Page 182 of The Masks and the Dancer (Their Obsession 2)

They lose anyway. I know this.

Konrad falls next. The sound of his knees hitting the stone is as loud as a thundercrack. His shoulders drop, his hands falling forward as blood drips from the slash across his face. He crawls towards Jakub earning a kick in the stomach from Carrick that drops him to the ground. Konrad coughs, spitting up blood adding to the already growing pool beneath him. Carrick kicks him again and if it wasn’t for Leon’s roar of anguish my own would’ve filled the courtyard. It’s so filled with pain that I feel his heart breaking as surely as mine is now.

With one last powerful punch, Leon slams his fist into Beast’s jaw then twists on his feet and runs for Carrick, dodging Kate and Ford and shoving his shoulder into Carrick’s stomach. They fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs, but somehow Leon gets the upper hand. His fierceness explodes, and he rains down punches like fireballs from hell.

It doesn’t last long.

“That’s enough, dickwad!” Beast snarls, grasping him by the scruff of the neck and yanking him backwards, pressing a knife to his throat.

With a sharp intake of breath I watch the love of my sister’s life holding the love of mine in his death grip. “Enough!” I command, pushing up onto my feet. Leon instantly stills, his eyes meeting mine as I shake my head minutely. “It’s over.”

“It’s not over until they’re dead!” Arden snarls, swiping at a streak of blood dripping from his split lip, across his chin.

“He’s got a point,” Beast remarks with a smile. “Shall I do the honours?”

“No,” I shake my head, forcing hate into my eyes and focusing it on Leon. I have to make this convincing. I have to get them to believe. “Iwant to do it. I want to kill them.”

“What?” Carrick asks, pushing up onto his feet, his dark eyes narrowing.

“They took me away from my family. They’ve kept me prisoner in this place,” I spit, glancing at Kate who is staring at me in a way that makes me feel more than a little uncomfortable, as though she’s assessing the truth of my words. She thinks she knows me, and perhaps that was once true, but I’m different now. I’ve changed. I’m able to put on a mask when I need to.

“You don’t have it in you,” Carrick says.

“I’m pretty sure she does,” Ford says, dragging Konrad to his feet, a gun pressed to his temple. He groans and it takes every last ounce of self-restraint not to go to him. Behind him Jakub is still out cold, oblivious to what’s happening around him.

Swallowing hard, I focus my attention on Carrick who looks at me as though I’m beneath him. It pisses me off. “Don’t presume to know what I’m capable of. I’ve survived this place, haven’t I?”

“Indeed,” Arden agrees with a nod of respect.

“This ismyright.”

“And your need for vengeance, that would be theDálaighblood running through your veins,” Arden remarks knowingly.

“The fuck?!” Beast exclaims, looking between us both. “What’re you talking about, Arden?”

Kate frowns. “Explain.”

“Christy is my cousin. Her mother, NessaDálaigh,is my late father’s sister. Isn’t that so?” He cocks his head to the side, watching me carefully.

“Yes,” I agree.

“Well, you couldn’t fucking make this shit up,” Beast exclaims, shaking his head, the movement causing the knife he’s still holding against Leon’s throat to cut a little deeper. I grit my teeth, forcing myself not to react. “Fucking brothers and sisters and cousins and shit.” Beast looks over at Arden. “Next you’ll be telling me I’m your long lost father.”

Kate whips her head around and glares at Beast. “Not fucking funny.”

Arden grins, baring bloody teeth at us all. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Beast. Now slice his motherfucking throat.”

“No! They’remine. Tie them to the tree,” I growl, jerking my head towards The Weeping Tree.

Arden raises a brow, “We might be family but you do not have the last say here.”

“What will it take?” I ask.

“Christy…” Kate warns, a flash of worry in her eyes.

“You deal in debts, right?” I ask, ignoring her. “What will it take for me to have the pleasure of ending these fuckers lives,” I say, refusing to look at Leon or Konrad who are staring at me so intensely I can feel the heat of their gazes burn my skin.

Carrick tips his head back and laughs. “This is turning out to be a pretty fucking entertaining night.”

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