Page 7 of Retaliation

Now it was her turn to be surprised. She had pegged him as just a security guard.

When their eyes finally locked, a storm of emotions swirled between them—amazement, surprise, and a lingering caution that darkened his gaze.

Her mind raced with questions.What if he belonged to a rival crew? Or worse, a rival territory? What if they weren’t supposed to be this close?Adrenaline surged through her veins, as if she were back in the ring, preparing for a fight.

“I’m Poison,” she found herself saying, a belated introduction to anchor herself in the moment, to dispel the swirling, unanswered questions.

“Scorpion,” he replied, his expression flickering with confusion and wariness.

At the mention of his name, a wave of relief washed over her.Scorpion.She knew that name well—not as an adversary, but as a legend in the underground fighting world.

To stand before such a figure, exchanging names and tentative trust, was to bridge worlds she once thought would never intersect.

She stood before a man she had only heard about, a man worshiped in the circles she fought within.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said, her smile widening, a little star-struck by his reputation. “About you and your handiwork. You’re a fucking legend in most rings.”

The shift in his demeanor was sudden, like a wildfire igniting just beneath the surface.

“Yeah, thanks. Listen, I have to go this way,” he said abruptly, gesturing toward a path leading away from where she needed to go. His tone was curt, almost cold.

“Nice meeting you,” he added, though the briskness of his voice undermined the sentiment.

Before she could respond, he turned sharply and disappeared into the night, swallowed by the shadows.

Poison stood there, a knot of confusion and disappointment twisting in her stomach. The sudden distance he’d put between them hit like a punch to the gut, leaving her to wonder what had changed so abruptly, what word or look had tipped the balance.

“Well, good-fucking-bye to you too,” she mumbled into the darkness.

THREE

Scorpion perched on the rooftop of an old, abandoned factory, gazing out over the city. The starless night stretched endlessly above him, with the lonely moon casting its pale glow across the sky. Gleaming moonbeams danced on his face, softly caressing the exposed skin like a lover’s touch.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the petty thoughts.What was he doing—thinking about a woman’s touch?They were all the same. They wanted everything and left you with nothing.

He had learned that lesson the hard way. He hadn’t allowed himself to feel anything for a woman since his ex

had brought another man to their bed. He was twenty-seven then, naive enough to believe in the picket-fence life they’d dreamed of.

That was eight years ago, but the memory of her betrayal was still carved into his mind, as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

Straightening, he walked the perimeter of the rooftop, letting the wind clear his mind as he stared out over his territory.

Territory.

It was the only thing that mattered in this world. Territory meant power, and power meant survival. In the Underworld, survival was everything. Power meant dominance in the arena, and territory gave you all that.

He wished his brother had understood that. Rex had chosen the life of a nomad, dancing on the edges of every territory—that’s what got him killed. Scorpion had made peace with it, but regret still punched his heart from time to time.

Yet no matter how much he tried, his mind kept circling back to Poison—her dark hair casting shadows beneath the bright lights of the launch party, the black blouse stretched tight over every curve.

He had watched her from a distance as she confidently faced off against the blonde woman. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.

Her poise, her lightning-quick reflexes during the altercation, left him in awe. She was like a viper, coiled and ready to strike.

The moment someone insulted her, something inside him snapped. An inexplicable urge to defend her surged through him, despite knowing she was more than capable of handling it herself. Yet he found himself propelled into the fight, driven by a force he hadn’t felt before.

No woman had ever stirred such a disruption of emotions in him. From the moment she stood her ground, she hooked his interest—and got him hard. Just thinking about it now made his pants uncomfortably tight.

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