Page 33 of Legacy of Chaos

Self-loathing wrenched through him because, yeah, he was hiding. He was avoiding and deflecting and trying to protect his family from the pain the very sight of him caused. He couldn’t be both the cause and the cure for the tension in the family. How could the pain caused by his presence be cured by being theremore?

The self-loathing expanded, redirecting Stryke’s anger at Blade onto himself, where it belonged. So, instead of breaking Blade’s jaw, he let his brother take out all his pain and fury on him.

A heavy right cross would have been so satisfying, though.

Stryke absorbed the next jab in the face. And the next. And when a particularly hard uppercut knocked him back against the wall and turned his vision double, he stood there, waiting foranother. As many as it took for Blade to feel better and for Stryke to feel nothing.

Because feeling nothing was better than drowning in self-hatred.

Blood and sweat flowed down his face and neck in stinging rivulets that made wispy trails in the chilly night. Blow after blow, his vision grew fuzzier, maybe from the blood in his eyes, maybe from swelling, or maybe from a concussion. Whatever.

Finally, the hits stopped coming. The pain, however, remained.

“You done?” he rasped. “Or are you sending me to be with Chaos?”

He couldn’t tell if Blade was unsteady or if he was. And then Blade lunged at him. Stryke braced himself for a hit, but none came.

The piercing beep of a nearby service truck in reverse competed with their ragged breathing as they stared at each other. One beep, two…Stryke counted six before Blade spun away and stormed toward the building. The door slamming closed was perfectly timed with the last truck beep.

Stryke’s legs gave out, and he stumbled against the stone wall before sliding to the ground. Throwing his head back, he rested his arms on his knees, closed his eyes, and regretted everything about this day. This night.

This entire hellforsaken life.

Holy shit.

Cyan clapped her hand over her mouth, covering her stunned gasp.

She’d known Stryke was at odds with his brothers, but she didn’t know why, and she hadn’t thought it wasthatbad. But even through the glare of the party lights on the window and the shadows sprawling across the yard, the pain and anger pulsing between the two males had been blinding.

And that wasbeforeBlade gave Stryke a boxing ring facial.

Why hadn’t Stryke fought back?

He was hardly a coward. He went toe-to-toe with world leaders, demons, and angels regularly. And he hadn’t shrunk away from Blade. If anything, he’d met his brother’s blows with defiance. At first. But as the beating continued, his defiance became acceptance.

She also had questions about her reaction to the altercation.

She’d enjoyed the first punch. She might have even pumped her fist and muttered, “Yes!” Someone finally had the balls to take the guy down a peg.

The second punch had even made her happy. Maybe not as much as the first one, but really, Stryke deserved it. Arrogant ass.

Then…she’d seen his eyes. She’d expected anger, a spark of fury to ignite a good, old-fashioned brawl between bros. The kind that would eventually get broken up by a family member. There was a scene like that in every movie about brothers.

And rage had been there. But alongside it, Stryke’s eyes were filled with what she could only describe as despair.

Blade hit him again.

Blood spewed from Stryke’s nose as his head snapped back. Her breath caught, strangling a “no!” before it escaped her lips.

Music blared from the party, a song with a beat that perfectly matched the timing of Blade’s fist into Stryke’s face. One punch,a downward power strike, knocked Stryke off balance, his body swaying as he tried to re-square his stance.

Blade yelled something, but music drowned out his voice. She could only read Stryke’s expression as the words hit him harder than Blade’s fists. This wasn’t a fight. It was a beating.

Blade popped Stryke with a sharp uppercut. Stryke, already swaying on his feet, lost his balance and slammed backward into the wall, blood streaming from his nose and mouth.

Like a predator moving in for the kill, Blade rained blows down on his brother with relentless fury.

I’ve got to stop this.

---