Page 268 of Quinlan

“I’d warn you not to call her a whore again.”

The knife out of his thigh doesn’t mean relief. It’s more painful. He screams and blood spurts out, dripping out of the gash and onto the floor.

I don’t stick around to find out if I hit an artery or not.

I fling the knife in the air. The blade slashes a fine strip across Rex’s cheek. Blood trickles from the cut.

Would you look at that? I was an inch from taking his eye out. I hope Quinlan doesn’t think I’m a failure.

“Try me.” I wipe the bloodied blade on Rex’s other cheek. On his eye.

Liam takes a swipe at his forearm, slicing through his flesh. Rome slashes a line across his stomach.

“No? No more whore?”

He shakes his head, his eyes furious.

“That’s better. Still…” Despite the humor in my voice, I’m furious. No one disrespects our woman. “You’re dying tonight.”

“I told you,” the fucker grits out, his body arching forward, muscles strained. His face grows paler by the second. “You have no right to kill me. I’m the reason you met this whore—”

“No, you aren’t.” This time, I do go for his eye. I grab Rex by his short hair, and before he says another filthy word, I cut through his eyeball. Corner to corner.

Red pushes out the white. This isn’t a trickle. Oh, no. Blood gushes out, some gray matter too.

“I would’ve met her with or without you, fuckface.”

Quinlan’sawwbehind me draws out more truths out of me.

“I would’ve found her in any other lifetime. Any other universe. Any fucking time and space. Nothing would’ve kept me from getting to Quinlan.” I’m staring down at him, but I’m talking to her. Even when she’s gone from my side. She’s close by. She’ll never leave, I know that now. “This has nothing to do with you, you piece of shit. Quinlan, I, Rome, and Damien, we’re fated. Meant to be. You just happened to be there.”

“You won’t anymore.” Quinlan materializes on the other side of Rex.

Her eyes glisten, unshed tears brimming in them. Emotion threatens to pour from her, and it’s so sweet.

I damn near stab Rex in the heart, haul her over my shoulder and—No, I’ll just fuck her right here on the floor. That’s what I’ll do. Liam and Rome will join us.

I do no such thing.

She’s owed this.

She’s owed the feeling of jabbing her knife into Rex’s unharmed cheek. To sink it up to the handle.

“Why did you lie?” Quinlan removes the knife from Rex’s flesh.

Blood covers every inch of the metal. She shoves it through Rex’s nose horizontally, the tip of the blade coming out on the other end.

He’s screaming. Fucking earned it.

“Why? Answer me?”

She pulls the knife out of his nose and down his shoulder it goes. She’s gorgeous, growling and psychotic. Screaming is beneath her. She’s just mad and vengeful. Her actions do the screaming for her.

“What are you talking, you bi—”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you.” Rome shakes his head once. The threatening gesture shuts Rex up.

“My brother.” She’s in his face, her hand gripping his bleeding chin.

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