Chapter 170
Chapter 170
As James said, he gripped her chin tighter, leaning in to force a kiss. The stench of his breath and those yellow, rotten teeth hit her like a wave, making Kayla gag and retch as she jerked her head away in disgust.
That set James off even more. He was furious now, raising his hand for another slap. “You filthy slut! You think you’re too good for me?” he growled viciously.
“Stop right there!” At that moment, a cold, steely voice suddenly cut through the air, grabbing everyone’s
attention.
They all whipped their heads toward the sound, just as a dark shape came hurtling straight at them.
In a flash, a figure charged in, delivering a vicious kick that sent James flying. He crashed hard onto the ground, out cold.
Before anyone could even process what was happening, the shadow struck again, kicking one of the thugs holding Kayla square in the gut.
The guy took it like a freight train hit him, flying backward and slamming into the wall with a thunderous. bang.
Payton scooped up the backpack that had been tossed aside and hurled it into Kayla’s arms, shouting, “Hold this for me p>
Kayla caught it on reflex, still totally stunned. She never in a million years expected Payton to show up out of nowhere like this.
In the next heartbeat, Payton was a whirlwind of fists, each punch whipping through the air like thunder as it hammered into the thugs with crushing force.
His movements were lightning–fast and dead–on accurate, like every single one had been calculated to perfection, each strike zeroing right in on the thugs‘ weak spots.
One of the goons cocked his fist back for a swing, but Payton dodged sideways in a blur, then whipped around with a counterpunch that slammed straight into the guy’s face.
The thug’s cheek swelled up instantly with a massive bruise, and he staggered backward, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Another one tried to jump him from behind, but Payton spun like he had a sixth sense, planting a brutal kick right into the guy’s knee.
The knee buckled with a nasty crack, sending the thug crumpling to the pavement on all fours, groaning in pain as the impact echoed through the alley.
James‘ face went pale. He hadn’t counted on some random hero showing up to ruin his plans.
From the way Payton moved, it was clear this guy was no joke. James had just run into someone way out of his league.
Chapter 170
But James wasn’t about to quit. He gritted his teeth, balled up his fists, and charged at Payton full tilt.
Payton barely shifted his stance to slip the punch, then fired back with a solid hit that cracked across James jaw.
Stars exploded in James‘ vision as he flew backward, crashing down hard, blood trickling from his split lip while he lay there dazed.
All the thugs were sprawled out now, their moans and whimpers filling the narrow alley like a chorus of
defeat.
Payton didn’t waste a second. He bolted straight toward Kayla, his heart pounding. “You okay?” he asked, voice tight with worry as he helped her up, scanning her from head to toe. When his eyes landed on the red handprint stinging her cheek, his gaze hardened, a chill settling in deeper.
Kayla bit back the burning pain on her face and shook her head. “I’m fine,” she muttered, though inside, what hit her was this wave of surprise and gratitude. If Payton hadn’t shown up today, she would’ve been done for. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn ~net
Kayla had barely gotten the words out when James snatched up the switchblade from the dirt, staggering to his feet with a feral snarl, looking every bit like a beast ready to tear into her again.
The blade caught the light, cold and deadly, like it was straight out of a horror flick, promising nothing but pain.
Payton reacted on instinct, yanking Kayla behind him and throwing his arm up to shield her without a second’s hesitation.
The knife stopped inches from her, slicing deep into Payton’s arm instead. Blood poured out like a faucet, soaking his sleeve and staining half his shirt crimson. His face drained of color, sweat dotting his forehead, but he clenched his jaw and didn’t let out a peep.
AD