Page 3 of Deceiver

It's all my doing, too.

“Bill is going to come after me,” I whisper. “So are the crooked cops. I’m not safe, Fury.”

“You should have thought about that before you dug into a fuckin’ story that wasn’t yours to tell.”

I glance at him again, another tear escaping. “So you think he should spend the rest of his life just living behind a lie? Letting the world think he’s a monster?”

“That was his call, not yours.”

Shaking my head, I face the road again.

“Go home, Bonnie, or I’ll be forced to have you removed.”

Desperation is digging its claws into my chest as I push to my feet, turning to face the man that I had come to trust and appreciate. Now he’s looking at me as if I’m the enemy.

“Please, Fury,” I beg, my voice barely a whimper. “I’m not safe. Don’t make me go out there alone.”

“I’m sure you’ve got family, friends, or someone you can go stay with. It’s time for you to go, Bonnie.”

I shake my head, stepping closer. “I’m begging you. Please.”

“Leave,” he grinds out, and even though his voice is firm, I can see the hesitation in his eyes. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want to do this but he knows he has to.

“I just ... I’m scared.”

His jaw tenses. “I can’t help you. I’m askin’ you to leave, Bonnie. Go. Now.”

“Fury,” I try again, stepping closer.

“Fuck,” he barks. “Bonnie. Go home. Leave.”

His words are harsher now, laced with frustration and desperation. The same kind I’m feeling. Hot tears continue to roll down my cheeks—it doesn’t matter what I do, there is no stopping them. Shaking my head from side to side, I try to come up with anything I possibly can to get him to understand, to help me, to not make me leave.

“I love him,” I croak. “Fury, please, I love him.”

“If you loved him, you would have told him who you were before it got to this point. You don’t love someone if you can so easily fuckin’ break them. You have three seconds to go, Bonnie, or I’m callin’ Blue out to send you on your way, and I can assure you, he isn’t as nice as me.”

A loud, broken sob escapes my throat as I turn, the fight slowly creeping out of my body. I walk to the side of the road, look left, and begin slowly trudging down the asphalt, crying until my body heaves and, little by little, the clubhouse fades into the distance. Step by step, I move, until a car finally slows and the window rolls down. It’s Leo. I don’t know how, I don’t even know when, but somehow ... he found me.

“Jesus, Bon,” his voice comes out rough as his eyes rake over me, “get in the car.”

I don’t argue, because I’m afraid if I do I’ll crumble, and I won’t be able to come back from that. Numbly, I get into the car and close the door. Dust coats his seats, and I know I’m a complete mess, but I don’t bother to say anything. I hang my head and hiccup. Leo reaches over, squeezing my shoulder as he drives, his voice gentle when he finally speaks.

“Why didn’t you tell me things had gotten this bad? Who the hell laid their hands on you?”

I look to him, and I know he’ll have questions about why my face looks the way it does. I can’t even begin to tell him the story about Hazel and me, that’s the least of my problems. My true issue lies with the fact that I’m in danger, I have lost someone I care about, and I don’t know what to do about any of it.

“It’s a long story,” I whisper. “Did you see the article?”

“Everyone saw the article. Why did you let that happen? I was certain you had changed your mind.”

I glance out the window. “I didn’t let it happen. Someone released it, but I don’t know who that someone is.”

“What?” Leo growls. “What do you mean? Are you in trouble, Bonnie?”

“More than you could possibly know,” I murmur.

He slams on the brakes, the car skidding to the side of the road. Then, firm fingers curl around my chin and jerk my face until I’m looking at him. “You better start talking, right now! Your secrets are getting too much, and I can see you’re in trouble. Tell me, or I won’t let you out of this car.”

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