Instead of flinching away, I surged forward. My lower position put me in perfect range to do the most damage I could with my mouth.
Grendel let out a high screech. I didn’t bite anymore, because the main purpose was distraction, and there was nothing like a chewed groin to get a guy’s full attention focused on that. When he instinctively shielded his crotch, I whipped around him to jump onto his back like a monkey, using my legs to hold on. Then I plunged my fingers into his eyes.
Grendel screamed in earnest at that. I shoved my fingers deeper, ignoring the disgusting squishy sensation. His arms flailed back as he tried to hit any part of me he could. I jumped off, missing those murderous blows, and swept his feet out from under him. Even though my fingers weren’t in his eyes anymore, he still couldn’t see. They hadn’t healed yet. I only had seconds.
I launched myself at him again, using the speed from that charge as leverage while I squeezed his head and yanked it around with everything I had. There was an audible break, but not enough. All my muscles bunched as I pulled with my last spurt of strength, using my legs to brace myself—and then I toppled backward with Grendel’s head in my lap, bloody eye sockets staring up at me.
“You forgot... to kick me... when I was down,” I managed to wheeze.
The instant of shocked silence was broken when several voices began to speak at once. I spat some blood out of my mouth, not caring how unladylike that looked, and cradled my aching side. Grendel would have had me if he hadn’t been so smug. One more blow like the last one to my side, and I wouldn’t have been able to twist the top off a soda bottle. Even now, I felt like I’d been in a car wreck. Make that a train wreck. A big one. Grendel’s face looked up at me, his skin beginning to wrinkle, and I shoved his skull away with distaste. Some people liked to keep trophies. I wasn’t one of them.
Slowly I pushed myself to my feet and glared at Ian, who was still gaping.
“Lower... the cage... down.”
I still couldn’t speak right from the pressure of my broken ribs. Ian nodded, tight-lipped, and with a rasp of metal, Noah was brought to the floor. When he was let out of the cage, he looked at me and the headless ghoul with horror. Then he started to scream.
“Somebody shut him up,” Ian ordered, annoyed.
Spade stepped forward immediately, his piercing gaze and order for silence quieting Noah in seconds. Then he led him back up the aisle to the double doors where he’d been watching. I relaxed a tiny bit. It was as safe a place as any for Noah to be.
Ian, surprisingly, began to clap, but his clapping had more of a mocking sound to it than the genuine applause Grendel had briefly garnered.
“Well done, Red Reaper! No one could scoff at that name for you now. I’m more than impressed, as is everyone here. You’ve proven to be resourceful, strong, and ruthless. You’ve won your challenge and one of your men back. However... I still have three more of them. How much are their lives worth to you, poppet? Join me, swear your loyalty to me, and I’ll let them go. Come now, it won’t be that unpleasant. Indeed, there are many perks, as you’ll discover.”
Ian smiled when he said that last sentence, leaving me little doubt as to what he was talking about.
Bones stood. “I’ve seen enough, Ian. I’m leaving now.”
“But this is the best part,” Ian said, winking at me. I held up my middle finger. He laughed. “Now you’re reading my mind, Cat.”
Bones made his way down the aisle. Over a hundred people also stood and began to follow suit. My eyes bugged. All of those were his?
“No need to stay any longer, mate. I bid you good night.” He got farther down until he was on the lowest level above the arena, and then he turned and grinned at Ian.
“But before I go, I think I’ll pay my respects to your guest of honor.”
Ian guffawed. “Be careful. You might end up alongside Grendel.”
“I always did like to live dangerously,” Bones replied, hopping down into the square space with me. Once there, his grin widened.
“Congratulations on a magnificent display of unsportsmanlike conduct. What a dirty fighter you are. Somebody really skilled must have trained you.”
I laughed even though it hurt. “Yeah. An arrogant bastard.”
“You know what they say about sticks and stones. Come now, pet, how’s about a kiss farewell for old time’s sake?”
“Want a kiss? Come and get it.”
I could see Ian just to the right behind Bones. He chuckled and muttered something to the person next to him about Bones’ high chance of getting his lips bitten off. That chuckle turned into a hiss of outrage when Bones took me in his arms and I slanted my mouth over his. I didn’t close my eyes as I kissed him, either. The look on Ian’s face was too priceless.
“What the hell—?”