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My skin burns, and I throw my head back. “Don’t touch me.” It’s monotone. I’ve checked out.
I’m floating in the afterlife, looking down upon myself, and I fucking love it. My veins light up with adrenaline and euphoria, and I breathe it all in.
No more hurt, only wrath.
I raise my fist, smiling. “I’m going to kill you.”
His eyes widen, and so does my grin. I bring my fist crashing down, connecting with his jaw. Bone meeting bone reverberates through my arm.
The room erupts in chaos, the voices shouting. Another burst of pain, another, only feeding the madness. It feels good—better than good. Intoxicating.
There’s something cathartic about pain and violence.
I unleash a flurry of blows, each fueled by a hunger for vengeance.
Blood drips to the floor. His or mine, I’m not sure. He yells, the vibration buzzing under my palm, but the thunderous pounding in my ears drowns out his words.
In vain, he attempts to pry my fingers from his throat and buck me off, but I lean forward and apply more pressure.
He chokes, his eyes water, tears running down his temples, and I relish in his suffering.
“No one’s here to save you, pretty boy.”
“I hope you rot in fucking Hell.”
A distant voice whispers, urging me to stop.
Stop.
“No.”
Stop.
“No.”
“Stop, Jax! Stop!” Aurora cries, her panic and fear breaking through the dark haze.
I release my grip. Ricky gasps, coughing. He shoves me off him, kicking and scrambling away.
The air is thick, the room still reeling, and I focus on my erratic heartbeat.
I rise slowly, pain radiating throughout my upper body. I flick the blood from my raw knuckles and watch it spatter across the tile, familiarity washing over me.
My head lifts, and my world tilts. Or maybe that’s me. My gaze connects with Ethan’s. His eyes resemble the gloomy shade of those New York storm clouds I despise. Ironic, since he grew up there.
I glance lower to the person trembling and sobbing in his arms.
Oh, fuck.
35
AURORA
My brain is lagging.Everything is moving too fast, yet slowly at the same time.
Jax won’t look at me, and nobody’s talking. Ricky gasps for air, clutching his throat, while Ethan holds me to his chest.
“What happened?” I cry, shattering the silence.