Chapter 72

Monroe has time to block the punch, but he doesn't. He turns his head slightly and takes the blow on the side of his jaw. On unsteady legs, he stumbles back several feet. He looks up at me and his hand comes away with smeared blood from a small cut at the corner of his mouth.

"I will not fight back, but I would prefer no broken teeth."

"If you won't fight back, broken teeth will be the least of your worries." This time my fist lands in his midsection.

When Monroe's able to straighten upright, I come in with another strike to his face. We're both breathing heavily, with sweat beading on our skin. Monroe doesn't fight back, nor does he avoid my blows. A small piece of sanity returns to my brain, but I still want to cause damage. "You might want to change your mind," I taunt.

"I might," he says with labored breath and holds his side. He turns away from the next blow so his shoulder takes the hit.

I draw my fist back again. The gray cloud in my brain clears completely at the sight of