Page 101 of Sinner's Fury

But Charlotte was different. She had no prior commitments, no destiny to fulfill. She was just a single mother who found herself caught in a war not of her making. Her innocence, a fragile quality, was something I knew Christian found appealing. I also knew the longer he had to wait for the doctor, the more his growing agitation, a volatile energy, would fill the room.

With quiet steps, O’Malley joined me, his eyes locked on Christian as the sounds of nervous coughs and shuffling feet filled the room while Christian paced. Each passing minute brought a fresh wave of tension, knotting his shoulders tighter and tighter, a physical manifestation of his anxiety. I saw the way his jaw tightened, a grim set to his face, and I could almost feel the pressure of his back molars grinding together.

“He’s too quiet,” O’Malley whispered.

“I know.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Yes,” I growled. “Because if that damn doctor doesn’t tell him exactly what he needs to hear, he will snap, and everyone in this room will become his next victim.”

“My boys have Steele.”

“Where?”

“Outside of town. Twenty minutes from here. They want to kill him for what he did to her.”

Slowly shaking my head, I said, “He belongs to Fury, because if she doesn’t make it, that bastard will be the only thing that will keep Christian from going on a killing rampage.”

Mercy approached cautiously, his gaze locked on Fury’s fist as it tightened, the silence punctuated only by the man’s harsh breathing. “Uh, Montana just called. They are out of jail.”

The air crackled with tension when a low guttural growl vibrated through the room, making everyone freeze.

“I’ve never seen him like this.”

“Mercy, go find the damn doctor. I don’t care if you have to pull his ass from the damn operating room. Someone needs to come in here and update him.”

“Yeah. Sure,” Mercy murmured as he backed out of the room, refusing to look away.

Looking at Malice, I nodded. The man slowly pushed off the wall, as did Payne. Both men were bigger than Christian, but it wouldn’t matter.

I knew that.

So did they.

“Cousin.” O’Malley cautiously walked over to the volatile man.

“O’Malley, I wouldn’t,” I warned as Fury rounded on the Irish man and sneered.

“She is alive,” O’Malley said. “She is alive, Christian. I held her hand the whole time, even when they wheeled her into surgery. Your woman is strong. A fitting wife for an Irishman. She will survive this. I know it.”

With a burning intensity, Fury stared at the man, saying nothing, the air thick with tension as Torment joined O’Malley. “He’s right, Fury. Just hold it together a bit longer, brother. Mercy went to find her doctor. She’s gonna make it. I know it.”

The door behind me opened, forcing me to move to the side as the doctor walked in, minus Mercy. Moving to stand next to Fury, the man said, “Mr. Moreno?”

“Just say what you need to, Doc. Christian isn’t talking to anyone at the moment.”

The older man blinked, then nodded. “Very well. Mr. Moreno, as you know, your wife was brought here in really bad shape. How she survived the trip is a testament to her willpower. I don’t really know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. Your wife was violently sexually assaulted and beaten so badly,she’s slipped into a coma. The internal damage she suffered was extensive, and I was forced to remove her spleen. Your wife will need a cosmetic surgeon to repair the cuts she sustained from the attack. Whoever did this to your wife meant to inflict as much damage as possible before he killed her. But I can’t stress this enough. Your wife will need extensive therapy if she wakes up.”

“What do you mean if, Doc?” Rage asked.

“Mrs. Moreno sustained multiple blows to the head. The force used actually cracked her skull, causing her brain to swell. In all my years as a doctor, I’ve never seen this level of violence inflicted on a person, and I’ve treated prison patients and gang members. Whoever did this meant to kill her, and he almost succeeded. I’m keeping Mrs. Moreno in isolated intensive care for the next forty-eight hours. I will know more then.”

“Can he see her, Doc?” Torment asked.

“I’m sorry. No.” The doctor shook his head. “Right now, she is receiving a high dose of antibiotics and round-the-clock care. Your wife is strong, Mr. Moreno, but she isn’t out of the woods yet.”

The doctor said nothing more as he turned around and left the room while everyone took a few steps away from Fury. Moving to stand in front of him, I asked, “What do you need?”

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