Throne of Truth (Truth and Lies Duet #2)(23)

And then...it was over.

Commotion, clamor, then Greg was torn from my arms and jerked backward. Instinct made him grab the chain around my wrists, yanking me with him.

A sharp gasp fell from me as we fell together, plummeting to the hardwood.

I landed with a bone-rattling jar half on him, half on the floor. I didn’t have time to register pain as vicious hands wrapped around my waist, plucked me from Greg, and threw me to the side out of the way.

I rolled to my knees just in time to see Penn dive onto Greg as he pinned him to the floor and delivered two solid punches to his jaw. “You cock-sucking motherfucker!”

“What the—” Greg tried to protect his face, but Penn had the element of surprise.

“How dare you take her?” Penn rammed his knuckles into Greg’s jaw.

“How dare you fucking touch her?” He hit his temple, his throat—his punches messy but swift.

“How dare you goddamn hurt her!” He turned diabolical, hitting every part he could reach.

Greg whimpered, his voice punctured by punches and pain.

Penn didn’t let up.

He didn’t stop the violence.

He’ll kill him.

“Wait!” I scrambled upright. “Stop!”

Penn didn’t listen.

Greg’s nose popped in a gush of blood. He groaned something incomprehensible.

Penn pushed up, towering over him. His chest heaved with breath, his body covered in stains and injury. “You’re an asshole.” His foot kicked out, connecting with Greg’s side. “A creep who ought to be exterminated—just like all the other fucking creeps who think they can take what isn’t theirs.”

Even in the midst of a fight, I couldn’t help my inner voice from whispering, hypocrite.

Penn was one of those creeps. He’d tried to rape me in that alley. He’d stolen my necklace.

I backed away, holding my stomach in revulsion.

Two emotions tangled and braided. They knotted together trying to confuse me. I liked Penn. I hated Penn. I wanted Penn. I couldn’t forgive Penn.

The flash of his bare foot brought me back as he buried it in Greg’s soft belly. A sickening thud made nerves tangle into sickness.

I couldn’t do a damn thing.

Penn was a ruthless machine, utterly unstoppable. He was no longer the surly liar who’d enchanted me but a cold, merciless killer.

Greg grunted, curling up, protecting every part he could. “Stop! Fucking stop!”

Hot tears came from nowhere, brimming with betrayal and exhaustion. They spilled over, distorting the room, tickling my cheeks as Greg spat red saliva on the hardwood.

Penn didn’t move back, but he didn’t strike either. Greg’s blood covered his knuckles. His stance defensive and possessive. His intentions of winning blaring all around him.

He’d been in a fight before this one. He’d been hurt before he hurt Greg. Why? How? By who? Yet more questions landing on the unanswered hillside I already had.

I’d seen Penn in many moods over the past few weeks—sarcastic, protective, combative, and seducing. But I’d never seen him channel the wish of a murderer. He glowered at Greg with no compassion or belief he was even human.

Planting his foot on Greg’s sternum, he pointed a finger in his face. “Go near Elle again, and you don’t survive.”

My chains jingled as I inched closer. I didn’t know if I wanted to pull Penn away or check that Greg wasn’t seriously hurt. I didn’t want to be close to either of them.

Deciding they were both idiots and it was my turn to rule, I pushed Penn out of the way, yanked off the despicable engagement ring, and threw it on Greg’s chest. “You can take that awful diamond back.” The minute I was free from that shackle, I dangled the chain between my wrists over Greg’s face. “Now, enough fighting. Where are the keys to the padlock?”

Penn blinked away his violent stupor, focusing on the cuffs around my wrist and ankle before focusing on the tossed away engagement ring.

His eyes turned black. “He fucking chained you.” His fingers dug into my shoulder, holding me tight as he inspected me. His gaze flew over the gold negligée, down my chest, legs, and toes then spun me around and repeated.

His voice wobbled with fury. “He fucking tied you up, bruised you, forced his ring on you, and made you dress in whatever he damn well pleased?” He laughed with an iceberg in his throat. “He fucking kissed you? Oh, hell. Fucking. No.”

Shoving me away, he launched himself on Greg for the second time.

Greg, to his credit, managed to land a decent head shot, rolling away and clambering to all fours. “Get off me, you son of a bitch.”

Penn shook his head free from stars, dazed for a second. A second was all Greg needed to feed off adrenaline and stand.

“She’s mine, asshole.” He leapt on Penn.

Chaos erupted. Elbows. Knees. Fists and curses. They were no longer two men but one mass of punching arms and striking kicks. Their centrifugal force shoved furniture this way and that, their bodies crashing into a side table and sending a swan-shaped lamp smashing to the floor.

Greg tackled Penn into the couch.

Penn struck the back of Greg’s head, getting free.

While Greg shook away the pain, Penn kicked him straight in his ribs then delivered a lightning-fast punch to his belly.