Page 184 of Romancing in Rot

Then the mall explodes.

The crowd cheers.

My arms loosen. Rhea’s body slumps forward, face hitting the tile with a wet slap. I drag air into my bruised throat. My whole body shakes, but I force myself to stand.

I grab Rhea under the arms. Her boots leave bloody streaks as I drag her to the edge of the circle and shove her body out of the arena.

She hits the tile with a dull slap.

The crowd roars louder.

Bryant laughs, clapping slowly. “Well. That was unexpected.”

I turn toward him, breathing hard, my ruined sweater hanging from one fist. Then I look at Russ.

Really look.

He is pale now. Not terrified for me. Not sorry. Just pale because the woman he left bleeding in the street is standing in front of him covered in blood with a dead woman at her feet.

Good.

I spit red onto the tile between us. “Who’s next?”

Russ flinches.

Tiny.

Beautiful.

Bryant spreads his hands. “A deal is a deal.”

A guard grabs my arm and starts pushing me to the outer edge. Away from the center. Away from Poppy.

My blood turns cold.

I look at Bryant.

His smile widens. “Oh, you can’t fight for her.”

The crowd quiets, sensing the next cut before the knife lands.

I yank my arm free. “I will fight for her freedom.”

“You get to go,” Bryant says, voice pleasant and awful. “She has to earn her life.”

I turn to see Poppy’s stricken face. Her eyes are blown wide and unseeing, looking through me.

Bryant points to Rhea’s body. “Remember. A life for a life.”

No. “She’s a child.”

He shrugs. “Then she should have an easy opponent.”

My eyes cut to Russ who looks away. Ignoring us.

Two men step toward me.

I move before they can grab me. I drive my elbow into the first one’s throat and slam my knee into the second man’s groin. He folds with a grunt, and I run to the cage, ripping the door open.