Page 55 of Candy Cane Chains

The crack of flesh meeting flesh echoes through the warehouse. My vision goes white for a split second, hands curling into fists. But Ivy's laugh - cold and cutting - stops me from charging in.

"That the best you got? Julian's given me worse marks kissing me than your pathetic little slap."

I pause at the top of the stairs, a savage smile spreading across my face. She's not just fighting back - she's deliberately provoking him. I wonder if she's remembering all the times that I said anger makes a person sloppy. Smart girl. My brilliant, fierce woman.

I'd been worried, for a moment, when Xander first tracked her here. Wondered if I'd misread everything between us, if she'd actually gone running back to this piece of shit. But I should have known better. Should have trusted her more.

The sound of glass shattering pulls me back to the present. Time to end this. I pull my gun from its holster, clicking off the safety.

I step into the room, gun trained on Travis's chest. His eyes are wild, pupils blown wide. Perfect - an unstable cokehead is exactly what I need right now.

"Get on your knees." My voice cuts through the tension.

Travis whirls around, fumbling for something in his waistband. Amateur. I cross the space in three strides, sweeping his legs and driving him face-first into the concrete. His gun skitters across the floor.

"Ivy." I keep my knee pressed into Travis's spine while he thrashes. "Come here. I want you to watch this carefully."

She steps closer, rubbing her reddened cheek. The mark on her face makes my blood boil, but I keep my voice steady. "This is what happens when someone touches what's mine."

Travis bucks underneath me, spitting curses. "Fuck you! She was mine first-"

I slam his head against the floor, silencing him. "See how he leads with his right? Classic mistake." My hands move efficiently, disarming him of a small pistol and switchblade. "Always check for secondary weapons."

Travis writhes harder, cocaine-fueled strength making him unpredictable. His elbow catches my ribs. I shift my weight, pinning his arm behind his back until something pops.

His scream echoes off the walls.

"Notice how I maintain control of his dominant side?" I press harder, making him whimper. "The shoulder joint is particularly vulnerable. Easy to dislocate with the right pressure."

"You fucking psycho!" Travis's voice cracks. "I'll kill you both!"

I pull my ceramic blade from its sheath. "The thing about cocaine, Travis, is it makes people reckless. Sloppy." The blade catches the light. "Makes them think they're stronger than they are."

Ivy watches intently, her amber eyes dark with something between fascination and hunger. No fear. No hesitation. Just raw appreciation for the violence unfolding before her.

"What do you think, sweetheart?" I trace the blade along Travis's throat, not breaking skin. Yet. "Want to test how much violence really turns you on?"

Her eyes light up - probably remembering the promise I made when I first saw that speck of darkness in her. "Yes," she breathes.

With a grin, I step back from Travis, my eyes flicking over him in disgust. I'll give my girl a show if that's what she wants. "Get up."

"What?" He rolls to his side, cradling his dislocated shoulder.

"You heard me. Stand up and face me like a man." I slide the ceramic blade back into its sheath. "No weapons. Just you and me." I give him a grin. "I'll let you fight for your life."

Travis's eyes dart between me and the door, calculating his odds. The cocaine makes him twitchy, overconfident. "You're gonna regret this."

"Am I?" I shrug off my suit jacket, handing it to Ivy. The fabric whispers as she takes it, her fingers brushing mine. "Show me."

Travis scrambles to his feet, bouncing on his toes like a second-rate boxer. His good arm comes up in a defensive stance. "I was Golden Gloves in college-"

I let him throw the first punch. It's sloppy, telegraphed from a mile away. His fist whooshes past my ear as I step inside his guard. "Boxing rules?" My elbow connects with his solar plexus. "Or street rules?"

He doubles over, gasping. I give him space to recover, circling slowly. "Come on, Travis. Show Ivy what a real man looks like."

Rage flashes across his face. He charges forward, trying to tackle me. I sidestep, driving my knee into his ribs. The crack is satisfying.

"That all you got?" Blood trickles from his split lip. "Fucking cheap shots-"

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