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“Because there’s a failsafe. Three people from Underground Vengeance need to be here to override the system. We need to get Reaper and—”

“Reaper’s dead,” Curtis interrupts.

“What?” My chest implodes as my heartbeat slows. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“I shot him in the heart. He’s dead.”

My vision goes black with rage, I lunge toward him, and the next few seconds play out in slow motion. His gun goes off. Julia screams. Blood seeps from her shoulder. The only eye she can open widens in horror. A crimson stain blooms through her shirt. She falls against the wall, then slides down it, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

I roar, slamming into Curtis. He drops the gun, which goes off. I can’t tell if the bullet hit anything because I’m too busy pounding my fist into Curtis’ face. I pummel him until he manages to get in a punch. His fist slams into my eyebrow, cutting it open. Blood streams into my eye, partially blinding me.

Falling back, I swing wide, missing him. I can’t see shit out of one eye. A disadvantage that will cost me, so I quickly try to wipe the blood away. That split second is all he needs. He knots his fists and throws them with the force of his entire body. One blow sends shooting pain down my shoulder. The other catches me low in the gut. I heave a breath before using Curtis’ lack of balance against him. I bring up my knee and catch him in the balls. Fighting fair is out of the question after what he knew about Blackstone, after what he did to his son, after what he did to my woman.

I use every minute advantage to get the upper hand, using my hardened hands to inflict maximum damage. My right hand forms a rigid, lethal plane, but when I karate-chop his neck, he twists to the side, only suffering a glancing blow. He lands a lucky strike on my ribs. I grunt under the impact.

He kicks low, smashing into my knee. It buckles but doesn’t break. Everything I’ve ever suffered rages to the surface, and time stops. Suddenly, I see his plan. Every movement. Every incoming strike. A complete roadmap of his fighting skills and strategy. It’s so clear I almost laugh out loud, and for once, I’m grateful for the gift of precognition.

When Curtis tries to complete a roundhouse kick to my chest, I grab his foot and throw him off center. He attempts to sweep my leg, but I already know his next move. I jump at exactly the right moment to avoid him. My mind unravels his plans, and second by second, I’m one step ahead of him. The ability I’ve always cursed evolves and grows, giving me the ultimate advantage. I know what he thinks before he thinks it. I sense what he feels before he feels it. I’m so far ahead of him that frenzied laughter spills from my lips.

“You’re a dead man, Sheriff,” I snarl.

“Arg!”

His savage cry is cut short when my fists slams into his throat, crushing his windpipe. He falls to the carpet and rolls onto his back. I grind my boot against his hands, where he clutches his throat. His eyes bulge, but I don’t see him. I see Max and Matrix and Reaper and Talon and Nitro and all the other boys who suffered at the hands of men who shouldn’t be allowed to take another breath.

And that’s exactly what I do. My monster comes alive to exact revenge. My weight shifts until the full force of my body presses down on his neck, snapping it. Curtis’ eyes glaze over, but it barely registers as I grind his spine into a pulp.

“Scar!” Nina runs into the room. “Oh, God! Julia! I’m calling an ambulance!” She drops to her knees beside Julia’s fallen body and fumbles with her phone.

A red haze of rage fills my head, and as I turn toward the bedroom door, I’m sure I see a ghost. It’s Reaper. Is he dead? Am I dead? What the fuck is going on? Nothing seems real. It’s like walking through water. Through a disjointed dream. A nightmare.

Reaper’s yelling something, but I can’t hear him. Nina’s screaming, too, but her words don’t make it to my ears. I stand there, mute, as the horror of seeing Julia’s broken body rips apart my heart. I drop to my knees and pull her into my arms. I killed her. My inability to protect her killed her. She’s dead because of me.

“No!” My screams vibrate off the walls. I can’t stop, even when Nina and Reaper try to console me. They can’t save me from this nightmare. No one can. My woman is dead, and now, nothing will ever be right in this world again.

Suddenly, paramedics rush into the room. I don’t know how much time has passed, but Reaper has to pull me off Julia, so they can work on her. They listen for her breath, then feel for a pulse.

“She’s still alive,” one of the medics says.

“What?” My heart stops. “What?”

“Get a line started. We’re lifting on three, two, one,” the medic says, ignoring me.

Two men lift her onto a stretcher while a woman starts an IV. Reaper’s still holding me back, but I shove him away and race after them.

Outside, red and blue lights flash from a fleet of law enforcement vehicles. The ambulance doors open. An officer tries to get between Julia and me, but I shove him to the floor.

“Sir, you need to stay and answer questions about—”

I cold-cock the cop and climb into the back of the emergency vehicle with Julia. The paramedics glance at each other, but no one moves to stop me. They close the doors and immediately turn on the sirens.

As we roar down the mountain road, the paramedics check her vitals and try to get her to regain consciousness. I want to hold her in my arms, but I stay the hell out of their way. I can’t save her. They can.

“What’s her name?” the bigger, burly medic asks.

“Julia.”

“What happened?” the woman medic asks.