Chapter 9
As the waiters handed out the drinks, the host continued. “If you think this is just a normal drinking game, you’re wrong. Once everyone has their drinks, we’ll all take a sip together, and then the spotlight will come on. Whoever it shines on will come up to the stage. We’ll pick ten people for a drink–off, and the one who drinks the most will be the winner!”
“Yeah!” Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Loretta, standing near the door, was one of the last to receive her drink. Shortly after she got her glass, everyone followed the host’s lead and downest their drinks.
As the host started the countdown, the lights in the bar went out again, and a single spotlight flickered to life. The energy in the room reached new heights, with the crowd screaming so loud it seemed like the roof might fly off at any moment.
But then, a sharp sound of shattering glass pierced the air, and the spotlight abruptly went dark. Almost instantly, a blood- curdling scream ripped through the room. “Argh! Murder!”
In a flash, the entire bar descended into chaos. Screams, cries, and the sounds of people crashing into one another filled the space, but none of this affected Loretta, who had already slipped out and was now standing in a quiet corner outside.
Malcolm’s voice came through her earpiece, laced with barely hidden concern. “Hey, are you out yet?”
“Im out,” Loretta replied.
Malcolm audibly sighed in relief, though he quickly returned to his usual haughty tone. “Your ex and cousin have also left the bar. They’re heading towards the elevators”
“Which elevator? I’m going over now,” Loretta said, ready to move.
“What’s the rush? I’ve got people watching them. They’re not going anywhere. I’ve got a bit of trouble to deal with here first Once I’m done, we’ll head over together. Otherwise, I’m worried you’ll back out,” Malcolm said.
“Over my dead-“Loretta’s carpiece suddenly cut off mid–sentence after that ominous phrase. She fiddled with the device, but Malcolm didn’t respond.
Frowning, Loretta quickly used her phone to hack into the signal from both earpieces. It didn’t take long before she pinpointed Malcolm’s location. He was on the first basement level, a place Loretta had never been.
She’d heard rumors about it being an arena, not only for animals fighting each other but also for brutal fights between humans and beasts. The only thing that existed down there was bloodshed, devoid of any trace of humanity.
In the past, she would never have dared to go there. But now, she moved without hesitation, heading straight for the stairs that led to the lower level.
The commotion in the bar was loud enough to have drawn all the security guards away from the entrance to the basement No one was there now.
Loretta hurried down the stairs, taking several sharp turns before reaching the first basernent level.
It was completely different from the floors above. Once inside, there were several layers of security doors. Each door had a checkpoint, clearly designed to prevent the wild beasts from escaping and attacking people.
Access required a special key card, but luckily Malcolm’s location was in a remote corner just outside the main arena. Loretta quickly found him. Six burly men surrounded Malcolm, and a fierce fight was underway.
The fight was brutal. It was the first time Loretta had seen Malcom this savage, like a wild beast himself. Even though he was outnumbered five–to–one, he showed no signs of defeat.
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Chapter 9
Loretta didn’t rush over. Instead, she quickly began calculating How to help Malcolm get out of this situation.
At that moment, Loretta saw one of the burly men behind Malcolm pull out a knife and aim it directly at his lower back. preparing to strike.
“Malcolm, watch your back!” Loretta shouted, her voice breaking the tense silence and causing everyone to pause for a brief
moment.
Malcolm, reacting faster than anyone else, spun around and delivered a sharp blow to the man’s wrist, sending the knife. clattering to the ground. He yelled at Loretta, “What are you doing here? Get out of here, now!”
But two of the men surrounding Malcolm had already begun advancing toward Loretta.
With a primal roar, Malcolm shoved the others aside with raw strength and charged at the two approaching men. He leaped into the air and kicked one of them square in the waist.
The man, unable to dodge in time, let out a scream as the sickening crack of bones breaking echoed through the room, and he collapsed to the ground.
The others stood frozen for a moment, stunned by the sheer forge of Malcolm’s kick. But in the next second, they all drew their knives.
Loretta’s heart skipped a beat as she rushed forward to assist Malcolm, who was blocking their attacks.
Soon, the two of them were standing back–to–back. Malcolm, clearly agitated, shouted, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“I’m here to help,” Loretta responded.
“You’re only making things worse,” Malcolm snapped, his frustration evident
Loretta smiled. “Let’s find out if I’m really making it worse or not
With that brief exchange, they were soon locked in combat with the remaining four men.
Malcolm, worried that Loretta might get hurt, kept an eye on her even while fighting. In doing so, he soon took a hard punch to the corner of his mouth.
He didn’t seem to care, spitting out the blood and wiping his moth before turning his attention back to the fight, specifically to anyone who dared to get near Loretta.
Loretta, noticing his distraction, grew concerned. “Focus!”
“I am focusing. Malcolm retorted, though his actions betrayed has words as he continued to intervene whenever someone attacked her.
When a knife grazed Loretta’s hand, leaving a thin line of blood cross her skin, Malcolm snapped.
He roared furiously and lunged at the man who had hurt her, raining down blows with such rage that the attacker couldn’t even defend himself. All the man could do was scream in agony as Malcolm pummeled him mercilessly.
Malcolm didn’t stop even as the man he was pummeling began to lose consciousness. He grabbed the hand that had cut Loretta and, with a terrifying force, began snapping the man’s lingers one by one.
The sickening sound of bones breaking mixed with the man’s agonized screams, sending a shudder through the room. The sheer brutality of it stunned the remaining men into a frozen silence,
But for Malcolm, it wasn’t enough. Once the man passed out from the pain, Malcolm shoved him aside and turned his fury
on the others.
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Chapter 9
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He grabbed another man and began beating him mercilessly. After a few brutal hits, the second man collapsed, unconscious
like the first.
Seeing two of their comrades taken down with such ferocity, the remaining three men turned pale and didn’t dare attack Malcolm anymore. Scrambling to their feet, they fled the scene, stumbling over each other in their haste.
Malcolm finally stopped once they were gone, leaning over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
Loretta, still reeling from witnessing Malcolm’s savage side, snapped out of her shock and hurried over, “Malcolm, are you okay?”
At this moment, Malcolm grabbed her hand quickly. His voice shook as he asked, “Your hand… it’s bleeding.”
Loretta was about to reassure him that it was nothing, but when she looked up, she saw his eyes–bloodshot, filled with raw, unrestrained anger.
The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down her spine, and an unfamiliar feeling welled up inside her. “You…” Loretta started, unsure of what to say.
Malcolm, as if burned by her touch, abruptly let go of her hand. His tone turned harsh. “Your hand is ruined–so ugly!”
Loretta was speechless while Malcolm turned away and began walking off. “Aren’t you going to catch that guy cheating? What are you waiting for?” he said.
The hurried, almost panicked way he walked off made Loretta smile. Malcolm turned out to be completely different from what she had imagined.
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