Page 73 of Death Match

There, a man stood with his back to us. He was tall, taller than me, with broad shoulders packed with so much meat and muscle, he could rival a linebacker. From my angle, I could make out a few random and poorly done tattoos on his arms, as if he had gotten them by an amateur. Or maybe while in jail. That scenario was probably more likely, if I were to guess.

I couldn’t see his face, yet that same prickling of familiarity rocketed through me just being in the same room, but sharper this time than ever before. But like all those moments, it was immediately followed by a strong emotion.

Concentrated fury.

It whipped through me like a hurricane.

At that second, I knew this man was the reason for the bruises all over living-me’s back and shoulders. He was the reason I had flipped when the sorcerer, Tristen, had grabbed my neck and called me a bitch. He was the reason I’d lost it when the Halflings had yanked my hair.

Ed.

My memory spit out his name with venom. Ed. Just hearing it again brought forth a tidal wave of emotions. None of them were good, either. Rage. Horror. Hatred. Sadness. Pity. Reemerging from the dark crevasses of my mind, I felt them all again. As strong as when I was alive.

Bits of information came forward. He was my mother’s boyfriend. One she’d had on and off for too long. And above all, he was a monster.

“Get away from her,” living-Jade ground out toward the man in front of us. From her rigid stance and clenched fists, it was clear she was experiencing all the same feelings, too.

Ed’s shoulders only pulled back at her command, and the slight movement was enough to reveal the person who he was facing, more like concealing, behind his massive frame.

My entire world came crashing down at the sight of the skinny young woman backed against the wall.

Tina.

Christina.

Her real name and the nickname I’d given her echoed in my thoughts. Somewhere deep down, my soul recognized her. My sister. From the looks of it, she was in the middle of her teen years. Maybe sixteen at most. Her dark hair and facial features mimicked mine, but unlike my brown eyes, hers were a honeyed-green mix.

The look of pure, unfiltered terror on Tina’s face made every nerve in me ignite with carnal rage and protectiveness. My entire body shook with the intensity of it.

This may have been the first time I’d seen her—at least that I could remember, but she was part of me. I justknewit. With every fiber of my being.

Living-Jade stepped closer to the pair.

“Ed,” Jade snarled his name and then swallowed roughly, as if she was struggling to hold on to her confidence, “leave her alone.”

This time, the gorilla of a man spun around, his glare wild and locked with hers. I noticed the dilation of his pupils and flared nostrils, and I gasped. The asshole was higher than a kite right now.

A solid wall of a man on drugs and in no control of himself? This was a recipe for disaster. No wonder living-Jade had been so adamant with Ricky about refusing to sell dope for the Scarlet Knights. She’d been directly impacted by the stuff. It was in her home. Destroying her life.

Ed’s lips were dried and cracked, and when he licked them, a shudder of disgust shot through me.

To my surprise, he dropped his arms and took a short step back, allowing Tina to run to Jade. Jade pulled her close, and with her hands on the side of her face, she gave her a good look over.

“He didn’t touch you, did he?” she asked, voice breaking. Those few words made my stomach sour. I had a bad feeling they held a lot more weight than on the surface, especially for the living version of me.

Those bruises littering my skin weren’t only from beat downs. They were from holding me down…when I refused to…

Oh my God.

This bastard had abused me.

Tina shook her head frantically at living-Jade’s question, and both of us let out a breath in relief.

“Quick, go downstairs,” she said. “Ricky’s outside.”

“Jade—” she croaked.

“Go. Hurry.” She pushed Tina toward the door. The teen glanced at her one last time, her expression full of uncertainty, before she rushed out of the room. A second later, the apartment’s front door slammed shut.

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