Page 143 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

Turning around, I catch Swift’s eye, and quickly find the signs I used in the Marines are universal in the military, or at least so far as we can understand each other. The outcome of our silent conversation leaves me grinning.

“Get him down,” I instruct.

“What the fuck?” Salem is beside me in seconds.

I whisper into his ear, causing him to beam. He slaps my back. “Nice one, Brother.” He gives a thumbs up to Blaze and Snips who are closest to the winch.

They just let the darn thing free and Duke crashes to the ground. He gets to his feet shaking his head as though stunned, both physically and mentally by his swift release.

“You fight one-on-one.” Salem approaches him, indicating his still-shackled hands which remain attached to the chain.

“You let me go free if I win?” Duke seems cautious, but there’s a new confidence about him too.

“Nah,” Salem tells him not sugarcoating it one bit. “You win, you die quickly. You lose, well, I think you can guess.”

“I’ll fight the whole fuckin’ lot of you,” Duke sneers. “You were right in one thing, nigger. This is a pansy fuckin’ club.”

I hide my smile, knowing he’s soon going to be eating his words.

I hear bodies moving behind me, as Salem unlocks and removes Duke’s cuffs. Brothers reposition themselves so they’re standing on the edges of a square.

When Swift appears, Duke snorts a laugh. “Got your sweet butt as a referee? Well, I tell you now, I ain’t playing by MMA rules.”

Swift’s still wearing that fucking sparkly pink t-shirt, and she might not often put makeup on, so when she does, it seems she forgets she’s wearing it and that maybe, to look badass, she should take it off. The lipstick isn’t looking as fresh as it was, but considering Road’s grin, I reckon he’s wearing some of it himself.

“I’m not a referee,” she says deceptively sweet as she approaches Duke. “I took your arse down once already today, just so happens I get to do it twice.”

Duke’s face is a picture. “You’re seriously putting me up against a bitch?” He holds his arms out and turns around, viewing us all one by one. “Are you fuckin’ crazy?” Then he turns back to Swift. “The only fighting you’re going to be doing is when I put my cock in your ass.”

“Nah,” Swift’s done playing as she gets into a fighting stance, “my ass is reserved for my man.” Without taking her eyes off Duke, she manages to send Road a wink.

Her man, though, is looking unconcerned, leaning back with his arms folded. He gives a sad little shake of his head, as though having sympathy for the idiot who dares taunt his woman.

Duke swaggers across the makeshift ring, then his nonchalance disappears as he decides to put Swift in her place. He launches himself at her but finds his fist meeting air, and then stumbles forward as her kick hits him straight in the back.

With a roar he recovers, but Swift’s too fucking fast. With a right punch, then left, she gets him straight in his face. Blood spurts as he howls with rage.

It’s like watching a cat playing with a mouse. Each move Duke makes is countered before he lands a single hit. The more he fails to leave his mark on her, the more infuriated he gets, while Swift just calmly keeps out of his way and gets in blow after blow.

Winded, he drops to his knees, trying to recover from a direct strike on his kidneys. As he rasps in air, Swift grabs his hair and pulls his head up, exposing his throat. “Remind me what it was you were saying about women needing a man? Mind you, I’m not sure that word applies to you, even if you have a dick.”

“You bitch!” His arms break her hold, and he leaps for her again.

This time she goes straight for the money shot and hits him squarely between the legs. Now when he lands on the ground, he stays there, hands covering his junk and his reddened cheeks puffing as he pants for air.

A giggle comes from behind me. Spinning, I turn and see Saffie. What the fuck?

Dart shrugs. “I thought it would do her good to see Duke being put in his place.”

Saffie’s grinning widely, but her face grows serious as she looks around the room. I wince seeing the various implements that we so often use. Fuck, I didn’t want Saffie to see this side of me.

Swift catches her eye, and they seem to have a moment of silent girl talk. Then the Utah enforcer holds out her hand in invitation.

“Think you should get in on this, Sister.”

I go to hold Saffie back, but she neatly sidesteps and evades me. Her head tilts to one side as she watches Duke, still recovering from the agony of Swift’s last shot.

“He broke my legs with a baseball bat,” Saffie says sneeringly as she looks down.

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