Page 269 of Hate Mates

I land a good one to his jaw and then a kick to his gut.

He goes down.

But the satisfaction is short-lived when a sharp pain erupts from my side.

A blade.

A knife.

Where did it come from?

It’s sticking out from my torso.

Price is back on his feet, and…

The world starts to spin as blood seeps out, staining my shirt. But my adrenaline keeps me going.

With a roar, I grab Price by his collar and slam him into the wall. His knife falls from his grip and clatters onto the floor.

With the last of my strength, I land another punch square to his jaw.

His bone crunches.

God, the sound is so sweet.

I turn to check on Rachel, which turns out to be a mistake. I figured Price was down for the count when I broke his jaw, but he’s wrapped his arm around my neck in a headlock.

I flail my arms behind me, trying to land a punch to his gut, but to no avail. He’s dodging every one.

He laughs, and the sound is distorted through his ruined jaw. It sounds like something out of a fucking haunted house. Ghoulish, demented.

Just then, though, Rachel pops out from behind the counter, holding my gun.

“Let him go!” she shouts.

Price keeps laughing, squeezing his arm around my neck, cutting off my oxygen.

And then a gunshot.

Price screams out in pain and then falls backward, hitting his head on the edge of one of the small tables lining the perimeter of the bakery.

A pool of blood seeps out from under his left leg.

That’s where Rachel shot him.

He must have thought she wouldn’t have the nerve to shoot a man.

He obviously hasn’t seen as much of that side of her personality as I have.

I walk over to him, grimacing at the pain in my side where he stabbed me.

“Is he…?” Rachel asks.

I kneel down and feel for a pulse.

“The fucker will live.”

As the adrenaline wanes, I stumble back, clutching the wound on my side. Pain erupts through my whole body. My knees buckle and I collapse onto the ground.

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