"Adam?" I shouted from a distance when I finally caught sight of him. His attention snapped towards me and the man he was facing followed his gaze which of course landed on me.

"Who are you?" I asked him coldly, instantly putting up my guard. I've never seen him before so I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Just the person I was looking for; sweet innocent Pixie," his words were practically dripping with sarcasm and I couldn't help but look at him like he's lost his marbles.

Adam kept on looking between the two of us. My wary look, though, stayed on the uninvited guest. He was obviously from my other life since he didn't call me by my real name.

That means he doesn't know my personal life. Thank heavens.

But seriously, whoever runs this business should apply a new rule in the system that whatever happens in the ring, stays in the ring. This is getting annoying.

First was my date and now Carla's funeral? What kind of sick joke is this? I've had enough with this shit.

"You might not know me but you probably know my brother. Remember the man with the healing leg that you messed up?" I could feel my eyes widening by a fraction.

How I could I forget. I'm so stupid. What could've possibly made me forget all about that poor man?

Sonia.

Son of a bitch.

"Do you know what happened to my brother, Pixie? Do you know what you have reduced him to?" I wasn't facing a rival. I was facing an enraged older brother. That is never good.

This guy isn't one of those assholes in the ring. He was a guy who's worried for his brother. I understand him. I was at fault.

"That night, you didn't just mess up his leg. You messed up his mental health. He has to sit on a wheelchair from that night on and he's been acting like a psychopath. He's so humiliated by his fall that he refuses to talk to anyone. He's mute because of you, you fucking bitch!"

My hand flew to my mouth to stifle the gasp and sob at hearing what happened to that poor man.

I was Casey again, my barriers crumbled down at the mention of that poor man. Adam moved towards me, collecting me in his arms and shielding the man's view of me.

I forced myself to look into his eyes.

"I- Adam, I" I didn't know what to say. The huge lump was clogging not only the words I wanted to get out for the man but also my mind. Flashes of what happened that night came to me and I squeezed my eyes shut.

Adam shushed my silent cries as I hid my face into his chest whilst tracing patterns on my back to calm me down from the panic attack I was having.

I have never felt so guilty since Bryant's death. I broke someone. I broke someone and deep inside me, the guilt was drowning me. After a moment of silence with only my quiet cries filling the eeriness of the woods, the stranger in front of us spoke up again.

"I heard you dropped out of the competition and I found that as a form of cowardice. I don't care what your reason is but I am not going to let you drop out of the fight as quick as that. You will re-enter that competition and fight me," he demanded.

I could feel Adam's arms tightened around me as an incoherent sound escaped the back of his throat. I tensed up at the man's request, untangling myself from the warmth and comfort I got from Adam.

Facing him, I steeled my expression. I understood his rage and fury and I won't fight back if he fights me right now. I would let him beat me up right here right now but to re-enter that competition? That's absurd.

I dropped out. There was no more use of participating in that competition. He doesn't need to wait until the competition to beat me up or even kill me. Unless...

"Yes, the competition. I want to watch you suffer before you fight me. I want to face you when you're all bloody and beaten by all those opponents. If you don't survive all the way until you face me, I will kill every single one of your precious family member." He gave me a sinister smile.

"I will make you feel how devastating it is to watch someone you love suffer trauma and physical disabilities. I will watch that guilt eat you and kill you slowly."

I shuddered at his words but mustered enough courage to spit out the only question that matters here.

"And if I don't re-enter?"

He looked at me in a challenging manner, "That's simple. I get to torture your loved ones; one by one. I might even start with your parents, or maybe even those little ones."

I looked away, "How can I know you're not bluffing?" I challenged weakly.

When you see a determined older brother trying to avenge their younger sibling, the chances of them bluffing is close to nada.

"Do I look bluffing to you?!" He yelled loudly, his eyes widening with a tinge of crazed look in it. I flinched, a small fear growing in me. That look, it was the same look Dom wore the night he confessed to me he was involved in the murder of Bryant.

No, I wasn't scared for myself. I was scared for my family. This guy isn't sane. He was passed sanity, he was passed being rational. He's bloodthirsty for revenge. Whatever man that has resided in this vessel was long gone. He was dead.

In his place was a monster. A monster that was worthy of everyone's fear.

And that small revelation broke me inside because that means I didn't only break one man. I broke two men; and one of them painfully resembles Bryant when he's protecting me.

The man, having said his part, fled the place and left me to explain everything to my very confused boyfriend.

God, what am I supposed to do?

Not only have I broken two men's sanity, I have put my family and the family I vowed to protect in harm's way.

~•~•~

Aww, poor Case 😔

I hope you won't carry out those death threats btw, it's amusing at first but it started getting a teeny bit scary 😅

Anyways, I love y'all and stay awesome. Don't forget to be someone's reason to smile today.

God bless 💕-J

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