She reached for her son, but Q held him away.
I gasped in horror as he wrapped his fingers around her throat and marched her backward, stepping over the body as if it was a new rug.
His eyes shot black, lust tainting the air as vicious as violence.
The moment Tess’s back slammed against the foyer wall, he fell on her.
Kissing her. Mauling her. Totally savage.
Lino continued to scream, clutching at air and kicking in Q’s arms as he continued to maul his blood-soaked wife. He devoured her, thrusting into her, grabbing her leg and hoisting it over his hip.
Only once Lino’s screams reached ear piercing did Q struggle to pull away—reluctantly crashing back to humanity.
And then a noise ripped my attention from them, sucking me back to the awful fight before me.
My heart iced over as I looked at Elder.
As I looked at a man who’d given up everything.
A man who’d embraced every demon he’d run from.
A man who’d finally had enough.
Chapter Twenty-Three
______________________________
Elder
I WAS A man born of honour.
I was a son made of regret.
I was a lover forged from protection.
I’d entered this fight willingly, but even with my training at the hands of my old master, I was losing.
I’d studied and practiced for a moment such as this, and I’d failed. I’d accepted my grave without truly, truly trying.
Pim would soon be without me.
I would soon be without her.
And life would continue without any say or sway from me.
That couldn’t happen.
I’d been stupid and feeble and wrong.
I’d believed I was ready to kill my past, but I wasn’t.
Not really.
Until now.
Until this very moment where Pim looked away because she couldn’t stomach to see me defeated and Daishin laughed, knowing he’d won.
My destiny was already written, my burial already planned.
But I finally reached that edge.
That jagged, dangerous edge ringing the well of feral blackness inside me.
I’d run from it my entire life. I’d feared it. I’d hid it.
I cursed it because it twisted everything good that I’d tried to be.
But now, I had nothing left. I had limited heartbeats and rationed existence…so I sank.
I sank and sank and breathed deep, deep, deep, admitting that I wasn’t just a man born of honour and regret and protection. I was a Chinmoku bred for pride and service and heartless, ruthless extermination.
I was a killer.
And I’m ready.
The parts of my body I could no longer feel blazed with raw power. My forsaken limbs and broken bones knitted together for one purpose and one purpose only.
To win.
To murder.
To save.
I saw red.
Lots and lots of red.
Blood of my brotherhood, blood of my brother, blood of the woman I’d taken as mine.
I’d spilled waterfalls of blood, but I’d yet to spill the most important one—that of my leader. His needed to rain if I ever had a chance at being free.
I’d wasted enough time.
He’d taunted me, enjoying my weakness, my humanity, my hesitation.
No more.
I didn’t pause to think. I didn’t second-guess. I no longer believed the story my body whispered—telling me to lay down my fists, to stop this useless attempt at winning, to honourably accept defeat.
The instincts I’d let loose when I’d found Pim with her tongue partially severed unravelled into something I could no longer control.
I’d been getting in my own way, believing I could win without killing. That I was better than the Chinmoku when I’d forgotten the most important thing.
I was them.
I was better than them.
I had the power to end this.
I backed away from Daishin, breathing hard, streaming with sweat and sickness. Our eyes met as I stopped breathing and bowed my head.
That was the only warning I gave.
A simple bow in ode to everything he’d made me become.
Goodbyes weren’t required and respect wasn’t given. I centred myself, reached deep for everything I’d chained inside, and gave myself over to the method I knew best.
The method he himself had taught me.
The method that didn’t require anything but sheer, brutal talent.
Rushing at Daishin, he stumbled backward, sensing everything had changed and unable to prevent my descent. His hands struck, doing their best to subdue me. His body parried, doing its best to avoid me.
But it was too late.
I wouldn’t kill him by gun or blade.
That would be too easy.
And this was personal.
Grabbing his neck, I willed every strength I had left into my fingers and dug my nails into his throat.
He dropped to a knee, scrambling at my hold, eyes bugging, lips gasping as I dedicated myself to no more.
No more fighting.
No more running.
No more losing.
I’m done.
With a savage twist of my hand, I broke his spine, crushed his windpipe, and turned living into corpse.
And then, I fell with him.
I’d done what I feared I never would.
I became him just as he’d promised.
I smiled as everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-Four
______________________________
Pimlico
MY SCREAMS WERE silent as Elder ripped out Daishin’s throat then collapsed beside him. My tears were dry as blood gushed from his old leader’s throat, cascading over both of them.