Page 124 of Cruel Knots

I blink, recognizing the man immediately. “Casey?” I breathe.

He pushes the woman away and she slides to the floor. Before I can check if she’s okay, Casey launches himself on me. He shoves me hard, making me crash against the wall.

A gasp escapes me as an intense pain flares up my back.

Casey marches upon me and grabs a chunk of my hair. “Let go!” I scream.

Instead of obeying, he smashes the side of my head against the wall.

Hot, throbbing pain burns my forehead as I try to fight him. What the hell is happening? How can someone as friendly as Casey turn out to be such a monster?

“Lucia?” A familiar voice calls my name from somewhere far away.

I try to answer but the blinding pain in my head prevents me from uttering a single word.

My body nearly slides to the floor and it’s a moment before I can get a grip over myself. As the haze lifts from me, I watch Leon mercilessly pounding Casey’s face with his fists.

The two men wrestle on the floor only a few feet away. Leon easily has the upper hand, pummeling Casey’s face so hard, it’s already resembling a bloody, pulpy mess.

“Leon, stop!” I cry out. “He’s going to die.”

Leon stops and glares at me. Casey has already passed out and remains motionless.

“Why’re you protecting this asshole?” Leon barks.

“I’m not protecting him,” I say. “But if you kill him...” My words dry up on my lips. What will happen if Leon does kill him? Will the cops ever find a master assassin like him?

“That’s right,” Leon says, straightening up. “There’ll be no consequence if an asshole like him dies. His family and his girlfriend or wife would thank me for taking him out of their lives.”

Leon kicks Casey’s unconscious body. “He deserves to die for touching you, Lucia.”

“I’m okay.”

He stalks toward me and brushes a gentle thumb over the throbbing spot on my forehead. “I see blood.” He shows me the tip of his finger that came away coated in crimson. “If I don’t kill him, Damien will. And after this asshole is buried, Mikhail and I will end up beside him,” he says through clenched teeth. “Damien will see to that.”

“What about that woman?” I ask, gesturing over to the nearly unconscious woman inside the stall.

“She was probably roofied,” Leon says. “Remember the time we stopped you from drinking his beer? This was the reason. It’s easy to prey on innocent, unsuspecting women in a place like this. Creeps like him seem friendly and chatty but they’re predators in sheep’s skin.”

He gestures to the door. “Get Mikhail here.”

“What about her?”

“Leave her. She’ll be fine as long as this creep stays away from her. Someone will find her and call for help. Now, get Mikhail.”

Feeling dazed, I walk out of the bathroom and go to our table.

Mikhail’s steel-gray eyes turn icy the moment he sees me. He’s on his feet in an instant and grabbing me.

“Did Leo do this to you?” he hisses.

“No—”

“I’m going to fucking kill him. Making you bleed isn’t on the list of things we’re allowed.”

“Mikhail, calm down and listen,” I say urgently. “Leon needs you in the ladies' bathroom. Can you please come with me? You’ll know what happened when you get there.”

Mikhail stares at me, trying to read me.

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