Troy:
All I could think was that he was trying to cause me pain.
That was why he went for Leysa. He knew his time was up, but he was not the type to give in so easily.
He would take me down with him.
I knew that much. That had been his plan. He would not let me enjoy the crown if he could not have it.
My hand shot out, grabbing the back of his shirt as he tried to disappear into one of the rooms upstairs.
I yanked him back, but before I could pull him down, he twisted and shoved me hard.
I stumbled backward and hit the doorframe.
Then he kicked me in the stomach, sending me out into the hallway, and I landed hard.
Before I could recover, he was already on me again.
That was his pattern.
He only fought back when he noticed I could not defend myself properly.
He was a master of attacking from behind.
His fist slammed into my shoulder, then another grazed my cheek.
I pushed myself up and drove my fist into his stomach.
