Page 50 of Captured By Fate

"Liar!" I snarl back. "You betrayed me, betrayed the club. Just admit what you've done!"

On and on we go, hurtling accusatory barbs laced with vitriol. The room rings with the force of our wrathful exchange.

As the fight rages, a war wages within me too. Doubt gnaws at my conviction, part of me wondering if she's telling the truth. But I can't let those traitorous thoughts win. She has to be guilty. I refuse to be made a fool again.

Kelley matches me blow for blow, refusing to back down. My eyes glint with the reflection of the room's dim light, a stormy sea of emotions betraying the calm I try to uphold.

"I won't let you blame me for something I didn't do!" she yells hoarsely.

"You did this, no one else had access!" I bellow back.

But the fire fueling her begins to wane, her shoulders slumping. In the end, only the sound of ragged breathing is left hanging between us, the aftermath of a battle where no one wins.

I wait for more defenses, more lies. But Kelley just shakes her head wearily and turns away. A heavy silence settles like smoke.

As the fight leaves her, Kelley draws herself up tall, squaring her shoulders. She turns to face me head-on, chin lifted in proud defiance. Her eyes, though swimming with hurt, blaze with resolute strength. Strands of hair cling to the dampness on her temples, framing her face in windswept beauty.

We're both drained, emptied of accusations and anger. The space between us has collapsed, leaving behind only a hollow ruin. I should feel victorious, but there's no triumph in this destruction.

The room’s dim light caresses her high cheekbones, her skin smooth and luminous even in the shadows. Her full lips press together in a firm line, denying them their usual tremble. She is silent, strength personified, stoic, and statuesque.

The trouble is, I'm the only person the situation answers to. Her beauty won’t save her if she double-crosses the club.

What can I do for her, when only uncertainty remains?

31

JACKSON

Icontinue to stare at the text message on my phone long after it’s been received. Every time I read it, all I can think about is the imminent danger Kelley is in.

But she fucked up. She did this. Not me. I gave her every chance. I trusted her. If Benny wants her to attend a meeting at the club, then she’ll have to go. I have no say.

Part of me regrets ever having told the head of the underground racing club that Kelley was a reporter and that I had her under my wing. This was where things went horribly wrong. I might have been able to protect her if I kept my mouth shut.

But at the time, she meant nothing to me. I’m not sure she means anything to me now. Considering the betrayal. It hurts.

I harden myself against those doe eyes of hers and head to her room.

She's huddled in a corner when I burst in, fear etched into her chocolate features. Her brown eyes are wide and glistening with unshed tears, framed by curtains of long chestnut hair that falls over her shoulders. Her lips tremble, forming the words she can't seem to voice.

"Jackson," she whispers eventually, her gaze darting towards the door then back to me. "Please."

But I don't have time for this. Benny's orders are as clear as polished glass; her presence is required at the underground racing arena. To defy those orders would mean signing my own death warrant.

Despite the turmoil tearing me apart inside, I stride towards her and grab her by the arm, pulling her up off the floor. She flinches but doesn't resist, not even when I maneuver her towards the door and push her into the dimly lit corridor outside.

I feel the piercing pain of regret twist further into my gut as we make our way to the car parked outside the motel. The night is unusually cold, a chilling wind causing me to tighten my grip around Kelley's hysterical form. She sobs quietly now, begging me with every breath to let her go.

But there's no going back now.

The engine roars to life as I start up the car, a grim reminder of what awaits us at our destination. Between us, only silence stretches out like an open wound. I am forced to swallow my sympathy; for tonight, there was no room for emotions - not if we hoped to survive this ordeal.

As we begin our dreaded journey towards Benny's domain - a place where no mercy is shown nor expected - I convince myself that it's just another job.

Yet, deep inside, somewhere under layers of hardened resentment and betrayal, a raw nerve twitches with guilt – a harsh reminder that I was the one who put Kelley in this position to begin with. As the neon lights of the city streak past in a dizzying flute of colors, I steel myself for what's to come.

Pleading or not, Kelley is going to face the music. She may not have meant anything to me once, but as the cityscape blurred into the wild darkness of the racing grounds, I can't shake off the growing unease that maybe... just maybe... her life matters more than I care to admit.

---