Page 78 of When Kings Fall

But in his current feral state, he wasn’t even fazed by the jarring impact.

Royce was, though, and he was too slow to react as Levi drew a knife, then plunged it into the asshole’s gut.

A shrill scream tore through the night and Royce writhed on the ground beneath Levi.

Levi ripped out the blade, then held it right in front of the demon’s face.

Royce lifted a trembling hand. “Please,” he gasped, grimacing at the wound in his gut, blood pouring down over his fingers. “Show mercy.”

Levi’s eyes went black.

“There’s no mercy for those beyond redemption,” he growled.

Then he grabbed Royce’s shoulder and jerked him to him as he drove the knife right through his chest.

As Royce’s eyes went wide and he choked, Levi twisted it, then yanked it out, a haunting, gargling scream tearing from Royce.

Levi thrust his foot into his face, knocking him onto his back.

And then he stared, like I was, watching as the life drained out of the sick bastard.

As one of the demons left this world.

Levi staggered back and turned to me, his eyes wide and pained.

“God, what happened to you before you got here?” I gasped as the state of him.

He was bloodied and stumbling in his step and there was a deep, nasty gash down his cheek that was bleeding all down his face profusely.

“The fucker had called in reinforcements. I headed the six of them off and put them down so they couldn’t reach their destination here.”

Holy hell.

He sucked in an unsteady breath. “It’s over,” he rasped.

“We’re safe.”

For now.

From Royce Humphrey and his mercenaries at least.

Levi slumped to his knees, all the blood seeping into the snow and staining it, tainting it.

“Too close,” he muttered on a pained murmur. “Christ.”

19

~Roman Knight~

My son was in love.

I’d heard as much from him during our impromptu—from his perspective—get-together at that diner a few days ago.

But seeing it right before my eyes was another thing entirely.

I’d come close to giving up hope that it would ever be possible for him.

For him to be able to love like that, or to allow himself to be loved like that.

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