Lan was made for showmanship and doesn’t miss a chance to flaunt his superior looks, defined physique, and genius skills.
While most art students are allergic to violence and even sports to protect their hands, Landon punches with the same hands that create masterpieces.
He’s been part of the underground fighting scene since we were in secondary school and didn’t quit at uni.
Not only that, but he’s also the leader of the Elites, and the number one student grades-wise in the whole of REU and TKU combined. He’s been getting some competition from a girl in the American university, but she’s yet to push him off from his first spot.
Lan always makes sure to come out on top, demanding to be worshipped like the god he thinks himself to be.
And while I ignored those narcissistic traits in the past, they make me uncomfortable now. Especially as I watch him bite his lip, enjoying every chant, every admiration.
It hits me then.
Lan never belonged to anyone but himself.
“Woohoo! Go, Lan! King! King! King!” Ava shouts at the top of her lungs and I shake my head.
She’s too enthusiastic about this.
The commotion from our students partially dies down when TKU’s crowd roars to life.
Jeremy strides to the ring accompanied by Nikolai and a blond man—the guard who told me about his state that day I went to the Heathens’ mansion.
I’ve been fucked continuously by Jeremy for the past two weeks and a few times before that, but this is the first time I’ve see him half naked.
Considering the way his muscles bulge through his shirts and leather jackets and whenever I’m flattened against him, I figured he had a developed physique, but nothing I could’ve imagined would rival the scene in front of me.
Jeremy is a big man with wide shoulders and an impressive build, even compared to others from his entourage. He has slick abs and a defined V-line that disappears beneath the black shorts that hang low on his hips.
I knew he was tatted by the small glimpse I saw on his arms, but now, I get the whole picture. Artistic skulls pierced with knives and guns stretch from his full sleeves to portions of his chest and abs, creating a striking, intimidating image. At the top of his chest, he has a cursive scrip tattoo that reads, Veni, Vidi, Vici.
I came. I saw. I conquered.
That’s what a mafia heir looks like. A beast in the making. An animal since he was born.
Even if his father wasn’t part of the Bratva, I have no doubt that Jeremy would’ve followed a similar path. He’s certainly not built to be an ordinary citizen.
With each of his powerful strides, the spectators go wild. He doesn’t have to flaunt himself or change his expression to capture everyone’s attention.
It happens naturally and effortlessly.
Like the way he trapped me.
I internally shake that idea out of my head.
Nikolai hits him on the shoulder and remains behind as Jeremy slides into the ring. His attention zeroes in on Lan, who’s smirking in his usual provocative way.
The moment the referee announces the beginning of the fight, there seems to be a collateral holding of breaths. Everyone has been looking forward to the clashing of two titans, the leaders of the Heathens and the Elites and the lifetime rivals at REU and TKU.
This is the fight for the championship. Maybe a final before the final.
Jeremy and Lan circle each other for a few seconds before Jeremy lunges at him. He lands the first punch successfully, causing an uproar of the crowd.
But he doesn’t even pull away when Lan drives his fist into the side of his face, so hard that blood explodes on Jeremy’s lips.
I gasp along with many others. Ava is jumping up and down and punching the air.
“Yes! That’s my boy. Get him, Lan!”
A whole-body shiver goes through me and I can’t even breathe properly as the same scenario happens again.
Every time one of them punches, the other jumps back up and delivers a stronger one.
The crowd alternates between holding their breath, gasping, and cheering so loudly that my eardrums nearly explode.
I’ve never seen a more brutal manifestation of violence and testosterone than right now.
It’s like they’re out to kill one another while everyone watches.
I was aware of the animosity that ran between them, but I didn’t think it was this savage.
Or out of control.
The more I watch, the tighter my stomach gets. I don’t think I can stay for the whole thing.
I’m sure Ava will be able to get home by herself—
My thoughts are cut off when Jeremy wipes the blood off the corner of his mouth and stares straight at me. As if he knew I was there all along.
How the hell did he find me in the middle of all these people?
My stomach flutters the more he watches me with that icy stare of his. Only, right now, fire erupts in their gray depths. No, it’s a wildfire that won’t be stopped unless it devours everything in its wake.
He’s looking at me as if I’m the first he’ll devour.
As if I’m the only one he sees in the crowd.
And that doesn’t make sense. Jeremy has never looked at me this way.
Or has he?
That night, the first night at the deck, after he took me inside and went down on me in the middle of my stupid sleep paralysis, I think he had this look before he attempted to choke me.
I gasp when Landon uses his small moment of distraction and pummels him to the ground.
He leans down to whisper something in his ear, then stands to his full height, opens his arms wide, and grins, showing bloodied teeth as our students chant.
“King! King! King!”
But their celebratory yells end in a collective “Ahhh” when Jeremy jumps up and punches Lan into a corner.
He drives his fists in his face over and over. The brutality is criminal level and keeps heightening with every passing second.
Our students go silent while TKU’s become insane. Their cheers grow with Jeremy’s craziness.
The referee jumps in to announce that he won by points, but instead of backing away, Jeremy punches Lan one more time.
And when he tries to stand up? Jeremy throws him back down again as if to prove a point.
I’m deaf to all the noise, to the students chattering, to Ava grumbling about losing the money she bet on Lan.
My gaze remains locked on Jeremy, who’s glaring at Landon as if he has a personal grudge against him.
Could he know about Landon’s involvement in the fire? Maybe about my involvement?
I’ve never stopped feeling guilty about that, not even after Jeremy threatened me and basically turned me into his sex toy.
His morals shouldn’t reflect mine, and I don’t want to hurt people. However, I’m not idiotic enough to tell him about it. That would only create trouble.
I was so sure Landon wouldn’t either, but he’s been clearly displeased by how I’ve been refusing to be his spy, so maybe he sold me out.
No.
He wouldn’t do that. At least, I hope not.
Either way, I don’t want to stay here. I manage to drag Ava with me. Considering her dejected state, she doesn’t mind too much and doesn’t call me a killjoy.
We eat some ice cream on the way to the dorm, and then I tell her I’m going to study.