Henry and Jake jumped out of the truck with their guns extended. Laney slid out the other side, taking the same precautions.
They advanced in unison on Gideon’s vehicle. It was a mass of twisted metal, the roof caved in, a trail of metal shards and broken glass leading to it.
The driver’s door flew open and Gideon fell from the car. Laney stared, amazed that even Gideon could survive that wreck. She moved to the left, Henry and Jake spanning to the right to keep him completely covered.
“Aim for the heart,” she murmured to herself, gripping the Beretta tightly and lining up the sights.
Gideon struggled to stand. He glanced at Laney and Jake, disregarding them. His focus was on Henry. “A missile? Really, Henry?”
“Well, Azazyel, you seemed to be getting away,” Henry replied.
“I prefer Gideon these days,” he replied heatedly.
“I don’t really care what you prefer these days,” Henry replied coldly, raising his gun.
“What, you’re just going to shoot me in cold blood? What about you?” Gideon turned to her. “How can you condone this?”
Laney’s gaze didn’t flinch. “I can live with it. I’ll ask my uncle to absolve him of sin afterwards.”
Gideon wiped the blood from his eyes and laughed as he saw it on his hand. He glanced back at Henry. “Besides Henry, don’t you want a shot at the title? Haven’t you always wanted to know?”
Laney looked from Henry to Gideon and back, knowing there was an undercurrent here that she wasn’t privy to. She glanced at Jake and noted the confusion there. He didn’t know what was going on, either.
“Henry?” Jake asked.
Henry looked at Gideon for a long moment. “Laney, Jake, do you have him?”
Laney steadied her arm. “Yes.”
Jake did the same. “I’ve got him.”
Henry turned and walked towards Jake, careful not to block his view of Gideon. He tucked his gun into Jake’s belt. “I think I do want a shot at the title.”
CHAPTER 91
Laney watched as Gideon and Henry squared off. What the hell was going on? Why was Henry fighting him? He couldn’t possibly think he’d win.
Gideon and Henry circled each other, muscles tense, both looking for an opening. Henry rushed in and Gideon leaped to the side. He aimed at jab at Henry’s head, but Henry twirled away.
Laney felt her jaw drop. Henry was skilled. And incredibly fast. She swallowed. Almost inhumanly fast. Seconds passed, with one moving in and the other countering. Jabs and kicks hit nothing but air.
Then Gideon moved to the left and zipped back to the right, rushing in at Henry. Henry sidestepped and caught Gideon in the nose with a palm heel. Blood gushed from his nose. Henry grabbed the back of Gideon’s head and flung him to the ground behind him.
He spun around. Gideon lay sprawled on the ground in an undignified heap. “That’s all you’ve got, Azazyel?”
Issuing a guttural growl, Gideon jumped to his feet and tackled Henry with impossible speed. Henry crashed with such force, Laney expected to see a crater. She knew the fight was over. No human could take that kind of hit.
She tightened his grip, preparing to take Gideon out. She saw Jake start forward. But then Henry rolled back onto his feet. He held up a hand, waving Jake back.
Laney gaped again. How was he standing?
Henry rushed at Gideon too quickly for Laney to even see. He was a blur of motion. The two combatants clashed in a series of punches and kicks so fast, she couldn’t tell who was getting hit and who was getting hurt.
Henry took a vicious right hook to the face followed by an uppercut that landed him on his back. Gideon leapt towards him. Henry rolled out of the way at the last second, sweeping Gideon’s legs and landing a heel kick to his chest.
In spite of the beatings, both men managed to get back to their feet. Gideon grabbed Henry by the front of his shirt, charging him backwards across the field.
Henry dropped onto his back, brought his feet up, and kicked Gideon over him, causing him to slam headfirst into the wrecked Mercedes. Gideon landed upside down, the wreckage capturing his legs, pinning him there.
Henry walked towards him, wiping blood from the side of his mouth. “You’re done.”
The blood in Gideon’s mouth choked off his attempt to laugh. “I’m not done. I’m never done.”
Henry reached down for a large shard of twisted metal that had been flung from the car in the crash. He squatted next to Gideon.
“You’re done for this lifetime.” He plunged the metal into Gideon’s heart and twisted.
CHAPTER 92
Laney and Jake headed back to the enclosure in the truck. Henry had stayed behind with Gideon’s body. Just in case, as he'd explained.