Air burst from the man’s mouth, but that was it, his only reaction.
“You’re free!” Kitten said, fist pumping the air. “I told you this would happen. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Let me out!” Criss shouted.
“Me too! Come on, man. Over here!”
The Bree Lian jumped up and down. “Beast Man! Over here!”
“Can’t . . . hold them much longer,” the Targon called. “Their magic . . . fighting me.”
Solo bent down and grabbed Jecis by the wrist. He dragged the man past an equally frozen Matas, and to the Targon’s cage, where he pressed Jecis’s thumb into the lock. A flash of white light, and the tumbler gave way.
The Targon burst from the cage and launched himself at Matas. That’s when he lost his hold on the bodies, both Matas and Jecis erupting into action.
Jecis jerked from Solo’s hold and rolled to his feet. There was no exchange of words. They simply dove toward each other, fists flying. Solo landed several punches, but he took one, too. The ensuing sting enraged him. What had Vika endured at this man’s hands over the years?
Rage . . . cold, harsh.
Drugs . . . drip, drip, dripping, trying to weaken.
Calm, he told himself. Remain calm. He couldn’t allow himself to morph, not in any way. And for once, it wasn’t an impossible task. Vika had taught him a better way to live.
He blocked a punch, ducked, and threw one, smashing into Jecis’s kidney. He heard a hiss, though he knew the man wasn’t out for the count. Far from it. The violence must have engaged his dark side, because the skull shot out, little gold flames appearing in the darkness as it tried to chomp on Solo. Just before contact, a giant version of X swooped in, catching the skull like a basketball and falling to the ground with it clutched to his chest.
Jecis unleashed a pained wail, as if the evil were attached to him, and he could feel its defeat. Solo struck, nailing him in the temple once, twice, three times. The man’s head rattled from side to side, but on Solo’s fourth swing, he managed to get his hands up and block.
Solo aimed lower. Contact. Again, air burst from Jecis’s mouth.
From the corner of his eye, he saw that the Targon had Matas pinned to the ground. The shadows that had always hovered over Matas’s shoulder had stretched out and were biting and biting at the otherworlder, but the male paid them no heed. He continued to rain fists of fury into his opponent’s face. Again and again. Until it wasn’t just blood flinging in every direction. Until the shadows slowed . . . stilled . . . flopped to the ground and vanished.
Jecis used his distraction against him and landed another punch to his jaw. His head whipped to the side, and he went with the motion, dropping to his side and kicking up his legs. His boots knocked Jecis’s teeth together, sending him stumbling backward.
Solo straightened and followed him, grabbing him by the collar. Swollen, bloodshot eyes peered up at him.
“Kill me, and she’ll never forgive you,” Jecis spat.
No. He wouldn’t believe that.
Boom!
Jecis’s body jerked, his eyes going wide. He fell to the side, but Solo maintained his grip, keeping him upright. He recognized gunfire when he heard it and held on to the man to use him as a shield if necessary. He tracked the noise with his gaze. Vika stood a few yards away, holding a smoking gun, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Solo loosened his fingers, intending to drop the man to the ground and race to her side, to gather her in his arms, to offer comfort, or whatever else she might need. What she’d done . . . all to protect him . . .
“My own daughter,” Jecis gasped out. “How could you?”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The shots came from a different direction, from behind Jecis, but still the man jumped each time. And as three sharp stings registered in Solo’s chest—all straight in the heart—he looked to find Audra with a smoking gun. Dr. E sat on her shoulder, and he was laughing all over again.
“If I can’t have you,” the little man called, “no one can.”
The girl had shot Jecis, but the bullets had gone straight through him and into Solo. He finally dropped the man, but not to get to Vika. He no longer had the strength. The man responsible for his torment all these weeks flopped lifelessly to the ground, and Solo fell to his knees beside him.
“Solo!” Vika cried out, rushing to his side. Her hands patted at him, trying to stop the flow of blood. “You’ll heal, yes? You did before. Many times. I’ve watched you. You have to heal from this, too. Right?”
He heard a cry, watched as X collided with Dr. E, knocking Audra to the ground. As X and Dr. E fell, Dr. E’s body elongated, growing to the same size as X’s. Maybe he was seeing things.
Dizziness consumed him. Black dots wove through his vision. With every pump of his damaged heart, his life slipped away a little more. “Vika,” he managed to choke out as blood bubbled up in his throat.
“Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” she rushed out. “Just tell me!”
“Nothing to be . . . done.” His injuries were too severe. He’d caused this kind of damage in others. He’d seen the results too many times. He knew.
“There is!”
“Can’t lie . . . Vika . . . This is . . . it.” He struggled to keep his gaze on her as his fingers and toes grew cold.
X moved in, kneeling at his side. Still giant, as big as Solo. “Tell him good-bye, Vika.”
“What? No! Never.”
Solo pitched forward, no longer able to hold his own weight. Somehow, Vika managed to catch him, balancing him against the softness of her trembling body.
“Tell her good-bye, Solo,” X commanded.
“No!” Vika shouted again. “Not good-bye. Just good night. You’ll go to sleep, Solo, and we’ll patch you up. You’ll revive in the morning. You will. You’ll see. You vowed to give me anything I wanted and this is what I want.”
“Love . . .” He had to tell her how much he loved her. He had to explain everything she’d come to mean to him. Until her, he’d never really lived. But the black dots still winking through his vision expanded, thickened, and the blood bubbling in his throat cut off his airway. Suddenly he couldn’t breathe.
“He will die at home,” X said. “And don’t you dare protest, Vika. It must be this way.”
“No! He’s not leaving me. He promised to take me to his farm, too, and he always keeps his promises.” To Solo, she said, “You’re going to get better, I know it. I feel it. I have a knowing. Just . . . get better. Please, Solo. Please. Please.”