“Don’t hurt her,” I say, holding my hands in the air and sliding along the outer wall to keep his focus on my ever-changing movement, instead of on my girl.
Damian cocks his head, considering, then replaces the gag on Sofie’s mouth. “So glad you could make it. I thought the text message was a little too obvious for you, but I was in a hurry. You should see this, after all. Besides, it felt like a reunion.” He motions with the gun and Sofie jerks against her restraints. “Keep your hands above your head and get up here in the ring. It’s a shame we never got to fight before now, but we both know who would have won, don’t we?”
I do as he says, keeping my eyes trained on the hand holding the knife. Sofie struggles in my periphery, her pleading voice hampered by the gag. I circle around the wall until I get to the far side where the practice rings are located. Ducking under the ropes, I inch around the ring, his beady eyes following me until he says, “Stop there.”
“Do whatever you want to me,” I tell him. “Just let Sofie go.”
“No,” he says, eyes wild. “I don’t think I will. She’s a part of this.”
“You don’t need her. Whatever you want to do, whatever you have planned, you can do it to me.”
“Sorry,” Damian says. “You’re not exactly my type, but there is a reason I brought you.” He nods to the corner of the ring, opposite Sofie. “Go stand over there.”
I move to the other side of the ring with jerky movements. “You’ve got me here, obviously this is about me. Untie her and we can do whatever you want.”
“She’s not yours,” he says. Spit sprays from his lips. “She’s mine.”
Sofie renews her struggles against her restraints. Tears spill down her cheeks and she forces her head back and forth trying to work the gag off her mouth. Damian presses a finger to her lips. “Quiet, sweetheart.” He looks at me and I want to pummel the smug look off of his fucking face.
“What are you talking about?”
“She came for me…or didn’t she tell you? She liked what I did to her.”
My eyes flash to hers as recognition dawns. By now she’s sobbing outright against the gag, her limbs sawing back and forth against her restraints to find a point of weakness.
I don’t have time to consider the implications of his statement because he straightens and points, taking the first few steps toward me, knife raised. I may be hell in the cage, but I’m no fucking match for a psychopath armed with a blade the size of a goddamn machete.
He waves it around. “We’ve got somewhere to be, so tell her good-bye, Jack.”
Sofie’s foot jerks free of the restraint and she swings wildly, nabbing his elbow and causing the knife to skitter wide and slide out of view.
Turning back to Damian, I watch as alarm filters through his eyes. Violent, unfettered rage shoots into me and I charge for him, even as he dives in the direction of the knife. Aiming for his middle, I spear into his midsection, forcing him against the ropes only a few short feet away from Sofie, who’s now struggling to free her remaining hand.
Damian glances around with wild eyes and dodges my fist aimed for his head. He flips over the top rope and lands awkwardly on his shoulder with a grunt. I follow soon after, though he’s already starting to make his way for the knife.
I’m close, but not close enough, and his hands close around the handle before I can beat him. He swings wildly and the knife slices through the material of my jeans and splits my thigh, spawning a fierce fiery pain in its wake. I go down on one knee and try to get up, but I collapse onto my side, clutching at the deep gash in my leg.
Blood streaks the ground behind me as I drag myself across the gym floor, trying, and failing, to make it to the ring in time before Damian makes it to the ropes where Sofie’s torso is still tied. My useless leg feels like dead weight and encroaching death, but I belly crawl, grunting loudly with each foot gained, until I’m pulling myself up the ropes of the ring by sheer will.
Damian has finished untying Sofie and instead of killing her like I pictured a million times in the eternity it took to reach the ring, he’s pulling her along, aiming to escape through the door. I manage to leverage my body up into the ring and attach myself to his legs, bringing him down. Sofie stumbles back out of my line of sight and I focus on severely maiming him before he can do her any more harm.
He tackles me and and I land on my injured leg with a shout, his weight on top of me. My vision wavers and I shake my head to clear it. Damian rises up and lands a blow to my cheek that doesn’t help the vision situation.
The glint of the knife arcs up from a corner of my blurred vision and I use the last remaining vestiges of my strength to overpower him with a right hook to his temple. One or both of us knock the knife across the ring, where it lands by Sofie’s feet.
Sofie picks it up, surprisingly calm, her face a mask of rage and determination. “Last chance, pencil dick. Get the fuck out of here and don’t come back.”
“No!” I manage to wheeze out. “Fucking run!”