He knocked the breath out of her as she hit the brick wall, and Melpomene gritted her teeth together as she glared up into his face, a little enthralled by the rage in it, shining out through the mask of blood. Fuck, he was intense, and furious, and she didn’t think he was bluffing when he threatened her life. Her heart was beating in her throat, but she’d never been the type to let pure panic take over. The panic was there, yes, and the fear, but her blood was singing; she felt vividly alive. “Killing me would end your life faster than anything else you could possibly do,” she said, twisting her wrists in his grip each time she emphasized a word, but his grip wouldn’t budge, so she tried for a knee to his groin instead.