Page 12 of Sticks & Serpents

He shot back another punch, but I dodged it easily this time, the rush of adrenaline heightening my senses. Logan glared at me through gritted teeth; I could see how hard he fought against panic.

“Get off me,” he hissed, but there was no real conviction behind it—just desperation laced with confusion.

“No can do,” I said cheerfully.

Logan’s eyes widened as the realization hit him—this wasn’t just a fight. I didn’t need weapons. My fists were enough.

I jabbed sharply into his ribs, feeling the air rush out of him. The satisfaction surged through me, and I followed up with a brutal right hook to his jaw. His head snapped back, and for a moment, the world seemed to hang in the balance.

Then I closed the distance again, my hand wrapping around his throat, fingers tightening just enough to make him aware of my control.

“You like her?” I asked, my voice low and even. “You think you have a shot? That’s cute.”

He gasped, his eyes bulging as he clawed at my grip. The panic surged in his gaze, but that only fueled me further.

I leaned in closer, keeping my voice calm—too calm—as if we were sharing secrets rather than locked in this brutal standoff.

“Stay the fuck away from Holly.”

I held his stare long enough to see the fear flicker across his face before I finally let go. The weight of him crumpling against the ground felt satisfying, like dropping an anchor after holding it for too long.

Logan coughed violently as he tried to catch his breath, still staring up at me with a mix of shock and disbelief.

I straightened up, shaking off the adrenaline coursing through my veins. This wasn’t about being reckless; it was about making sure he understood exactly where he stood with me—and with her.

His breathing steadied, but the fight had left him; I could see it in how he struggled to find his footing again.

“Next time,” I said softly, almost conversationally as if we were discussing casual plans rather than this violent encounter, “think twice before you get too comfortable.”

I crouched low, feeling the rush of power as I grabbed Logan’s wrist. He looked up at me, confusion turning to fear as he realized I had no intention of letting him go. With a swift motion, I twisted his hand, hearing the sickening crunch as I broke three of his fingers.

He let out a strangled cry, his face contorting in pain. It was music to my ears.

“Don’t play with fire if you can’t handle getting burned,” I hissed before releasing him. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his hand like it was a lifeline.

I stepped back, rolling my shoulders to shake off the tension that came with violence. A sense of calm washed over me as I walked away from the scene, leaving Logan writhing in agony behind me. I had already won this round.

He wouldn’t go to the cops; that would make him look weak. The last thing a guy like Logan wanted was to be labeled as someone who couldn’t handle himself on and off the ice. But I knew he would tell someone—he had to. His ego wouldn’t allow him to keep this quiet.

Logan Hartley’s days of playing hockey just got a lot more complicated.

As I stepped into the shadows of the trees lining the path, I felt satisfaction settle in my gut. Tomorrow, Dean Walker would call me in for a chat, and it would be clear what happened between us—though Logan wouldn’t confirm it outright. No need for him to implicate himself further.

Perfect.

This was all part of the plan—everything unfolding exactly how I wanted it to. The thought of Dean Walker’s face when he learned about Logan’s injury made me grin.

It meant one thing: Holly would be back in my orbit sooner than later, whether she liked it or not. And once she understood that nothing could stand between us again—not her choices or her safe little world—I’d make sure she remembered just how powerful we were together.

I could already feel her pulling at me from across campus, and this time? There was no escaping it.

I saton the edge of my bed, the adrenaline from the encounter with Logan still coursing through my veins. The satisfaction of seeing him crumble under my grip settled like a warm blanket over my shoulders. It felt good to remind him who he was dealing with.

But there was one more thing I needed to do before sleep claimed me.

I picked up my phone, feeling the weight of it in my hand as I hovered over Holly’s name in my contacts. She wouldn’t see this coming, not after her little victory today, thinking she could smile at Logan without consequence. I grinned at the thought, a predatory instinct bubbling beneath the surface.

I tapped out a quick message; the words rolling off my fingers like they had a life of their own.

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