Page 52 of Sworn to Revenge
“Oh, she’s got a mouth on her too. Exactly my type,” he announces, and suddenly two more men appear at my right side, looking about his age—not more than 18.
“Enzo, already found yourself a new toy?” one of them, who has a weird metal ring stuck in his nose, taunts the blond man on my left. I’m surrounded by idiots. Fantastic.
I rise from my seat, making it clear I’m not interested, but the blond guy—Enzo, was it?—grabs my arm immediately. Oh, if we were underwater, I’d be hunting humans like you for breakfast—send you directly to the Coral of Life.
“I don’t think you get it—I’m inviting you to spend the evening with me,” he stands up now, pressing against my back. My skin crawls.
“I don’t thinkyouget it,” I respond in the same tone, turning to look at him with utter disinterest, “I’m not interested in your invitation. Go fish somewhere else.”
“Enzo, this is the first time I’ve seen a woman burn you, and I’m definitely enjoying the show,” the second guy jeers at us, and Enzo’s brows furrow in anger.
“No one says no to me,” he leans down to whisper in my ear, his threatening tone only making my blood boil. Humans like him are living in a bad fantasy.
I step back, ripping my arm from his grip with force. “Watch me.”
I turn to leave, but his hand grabs my arm again, this time yanking me back hard. A cold blade presses against my side, followed by a sharp, burning pain that makes me bite my lip hard, swallowing a muffled scream.
“Am I being clearer now?” His voice drips with menace as he leans close again. If he thinks this makes him powerful, he’s pathetic. He’s nothingcompared to the suffering I’ve been through.
A toxic smile spreads across my face as I lift my heel and slam it down hard onto his leather shoe. Judging by the curses that spill from his mouth as he releases his grip on me, it seems I got my point across. He doubles over in pain, gasping, and the knife he was holding drops to the floor.That’s what it takes to make you whine?I chuckle in his face, not bothering to hide my satisfied grin.
“Who did this?” The only male voice I’m willing to listen to growls from behind me, dripping with menace. I turn to look at him, excitement bubbling up inside me. A childish grin spreads across my face.
He pulls me close to his chest, carefully running his hand over my bleeding back. “Who the fuck did this to you? Don’t make me ask again,” his voice is controlled, but the threat is unmistakable, his gaze shooting to the brainless trio behind me. Every ounce of humanity in him vanishes as his eyes darken with rage.
“They’re just stupid kids. He threatened the wrong girl,” I chuckle, not hiding the pride in my voice as I wrap my arms around his neck. Even when he’s cold, he looks so damn sexy.
“Enzo,” Pedro growls under his breath, his movements calm but completely at odds with the cold fury in his voice as he gently pulls my arms from around his neck. He picks up the bloodstained knife from the floor. “I’m not going to ask again.”
He knows him?
With one step, he grabs him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. Enzo is much shorter than Pedro and struggles to catch his breath.
“I... did...” Enzo chokes out, and without a second thought, Pedro presses the blade to his face, slowly dragging the tip across the right side of his cheek, carving into his skin. Screams echo through the hall, but no one dares to interfere or even look our way. They know who they’re dealing with.
“What’s going on here?” Flavio appears at my side with Alin and Luca, Anita not far behind.
Pedro throws the bloodied knife to the floor and releases Enzo, who collapses to the ground, sobbing in pain and cursing. “Breathe in her direction again, and you won’t be walking this earth anymore,” he spits another threat at him before turning to face us.
“Your dumb nephew hurt my woman. You know how this works, Flavio,” he snaps venomously at the capo of Vegas, surprising me as he steps behind me and pulls my back against his chest carefully.
“Enzo, you’ve gotten yourself into this. I can’t help you,” Flavio sighs, while the two friends who were with Enzo run off like they’ve seen a ghost. Cowards.
A deafening roar suddenly fills my ears, and I cover them tightly.Fuck. Not again.
“I see my favorite huntress isn’t ready to hunt... I might have to give her a little push…”
The guardian’s voice echoes louder than ever, and the burning tears threaten to spill from the corners of my eyes.Why is he awake so early?
All I can see now is the black, terrifying void wrapping around me.
“Get out of my head!” I scream, knowing it won’t help, but I need to force him out.
“You will be mine… and you will release me,”his voice is confident, as always, lost in his delusions.
“I won’t release you, even if you kill me!” I shout, my voice a mix of tears and rage. I promised I would fight.
“My sweet huntress doesn’t know that I know her better than anyone. I know exactly what you want—and if you release me, you’ll get it, along with everything you’ve ever dreamed of,”his roar softens, his voice now calculated—he’s hunting me. That’s how the huntress tactic works—when the demand fails, the temptations begin.
