The Butcher didn’t cry out, but he tried to get up with his single working arm, falling over onto his stomach instead.
Bosco jumped into the air then landed right on The Butcher’s lower back, making another cracking noise that was unmistakable.
He broke The Butcher’s back.
This time, The Butcher screamed. He tried to move his legs, but he couldn’t. He tried to crawl away with one arm, but he was too heavy. The panic entered his eyes, and it was so apparent it was almost hard to look at.
Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. “Bosco has the best poker face in the world.”
Bosco stepped away from The Butcher and walked to the edge of the ring, raising both arms in the air in victory. He was covered in blood and sweat, but he looked more kingly than ever before.
The crowd went wild.
Bosco moved to each other side of the ring and did the same thing, getting all the men riled up and louder. He kept throwing his arms in the air, getting them to scream at the highest level.
The Butcher had given up. He lay there, unable to walk and barely able to move.
“What do you mean?” I asked Ronan about his comment.
“He used The Butcher’s arrogance against him, made him think he had the upper hand. In reality, he never did. He was waiting for the perfect moment to pull that stunt. The comment about our mom didn’t make him angry—he just let The Butcher think that. And when he dropped his guard…that’s when Bosco came to life.”
Bosco walked back to The Butcher and stared down at him, standing strong and proud as the unquestionable victor.
The Butcher managed to flip over so he could look at the man who had defeated him. His arrogance was gone, and now all that was left was a crippled man. He stared at Bosco, breathing deep and hard. “Mercy.”
Bosco stared down at him without blinking.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“He’s surrendering and asking for a quick death.”
“Does Bosco have to comply?”
“No, but he will.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “It’ll prove to everyone he has absolute power, but he’s also fair.”
Bosco raised his hand and motioned for one of his men to approach the ring, a pistol in his hand.
“Look away,” Ronan said. “You don’t want to see this.”
I closed my eyes and looked down, waiting for the gunshot to announce it was finally over. “Where’s he gonna shot him?”
“Right between the eyes.”
I was glad Ronan told me not to look.
The sound of the crowd grew louder. The tension rose as everyone waited for The Butcher to meet his end. With my eyes closed, I could feel all the energy in the room, feel Bosco’s power even fifty feet away.
Then I heard the gunshot.
The Brawl was finally over—and Bosco was the winner.
Bosco wiped down with the towel his men gave him, getting the sweat and blood off his body. He wiped his face clean, only a few spots of blood coming out of his nose. His eye was already turning black because he’d been hit so hard in the face.
The Butcher had been taken away and placed in a body bag. Who knew where the corpse would end up.
I wanted to rush down the stairs and into Bosco’s arms, but Ronan kept me on the platform.
“Wait for him to come to us.” He held on to my wrist for a second before he let go.
Bosco spoke to a few men before he finally made his way up the stairs. After winning such an intense fight, he seemed perfectly casual like nothing had happened. The men in the crowd were paying their loses and pocketing their wins before they filed out of the room.
I should let Ronan greet his brother first, but I was too anxious to be considerate. The second he was on the platform, I moved into his chest and touched his searing skin, feeling his strong heartbeat and muscled frame. I held on to him and kept my face against his body, immediately sobbing once I finally had him back. The fear of losing him had nearly driven me insane, and knowing it was really over made me so emotional, I didn’t know how to cope. “I’m so glad you’re okay…” My tears stuck to his skin and slid down his stomach. “God, I was so scared.”
His hand moved into my hair, and he rested his chin on my head. “I know, Beautiful. But here I am—in one piece.” He kissed my forehead and squeezed me against his chest, giving me the comfort I craved. “I keep my promises.”
I pulled away so I could look at him. “What the hell were you thinking?” I knew I sounded like a nagging wife, but I didn’t care. “He could have…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence.
His eyes narrowed on my face, watching me fall apart even though he was perfectly okay. “I won’t apologize. It was worth it to see you put all your cards on the table.” He cupped my cheek and kissed me before he turned to his brother.