The buzzer blared, and the match began.
Just as I’d anticipated, Liam tried to run me down as quickly as possible, to get his hands on me so he could finish this match in record-breaking time, just so he could humiliate me further.
Since I knew it was coming, I dodged out of the way.
His momentum carried him forward, and he hit the side of the ring with the loud thud.
I came up behind him and slammed his face directly into the corner. I didn’t linger because I knew I didn’t have the time to stay, so I quickly jumped back before he spun around with his hand outstretched to grab me.
When he turned, his face was red and bruised, but he wasn’t bleeding. He was still slightly confused since it had been a hard hit, but he was still too dangerous to overpower. He started to pace toward me, both of his hands tightened into fists.
I kept my fists close to my face and tuned out the noise around us. I got in sync with my opponent, studying him, watching him, trying to be him.
When he was close enough, he swung.
I ducked and slammed my fist into his stomach three times before I danced away.
He grunted when the air left his lungs, and he released a deep growl of pain. “Chickenshit, fight me.”
Slow and steady wins the race.
I kept moving on my feet, knowing if I stayed put, it would just be a battle of strength, which I couldn’t possibly win. I had to tire him out, make every hit count because I couldn’t linger.
The fight went that way for a long time, bringing us together for short bursts that ended up with a few blows, before I bounced away again. It wasn’t a traditional fight, much longer than the kind the men usually witnessed. I got a black eye, and Liam had a cut along his cheek.
“You know what I’m gonna do tonight after I kill you?” With his fists near his face like a boxer, he circled as he drew closer to me, looking for the right time to charge me. “I’m gonna take Anna to the courthouse, marry her, and then take her home and fuck her.”
I resisted the urge to respond, told myself to stay focused and unemotional because losing my pragmatism could lead to dire mistakes, but it was a good trick because it pissed me off.
“I’ve enjoyed fucking her as my woman. But I want to fuck her as my wife.”
The image made me sick to my stomach, to imagine Annabella sleeping with him, whether by choice or force. But I didn’t allow him to make me drop my guard. I pretended I was about to sprint at him like he wanted, and he threw out his fist automatically to land several blows. But once his fists had been launched, I came at him and landed a series of hits, striking him in the temple, the face, pounding him in the stomach, and then I twisted him around so I could kick him in the back.
He tried to stop the fall, but he was too heavy. He landed hard against the concrete.
I didn’t let the opportunity slip from my grasp, so I got on top of him and locked his neck in my arms. I squeezed his throat so he couldn’t breathe as I started to turn his head to snap his neck.
The crowd was so loud, cheering because they were about to win their bets at unbelievable odds, while others booed because they were about to lose their money, having bet on the guy who wasn’t supposed to lose.
Liam tried to get out of it, and the longer he didn’t have air, the quicker his pulse thudded against my skin. He was strong, fighting with power, fighting for his life—which was about to be extinguished.
I’d thought I would feel good about what I was about to do, killing this guy. He didn’t deserve to live. He didn’t deserve to be spared after everything he’d done. But I didn’t get pleasure out of my victory, out of taking his life.
And I knew why.
Annabella understood I had to do this. She wouldn’t hold it against me; it had to be done.
But I knew she’d loved him for a long time, had been married to him, wanted a family with him. He needed to die, but it would still hurt her, still haunt her. So, I did something really stupid.
I pulled his neck tighter, so close to snapping his neck. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
He couldn’t say anything because he couldn’t breathe. All he could do was fight my twist, fight the pain in his neck before it turned into complete paralysis.
“I let you live, you disappear.” Hades would be pissed that I’d offered this guy any mercy. Even my sister would think I was weak. I had no love for him, but I loved Annabella so fucking much that I would do this for her. “Do you accept those terms?” He might say yes but turn around and stab me in the back. He might say yes and change his mind later. I was willing to take that chance.