Page 22 of Fractured Chances

So I do it, I grab her from behind, making sure to cover her mouth so she doesn’t scream with one hand and using the other hand to grab the handle of the gun quickly ripping it from her grasp. She bites against my fingers but I don’t move it as I dodge an elbow to the ribs and a foot to the dick. As all of this is happening, I’m trying to remain focused enough to put the safety back on the gun before tucking it into my waistband. I’m sweating and my heart’s thumping wildly. My stomach growls in pain from all of this tension. With her hands now free of the gun, she claws at my face, almost getting me in the eye.

Once the gun is secured in my waist, I keep my hand on her mouth and wrap my other arm around her torso, keeping both of her arms locked to her side as I pull her out of the man’s yard, quickly, hopefully without sound while she kicks at the ground and the air. In the forest, she tries to use the trees as leverage to kick at and get me off her from behind. We both fall to the ground and I’m holding on to her mouth with all my might because we’re still too close to the old man’s house for me to risk her screaming.

However, when we reach far enough from the house, I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder to make the journey a lot easier and faster. She punches at my back and yells obscenities, threatening to kill me. Then I remember, I have the gun in my waistband. Thankfully, the night conceals it, visually at least, and I move quickly to remove it from my waist before her flailing hands can locate it. Fucking hell, tonight’s a hell of a fucking night. For fuck sake. I’m exhausted, I’m a mess, I’m pissed the fuck off and I’m worried for her. Damn it, man.

As I’m about to exit the forest onto the main road, I quickly survey the street to make sure no one will see us although I’m pretty sure they’re hearing the wild ass shouts of this fucking mad woman on my fucking back.

When I’m certain the coast is clear, I make a run for it in the direction of her car, dumping her ass next to it. “Stop the fucking screaming you fucking psycho!” I yell and start walking away from her, toward my bike wanting the night to fucking end already.

Chapter 15

Julissa

“Shutthefuckupand get your ass back home!” he yells at me over his shoulders. Mikhail?!

Listen, my ears must have turned into a fucking whistle because of the steam rising to boiling point inside of me. I rush forward, pounding at his back when I reach him and he spins around, grabbing both of my wrists, his eyes on fire.

I shove my knee forward in the direction of his balls but luckily for him, he dodges it and it lands into his hip. “So what? You’re fucking stalking me now?! You son of a bitch!” I’m still burning hot with seething anger. No, no, this is taking it a fucking step too far!

“I thought you said you weren’t going to fucking kill the guy!” he yells back at me.

“And I wasn’t! The fuck?!” I fire back.

He shakes his head, laughing with sarcasm as he waves the fucking gun around like he’s lost his fucking mind and can’t see that we’re in the middle of the streets with motherfucking street lights shining on us. “And what is this? Huh? Your fucking good luck charm?” he asks.

“Will you put that away?” I whisper and he scoffs. “I fucking carried that to protect myself just in case I had to run through the forest again since I fucking THOUGHT I’d be out here on my own,” I say pointedly to him.

“Protect yourself from what? You’re the one that came here looking for trouble? Is that old man showing up atyourdoor botheringyou?” he asks.

“You’re forgetting that he’s not just any old man so yes, he’s fucking bothering me. And I didn’t fucking show up here looking for trouble. I came here to fucking prove it to myself that it’s my fucking father despite you treating me like a fucking idiot, telling me that it’s not my father when I fucking know he is!” I shout at him.

“So I’m the reason you almost killed that old man, is that what you’re trying to say, Julissa?”

“You know what, Mikhail? I’m not going to keep doing this fucking back and forth bullshit with you. I’m going to prove it and make you feel like the fucking idiot once and for all, how about that?”

He rubs his hand against his forehead and looks at me with pity now and I’d much prefer it if he went back to being angry with me. “Come on, Julissa. Let’s go home. Okay?”

“I’m not going anywhere with you! I don’t appreciate you treating me like I’m fucking stupid.” I start to get in my car.

He comes up behind me and grabs the keys. “Where are you going then?” he asks.

“None of your fucking business.” I furrow my eyebrows crossly at him. “Now give me back my fucking keys!”

“Julissa, please. Will you keep your voice down? Next thing you know the neighbors are all gonna start looking through their windows, calling the cops,” he says.

“Oh, so now you’re aware?! You were the one waving the fucking gun just a minute ago, yelling but I’m the one that needs to shut up now because you said so?!” I throw in his face.

“Yes, Julissa, you’re right, I was yelling and yes, I’m more aware now that we’re going to attract some attention.” He scowls.

“Should’ve thought about that before you threw me over your fucking back and now you’re holding me back from driving away.” I return his scowl. I’m tempted to threaten him with screaming for the whole neighborhood to hear but I don’t want that kind of attention either. I’m biting my bottom lip, lost on what to do next when I want to cause a scene to get him to release my keys but I don’t want to cause a scene and have the fucking cops called on us. I’m getting really fucking tired of this whole “living in secrecy” bullshit. I’m this close to being over it.

“Listen here fuckface, if you keep pushing me,” I say as I walk toward him. He stands solid staring down at me. “I might just lose my fucking shit and say fuck all this fucking bullshit. If we’re going to work together, we’re gonna fucking worktogether. Because this whole controlling shit, ain’t gonna work. Let me tell you something, buddy, the only reason I’m trying to be good is to keep everything together because I am fucking playing my part whether you believe it or not but I don’t give a shit about being caught and you know it. I mean, sure, it’d be a shame to fuck things up for Calder and Axel too. They’re the only ones saving your ass right now.”

“But if it was up to this.” I point between the two of us. “I’d make you fucking pay for treating me this way. I’m this close to hating you.” I demonstrate with my index finger and my thumb. “This fucking close to getting into my car and driving the fuck away from here, doing my own thing, and leaving your fucking ass to deal with this on your own. No motherfucker controls my fucking life, you get that? I ended those days, or have you forgotten? So unless you want to get on my bad side, I suggest you give me my fucking keys and let me go where I choose, without any restraints. What are you now? My new fucking owner? I’d rather die than let that happen even if that means getting the fuck out of here and risk being caught.”

I let it all out because I’m outraged. If he thought “love” was going to soften the blow, fuck it, it didn’t because what he’s doing now isn’t love and yes, I’ve grown to know the difference. I know for fucking sure what control is and I can sniff that out from a mile away. The whole love thing took longer to learn. But knowing the difference between the two, ain’t no way I’m going to let someone try to use love to control me. Not the fake kind or the real kind.

He’s staring at me, speechless. His eyes haven’t blinked in a whole ass minute. I stretch my hand out, palm facing upward, waiting for him to place the keys there. “Don’t fucking push me, Mikhail. I’m this fucking close and if you don’t give me the keys, you’re going to push me over the edge. You know that if I decide to do something, I’m gonna do it right? I can march my ass up to the police station and report my car stolen.”

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