Page 92 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)
His fingers dig deeper in my arm. “Shut up, slut.”
I roll my eyes. Now that we’re out in the open, the fear is easing. There’s still a lot he could do… but Liam is here.
“Do you think he wants to save you?” Colt asks in my ear. He steps behind me and pinches my jaw, swiveling my head to another entrance.
Liam walks in, head raised. I can’t read his expression. He seems ready to fight. He’s shirtless, and his jeans hang low on his hips.
“He hates you,” Colt continues. His fingers are bruising on my jaw. “He didn’t want to fight because of you. Because the threat you pose to him. But here you are, unable to do a damn thing about it.”
It was Whitney. I’m so close to saying that out loud, but I can’t. He wouldn’t believe me—who would?
“Liam Morrison!” RJ yells. “Back from hiatus. Let’s give him a warm welcome.”
The crowd surges forward, to the edges of the chalked circle, and we’re carried along with them. Suddenly we’re at the front, and Liam is directly in front of me.
His gaze coasts over me, then flicks to Colt.
The latter pulls me back against his chest.
RJ suddenly appears, slipping between Liam and me. “You finish this fight, you get her back. It isn’t how I wanted—”
“Fuck off,” Liam growls.
“Just make it memorable,” Colt says. “Give us a show.”
“A show?” Liam stares at him.
Who could’ve predicted Howl was that important to the twins? That they’d result to drugging me and blackmailing Liam into fighting…
“Morrison,” a voice booms. “You can’t even face your opponent?”
Liam frowns, touching my cheek once before spinning around.
His finger leaves a trail of heat in its wake. I hate that Colt is in my head, telling me everything I see in Liam’s expression is wrong. I kept him away from Howl. I ruined this for him.
“David vs. Goliath,” RJ says to the crowd. “Liam is our fearless sling-thrower, and Benji… well, maybe this time the giant will prevail, huh?”
He motions for the two fighters to join him in the center.
“First to exit the circle loses. First to pass out loses. If there’s no clear winner after three minutes, we go by blood drawn.”
Both fighters nod.
The giant, Benji, is huge. More akin to Liam’s friend Baker than Liam. He must have a hundred pounds on him.
I tug on my wrists again, trying to loosen the knot. The drug must be wearing off faster, because I register the cold seeping into my feet. Liam glances over at us once more, then Colt pulls me farther back. People slip in front of us and obscure my view.
RJ calls the start of the fight, and I crane my neck to see.
I expect the show. Blood.
Benji swings at Liam immediately, at an advantage because of his reach. But Liam… he moves like lightning, ducking under and inside his opponent’s guard.
His punch comes out of nowhere, and the whole room seems to pause at the crack of knuckles against Benji’s jaw. Benji’s head whips to the side, blood spraying out of his mouth, and he takes a quick step back.
But Liam isn’t done. He delivers an uppercut that snaps Benji’s head back. He hops back delicately, watching his opponent for less than a second.
Benji’s eyelids flutter, and then…