Page 103 of Abundance of Obsession

The gong sounds, and the rivals charge at each other. The physical effort will only speed up the spread of the drug in Owen’s system. It’s already clear in the first round when his movements become less coordinated, more chaotic, and random. He lands a few solid punches, but they don’t faze the shorter man. Quite the opposite. He laughs and throws a straight punch, sending Owen’s head snapping back.

You might hear sighs now and then. The spectators aren’t used to seeing this giant lose.

Too bad, because I watch with growing satisfaction as Owen gets beaten up. Every bruise appearing on his face, every drop of blood spilled, every crack of bone, brings satisfaction.

Sick.

But real.

He doesn’t understand what’s going on. He’s like a drunken little bird. The roles have simply swapped.

Owen’s movements are getting slower and slower. He falls to the mat after his opponent kicks him straight in the chest from a half-turn. I hope it hurts like hell and he can’t breathe because of it. Just like I couldn’t when he was choking me.

People are screaming at the top of their lungs now. They’re insulting him, laughing, taunting. But he’s not giving up yet. He gets up on his knees first, then slowly, holding the cage, stands on his feet.

I can’t stop the smile on my face. I truly can’t. This is sick. Maybe that’s who I am now?

Blood is flowing from his split lip and eyebrow. One eye’s swollen, the other bloodshot, his cheek and torso red.

Somehow, his blurred gaze finds me in the crowd. He looks at me, squinting, and understands nothing. As if he wants to shake it all off, he shakes his head.

Evil, however, never sleeps, exactly like his rival. Even though Owen has his back turned to him, the other man attacks. After all, there are no rules here. He strikes Owen in the back of the head with his elbow, and Owen collapses to his knees again. This time, the referee stops the fight. The crowd goes wild.

Just like before, a winner’s announced, but my tormentor doesn’t wait for it. With the help of some guy, he limps out, leaning on him with the full weight of his body.

I’m satisfied, and it’s time to get out of here, but I stare at the cage for a moment longer, feeling a victory.

It wasn’t the same level of harm he inflicted on me in my childhood. Of course not. He deserved much more. But seeing him on his knees is enough for me, and I won’t forget it for the rest of my life.

With a sense of satisfaction, I head for the exit. The security guard opens the door for me without a word and lets me out.

A moment later, I step out into the fresh night air in front of the club. My smile is now full.

Time to go home.

My car’s parked farther away, so I walk slowly in that direction. As I pass the alley running alongside the club, something yanks at me.

And suddenly, I’m in the dark…

No!

One hand clamps over my mouth to stop me from screaming, and another grabs me tightly around the waist.

My eyes nearly pop out of my head; adrenaline hits me with incredible force. Blood is boiling inside me, and my ears ring. After the initial shock, there’s no trace of it left, so I thrash around and kick my legs, but it’s not enough. I don’t have enough strength to fight the person behind me.

He drags me into the gray alley, where only the faint glow of streetlights is visible. Only a little farther, and a little farther…

Jesus Christ! Anything but this!

The man behind me yanks me, spins me around, and I feel a searing pain in my back as I slam into a brick wall. My hood slips off my head. Almost immediately, a hand clamps over my mouth again, while the other finds my neck and tightens its grip.

“Who the fuck are you? Because I’m sure I know you,” Owen growls, glancing with one eye. The other can’t even open. “Who are you?”

He lets go of my mouth, eager to hear an answer, but I clamp my lips shut. In response, he tightens the grip on my neck. There’s not enough air. Nothing is enough. My lips part, trying desperately to catch a breath.

“You slipped something into my drink, didn’t you?” he hisses.

“Fuck... you,” I answer with equal venom.