Page 210 of A Love Like Venom

Defying him I widen my stance in a fighting position. Glowering at him I reply menacingly, “I will kill you.”

“Make no mistake. You will not kill me but I will kill Snake. But before I do I’ll show you and him just how much you are mine,” he threatens.

A primal scream happens behind me. Glancing back I see Reed fight off Gunner and Axe. Despite his serious injuries his movements are lethal. I assume he’s only running on adrenaline, enough for him to put up one last fight.

But it has to be enough to save his life.

He manages to slit Gunner’s throat but Axe takes his arm and snaps it back at an unnatural angle.

Reed grimaces but continues to try and fight back.

Except Axe has the upper hand.

He throws an uppercut to the underside of Reed’s jaw and his eyes roll to the back of his head. His body collapses and more blood leaks from his wounds. There’s hardly any fight in him. If Axe continues his onslaught Reed’s body will not be able to take it.

Sprinting I don’t stop until I collide with Axe. I launch myself on top of him and latch my legs around his waist. Raising the knife I then bring it down with both hands. Before it can penetrate the side of his neck he catches my hand. I try to make him budge by pressing down but he counters by applying pressure in the opposite direction. With as much strength as I can I keep trying to bring my arms down.

Axe is stronger than me and he knows it. He laughs at my struggle. I scream out in frustration.

He then slams my back up against a wall. The shock vibrates from the base of my neck and down my spine. Grunting past the pain I unwrap my legs from him. I try to gain some distance. Budge and thrash. But all his weight is on me. The knife is still between us. Next he takes my hands that are holding the knife and points it in my direction. He forces my arms to go inward, the knife getting dangerously closer to my chest. I do my best to move away from him. To buck against him. To force my arms to move in the other direction but I can’t.

With one last hard thrust the knife comes plunging down and I move just in time for it to miss my chest. It penetrates my shoulder instead.

A blazing fire that comes with tremendous pain wracks my entire body.

Tears immediately form in my eyes and my mouth opens in a silent scream.

Blood begins to pool and cascades down my arm and chest.

As he digs the knife further in I see black spots before my eyes. Nausea blooms in my stomach and I’m afraid I might get sick.

What I don’t expect is when he draws the knife out to be the most painful part. I can feel my muscle being torn. My flesh tearing.

When I think I have experienced enough he throws me off him.

Tumbling across the floor I hear the sickening crunch of my ribs. I also can’t avoid rolling on my injured shoulder.

I come to a stop on my back. My ribs can’t feel the pressure but my breathing is labored. Each breath is a long ragged drawl. I go to lift my shoulder and a searing pain stops me from moving it further.

Moving my head gently to the side I see through blurry eyes that I have landed a few feet away from Reed.

He makes eye contact with me and for the life of me I can’t look away. There is too much there. So many emotions flickering in those magical eyes of his. What fills his eyes the most is remorse.

“I’m sorry.” He chokes on his own blood. Tears fall from his eyes. I have never felt such gut wrenching heartbreak in my entire life. All the abuse I received when I was younger. The constant berating from my mother and sister, my mother’s boyfriends who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, what Chris Blackwell did, and what Razor had done to me. None of that amounts to the splintering pain I am feeling right now.

They did what I never thought was possible.

Reed Carter is broken.

A strangled cry breaks from my soul.

Weakly, he reaches his arm out to me. His swollen arm that is drenched with blood and riddled with cuts.

Biting down I move on my side and immediately feel the flare in my ribs. Taking a deep breath I hold it until I’m on my stomach. I exhale shakily as my ribs press against the concrete. Raising myself up to my hands and knees I crawl towards Reed.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he says repeatedly. Blood spilling from his lips as he does. His voice is weak and faint yet it’s the loudest thing I can hear. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Reed, don’t,” I beg of him. He ignores my heartbroken plea. “We are going to be okay. Help is here. We are going to be okay,” I promise him. It’s like he doesn’t hear me. Tears continue to stream down his face as apology after apology passes his lips.

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