Page 146 of Remi's War (Four Dark Horsemen 2)

Now what?

Santiago glances at me. “Remember one thing. Their greatest fear is for you to give up on them.” I assume he alludes to Amalia too. “So stand by the choice you’ve made.” He puts his splayed palm on the wall, and it shifts to the side, making me blink in surprise.

A secret passage?

This only intensifies the uneasiness, rapidly transforming it into panic, because if they have to go through these lengths to hide it…what goes on inside must be illegal.

Fights.

My heart stops as realization hits me.

Fights without any rules? Meaning… until one of them is dead or too weak to even get up with the possibility of life-long repercussions?

Santiago enters first, then me, while Florian closes our circle as we descend the stairs, with chants growing louder and louder until that’s all I hear.

The crowd in here is even more packed with people standing by the benches as they drink and wave their money, screaming either “Odysseus” or “Bellamy,” and then throw it in the bags servers hold, who scoop up the cash like their asses are on fire.

They surround a boxing ring right in the middle, the lamp shining brightly on it and showing in full glory two bare-chested men facing each other, sweat dripping down their skin, making them glisten while their veins pulse along their bulging muscles.

“Oh my God,” I whisper with horror and fascination as I watch my husband fist his hand and then hit his opponent hard in the stomach, which earns him a groan. The beefy man bends in two, and then Remi slams his elbow on his back, which results in his fall to his knees as he breathes hard.

“Odysseus! Odysseus! Odysseus!” the crowd chants like crazy over and over again, creating a frenzy around us as Remi circles his enemy, blood sliding down his forehead as a snarl curls his lip, reminding me of a caged animal who finally got free and demands vengeance.

And in a way, it’s true, right?

The monster he hides living deep inside him finally gets free reign for the time being and enjoys every second of the suffering he dishes out to those standing in his way.

“Bellamy, come on!” a bearded man shouts, shaking his whisky bottle. “I bet a grand on your fucking win!” He takes a larger swig from his drink and then wipes his mouth. “Kill that fucking assho—” Octavius, who walks behind him, shoves him to the side, and the man chokes on his own spit, his drink spilling.

The final horseman joins us, his jacket thrown over his shoulder while he nods at his friends. I guess he hasn't watched my husband well enough, since he is in a freaking boxing ring!

Bellamy gets up, though on shaky legs, and Remi comes closer, and then the man slams his fist into my husband’s collarbone, making him stumble backward on the ropes, and then continues to beat Remi with powerful blows, one after another.

On instinct, I dart toward him, but Florian pulls me back to him.

“He’s hurting him!”

Octavius chuckles, although it lacks any humor. “No, he’s exhausting him.” A beat passes. “Wait—why the fuck did you bring her here?”

“Era imposible detenerla.”

It was impossible to stop her.

I mute them out though, focusing back on the ring, where the man delivers two more blows and then steps back when Remi leans on the ropes, breathing heavily as a smile curves Bellamy’s mouth in the anticipation of victory.

Only for it to slip away when Remi raises his head and then jumps from the ropes, hitting the man under his chin, which whips back his head, and blood splashes the ring. Another hit goes to his stomach, and then Remi wraps his hand around the man’s neck, holding him in the crook of his elbow as he presses his fist to the man’s spleen, probably bringing a lot of pain.

The man struggles in the grip, pulling at the elbow slowly cutting off his oxygen supply, and his face turns red while Remi just flexes his muscles, grinning at the display of hopelessness. My heart stops for a second, because there is no running away anymore.

The cruelty that lives within him shines for everyone to see, and the worst part about it?

Remi basks in it, soaking in joy with every second, because the darkness must shut out his heart completely, which mean he doesn’t feel a thing.

Especially pain.

Placing my fingers on my lips, I understand with clarity why they all indulge in all their hideous crimes, feeling alive doing all these horrible deeds and never apologizing for them.

If they don’t… it means they won’t be able to fight the demons clawing at them and urging them to succumb to the dark side. They’d lose their humanity completely as the hurt becomes so unbearable they cannot take it anymore.

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