The asshole whistled as he came up. A merry little tune I didn’t recognize. He stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to look at me.
He froze.
Why was he just standing there?
I hadn’t forgotten anything, had I?
I hadn’t left something out that proved I was now conscious?
I didn’t think so. It wasn’t like we had a lot of possessions up there in the barn loft.
“Are you awake?” Klang said.
Shit!
Maybe he knew I was conscious. Was it the way I was lying here? Did he recognize the position? I didn’t have any military training. I’d made it up on the spot.
Or maybe the producers had a camera up here. I had ruled out the possibility—if they knew I was still awake, they wouldn’t have told Klang to inject me with adrenaline to wake me up before killing me. The section was massive and there was no way they could have a camera everywhere.
Unless…
It was a ploy.
Or a distant camera spotted me and Maddy earlier, watching us make love through one of the many holes in the walls. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
Twisted fucks.
“Sorry if my whistling woke you up,” Klang said. “I often whistle when I’m excited. And what’s not to be excited about when it comes to claiming a Titan? Oh, you’re not my first. Not by a long shot. But I sure do like killing you boys. You’re tough, strong. I respect that. But for guys who aren’t afraid of death, you sure like to draw it out. I know honor is very important to your people. I’ll make sure to give the audience a good show so you’ll gain plenty.”
He sprinted toward me, his boots heavy and thudding on the floorboards.
My body tensed, ready to lash out at a moment’s notice.
He was getting close…
Very close.
Maybe I should get up and face him head-on…
No. Stick to the plan.
He skidded to a stop about a yard from my coiled legs and stared down at me with a sinister grin.
“Just checking,” he said. “You never can tell when someone is really lying there unconscious and when they’re only pretending. It takes a lot to stay cool when a man comes running at you with a knife in his hand. I guess some people could do it. But I haven’t met one yet.”
Because they never had their soulmate’s life in their hands.
I wouldn’t let Maddy down. Not ever.
“Oh,” Klang said. “I almost forgot.”
He took a bag from his pocket. It looked like a handful of sand. He dabbed his finger in the bag and smeared it over an overhead beam.
“We wouldn’t want the audience to miss out now, would we?” he said.
Okay. So now the cameras had been put in place. They were so small, they were no larger than a grain of sand.
Klang dropped to his knees beside me.
Good. It was right where I wanted him. I could lash out with my arms. But I didn’t fool myself. I didn’t expect this to be an easy fight, even if the element of surprise was on my side. He was still a formidable opponent.
I would wait for him to give me the adrenaline. My back was still sore and needed the extra kick.
“Let me give you a little shot of adrenaline here,” Klang said. “Then we can get this party started.”
He raised the syringe needle and flicked the plastic tube with his finger. Then he squeezed the plunger so a small amount of adrenaline seeped from the tip of the needle. He put the syringe between his teeth, removed his belt, and wrapped it around my arm. But he didn’t tighten it yet. He took the syringe out of his mouth.
He was about to administer it when he paused.
“That’s strange,” he said. “Your veins are popping out. Almost as if you were about to—”
I smashed him full in the face with my fist.
I bound up onto my feet and hissed as my back gave me grief. I fell on top of him and pressed my hands to his throat. I didn’t need to kill him, only knock him out. Preferably silently. I didn’t need to put Maddy in danger with Trang outside.
Klang growled and reached for the blade he kept at his waist. He swung it around in a wide arc.
I leaped back in time to avoid the blow but now Klang was on his feet. He adopted a strong fighting stance.
“Nice play-acting,” he said. “I guess I’ve finally met someone who stays cool.”
He lurched at me. His blade was so sharp it made a tearing sound as it passed through the air. I backed away and shot forward only when I could land a jab in his face. He was skilled but he wasn’t fast.
He struck in an attempt to skewer me. I rolled to one side and scooped up a box. I raised it as the blade darted forward and sliced through the box on both sides. The bottom fell out and children’s toys splashed across the floor. I twisted the box, removing the blade from Klang’s hand, and kicked out.
Klang was ready for it and swung with a second blade I didn’t know he had. It sliced my thigh. His second blow came in to issue permanent damage but I blocked his arm and together we went down.
I turned my head to one side as he added his weight to his attacking arm. The blade stabbed the floorboard, the point driving hard into the damp wood.
I grabbed the arm that held the buried knife and pulled on it so he couldn’t work it free.
He reached with his other hand for another blade.
I gripped that arm with my offhand.
Our arms shook as our muscles struggled for supremacy.
My superior Titan strength against his superior position. He was on top of me.
Ordinarily, I would have put money on me but that was without taking my shoulder injury into account.
I could feel the stitches tearing loose. My blood seeped from the wound and wet my suit.
Klang ground his
