Page 107 of At the Edge of Surrender

Kane didn’t bother with a rebuttal. He launched himself at the latest beast who’d been beating on his mom, figuring he’d show him.

Only Kane didn’t make it all the way to him before a meaty fist came up and struck him in the stomach.

Pain exploded, and the breath was knocked from his body.

He bent in two, trying to stay upright, to find his footing and go back for the monster.

But Kane had no time before another fist smashed into the side of his head.

A roar of agony burst out of him, and he stumbled to the opposite side. A dark bleakness throbbed at the edges of his sight.

Pulling him toward surrender.

But he wouldn’t.

He had to fight.

“No, Justin, no,” he heard his mother whimpering, and he forced himself to straighten when he sensed Justin going back for her. He threw himself onto the asshole’s back and locked his arms around his neck, trying to choke him out.

Holding on so tight.

With all his might.

For his mother.

For his mother.

His mother who was currently on the floor, weeping with hermouth gushing where it was split. Through it, she met his gaze and gave Kane a silent shake of her head.

Telling himno.

That she wasn’t worth it.

But she was.

She was worth everything.

She was the one he loved most.

Kane tightened his hold, not even caring if he actually strangled the motherfucker to death.

Maybe hoping that he would.

Justin spun around in a circle, his disgusting, giant hands pawing at Kane’s arms as he tried to break free. “You little fucker. You think you’re gonna get away with this? Disrespectin’ me?”

Justin threw himself back and smashed Kane’s back into the far wall.

Kane grunted, and he tried to maintain his hold and not let the fresh round of pain battering through his body make him falter.

Kane might not have been a scrawny kid anymore, but Justin had at least eighty pounds on him, and he was losing ground.

Justin grabbed him by one wrist, twisting it back and spinning out of Kane’s hold all while keeping him nailed to the wall.

With the other hand, Justin struck him in the stomach again.

Hard.

Again and again.

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