Page 97 of Only Fools Rush

She glared at our prisoner. “Yes, I do.”

“Sweetheart, are you sure?” Ryu asked, concern tinting his voice. “It’s gonna get messy.”

Her shoulders stiffened in resolve. “I will not leave.”

I was going to skin this man alive, and she wanted to watch.

“Go upstairs and wait,” I commanded.

She leveled her glare at me. “No.”

I would regret this. It would become another one of my nightmares, cursed to plague me. In all my planning, I did not plan for her to see this.

“Obi, I’m staying.”

Seeing this would teach her what had to be done in order to become the person she wanted to be. We could not let those who betrayed us live.

But the price would be steep. This would change her, harden her.

And in the future, when she looked at me, all she would see was the blood covering my hands. She would never be able to lie in my arms the way she did with my brothers or with Caspian. She would fear me and what I was capable of.

It was a price I was willing to pay to establish the reputation we needed.

“So be it.”

I turned back to Kofler. His screams filled the room as I got to work.

29

LEONA

Itried not to gag. I really did.

But watching Obi work…

My jaw was sore from grinding my teeth so hard.

It was slow. Meticulous. Careful. Obi took his time, just like he said he would. And I forced myself to watch every second.

Even as Kofler pissed and shit himself. Even as a few of his men cried and vomited against their gags, almost drowning themselves.

Only one sat unmoving, seemingly unfazed by the violence. He watched with hard eyes and didn’t once flinch.

I bit the inside of my lip, dug my nails into my skin, and refused to look away.

I would not be weak. I’d said I would stay, and I meant it. I needed to see this. I needed to understand what it took to establish and hold control. To gain power and respect.

I had to show them I could handle it; that I deserved to be part of this world. Obi would realize that, and so would the men in my father’s army.

The screams were probably the worst part. Hearing Kofler beg for mercy echoed in my ears and would probably haunt mynightmares. But every time he cried out, my resolve hardened. My anger grew.

He tried to fucking kill us.

He tried to hurt my men.

He tried to ruinme.

So I swallowed the bile, and I watched.