KARINA
The blood pooled around the torn chest cavity of the dead lieutenant, soaking into the black rubber mat. The harsh floodlights glared down on the grisly scene.
Suffocating shock paralyzed the underground fighting ring. Nobody spoke a single word.
Dozens of hardened syndicate fighters stared at the gruesome display, their mouths shut tight. The loud betting cheers from ten minutes ago vanished. Fear replaced the earlier bloodlust.
One by one, the veteran generals and seasoned rogues turned their backs. They walked out of the gym in dead silence, terrified of the raw, lethal power I just displayed in the center of the ring.
Kole stepped over the ropes. He ignored the whispers trailing after his retreating men. His boots crunched on the blood-slicked rubber.
When he stopped b
