First Punch ➟ Kellic

F O R T Y F O U R

Everyone's attention moves behind me, and I feel the familiar touch of his hand on my hip. I immediately back into him, gripping his arm tightly as I block his body with mine.

"Please." I'm begging now, the fear of losing the love of my life completely devouring me. "Let's just drop this. No one else has to get hurt."

Carter looks at Dimitri, appearing as though he doesn't understand the hesitation to attack. I have no love for him left in my being, but it still hurts how little someone I once considered my brother cares about me.

"Cooper..." D sighs, looking away in deep thought. "You know how this works."

"Please," I repeat, my voice cracking. Jake's hand retreats, and he tries to push me out of the way, but I cling to him, not allowing it. If he dies, I die. I can't go on without him. He's my whole life. My raison d'être.

"Don't do this," I plead, needing to put up as much of a fight as possible. "Don't make me do this," I add, making it clear the ends to which I'm willing to go.

"Dimitri," Carter butts in again, flicking open his own knife in the process.

"Bounty," D's harsh voice responds, him still not having made a decision.

"Fuck this," Carter replies, fed up with the standing around. His gaze moves past me, glaring at Jake with intense rage. He moves without Dimitri's approval, rushing in our direction.

Not a single emotion goes through my body as Jake pulls his gun from my jeans, trying to push me out of the way in the process. My training kicks in though, this whole situation so normalized for me. I harshly shove him back, grabbing Carter's outstretched arm which holds the knife. I spin him around, his back now to my chest as I yank him down to my level. My primal instincts kicking in, something about the fact that I'm fighting for our lives giving me the strength to overpower him. My steady hand thoughtlessly glides my blade across his throat, not feeling even the slightest twinge of guilt.

As the choked coughing fills the dead air, my old gang looks at me in complete shock. They all know how much he once meant to me. They all know that he beat me in more scrimmages than I'd beat him. Murdering him so easily, so emotionlessly, really reinforces what they're dealing with here. I'm so far past my breaking point.

I drop Carter's lifeless body to the ground, my hand sticky with his blood, but I don't even bother shooting him a glance. He was gonna kill the love my life. Hell, maybe even kill me! I feel zero ways about him no longer being on this earth.

Everyone freezes for a second, digesting what I'd done. Dimitri's expression quickly changes though. Both Carter and I had defied him within two seconds of each other. My actions sealed our fate. He can't let me go without consequences. He has to secure his leadership.

With one flick of his finger, the Triads all pull their knives. My body goes tense, and I grab hold of Jake even more tightly this time. Dimitri waves his hand, motioning to continue with the planned attack. For a split second no one moves, and it feels like I can't breathe. All I can focus on is keeping Jake alive.

The first one to react is Drizzle, sprinting in our direction as the others slowly follow his lead. I don't even hesitate before twisting his outstretched, weapon-clad hand, the knife falling from his grip. I jam my switchblade into the side of his neck, pulling it out and shoving him to the side without even thinking about it. I glare at the others, my switchblade still tight in my fist. I'm ready for a fight. I'm ready to take them out one by one. That's when this already terrible situation somehow manages to get even worse.

A door opens to my right, a tired and confused voice sputtering, "What's goi-"

My eyes go wide, my defensive stance dropping as I recognize Martina in the doorway. Before I can make a move to get her back inside, Dimitri's knife goes flying through the air and directly into her chest.