Cataclysm (Four Horsemen #4)(40)

I turned to Scarlett behind me.

“Get behind that tree,” I murmured.

“Drake, are you sure we shouldn’t just run?”

“Do what I said, little wisp. Let me deal with this.”

I felt her let go of my coat, but she didn’t move away. Turning back to the men, I offered them another smile as I straightened, widening my stance. They looked at me like I was crazy. Well, maybe I was. The thing about love was you did everything in your power to protect the one you felt it for. Scarlett was my love. Anyone who threatened her threatened me. I wasn’t lying when I told her I’d be her executioner. These men were going to die for trying to take her from me. No one would ever steal my woman away again. Never a-fucking-gain.

We’d made a promise to Scarlett. I intended on sticking to my word no matter what.

“I’ve been very remiss in introductions.”

I stepped closer to them.

“Drake Ackley.”

I pressed a hand to my chest before dropping it back to my side.

“You may have heard of my friends and me. People like to call us the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And I’ll bet you want to know which one of them I am. Well… you’re about to find out.”





Eighteen


Scarlett





The moment the words about him being one of the horsemen left Drake’s lips, he walked towards the three men who were after me. The man with the knife struck first, trying to throw a punch at Drake, who sidestepped it with ease. I put my hand over my mouth, backing away slightly. He’d told me to get behind the tree near us, but I wasn’t going to hide and cower away from what was happening. Not to mention the fact Drake was crazy for taking on three guys at once.

What the hell is he thinking?

He had to be out of his damn mind, but something told me Drake wouldn’t let them take me, no matter what. I couldn’t deny it was hot even if I should be scared out of my mind by the danger right now.

The second guy, the one with a black tracksuit, threw himself fists first at Drake. He caught the guy’s hand mid-strike and threw his fist off. The third man, a short man with blonde hair, tried to jump on Drake’s back. Before he had a chance, Drake elbowed him in the stomach, then spun around and put his fist in the guy’s face. The blonde man’s head snapped back and he let out a grunt.

Drake didn’t have time to stop, as the bald guy with a tattoo on the side of his head swiped at him with the knife. Drake stepped back, the man narrowly missing his coat with the blade. The way Drake moved with such grace had me riveted to the scene playing out. It was as if he was anticipating all their moves and dancing out of the way before they could get a grip on him.

“Get him, Jim,” knife man barked at the tracksuit guy.

The blonde man was holding his nose with one hand as blood spurted from it. I saw Drake’s nostrils flare before tracksuit came at him, swinging his fist and clipping my man around the ear.

“Oh, you should not have done that,” he ground out.

Drake grabbed him by the shoulders and head-butted him in the face before throwing him into knife man. The two of them toppled over together and fell in a heap on the floor. Drake cracked his neck, seemingly unfazed by the hit landed on him. Whilst the two men on the floor tried to extract themselves from each other, Drake’s attention went to the blonde. He smiled, his expression turning rather sinister.

The man took a step back as if realising a predator had him in his sights. I swallowed as Drake pounced, taking the man by the neck and backing him into a tree. It was at that point I realised he wasn’t going to allow these men to walk away with their lives. His hand tightened around the guy’s neck. The blonde man tried to push Drake off him, but my statue of a man stood strong. His other hand came up and joined its twin. The blonde wheezed, trying to pull Drake’s hands off his neck.

My attention went to the others who had both got up now. The one with the knife was walking towards Drake whilst tracksuit man was still looking a little dazed.

“Drake!”

His head whipped around and he let go of the blonde man, turning just as the tattooed guy raised his knife. I don’t know how the fuck he did it, but somehow, Drake was on him, gripping the guy’s wrist and snapping it backwards. The man with the knife yelped, dropping his blade on the ground.

“You think this is a game, hmm?” Drake said with deadly calm. He hadn’t even broken out into a sweat or anything. “Let me make something very clear. I don’t show mercy.”

He punched the guy in the face before throwing him to the ground. Tracksuit had shaken himself off by then and tried to come at Drake again. Drake merely grabbed hold of his arm, spun him around and wrapped his arm around the guy’s throat. He struggled against him, but Drake was looking around on the floor for something. A moment later, he threw tracksuit into the blonde man who was nursing his broken nose. He dived for the knife the tattooed guy dropped. He rose to his full height and turned to the man on the ground with a grin.

I couldn’t look away as he tried to scramble backwards, but Drake caught up to him, grabbing him by the front of his clothes.

“Death comes to all,” he said, his voice so calm, it was terrifying.

Then Drake slit the man’s throat. Blood seeped from the wound, covering his hand in red liquid. He dropped the guy’s shirt, straightening and turning towards the other two. Drake slid the back of his hand across his face, smearing blood over it. It almost felt like a purposeful act. As if he wanted the others to see.