Page 33 of One Way Out

Valor hits the shorter man like a ton of bricks, but I can’t see anything as dickhead number one does his best to cut off my oxygen.

He’s got the upper hand. With his feet firmly planted against the ground, he’s able to use them as leverage.

Instead of panicking or trying to pry off his grip, I wrap my legs around his right leg, which is the one on my left. My hands dig into his back as I roll with all my strength.

Dick number one’s head bounces to the side, and it does make it significantly easier to propel him off the edge of the table.

Valor’s hand levitates in front of my face as commotion fills the air. I blocked it out in the heat of the moment, but it was always there as background noise.

I grab his hand, and he pulls me up.

“I had that,” I hear myself say as I rub at my neck. Who the fuck knows why that’s what I lead with, but I cringe. Way to sound like a total prick. “Thank you.”

“I should have broken their necks last time. I won’t make the same mistake again,” Valor growls, kicking dick number one in the side of the skull as he scrambles to get back up.

Idiot number two staggers to his feet, and I shove myself up, landing a right hook to his jaw. His eyes go vacant, and I almost laugh as he does the starfish back flop against one of the other tables.

“Come on, we can dispose of them on the court without an audience,” Valor growls, bending and grabbing dickhead number one’s foot.

“Didn’t you promise the pretty lass you’d stay out of trouble?” the red-haired man asks, laughing.

“Fuck off, Conrad,” Valor grumbles.

* * *

I toss idiot number two on the basketball court, shivering when a cutting gust of wind slides through the fence.

The guards don’t come onto the block unless the prisoners are locked down. That makes me wonder if this is where they direct everyone to bring injured prisoners or if this is just Valor’s favorite dumping grounds.

“Is this where—” I spin around, frowning as my head tilts.

Valor has the first guy in a headlock, and it looks like he’s ensuring the man never wakes up.

“Hey,” I hiss, jabbing a finger in his direction. “What the hell are you doing? I promised Saylor I wouldn’t let you get into any trouble.”

“Finishing what I should have the first time,” Valor says, and the veins on his forearm poke out as he tightens his hold.

“Cold-blooded murder is a lot different than self-defense,” I say, feeling like a righteous hypocrite. They attacked first, which is enough for me. And at the same time, he’s already on thin ice. I’m not about to let him get himself into even worse trouble. “It’s not worth it.”

“They attacked Saylor,” Valor snarls. “Her first day here. She wasn’t willing, and they would have had no problem forcing the issue.”

My head tilts, his words replaying in my mind until it clicks.

Well, that changes things.

“Drop him and get your ass back inside,” I growl, falling to my knees next to the fucker who won’t be waking up. “I’ve got this.”

Breaking a neck doesn’t always mean immediate death, but depending on which vertebrae crack, it can be instantaneous. Otherwise, it’s a slow death as the body is starved of oxygen and the organs shut down one by one.

The movies make it seem like it’s a simple left-to-right motion, but that’s only half of it. You also need an upward trajectory, and if you can cause severe tearing to the carotid artery, that speeds up the process significantly. It causes mini strokes, and the victim can bleed out without ever needing to break the skin. Technically, it’s probably hemorrhaging, but either way, it gets the job done.

ChapterTwelve

Saylor

Omen’s skin is cool against mine as my cheek rests against his bony pec. I never knew how intimate naked cuddling could be, but it soothes some part of my system. It’s also nice being able to smell all three of our scents melted together. He was very patient in allowing Leo and me to have our first time together. Honestly, it felt like he taunted Leo into participating. I don’t mind him giving us a gentle nudge together. They may not be used to sharing with the other person, but they figured it out, and that leaves me feeling excited about the future.

Leo sits beside Omen, and his hand teases up and down my back under the blanket I’m wrapped in. “I’m not sure covering up is the right call when you’re this warm.”

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