Page 66 of The Devil We Know

I glare at him and then huff some more as I turn back to the stage, where some of the old men are joining Matt.

The old man, who always seems to be in charge, raises both of his hands over his head, and after a few moments, the room falls silent.

He looks back at Matt and says something incoherent, and then Matt steps forward and says loudly, “You all know that Matteo and his buddies were killed with cause. They attacked with plans to follow through with heinous crimes, so I intervened on behalf of Seamus and neutralized the threat. In order to prevent the Irish from seeking restitution for reneging on a marriage contract, I stepped up and married Seamus’ daughter, Jessica. Since this changes my position considerably, anyone wishing to make her a widow and step into my place has the right to challenge me here and now.”

Matt steps back, and the old man steps forward, saying, “Anyone wishing to challenge may step to the other side of the ring. Everyone else, remain where you are and know that this is your only chance. If you remain on the non-challenge side, you forfeit any future chance to interfere.”

The old man turns back to Matt and once again says something incoherent, and Matt laughs. The old man frowns and says something else, and Matt laughs again, and Kaian shifts beside me, muttering under his breath, “What the fuck is he doing?”

I lean closer. “What do you mean?”

Kaian’s focus remains on Matt, but he leans over to me and says, “He appears to be antagonizing him, and I have no fucking idea why.”

“Who is he?”

“He’s like the king of kings,” Kaian replies. “The figurehead put into place when old man Ferro died with no obvious heir to take his place.”

I frown, my heart racing in my chest at his words. Matt’s laughter draws my attention back to him, and I see the old man’s face reddening. He turns and looks behind him and spits something angrily, and then Matt steps into him, his hands grasping the front of his jacket, as he leans in and whispers into his ear. The old man’s face pales, his eyes widening and his mouth gaping as he attempts to find words and obviously fails.

Matt steps back from him, a smug expression on his face. He lifts his chin defiantly as he scans over the crowd, and then his hand reaches for the old man. Matt grabs him by the throat, yanking him so his back is pressed to Matt’s front.

The old man’s shout of protest reverberates through the room, causing everyone to turn their attention to the stage. Matt grins, his eyes gleaming as he holds the old man with an arm acrosshis throat, his free hand moving behind and then coming back in front with a blade gripped tightly.

The old man shouts again, struggling against Matt’s hold, wild eyes focused on the knife as Matt holds him tighter. Matt doesn’t say anything further, his grip on the knife handle tightening as he draws his arm back, quickly swinging forward and driving the knife into the old man’s chest.

The king of kings struggles for another moment, then freezes, his eyes now focused on the knife sticking out of his heart. Slowly, his eyes lift, surprise and fright evident on his features. And then, nothing.

He sinks to the ground. Matt yanks the knife free as he allows the now-lifeless body to drop to his feet. Everyone remains frozen in place for a few moments, and then, like a light switch has gone off, many of them turn to search for an escape, scurrying for an exit.

A couple of dozen remain standing, staring up at Matt in horror and shock that quickly turns to rage, and then they move to step toward him when he holds the knife up, stopping them in their tracks.

A man appears on the stage behind Matt, slowly sidling closer, and I jump forward only to be held back by Kaian as I shout, “Matt, behind you.”

I struggle, trying to break free from Kaian’s hold, but he just holds me even tighter, bodily yanking me back and twisting me so I can no longer see the stage.

Then Marieka is in front of me, another woman by her side, and they grab me, taking me from Kaian’s arms as he says, “Go with them. Now.”

I struggle some more, twisting in the hopes I can turn back to at least keep an eye on anyone who could possibly sneak up on him.

Fingers dig painfully into my biceps, and I gasp in pain, turning to the person holding me and saying, “Let me go.”

The grip tightens even more, and I look up into a stranger's face, but then Marieka is there, saying, “It’s okay, Jess. We have to go.”

I shake my head, still attempting to pull away, when she adds, “Don’t forget your promise.”

I scowl, shaking my head in denial, at the same time, knowing I have no choice.

I look back at the stranger and ask, “Who the fuck are you?”

She smiles, her grip on my arms easing slightly as she replies, “I’m the Fucklicker who’s about to get you out of here.”

My entire body relaxes instantaneously, that maniacal laughter bubbling in my chest, but I manage to hold it in.

They turn and start making their way through the room, pushing and shoving through the men, half of which are still panicking, and the other half infuriated and looking for blood.

“My name is Mathias Ferro,” Matt’s shout cuts across the din, and immediately, everyone stills, his words echoing through the hall ominously. He pauses, and what little chatter was left dies down completely as he continues loudly, “I am your fucking god. You kneel, or you die.”

The strange woman leading me out of the room stops in her tracks, and I run into the back of her as she turns, her eyes focused on the stage. “What the fuck?”

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