Page 58 of Nocturne

But instead of running, instead of pulling whatever fucking gun he’s probably got hidden in some pocket, he walks toward me. Steady steps. Eyes locked. Pride untouched. Not once does he lower his head.

“Don’t do this,” Emma pleads, stepping between us as the second Hunter gets close. Her hands push against both our chests, trying to keep us apart.

But it’s already too late.

My blood boils like gasoline meeting flame, and everything inside me detonates.

I don’t think.

I don’t weigh the consequences.

I just act.

I shove Emma hard to the side — she hits the floor with a cry, her arm scraping the ground, and her voice reaches me like a distant echo. It doesn’t matter.

Not now.

I lunge at Hunter like a caged animal finally let loose.

The rage doesn’t come — it’s been here for years, just waiting for a chance to break out.

My fists move on instinct, slamming into any part of him I can reach.

One, two, three direct hits.

No mercy.

No pause.

He killed me from the inside.

Now it’s his turn.

The hate I’ve swallowed since Noah’s death bursts out with the taste of blood and iron in my mouth. I become that version of myself again — the ruthless killer, blind, cold, shaped by pain.

Hunter doesn’t fight back.

Doesn’t swing.

He just lifts his arms, protecting his head, defending himself like he’s accepting it.

Like hedeservesit.

“Damon!” he shouts, voice choked with blood and desperation. “Thisis what I was trying to tell you, fuck!”

“I don’t wanna hearshit!” I spit the words like punches.

“An order is an order, for fuck’s sake! You should understand that!”

“I was never part of any gang! I joined to find out who took everything from me, to get revenge! I was neverone of you, you son of a bitch!”

“You’ve got blood on your hands too, Damon...You’re already part of this world. Whether you like it or not. And I… I’ve got nothing left to say to you.”

I grab his arms and slam him hard to the floor.

Straddle him.

And start punching without restraint — sadistically, brutally.