Forever (Betrothed 7)

“Dead or alive, he’ll always be the man in my heart. You don’t become the winner by default. I’ll never love you again. I’ll never want to be with you again. Don’t you see this is ludicrous? If you really kill him, I’ll always hate you.”

He stared into my eyes for a long time, as if he was searching for my sincerity.

“I mean it.”

“Give it enough time. You’ll change your mind.”

My temper took over, and I shoved him in the chest. “Fuck you, Liam.”

He faltered back into the wall because he hadn’t expected me to hit him. He growled when his back hit the solid surface, closed his eyes as he gathered his patience. Then he turned back to me, his eyes filled with the same anger. “I’m going to kill him, Anna. That’s it.”

I was so angry, brand-new tears flooded my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. If only I were bigger, stronger, I’d figure out a way to kill him myself, to put an end to this madness. All our good memories were gone from my mind, all my affection dead in the ground. It was hard to believe I’d ever wanted a family with this man, that I’d ever vowed to love him forever. Now I wanted to murder him with my bare hands. “I hope he kills you first.”

He came closer to me, bringing his face nearer to mine so he could whisper. “Just for that, I’m gonna make you watch.”

It’d been a long time since I’d been here, to this underground room where the most brutal men fought to claim the lives of their opponents, to add another notch on their belts. It was a place where I once saw Liam betray me, agree to a fight to the death without even telling me about it.

I should’ve left him then.

A part of me was excited to see Damien, but there was another part that hoped he wouldn’t show up, that he would realize his life wasn’t worth the risk.

Liam kept me close to his side as he led me through the crowd. Just to make sure I wouldn’t run away, he kept his other fighting cronies nearby, circling around me so I couldn’t slip through the cracks and disappear. He obviously anticipated that Damien would try to extract me in some way, and he wasn’t gonna let that happen.

Liam took me to the stands and put me in a chair. The other five men sat around me, giving me no avenue of escape. He pulled his shirt over his head and stood in his black running shorts. His physique was muscle on muscle, strength on top of strength, and he was so strong, he was like a wild animal. And in addition to that, he looked livid.

There was nothing he wanted more than to kill my lover.

A part of me wished I could have stayed at the house so I wouldn’t have to watch this, but I also couldn’t abandon Damien. If he won, I wanted to be with him as quickly as possible. I wanted to run into his arms and finally be with the man I loved.

But he had to win first.

I wasn’t ignorant of the odds. Liam was a professional, a veteran, and, worst of all, undefeated. The odds weren’t in Damien’s favor.

The stands were packed with men who’d come to see the fight. Since this battle was the most anticipated, even though it had been posted on such short notice, Liam and Damien were going to fight first. My eyes looked across the room to the other side of the stands, where I knew Damien and Hades would be. My heart was racing with adrenaline, and my stomach was sick with unease. I just wanted this to be over.

And then I saw him.

He walked up the stairs and headed to the platform. Instead of wearing a suit or jeans and a shirt, he was in only a pair of shorts, dressed like the other fighters. His toned body was tanned and shiny because oil had already been rubbed across his skin. He had two distinct pectoral muscles, a tight waist with chiseled abs, and narrow hips. His body was the exact opposite of Liam’s, toned and athletic rather than big and burly.

It’d been weeks since I’d seen him, and I forgot just how beautiful he was.

Hades was with him and also Catalina. I was surprised she’d made the trip, would approve of this barbaric match, support her brother, no matter what.

My breathing quickened the longer I stared at him, the longing overwhelming. I couldn’t watch his man die; I just couldn’t. He had to win.

Damien faced my direction, and it only took him a few moments to find me in the crowd. His gaze landed on mine, and he stared for several seconds, his face stoic but his eyes filled with layers of emotion, of longing, desire, and, most obvious of all, love.