Page 22 of Thorned Vengeance

It’s easy for me to go unnoticed because they’re clearly into each other. Once we reach section F, I’m ready to admit defeat and head back to the arena to wait for the concert to end.

But then I hear a scuffle and freeze.

“You fucking want this!”

“No… no, please.”

“Fucking slut, practically begging for it all night.”

Without thinking, I run in the direction of the couple. I skid to a stop as I come around the corner. The man has one hand wrapped around her throat, and her face is bright red. She’s clawing at him, trying to escape, but he’s too strong. As he’s strangling her, he’s pulling at his pants with his free hand.

I see red.

I kick in the back of his leg, and his knee buckles, which effectively releases his grip on his victim.

“Run!” I yell.

The man twists his body to lean up against the car, sneering at me. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

My breath hitches. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

But I don’t need him to respond as my brain finally registers what my gut has been trying to tell me since I started following him tonight.

It’s him. He’s the asshole who stole my sister from me.

The Phantom stares at me. There’s nothing impressive about him. At least, nothing that stands out. He’s a normal-looking man around six feet tall, and he’s got brown hair. He’s muscular but not the bodybuilder type. He has no distinguishing features that I can see.

No wonder no one has any idea who this guy is. He blends in well. I focus on his eyes and realize that he does have one feature that is unforgettable. His eyes are soulless. It’s like looking into a black hole. There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, in their dark depths.

“It’s you,” I growl.

His mouth curves into a twisted, sinister smile. “I’ve been pat?—”

I haul my arm back and thrust it forward. My fist connects with his jaw, causing his face to jerk to the side forcefully.

He slowly turns back to face me, his eyes burning with the promise of retribution and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “You’re gonna re?—”

“What the fuck is going on here?”

I glance over my shoulder to see a hulk of a man coming toward us, but then I’m violently shoved by the Phantom. I wait for my head to connect with the pavement, but a pair of strong arms keep me from making contact as thunderous footsteps take off in the opposite direction.

Fuck!

CHAPTER 12

THORN

FIVE MINUTES EARLIER…

“Maybe we were wrong.”

I glare at Frenzy and shake my head. “Night’s not over yet,” I mutter with frustration.

We’ve been patrolling the lot for hours, and there’s only about thirty minutes left in the concert. I’m starting to think that Frenzy is right: The Phantom might not be striking tonight. There’s been zero activity in the lot, and I haven’t heard shit from the guys on the inside.

“I’m gonna do another loop,” my brother says as he turns and walks in the opposite direction.

After checking in with the others on the coms, I start my last lap before the lot is flooded with people when the concert ends. I’m about to give up and head to the stadium entrance when a shout catches my attention.

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