Page 93 of In the Danger Zone
“Hey, Wentworth made it!” Asher pointed at me. “I didn’t see the game tonight, but I heard you fucking sucked, dude. You can’t play good without me or something?”
The guys all laughed. I stayed deadly quiet. I thought about that photo. About Daisy. About how there was no way she had a chance up against someone like Asher. There had been no one to protect her that day. But I was about to be the person who got some revenge on her behalf – whether she knew about it or not. Word would get around. But I wasn’t doing what I was about to do to get Daisy back. That was a problem I was going to deal with in my own time, because I was damn determined to have her back in my arms.
But until I got to that – until I proved to Daisy that I was sorry – I’d have fun taking all of my rage out on Asher.
“Get up,” I said, voice low.
Asher snorted. “Uh, no. I’m busy drinking.”
“We’re doing this outside,” I continued, not wanting security to get in the way.
“Doing what?”
“Get up.”
“What do you want?”
Staying quiet, I shoved Colton out of the booth so that I could get to Asher. There was yelling that I couldn’t be bothered paying attention to as I yanked Asher out of his seat. My hand was on the back of his neck, guiding him out of the bar.
“Hey, what the fuck?” he yelled. “What’s your problem?”
As soon as we got outside, I pulled Asher around the corner, taking him into the cold and secluded alley way. I slammed him to the wall, enjoying the way his head smacked against the bricks behind him.
“Are you that angry you fucked up tonight?” Asher rolled his eyes. “Not my fault, you fucking—”
My fist connected with his jaw, and I heard a delicious crack. I broke something. Not on me. I was fine and fucking dandy as Asher tried to move away from me with a groan that told me he was already in pain. I held him in place, ignoring the guys screaming at me from the left. Didn’t matter. Fist after fist landed right up against Asher’s jaw, making sure that whatever was broken wasreallyfucking broken.
Then I got to his eyes. I had far too much fun imagining what they’d look like all purple on my way over to the bar. But since I didn’t just wanna imagine it, I made sure to pound a heavy fist into both of his eyes. I got to his mouth next – that big fucking mouth that he couldn’t keep shut. He cried out, clearly struggling to fight me off as I got him to the ground. My body was sore from the game but nothing was going to stop me from getting what I wanted.
“Evan, what the hell are you doing?” Hudson cried out to my side. “Christ, you’re gonna kill him!” Hudson did his best to move me, his hands right there on my shoulders. But I stood up, shoving him back hard enough to let him know not to fuck with me. Not tonight. Not in that moment.
Asher was groaning on the cold ground, one of my hands on his shirt to keep him steady as I got back to work. Eyes, nose, mouth, jaw. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I thought of Daisy’s face. Her bruised skin. Eyes closed. Hospital bed. All alone. Scared. Sweet, quiet, shy. Never hurt a fucking fly. Soft, kind, gentle. My girl.
She wasn’t mine anymore.
“Evan, stop!” I heard Hudson scream from behind me. “Tanner, call an ambulance. Not the cops, an ambulance.”
But that just made me punch Asher that much more. Someone was probably gonna call the cops eventually. Fine. Whatever. Asher still needed to die, though. I hit him harder, faster. All I wanted was for him to feel what Daisy felt: that pain and humiliation.
I stood up, my hand covered in a thick layer of Asher’s blood. My chest was heaving, the adrenaline pumping right through my body.
“Evan…” Asher choked out, eyes barely open. “Don’t… I’m sorry…”
“You’re a stupid fucking prick and I want you to die,” I said, voice low and serious as it had ever been. “She’d never forgive me if I killed you, though.”
“I’m sorry.” Asher coughed, eyes shut. “I’m...”
“For what? Say it.” I leaned down, grabbing his blood-soaked chin. His jaw would have been killing him and he groaned when I squeezed at him with angry fingers. “What are you sorry for?”
“For… For…”
“Say it!”
“Sorry for what… I did… To Daisy… I’m sorry… Don’t… Please stop… Don’t kill me…” Asher continued.
I so badly wanted to do what he did to Daisy: kick him right in the head and send him to hospital. But I still craved her forgiveness and I was scared she’d never look me in the eyes again if I reenacted the worst day of her life.
