make me go down and then she could finish it.
The next punch hit my cheek and I heard something crack. I saw the anguished look on her face and I wanted to tell her that it was okay, but she was already lashing out again. I lifted my hands a little, to make it look good, but I made sure it hit me. This time she got my eye and I rocked backward on my heels, pleasantly surprised at how hard she was hitting. She was getting it over fast. That was good.
I saw her reach down and touch the pocket of her sweatpants and I wondered what she had there. Some good luck charm, maybe, or a photo of her folks. Then she put up her guard and came in close. “Hit me,” she said quickly. She didn’t even have to lower her voice. Therewas no way the crowd could hear anything except their own insane yelling. “Just once. Under the chin. Make it look good.”
I glanced at Rick. Did we need to? He was still outside the ring and looked content to see her pummel me. But maybe she was right. One quick hit on her and then she’d return to me and knock me out and this whole thing would be over.
Forever.
I drew back my hand, feeling sick.Just do it. One hit. Get it over with.“I love you,” I said.
“I love you, too.”
I swung, aiming for her chin. An uppercut that would knock her back a little but not do any real harm.
