Page 100 of Bratva Bride

A black-haired guy with a face only a mother could love raised his hand, licking his lips. He was short, about 5’4, and a little on the chubby side. He stepped forward and I watched him, studying how he moved, the way he swung his arms, the way he walked. Everything, filing it all away to use against him if I could.

“Oh, ho, ho, Felix!” Nero clapped him on the shoulder. “Now, make sure to leave enough for the rest of us, okay?”

“No promises,” Felix said gruffly, wiping snot from his nose with the back of his hand. He stepped away from the group and locked those leery eyes on me.

“Don’t forget to look at the camera, pretty.” Gap Tooth shook the phone in his hand. “Don’t want your husband to miss the tears in your eyes.”

I scoffed. As if I’d ever give them the satisfaction of me crying.

With a gesture of my fingers, I beckoned Felix forward. “Let’s go then, short stuff. Don’t got all day.”

The bravado was somewhat fake. I was confident I could take him. Easily. But even I could see the precarious situation I was in. Eventually my luck would run out. I just had to hope that my father could get here before then.

Felix flexed his muscles and strode toward me, confident as a lion hunting a gazelle. I zoned everyone else out and focused on him, waiting for him to get close enough. I flipped my knife and held it in a reverse grip, the blade pointing outwards.

When he got within reach, I stepped forward quickly, swiping my knife across his throat in a deadly, clean cut. I kept walking as Felix dropped to his knees behind me, a gurgled cry slipping from his lips before he fell face forward to the ground. The kill took less than a second.

I smirked, enjoying the way the smiles dropped from all of their faces at the unexpected kill. Well, everyone except Nero. He was smiling.

“The fuck?!” Gap Tooth hissed.

“What? You expected me to just sit back and take it?” I swished my finger from side to side. “Tut, tut, tut,” I taunted, walking backwards, keeping my eyes on them as I side-stepped Felix’s lifeless body until I was back in the centre of the room again.

Nero eyed me excitedly. “Impressive. I guess what Rayna said was true. Youcanfight. How about we even the odds a little this time round? Who’s got numbers two and three?”

Diego and a guy with a goatee walked forward, a little more apprehensive than before but still reeking with that (oh so fake) alpha male confidence.

I backed up a step, getting back in the zone. I pulled another knife, this time from my other boot, and spread my arms wide at my side, letting the crazy take over. “Oooo, I do love a good double team.”

I flipped both the blades so I held them in a reverse grip - my preferred hold - and strengthened my stance.

They attacked together. Diego came up on my left, swinging high with a big brawny arm and Goatee kicked low. I blocked Diego’s attack with my forearm while simultaneously twisting my body out of Goatee’s path. I lashed out with a kick of my own and hit Goatee right in the face.

“Fuck!” He landed flat on his ass while Diego swung again.

I reared back, avoiding the swing effortlessly. He was slow, his technique sloppy. We locked into a battle of blows. Diego struck again and again and even though his attacks held power, they were clumsy. Lacked finesse. Were easy to dodge, to block.

Goatee rejoined the fight, striking out with the same ferocity as Diego. I blocked attacks from both of them as they worked together to try and take me down, Diego coming at me from one side while Goatee came from the other, punching and kicking in unison.

I could not be any more fucking grateful that my father would make me train by fighting all my brothers at the same time. It truly prepared me for this exact moment, taking on more than one opponent at a time.

I ducked under a powerful swing and stabbed Diego in the thigh. I pulled my knife out just as quick and rounded behind him. I kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Goatee pivoted on his feet and we circled each other. “You think you’re tough shit, don’t you? But you’re just a dirty little slut.”

I laughed. “Oh, I definitely am. But only for one guy.” I looked directly into the camera lens and winked for Arturo.

I could picture him, screaming at me to take this seriously, to stop fucking around. I should probably listen.

“I’m going to enjoy putting you in your place. Showing you who’s boss,” Goatee hissed.

“We both know you ain’t the boss. Run it straight. Let’s see what you got.”

Goatee snarled and ran at me hard, trying to tackle me. I dug my feet into the ground for stability and met him head on, twisting out of the way at the last second. I turned and, using my long limber legs, side-kicked him straight in the back at the base of his spine. He arched forward with a cry and slammed into Diego as he was struggling to a stand and they both toppled to the ground, tripping over each other.

I wasn’t sure how much time I had left. Whether these dickheads behind me would finally realise I was more trouble than I was worth and take me down together instead of this stupid lottery shit. I needed to end this now - and end it quickly. The less I had to fight at one time, the better.

As they both got to their feet, Diego favouring his injured leg and Goatee hunched over at the waist like an old man with a bad back, I sprinted forward and went on the offensive, alternating my strikes between both hands.

---