Page 166 of Scars Run Deep

No! Finish this. Finish him.

Nothing else matters!

But that wasn’t true.

Because of her.

Because of Jonah and Killian.

To kill him right now, she’d have to take a fall.

And they’d never forgive me. I wouldn’t forgive myself. It would break us.

The option was taken from me entirely when a massive commotion came from down the corridor, back over in the auction area. Screaming, shouting, thuds, and the thunderous explosion of grenade blasts.

Caleb had hit with his team.

Backup was finally here.

The fucking end of the dollhouse network was finally here.

The fallout of it hit us in the next second, though, as a half a dozen robes rushed into the room—Carson’s protection.

They came at me and I jerked the chair off the piece of shit fucker beneath it, then tossed it into them so hard it had three of them falling back.

It made a path through all the rapidly rising chaos threatening to overwhelm us, and I took advantage of it, roaring as I snatched Aurora’s wrist, then forcibly drove us through them, body checking so many of them on my way, adrenaline and the monster in me propelling me on like a dangerous fucking machine.

As someone came at us when we made it out into the corridor, I let go of Aurora and snagged his shoulders, driving him into the wall face-first. Fisting my hand in the back of his head, I slammed it into the concrete over and over until blood exploded all over the rough surface. Until he went limp in my hold, his full weight threatening to drag me down to the floor with him.

I couldn’t stop.

I needed more.

More blood.

More pain.

More retribution.

“Stop!” Aurora cried, grabbing at my arm. “Asher, stop!”

I jolted, her voice pulling me back.

I staggered back from the guy who I’d brutalized so badly his face barely looked human.

Not just that.

He wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing.

As his body slumped down the wall, a trail of blood following his descent, all the light had gone out of his eyes.

He was dead.

“Asher, now!” Aurora called, tugging on my arm.

I blinked hard and looked between her and back down the corridor where we’d been trapped in that room. The robes were rushing out and I saw my father right behind them.

He caught sight of me and his eyes flashed.

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