Page 150 of 4 Corinthians

“Robert-“

“Go, Logan,” Robert said, shaking his head. “You knew what would happen if you didn’t.” Robert stepped back, all but dismissing Logan.

“Robert-“

“Go!” Robert yelled. The vein in the middle of his forehead bulged. “Take your ass to his warehouse! Get into position! Now! I have important things to worry about. You aren’t one of them.”

I thought Logan was going to argue, but he didn’t. He stared at Robert, anger evident in his gaze, then finally he limped away. Logan stopped walking and glared at me.

“I watched your pet’s house last night as you said. She had company.”

“Who was it?” Robert asked.

Logan continued to watch me. “I couldn’t see his face, but I know he was there for her.”

“How?” Robert asked.

“He snuck into her window, stayed there a few hours before he snuck back out before the sun came up,” he said, then turned to Robert. “Your pet has moved on, and you’re sitting there stuck over a girl who has moved on. You didn’t break her as you thought.” He turned back to me and smiled. “Send him to do it or kill her.”

“Jonathan is waiting,” Robert told him. Logan nodded, then limped out of the gym. I turned to see Robert climbing into the ring. He hardly ever stepped into the ring, but when he did, it was always with Kenbral. He took off his watch, unbuttoned his shirt, and took it off. He tossed it aside, then took his belt off and wrapped it around his fist, making sure to leave the buckle exposed. Without a word, Robert approached me and then hit me. His eyes were wild and filled with anger. There were no security guards here. “Fight back!” He hit his chest. “You don’t think I see how you look at me? I see it, son. I see the hatred in your eyes. Even right now. You wanted this opportunity, right? Well, you got it. Right now, right here! Fight me back. If you win, I’ll let you go.” He swung, and I ducked his punch. “Win, and I’ll let your punk ass go.” He smiled when he noticed my fist ball up. “But when you lose, I want you to know I’m going to have you kill her. My pet can’t move on. I won’t ever let her. I would rather kill her than let that happen.”

That’s all I needed to hear; he was going to take Logan’s advice and kill Cori. That couldn’t happen. I squared my body and started fighting Robert back. He might have been able to feel pain, but he never flinched or backed down. He was taller than me, weighed more than I did, but I wasn’t stopping. I fought him until I was covered in blood, my heart slammed into my chest, and I was dizzy, but I still didn’t stop.

“Look at you, you’re weak,” he taunted me. He was covered in blood too and limped as he moved around me. “After you kill her, I’m going to kill you.” He spat at me. “I’ve hated you from the moment you were born. You’re a fucking waste.”

He approached me, swinging and missing. I waited, dodging his hits, and when he dropped his guard, I attacked. I hit him so hard he stumbled into the ropes. I wrapped my hands around his neck and squeezed.

Hands too small to be Robert’s wrapped around my wrist, eyes no longer blue, filled with tears, and a soft voice called my name.

“Uri!” Cori’s voice forced my eyes open. “Uri, let me go. Please.” Those hands, eyes, and screams belonged to Cori.

Corinthians

“Uri, please!” I gasped as I pulled his hands from around my throat. His eyes finally focused, and his grip loosened from around my neck. I sucked in a deep breath, pushed him away, and crawled across the floor. We’d fallen asleep, and I woke up to his hands around my neck. I coughed and touched my tender neck. Uri sat on the couch; his face filled with regret.

“Cori…” he got up and started approaching me.

“No!” I coughed and put my hand up. “No!”

He stopped walking and put his hands up. “I-I-I-I-I-I’m so s-s-s-s-s-sorry,” he stuttered. “I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I d-d-d-d-d-didn’t me-me-me-me-me-mean to.”

I backed up to the wall and shook my head. My throat was on fire. I slowly stood, hand still on my throat. “Leave,” I told him. My voice was already affected by him choking me.

“Cori…”

He tried to approach me, and I reached for the pruning scissors I’d left on the table earlier. They were small, but I knew just where to hit him to cause the most damage and quickly if need be.

Uri’s eyes went to the scissors in my hand, and he stepped back. I’d never be afraid of Uri, not as a child and not now, but I needed space. I looked around, remembering that this wasn’t my house. I couldn’t tell him to leave.

“I’ll leave,” I struggled to say.

“No!” he yelled and tried to take another step closer to me. I moved the knife to my side, and he stopped. “I’ll l-l-l-l-l-l-l-leave; you c-a-a-a-a-a-a-can st-t-t-t-t-t-stay here.”

I shook my head. “This is your house.”

“Stay, Cori, p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-please,” he begged. “I’ll le-e-e-e-leave. You stay h-e-e-here. Please.” He took a step back. “Plea-a-a-a-a-please.” I nodded, and he sighed in relief. “I’m going t-t-t-t-t-t-to get m-m-m-m-m-m-m-my k-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-keys from the ta-a-a-a-a-a-table and leave.” I nodded again. He moved slowly to the table to get his keys. “I’m sorry.” His eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t m-e-e-e-e-mean to. I-I-I-I-I would never h-h-h-h-h-h-h-hurt you, Cori. You have to be-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-believe me.”

He picked up his keys, his phone, and his wallet, then backed out of the living room. I didn’t move until I heard the garage door open and close, then the alarm announced that it was set. I dropped the scissors and slid down the wall. I wrapped my arms around my legs and rocked. I tried to figure out what happened, what set him off like that. I came up empty. I woke up to him mumbling in his sleep. I assumed he was having a nightmare because he’d had a few over the last few months. Any other time he woke up on his own, but not tonight. His bracelet alarm was going off. I checked my phone and saw that his pulse was sky-high. The only thing I could think of doing was waking him. As soon as I touched his shoulders, he flipped us over and wrapped his hands around my throat. Instinctively, I fought back, but Uri was bigger and stronger. I wasn’t going to win. My screaming his name was the last option.