Page 29 of When Kings Fall

A literal kick to the ass had me crashing onto my elbows and knees.

Damn, that was gonna leave one hell of a bruise.

It didn’t matter.

I didn’t give a crap about the punishment that I took.

I’d take whatever I had to in order to achieve what I needed to here.

What I had to.

Vindication.

Proof that I was up to the task, that I could handle what I had planned.

I swiftly rolled onto my back.

Just in time as his combat boot came at me.

Combat boot—unheard of for the CEO of Knightsridge Engineering. But Roman Knight had really come prepared. I couldn’t deny that I was feeling the full effect of that either.

But I did what I’d learned to in that hellscape and pushed it down so I could keep moving forward.

So I could keep fighting.

I twisted away before his boot could connect and used the rolling momentum to spring back to my feet, assuming a fighting stance.

I’d just landed stably when he threw his fist lightning-fast and clocked me across the side of the face.

“Fuck,” I muttered, as my head snapped to the side and I tasted blood on my lips.

“I told you that I had it covered, that Curt and I are handling it, Levi.”

“It has to be me.”

“The most important thing is that the threat is destroyed.”

“They need punishment.”

“And, believe me, they’ll have it. They took my son. They took you from me. That won’t stand. They’ll be punished severely. And then they’ll be disposed of.”

“What if Malcom Lynch and his guys go to ground before you manage to track them down?”

“I have my people on it. I’m pulling on a lot of resources to make it happen and to fast-track it. Curt Walker is even waging a war against them, crossing all sorts of lines and former allies in the process.”

“It sounds bad. Isn’t it going to bring down his motorcycle club?”

“If we don’t find them soon, it’s possible.”

I wiped the blood out of the corner of my mouth. “All the more reason to have him stand down. You find them for me, and I’ll deliver justice.”

“No.”

“Dad, I’ve been training to—”

“You’ve been doing it for a few months only, Levi.”

“I’m a fast learner. You know that.”

---