Page 100 of Fury

“They’re still looking for you,” he said, an eyebrow raised. “Was that what happened with Mr. Motormouth? He found you?”

“Yes.”

His eyes hardened. “I can protect you.”“Oh, I’ve heard that before. Don’t sugarcoat this shit. I’ll keep owing you and owing you, right? Until my usefulness runs out, and then—”

“I wouldn’t feed you to those dogs.” His voice was firm. “I like you,Ashley, and I’m sympathetic to your situation. I’d like to see you thrive far away from that trash. I really would. You say yes, and I’ll plant evidence of Mr. Mouth outside of Chicago. Way outside of Chicago, on the road leading back to Kansas.”

Had he saved a tattooed arm or Motor’s tattooed torso to plant somewhere? His bike? His knives?

“What would you do with information? Feed it to the feds or the cops?”

The lines on his forehead deepened for just a moment. “No feeding any of it to anybody. This will be all mine. I don’t even want anyone to know this information is coming from me. Which means no one will ever know it’s coming from you.”

I held his steady gaze.

Was I really considering this?

This was crazy. This was a road to perdition. Eventually. But right now, I couldn’t see a way out of it. This was everything Finger had warned me about. Getting too close, owing and being obligated. I’d put myself in a position of weakness and vulnerability, hadn’t I?

Med had kidnapped me, raped me, kept me locked in dark closets, terrorized me, and petted me like his favorite kitty all at the same time. I’d done everything he’d asked me and made me do, and then in one night all that had changed. And it had been a brutal change. I had no doubt that if Finger hadn’t come for me when he had, I’d be nothing but body parts all over Kansas right now.

“Only between you and me,” Turo said.

Turo was a player in a powerful crime syndicate. Maybe he really could keep the wild wolves at bay for me once and for all, and there would be no more hiding, no more wondering, no more wandering. At least for a little while. It would be a good jump start.

I swallowed hard, squashing the sour seeping up my throat back down. “Only between you and me. No go betweens or other representatives from your organization. Not even a bodyguard. And definitely no Ciara. No one else can know. Promise me.”

“I promise.”

I believed him.

He removed his trench coat and swept it over a chair in a precise fold.Burberrysaid the inside lining. He took off his lean suit jacket and folded that over as well. Letting out a sigh, Turo sat down on my small sofa, an incongruous vision in starched lines and immaculate black and white tailoring in contrast to the woven purple and red pillows he leaned against on the turquoise sofa.

“I’ve got an hour to kill.” His eyes dove to my bare legs and his jaw clenched. “Get yourself dressed, make us coffee,” he stroked the cushion next to where he sat on the sofa, “and come entertain me with tales of your sordid underworld.”

27

“Ican’t waitto see you.Jesus, it’s been so fucking long,” Finger’s scratched and husky voice leapt at me through the telephone, making my pulse speed.

“I know, baby. I’m so excited.” I wouldn’t ask him where he was in relation to Chicago. He wouldn’t have told me anyhow. He was in the middle of club business, hooking through Chicago for two days to see me before heading back to Nebraska. “I can’t wait to kiss you tomorrow.”

“Oh, and that’s not all, babe.” He let out a laugh. “Love you.”

My heart squeezed. “Love you too.”

Finally.

After not hearing from him for so long, he was finally on his way, and I’d be seeing him in a matter of hours. I would tell him everything then. About Motormouth, about Turo.

About our baby.

I’d taken the day off from work, packed up my new wine-colored satchel bag, baked a small pan of brownies and packed them in a plastic container tied with silver ribbon. I couldn’t wait to give him the brownies and see his reaction. See if he remembered my silly dream for our one day together future:“I’m baking brownies, and you’re teaching our kid to ride a bicycle out in the yard.”Then I’d tell him about the baby.

I waited in my apartment for his call, dressed and ready to rock and roll from six in the morning.

It was twelve noon now.

Nothing.

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