Zayn didn’t back down on his promise. Half an hour of torture wrecked Goldie’s throat and soon he wasn’t able to utter a sound. Blood seeped down his hands, arms, legs, and abs, and whatever fight he had left in him was gone. Seeing Zayn work was the sexiest thing I’d ever witnessed. I was hard the entire time, watching Zayn’s muscles shift as he yanked, cut, and drove his tools into Goldie.
Finally, Goldie surrendered.
“Rankor.” He sobbed, his chest heaving. “His name is Rankor. He lives in St. Loren, Louisiana.”
Zayn chuckled. “Thank you. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
As much as I hated Goldie, I’d give it to him, he’d held out a lot longer than I’d expected. I cupped myself through my jeans and gave my dick a squeeze.Later.
Zayn turned in my direction. “Do you want to finish him off for me, boy?”
I’d never killed anyone, but the thought set my blood on fire. I scooted closer to Zayn, and he went to pass me a bloody knife he already had in his gloved hand.
I shook my head and yanked out the switchblade from my boot. If I was going to take Goldie out, it would be with my own knife.
Zayn grinned as he dropped his weapon back on his bag and laid his hands on my hips. He guided me in front of an exhausted Goldie and picked Goldie’s head up with a finger under the chin. Goldie’s head rolled but stayed upright so I could place the blade against his neck.
Zayn rested his free hand on top of mine and leaned against my back, laying a kiss on my cheek. “Together, boy. Do it for Daddy.”
One long, deep slice was all it took. Goldie’s body convulsed and the blood that spurted from his throat landed on my shirt. He slumped. One final gurgle and he was dead.
I breathed out through my nose, the excitement knocking the air out of my lungs. I’d killed this man who’d hurt and murdered Mom. It wasn’t something I’d thought I’d enjoy, but I did and that scared me more than my feelings for Zayn. Maybe it was because we were doing this together. Daddy and his boy.
“How do you feel?” Zayn murmured against my ear, his lips brushing over my lobe.
I thought about it for a moment.
Enjoyment.
Relief.
Vindicated.
But one of the emotions was stronger than all the others. “Happy, Daddy. I’m really, really happy.”
Zayn spun me around and kissed me deeply, and I melted into him. “I’m glad, boy. Now, let Daddy teach you how to get rid of the body and burn our clothes.”
24
ZAYN
“Oh, ouch.” Keaton winced and crossed his arms as he leaned closer to the thick glass wall in front of him. I’d tried to entice him away from the spectacle below with a glass of champagne, but he wasn’t interested in the glitz and glitter around him, only the fight.
“This brawl really is something else, Mr. Uhlig,” called a woman with a lilting Southern accent. The gorgeous blonde lounged in a stuffed armchair positioned near the glass. While her date seemed mesmerized with her and the way her crimson silk evening gown displayed her tits, she only had eyes for the bloodshed below.
“This is nothing. We’re just about ready to get the survival games rolling. We had a couple of test runs and I got the cameras anchored this week to allow lovely people like yourself a bird’s-eye view of the festivities.” Mr. Uhlig rubbed his hands together. He was in a suit, the same as last time I’d met him, and looking very polished.
The blonde’s date sat forward. He whispered something in her ear, and she laughed, a light musical sound.
Keaton hissed at whatever he saw below in the fight pit. I had to admit that the VIP lounge was every bit as luxurious as any other high-end venue. I was too nervous to hit the minibuffet along the far wall. This was the first time I’d been out with a man romantically with no secrets to hide. Well, almost no secrets. It was just me, no games, no pretending to be someone else. It was weird. And good.
And a little scary.
I walked over to Keaton and laced my fingers together with his. He smiled down at me, which loosened a few of the loops in the Gordian knot taking up the spot where my stomach should be.
“I haven’t been on a date since I was a teenager,” I murmured, then kissed the back of his hand. “I don’t count the first time I took you out because we still had a lie standing in the way.”
His eyebrows darted upward and he turned in my direction. “If we don’t count the restaurant, I’ve never been on one. Not really.”
