Page 81 of Mind Maze

The awful wintry air assaults me, but I’m on a mission to find Romy. On one corner, I see two people who could be them, though it’s hard to tell. The woman disappears out of sight and the man soon follows.

Only one woman, not two.

I take off in a sprint, my dress shoes pinching at my toes with every step. They’re not exactly runner’s gear. When I make it to the corner, I nearly slide across the pavement in them but manage to stop myself before landing on my ass.

Several feet ahead, two people are speaking.

Romy and Bastian.

It’s not friendly either. Bastian is too close to Romy, his shoulders squared and threatening. Her chin is lifted and she’s staring up at him in defiance.

“She’s gone,” Romy spits out at him. “Now leave her the hell alone.”

Bastian explodes with rage. “What have you done, you bitch?!”

He grabs hold of her jaw and slams her against the side of the building, the back of her head bouncing so forcefully against the brick I’m surprised the move doesn’t kill her.

Everything goes black as I launch myself at him. I grab him by the collar of his jacket, yanking him away from her. He stumbles and lands on the ground with a grunt. I’m on him within a second.

The rage is all-consuming.

I’m overwhelmed by it. I want nothing more than to make him pay for hurting her. It’s reminiscent of my youth when I’d get into angry brawls with other kids and even people who were supposed to help me after my parents’ deaths.

Nothing can stop the storm of emotions blasting from me.

My fist slams into Bastian’s face over and over and over again. I feel my knuckles splitting and bruising, but it’s not enough to stop me. I’m aware of the occasional punch back—to the ribs, the jaw, and even to the nuts—but nothing deters me from my need to crush him.

I taste blood and my tooth hurts because the fucker got another blow on me, but I just do a better job of blocking him next time. His nose breaks with a satisfying pop, causing more blood in our battle. I knock him in his ear, hoping I jam his ear plug all the way into his brain.

I’m about to flip him over so his teeth can meet the pavement when I’m jerked away. Someone incredibly strongeasily subdues me. I kick out and roar, still trying to beat the fuck out of that man.

As the haze of hatred begins to dissipate, I realize we’ve drawn a crowd. Secret Servicemen are everywhere, shouting at bystanders to move back. It’s then I see both Dad and Gideon nearby wearing matching glares.

They’re pissed.

Who gives a fuck?

“Where’s Romy?” I snarl, spitting blood out of my mouth. “Where the fuck is my fiancée?”

Dad storms over to me, eyes burning hot. “Calm down, Son. She’s fine. Right over there.”

I follow where he points and see Romy rubbing at the back of her head. Her dad puts his jacket over her since she’s shivering so wildly.

“I need to see her,” I snap, trying and failing to escape the big man’s grip.

“You can,” Dad assures me. “The car is pulling around. You two need to leave. We can discuss this tomorrow. Me and Gideon have damage control to do. This is fucking embarrassing.”

A flicker of shame makes itself known, but anger over the situation snuffs it out. Bastian put his hands on my woman. He can fuck off and die for all I care.

“He’s alive,” someone says. “I think he has a concussion. We need an ambulance.”

A sinister laugh barks out of me, drawing horrified stares my way. Dad blocks them from seeing me. When a car pulls up to the curb, Dad opens the door and helps the man shove me inside. Before I can start barking to see Romy, she slides in next to me.

“Thank fuck,” I hiss, pulling her to me in a crushing hug. “Are you hurt? Did that motherfucker hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” she whispers. “Relax, Caius. It’s okay. Just close your eyes and calm down.”

My heart is slamming against my ribcage, but her soothing words do their job. I unclench my teeth and do as I’m told. The ride feels unusually bumpy, making me aware to all sorts of pains and bruises I didn’t notice until now.

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