Page 18 of The Forbidden Secret

Zeke filled the doorway, looking as outraged as an avenging angel.

No, not an angel. Zeke could never be construed as something so good and pure.

With his dark clothes, tactical vest, gun in hand, and lip ring glinting in the dim lights, he could be seen as nothing less than the devil himself.

And when his lips pulled back in a menacing smirk, I shuddered.

“You’ve found yourself in quite the predicament, Princess.”

My eyes widened as the man not holding me charged forward, and Zeke provedexactlywhy he was considered the best. While the man was bulkier than him, likely weighing fifty pounds more and absolutely radiating malice and intentto kill, Zeke kept his cool. He easily avoided the combination of punches the man sent flying toward him before bringing his body close and sending a few gut shots of his own.

And Zeke wasfast.

He ducked and wove his body around attacks while meeting some of them head-on.

He had his opponent fighting for breath while he merely smirked at him and egged him on.

It was like a symphony of violence, and I couldn’t peel my eyes away. Every strike and weave. Every single motion that Zeke made was intentional and powerful.

He was a machine of chaos, and nobody could stand a chance againstthat.

The man holding me tightened his grip and squeezed me more tightly.

Something biting dug into my throat, and I gasped just loud enough that Zeke glanced my way and froze.

“Keep fighting, and I’ll kill her.”

For possibly the first time in my life, I saw rage personified. I saw everything Zeke held back from me in the past, and I understood why he considered himself a monster. There was nothing good behind that expression.

Only it didn’t scare me.

I didn’t dare to move as he held the blade to my throat. “If you kill her,” he said through clenched teeth, “there will no longer be a reason for me to keep you alive.”

“Keep me alive?” he scoffed. “You think you’re in control here?”

EvenIknew Zeke was in control here, and the man holding me had to be a fool not to see it.

“Three.” Zeke said, pausing for emphasis. The man he had taken to the ground began rising, and he pulled out his gun before I even knew what he was doing. He slammed it into the man’s temple and sent him crashing back to the floor.

“Just walk away, man. It’s not worth the trouble messing with Clide.”

“Two.”

Zeke loaded the gun and kept it pointed at the man on the floor.

The man holding me began trembling lightly, and I waited to see what Zeke would do.

“One.”

To hell with waiting.

As Zeke pulled the trigger, I slammed my heel down on the man’s exposed foot. In his communication with Zeke, he had forgotten to hold me off the ground. The blade nicked my skin, and I winced as I felt a trickle of blood ooze down my neck.

When he loosened his grip, I pushed the knife away and shoved myself toward Zeke.

He pulled me into his arms, glaring at the man over my shoulder, then to the one on the floor. “Take one step, and you are both fucking dead.” His hard gaze fell on me and softened just a touch as he ran a finger over the cut on my neck and pulled away. He examined the blood on his finger. “Are you okay?”

His gentle tone caught me off guard, and I nodded.

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