CHAPTER 181
**ZION**
Damien watches Winter leave, his eyes lingering a bit too long on her as she walks away. His smirk widens, muttering just loud enough for me to hear,
"Fuck," he mutters low, but not low enough.
"She's got an ass made to sin. If she ever bent over for me like that-"
I don't think. I don't breathe. I just moved.
In a blink, I'm in his face, chest heaving, fists trembling with the effort it's taking not to put him through the fucking wall.
"Take your fucking eyes off her," I grit out, every word shaking with restraint.
"Right now. Before I lose what little patience I've got left and rearrange your smug face."
Damien tilts his head, a twisted glint dancing in his eyes like he’s savouring every second of this.
He leans in just enough so our noses are nearly touching, his breath warm against my skin. His voice drops to a low, menacing whisper meant only for me—but it’s loud enough that the others can catch fragments of it, thick with malice.
"Is she really that good? Because damn, Z... if she's worth losing your shit over, she must be one hell of a fuck."
That's it.
The last thread of control burns to ash, and before thought can catch up, my fist is already flying.
But before my fist connects, arms clamp around me-tight, bracing.
What the fuck!
Ro grabs my right side, and Harry wrestles with my left, both straining to hold me back.
"Z-stop!" Ro growls, straining to hold me back, his boots skidding across the floor.
"Winter's already pissed at you, man! You think this is gonna fix that? You're not proving her wrong-you're handing her every reason to walk away."
Beside me, Harry clamps down on my arm like a vice, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Don't do it, Z," he snaps.
"That fucking prick wants you to lose it-he's pushing every button just to watch you fall. Don't give him the fucking satisfaction."
I barely hear them.
Blood's rushing in my ears, my pulse like thunder.
All I see is Damien's smug, shit-eating grin like he's proud of himself.
Like he knows he struck a nerve.
And he did.
Fuck, he did.
I can feel the heat building in my chest, a fire that won't be quenched until I do something about it.
My hands are still clenched, shaking with the urge to crush him, to make him feel every ounce of the rage he's stirring up in me.
But Ro's grip is iron, and Harry's got me from the other side, holding me down like I'm the one who needs to be contained.
I'm shaking with the effort to hold back, my fists clenched so tight they might split open.
Just one punch.
One swing and I'd wipe that smug look off his face-
"Don't." Clark's voice slices through the tension, low but cutting, as he steps in between us, his eyes hard and unyielding.
"Don't fucking lose it over him, Z. Winter gave you a shot-a chance-to prove you've changed. That you're not that guy anymore
\-don't fuck it up now. Don't throw it all away for this fucking shithead."
I know he's right.
But it still takes everything in me not to explode, and I force myself to take a deep breath.
Fuck!
Winter's already pissed at me, and I can't afford to make it worse-not now. I can't let her see I'm still the same guy, the one whose anger is always just a hair away from breaking loose.
If she comes back and sees me going off on Damien... there's no coming back from that.
I can't make things worse.
Not when I'm already fighting to prove I've changed.
My jaw tightens as I glare daggers at Damien, every muscle in my body coiled like a loaded gun.
Harry's hand digs into my arm, Ro's voice a muffled echo behind the storm in my head.
I take a step forward, despite them both holding me back, my voice low and shaking with barely leashed fury.
"You ever say one more fucking degrading word about her," I growl, my eyes locked on Damien's,
"And I swear to God, no one in this room is going to recognize your face when I'm done with it."
Ro jerks me back a little, but I'm still locked in the stare.
"You so much as breathe her name again, and I'll break your jaw just so you never get the chance."
Damien's grin doesn't falter as he watches me, clearly feeding off the tension. He looks too relaxed, too smug-like. He knows exactly what he's doing, and he's loving every second of it.
"Go ahead, threaten me all you want,"
Damien drawls, his eyes flicking over to Ro and Harry like he's enjoying this little show.
"But can you really blame me? That ass alone could start fucking wars. And trust me, I'm willing to bet she's not just good with her hips-probably knows how to make a man lose his mind with that sweet little mouth of hers, too."
Control... fucking control...
My hands are clenched so tight, my knuckles feel like they're about to crack. I can feel my blood boiling, my muscles screaming to move, to do something.
I have to hold it together.
He leans in slightly, voice dropping but still loud enough to draw attention.
"Girls like her? All needy and sweet? They act innocent, but they'll suck you dry if you let 'em. Wouldn't mind teaching her how to really earn the attention she craves."
That's it.
My body moves before my brain can catch up.
I thrash against Ro and Harry, my body fighting to break free, my muscles burning with the need to get to him. I can hear them both grunting, straining to hold me back, but it's not enough.
Then.
My fist is already swinging, loaded with every ounce of fury pounding through my chest.
My vision blurs red, and all I want is to shut him up, wipe that disgusting smirk off his face and make him regret ever saying her name.
But I don't get the chance.
Again...
A hand clamps down on my arm mid-swing-tight, solid, unyielding. It's Harry. His grip holds me back, even though I can feel the tension in him too, the tremble of restraint in his fingers.
"Zion, stop!" he hisses, his voice sharp and desperate.
Ro steps in right after, throwing himself between us.
"Jesus Christ, man! What the hell are you doing? Do you wanna get expelled over him? Calm the hell down!"
But I can't.
Not really.
Not when every cell in my body is still screaming to destroy Damien. Not when the echo of those words still rings in my head.
Not when he talked about her like that.
"Didn't you hear what the fuck he just said about Snowflake?" I growl, my teeth grinding, but my voice is unnervingly calm-too calm, considering the storm raging inside me.
"He talked about her like she's some fucking slut, and you want me to just fucking control myself?"
Damien leans forward, his eyes gleaming with malice as he locks onto me.
"Oh, but I'm just getting started. Winter's probably used to getting tossed around by guys like you and me, huh? Just another poor, desperate little thing who's too proud to admit she's better off on her knees."
That's it. Every last thread of my self-control snaps.
I lunge forward-no hesitation, no thought, just the raw, blinding rage surging through every vein.
My fist swings, fueled by nothing but the need to shut Damien up, to wipe that smug look off his face once and for all.
The moment my fist connects with Damien's jaw, there's a satisfying crunch, the sound of bone meeting bone. His head snaps back, and I feel the rush of victory-just for a split second.
Damien's head snaps back
His smirk falters just for a second, eyes widening in shock that I actually hit him.
But before I can go for another strike, Ro's arm shoots out, locking around mine with the force of a vice, yanking me back with a brutal strength that almost pulls my shoulder out of the socket.
"Z! Stop!" he shouts, his voice tight with panic, his grip digging in hard enough to leave bruises.
I struggle against him, my body straining, trembling with the effort to break free. The fury is too much. Too loud. I can barely breathe, barely see past the red haze clouding my vision.
I don't care that we're in the cafeteria. I don't care that people are staring. I don't care if this gets me into trouble.
All I care about is Damien and the filth that just came out of his mouth.
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