Page 394 of Savage Bosses

“Fuck you,” Marco yelled. “If you weren’t in the picture, she would’ve chosen me a long time ago.”

“In your dreams.” Bryce slammed his fist into Marco’s nose.

Blood spurted. That’s what he wanted to see. He went to punch him again. Marco shoved him away. Bryce stumbled backward, nearly tripping over an empty beer bottle. Marco lunged forward, attempting to overpower him.

Together, they stumbled and crashed into a wobbly table, knocking over a laptop and some pictures. From the corner of his eye, Bryce recognized Tati in those pictures. This bitch had been taking pictures of his woman. Bryce was quicker to rise than Marco was.

“You sick fuck!” Bryce yelled as Marco crawled toward the kitchen. “You’ve been taking pictures of her. How long?” Bryce yelled. “How long have you been stalking her?”

Marco regained his footing. He rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the first thing he saw.A glass from the sink. He threw it at Bryce. Bryce ducked. The glass shattered. Both men rushed each other, colliding with a thud. They exchange wild punches, their movements becoming increasingly frenzied.

The room echoed with grunts, the scuffle of feet, and the occasional thud against the wall. Fueled by rage, Bryce managed to land a powerful blow to Marco’s jaw, sending him sprawling backward onto a tattered couch. Marco rose to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth, his eyes filled with hate.

“I wasn’t going to hurt her.” Marco spat out blood. “I was going to take her away from you so you couldn’t hurt her. All you Cattaneos do is hurt people. You’re fucking parasites. I’m tired of seeing Tati be your host. Kidnapping her was my last resort. I still plan to carry it out. As soon as I get rid of you.”

Ignoring the pain and bruises, Marco charged Bryce, tackling him to the ground. They crashed onto the floor, their bodies entangled in a chaotic struggle for the upper hand. Furniture got knocked over, and lamps shattered as they battled it out. But no one came to check on the noise. Was this a fucking abandoned apartment building?

Why was he even thinking about that right now? Bryce’s pulse pounded in his ears, adrenaline coursing through his veins like a torrent. He could feel Marco’s desperation as their bodies collided, fists flying and blood spattering on the worn apartment floor.

Despite his earlier claims of innocence, Marco had finally admitted it was him. Though he blamed it on Bryce, calling him a parasite, Bryce knew Marco’s actions had been fueled by jealousy and anger. Marco shoved Bryce off him and scrambled to his feet. Bryce followed him.

“You’re the one who should stay away from her,” Marco snarled, landing a blow to Bryce’s face. “You’re the one who’s going to ruin her life.”

“Never,” Bryce growled before gripping Marco’s collar, pulling him close, and head-butting him.

“You’re going to be the death of her,” Marco yelled, blood pouring from his nose. “You and your family are going to change her into someone none of us will recognize. I’m trying to save her from you.”

Tears momentarily blurred Bryce’s vision at Marco’s words. The bastard had just voiced the secret fears Bryce held in his heart. Bryce blinked back those tears as his hands found Marco’s throat. This time, however, the grip was different. It was tighter, more determined. Marco’s words had caused the rage inside Bryce to reach hellish levels.

That rage demanded justice. It demanded something more than just a threat. It wanted something more than just beating the fuck out of Marco. It wanted to make it so Marco never said those words again. It demanded that Bryce silence him. It demanded that Bryce get rid of him to keep Tatianna from ever having to see this fucker’s face again.

“Please...don’t,” Marco rasped, eyes wide with terror as he finally realized that Bryce was done playing around.

But there was no mercy in Bryce’s heart, not for the man who’d harmed the woman he loved. With a final surge of strength, Bryce squeezed tighter, feeling Marco’s life slip away. He heard it when Marco took his last breath. He felt it against his skin. He’d just taken a life. A calm feeling settled over him.

The feeling was horrifying yet strangely satisfying at the same time. It was also a confirmation that he would do whatever it took to keep Tatianna safe. Bryce released Marco’s limp body, watching as it crumpled to the floor like a discarded ragdoll.

The enormity of what he had done hit Bryce like a tidal wave, but there was no time to dwell on it. With blood staining his hands and clothes, he fled Marco’s apartment and drove straight to his parent’s house, seeking refuge and a chance to wash away the evidence.

“Dad!” Bryce called out as he entered the dimly lit foyer. “Dad, where are you? I need your help.”

Though his thoughts were chaotic, Bryce realized that this was probably the first time he’d said those words to his father.I need your help. His father rounded the corner. His eyes narrowed as they took in Bryce’s disheveled appearance, the bloodstains, and the haunted look in Bryce’s eyes.

“Son, what have you done?” his dad asked, voice low and dangerous.

“This guy… Marco... He attacked Tatianna. I confronted him and...” Bryce hesitated, swallowing hard. “I… killed him.”

For a moment, there was silence. A second passed. Then another. And another. Then, slowly, a proud smile spread across his father’s face. That, too, was strangely satisfying to Bryce.

“You did what you had to do to protect her,” his dad said, clapping Bryce on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about the mess. I’ll take care of it. Go take a shower. Put your clothes in a bag. I’ll have someone burn them.”

Nodding, Bryce went to do as his father asked. His dad grabbed his shirt and pulled him close.

“Don’t worry, son. It gets easier over time.”

“But… I killed him.” He should feel sad or something, shouldn’t he? A tear slipped down Bryce’s cheek. But it wasn’t because of what he’d done. It was because he was worried about Tati finding out about it.

“You did it for Tati,” his dad said. “If we can’t protect the women we love, do we deserve to be called a man? Your mom talked to Tati’s mom yesterday. She says Tati won’t even leave the house. She’s afraid the attacker is watching her, waiting for a chance to finish what he started. Because of you, she can now let go of this fear. Because of you, she can feel safe again.”

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