The Camp (Chateau 2)

That enticed him to swing.

I took the opening and punched him so hard in the face he fell back.

I was the best fighter in this whole fucking camp, but I also had rage on my side. I was fucking furious, hearing her screams in my head as she called out to me for help. He’d touched her when he had no right to. He had no right to touch what was mine. “Get up, bitch.” I spat on him.

He climbed to his feet then sprinted at me.

I kicked him in the face.

He fell down again, blood coming from his broken nose.

“Is that all you got? Come on. Look, I’ll give you a chance.” I raised my arms and beckoned him to me. “Hit me.”

With his hands in the dirt, he looked at me, blood dripping down his lips. He growled then got to his feet.

“Give me your best shot.”

He pulled his arm back and punched me, making my head turn.

I took the hit and reacted quickly, slamming my fists into his stomach, his chest, his face, driving him backward because I was too fast and he was too stupid. Even after a fist to the face, I was still quicker than him, striking blow after blow.

He threw his fist back and missed because I dodged out of the way and ducked, anticipating every move before he made it because he was careless. Then I slammed my fist up and hit him under the chin, making him fall back on his ass.

I got on top of him and hit him.

Again.

And again.

Blood covered his face and splashed onto my skin with every impact of my fists against his body. I beat him hard, barely giving him a chance to breathe, punishing him with both pain and shame. I kept going, knowing he would ask for mercy in seconds, knowing he would rather live in humiliation than die.

He finally got the words out. “Okay…okay.”

I pulled my fists back and straightened. “Okay, what?”

“You win.”

“Bitch, I didn’t hear you.” I slapped him across the face. “Speak up.”

Alix was in too much pain to give me a furious look, and even if he could have, his face was too bloody to show a visible reaction. He raised his voice even though it made him wince in pain. “You win.”

I got off him then grabbed the knife from the ground. “Alix failed you, so you’re next.” I sliced the ropes around Eric’s wrists and yanked him to his feet. The knife went into my pocket before I shoved him forward into the ring, where Alix still lay, on the verge of passing out.

Eric stumbled forward then quickly turned around. “You win.”

My eyes narrowed at his admission. “That’s fucking pathetic.” I came at him with my knuckles red from Alix’s blood as well as my own. “I’m gonna beat your ass anyway—and I’m gonna like it.”

All four of them were beaten bloody, beyond facial recognition.

No one helped them to their feet and back to their cabins until Fender ordered it. “Get these guys to bed. Give them ice and meds. They’ve been punished enough.” The guards helped all of them to their feet and escorted them to their cabins, leaving the clearing.

I stood there and watched them go, my body dripping with sweat, the blood creating drops of red in the dirt beneath my feet. I’d given Eric, Nathan, and Karl the same punishment as Alix because they were the ones who had tortured me more by forcing me to listen to Raven beg for my help. I’d beaten them senseless and enjoyed every second of it.

Fender left his chair and walked to me, approval in his eyes. “Practice much?”

“Only every goddamn day.” I had a punching bag in the gym, and I strapped on my gloves and beat it every day. There were splits in the seams from the use after all these years.

He looked at my bloody knuckles before he looked at me again. “Did that satisfy you?”

I nodded.

“The pain? Or the shame?”

“Both.”

He gave me a slight grin before he moved his hand to my shoulder. His fingers dug into me slightly, like he was proud of me for being able to fight like that, to maintain my endurance through four different men who were all my size.

But he didn’t understand how much rage I had.

He dropped his hand and nodded to my hands before he walked away. “Put some ice on those.”

I listened to his footsteps grow quieter as he headed back to his cabin.

I turned around, my hands on my hips, my skin shining in the light from the nearby cabin because I was drenched in sweat. “I want to leave tomorrow.”

Fender stopped and paused before he turned around. “You aren’t scheduled to leave for two more days.”

“I know.” I wanted to get out of there sooner rather than later. I wanted to get Raven to a place where she felt safe so she could shake off the whole thing.