Page 131 of Retaliation

“Lovely night for a walk, isn’t it?” his voice was mocking, dripping with dark amusement.

Her jaw clenched, her body moving into a defensive stance without hesitation.

“What do you want, Reaper?” she demanded, her voice low and steady, though her mind screamed with alarm.

He chuckled darkly, taking a slow, deliberate step toward her. “Just thought I’d check on you,” he sneered, his gaze roving over her in a way that made her skin crawl. “Can’t let a pretty thing like you wander alone at night, now, can I?”

Her hands balled into fists, her pulse quickening. She wasn’t in the mood for his games. “Stay away from me,” she warned, her voice sharp.

But he didn’t listen. He lunged toward her, moving faster than she expected, his hand grabbing for her. This time, though, she was ready. Her fist connected with his face in a vicious punch, the sound cracking through the stillness of the night. He stumbled back, his hand flying to his cheek, his eyes wide with shock and fury.

“Don’t touch me,” she hissed, her voice steady despite the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins.

His face twisted with anger, his usual cocky demeanor replaced by something uglier, more dangerous. His eyes darkened, and in an instant, his rage boiled over. “Why you little bitch.”

Before she could react, his fist collided with her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs. Pain exploded through her, sending her crashing to the ground. She gasped, clutching her midsection, her mind racing to catch up with what had just happened.

“No!” she cried out, her voice breaking as she tried to push herself up. “Please, stop!” Desperation tinged her words, but she knew better than to expect mercy from him. Scorpion was too far away, and Gavin… she knew he wasn’t coming this time.

Reaper’s lips curled into a cruel smile as he loomed over her. “It’s too late for groveling,” he snarled, lifting his boot and driving it into her ribs.

She cried out in pain, rolling onto her side as she tried to shield herself from the next blow. Her vision blurred, but she forced herself to focus. She couldn’t let him win. Not like this.

The first kick landed in her stomach, forcing the air from her lungs again. She gasped, but before she could even register the pain, a second strike hit her shoulder. Pain exploded through her body as her arm dislocated with a sickening pop. Her vision swimming as darkness began to creep at the edges of her mind. She barely registered the third kick to her head before everything went black.

The world faded away—gone was the thunder rumbling on the horizon, the wind whispering through the trees. In the void, there was nothing but silence.

When she finally started to come to, the pain slammed into her like a freight train, making her stomach churn. She lay there, dazed and disoriented, her body aching from all over. Footsteps echoed in the distance, and her breath hitched, terror licking at her senses like flames.

What if it was Reaper?

She forced herself to sit up, every movement agony. Her head spun, vision blurred, but she pushed through it, gritting her teeth against the pain. She reached for her dislocated shoulder, her fingers trembling as they wrapped around her arm. She knew what she had to do—there was no other choice. Her breath came in shallow, ragged bursts as she counted silently in her head.

One… two… three.

With a sharp, agonizing shove, she popped her shoulder back into place. A scream tore at her throat, but she swallowed it down, biting her lip so hard she tasted blood. The world wavered around her, but she couldn’t afford to pass out again. She had to stay alert—had to be ready in case Reaper came back to finish the job.

The voices drew closer, and she tensed, her body coiled despite the agony coursing through her. But through the haze, she recognized them. Dennis and Gunnar. Relief flooded her, but it was tainted by the raw adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

“Poison!” Dennis’s voice rang out, sharp with alarm as he rushed toward her. She blinked, struggling to stay upright. Her body trembled violently, her muscles betraying her need to appear strong.

“What the hell happened?” he demanded, his eyes scanning her bruised and battered form with horror and concern.

She tried to speak, but her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper, the words sticking as she swallowed painfully. It took everything in her to form the words. “Reaper,” she rasped, the name dripping from her mouth like venom. Her eyes searched Dennis’, pleading for answers. “Where’s Scorpion?”

Gunnar stepped closer, his jaw clenched tight with barely contained fury. “He sent us,” Gunnar growled, his voice rough. “He wanted to make sure you got home safely… Looks like we were almost too fucking late.”

Her mind swirled, struggling to comprehend. Scorpion had sent them? Where was he? What could possibly be more important than being here with her?

Gunnar knelt beside her, his face darkening with anger as he gently assessed her injuries. His hands were careful, deliberate, but his eyes were hard as stone. “We need to get you out of here,” he said, voice rough. “Can you walk?”

She swallowed the pain down and nodded, even though her body screamed for her to stop. She would not show weakness, not now. With their help, she staggered to her feet, her legs shaking beneath her, each step an exercise in pure will. But she wasn’t about to let them see her break.

As they began to walk, the first streaks of lightning split the sky, briefly illuminating the park. The storm was drawing closer, the scent of rain in the air, though none had fallen yet. She focused on the rumble of thunder, using it to drown out the throbbing in her body.

Her thoughts drifted back to Scorpion, confusion wrapping itself around her. Where the fuck was he? Why wasn’t he the one helping her up, holding her steady?

“Hang in there, Poison,” Dennis said, his voice soft as he kept an arm around her for support. “We’ll get you patched up.”

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