Page 39 of War Hope
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Finn
Larryintroducesme andIstepinto the ring,thecrowdyelling.Iglance around andsee Hopemovingaway from the ropes andthrough the crowd.She shouldn't be up by the ropes alone. It gets rough up here.My opponent,DanSmith,isbobbingup and down on his heels.The belldingsand hethrowsa punchbut misses, fallingforwarda fewstepsandstumbling.I shift my weight andhurlmy fistat hisface.Itmakes a loudsmacking sound when it landsagainst hissweatycheek.Thepacked room erupts incheers.He falls downbutmanages to lifthimself tohishandsand knees.I glance back at Hope andsee fuckingSilasstanding infront of her. His arms are braced on thewallbehindher, the side of his face that I can see is red. Hope'sshaking herhead.There's a loud popand painexplodesalongmy jaw, my earringing.I stumble afewfeet,a little dazedbut myvision isstill lockedon Hope and Silas.I back away from Dan,giving him a quickglance as I jump away from his nextswing.I lookto the back of The Pit again just in time to seeSilaspunchthe concrete wall behindHope.
Heat floods my face. My nostrils flare. And I throw myself out of the ring. A path clearsas I starttothebackof the room.Sweatdrips downthebridge of my nose. Mypulsehammers in my ears. His face in only an inch or so away from hers and all I want to dois beathismotherfucking arse.She shoves himback a step, her facetwisted inrage. He just steps right back up, crowding her, intimidating her.
Hope sees me. Relief fills her eyesjust before I grab Silas' thick shoulder and jerk him back. I don't say a thing. I don't even take a breath. The second he spins around I slam my fist intohisface, his nosecrunching underneath my knuckles. He staggers and I grab his neck, holding him as I pound my head against his.
"Finn." I hear Hope screaming. Ifeelhands on me, but I'm gone. It's all black; tunnelvisionthat leads right to this fucker right here. I threadmyfingersthroughSilas'hair, grippinghis skullasIrepeatedlyslam his headagainst theconcrete. I hear peopleshouting, still pulling to try and get me offof him,butI can't stop. I don't want to stop.I'mtrained to kill andthat isoneinstinctI've yet to learn to turnoffonce theswitchis flipped.He groansand attempts tofightback, punching me in the gut. Ibring hisface tomy knee. Warm blood splatters over my skin.
An arm wraps around my neck from behind, yanking and squeezing, but I'm still swinging. The next thing I know, I'm on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. My earsareringing. My body isdrenchedinsweatand the entirebasementisempty except forKyanand Larry.
"JesusChrist,"Kyansays. "What the fuck was that about?"
"I..." I sit up, my head spinning."Where's Hope?"
"Ohhell!" Larrygroans as he pushes to his feet. "Should'veknown itwas over a damn woman.Youboysand your goddamntesticles.I'm done withthe bunch of you.Next time one of you wants to go beating the ever-loving-shitouttasome poor fuckingNancy,you'reown your own.Youhear?" And with that Larry heads to the stairs and disappears.
Hope appearsoverKyan'sshoulder, a worried frown set on her full lips. She presses her hand to her chest. "Jesus,Kyan, I thought you killed him,youstupid fuck."
Kyanstands to face her. "Didyou want me to let him kill the guy?" He points at me. "Because that fucker was going for full blown manslaughter."
Shefoldsherarmsoverherchest, hugging herselfas she glancesatme. I swipe ahand over my forehead, wipingthesweatfromit."He was being anarse."
"You can't killa fella just because he's an arse,”Hope sighs.
Kyanthrowshis hands up in the air and walks away. "He's all yours,ginge."
And then it's just me and Hope. She lingers a couple of feet away from me and I push to my feet. I stretch my neck from side to side, working out the stiffness.
"Look," I say."I can't handle that shit, okay?"
She glares at me. "Define: 'That shit'…"
Igroan, tossing my head back and scrubbing my hands down my face. "Fucking, just...."
"Thank you," she blurts in a rush.
AndIjust....grab her. I take her face in my hands and slammy lips over hers. My handswork their way down her throat, her chest, until my fingers are skimming the waist of her jeans. Her hands go to the back of myheadand she pulls me in closer.Her warm tongue dips inside my mouthandI grabat her pussythrough herjeans,whichcoaxesa lowgroan from her."Jesusfucking..." Ibreatheinto her mouth beforeshekisses me harder, deeper. I sink my hand underneathherjeans,my finger swiping over her. Fuck, the slightest touch of her warm skin, theslick, wet feel of her…every lastbit of methreatensto become unhinged.I yankmy handawayand fisther hair,jerkingher headback asI stare into her eyes. "Let's leave," I whisper as I step away from the wall, my hand trailingdown her armand to her hand.
