Page 119 of Kings Don't Break
The opening comes when he still can’t undo his belt buckle. He forgets to keep his aim steady and lets it slip. His attention shifts to the metal prong that’s stuck under the belt’s bar.
I throw myself at him. My priority’s on the arm that holds the gun, on making sure it’s pointed away from Korine. Wrestling it out of his grip. Overwhelming him as I catch him by surprise and take him down.
Korine erupts in a terrified scream. Stricklin howls as my fist connects with his jaw. My other hand’s latched onto the gun. His finger’s curled around the trigger. We tumble down as he squeezes the trigger, and the gun goes off.
BANG!
“BLAKE!” Korine cries, tugging desperately on her binds.
But I can barely hear her. I’m lost to the violence. I’m in attack mode.
I throw my fists. I smash his face. I slam him into the ground. My hand wraps around his throat and his eyes bulge in their sockets. His throat muscles work in desperation against my suffocating grip. He sputters out coughs for air. I lift his head up and ram it back down against the ground.
As hard as I can.
I slam his head down again and then again ’til I’m busting open his skull and blood splatters. Seeing his consciousness fade from his expression only feeds my lust for violence. It only makes me smash him harder. Choke him tighter.
I’m dripping sweat, heaving heavy breaths, on the brink of murder.
So deep down a black hole it takes me another second to realize the bedroom door’s been kicked open and a group of men flood the space. I’m wrenched off Stricklin, pulled upright with my fist still clenched for more.
Mace’s got me. Several others have come with him. Silver tosses a blanket over Korine’s lower half and, together with Moses, they try to uncuff her. Ozzie enters gripping Janessa by the upper arm, asking how she’s involved in what’s gone down.
I haven’t come down from my rush of adrenaline. It roars in my ears. I husk for more breaths and shove Mace from his hold on me.
“You can’t fucking stop me,” I rumble out, the madness inside me uncontainable. It’s broken free and there’s no putting it back in the cage. I whip around to launch myself at Stricklin all over again.
Mace piles onto me to hold me back, clapping his arms around my front. “You can’t kill him! We’ve got to be smart about this. We’ve got guys from the Barreras who are going to?—”
“HE NEEDS TO DIE!” I bark.
“And he will! He’ll suffer! But we’ve got to do it in a way that keeps our hands clean.” Mace grapples with me ’til he’s able to get through to me.
The fury that’s driven me insane fades enough for me to see for the first time in minutes. I struggle for more breath on my come down, my chest heaving up and down. I’m slicked with sweat, blood staining my skin and clothes. Mine and Stricklin’s.
He’s barely alive on the floor. His face is swollen to the point of being grotesque. He curls onto his side and spits up blood and a couple teeth.
The sight should be satisfying, but it’s not when he’s supposed to be dead.
I clench my jaw and grit out, “When?”
“Tonight,” Mace answers. “They’ve got a guy that’ll do it. Even dispose of him. Part of our latest deal.”
“Blake.”
My name’s spoken in a soft cry. Korine’s been set free from the handcuffs trapping her to the bed. The instant our gazes meet, she’s darting toward me with a desperate vulnerability that reminds me where I am and what’s happened.
More than murdering Stricklin matters in this moment.
My girl’s wellbeing takes precedence. I pull her into my arms and press my face into her hair. “Kori,” I breathe, feeling her shake against me, “we need to get you to a hospital.”
“I’ll take this dirtbag downstairs,” Ozzie says. He walks over to yoke Stricklin up off the floor.
None of us see it coming.
Stricklin hacks up more blood and lets Ozzie yank him to his feet. He even lets himself be dragged a couple steps toward the door, practically limp with how loosely he moves. Then, as everybody’s guard’s down, he snatches the Glock 19 that’s strapped to Ozzie’s waist. He aims in our direction and fires.
Mace ducks down. I dive for cover, folding Korine inside of my body.
