Page 39 of Fury

Either way, it was the best sex I’ve ever had.

And it was only just the beginning.

Fury sparks something inside me, something I’ve never felt before.

I want to explore more.

I want to know what a world with him in it feels like.

For the first time in years, I feel a spark of hope in my chest. It’s exciting, a little scary, but mostly overwhelming. I never thought it was something I’d feel again. I never thought I’d look forward to my future, to wonder what life might bring that isn’t disaster and pain. It’s thrilling, and I can’t help the smile that stretches across my face as I walk out of the room and very slowly make my way down the stairs.

My steps are small, and I’m slightly hunched over as I go in search of Fury.

I need painkillers, because with every passing step, the pain comes back a little more. By the time I reach the main living area, scattered with bikers, I’m biting my lower lip. It’s bad, and if I don’t find relief soon, I’m afraid I might just fall down. Approaching Mex, who is standing by a large pool table, I ask him where Fury is.

He points toward the kitchen.

Thanking him, I walk toward it, pushing the door open but stopping when I hear Fury’s voice trailing out. It’s not his voice that stops me, it’s the words coming out of his mouth. The mention of my name has me pausing to listen, and what I hear crushes every little strand of hope I was hanging onto this morning.

“You need to be careful, Fury,” Bonnie says, her voice low and calm. “She is married, and not only that, she’s married to a psycho. You can’t sleep with a married woman; it will only end in disaster.”

“Hear you,” Fury mutters, “but she’s not goin’ back there.”

“I know you want to believe that, but sometimes abused women do return because they’re so afraid, or maybe it’s all they know. You can’t just assume she’s going to give up her life and stay here.”

“Never said that,” Fury grumbles.

“You can’t go catching feelings for a woman who is taken ...”

I close my eyes, swallowing.

“I’m not catchin’ feelings, Bonnie. Got no feelings at all toward her. I feel sorry for her, the woman has nowhere else to go and when it comes to him, she’s weak. I don’t want to see an innocent person get hurt, but it’s got nothing to do with having any kind of emotion toward her because I’m not certain I could be with someone who has no backbone.”

His words are like a knife to my heart.

Pressing a hand over my mouth, to stop the pained cry, I turn and hobble away as fast as I can.

Tears burn under my eyelids and shame washes over me as I push past anyone who gets in my way, desperate to get out of here.

I stumble down the front steps, crying out in pain, and manage to make it halfway across the front yard when Fury barks my name.

I don’t stop.

I have no idea what my plan is, considering I don’t have a car or a phone, but I can’t stay here. I will not be anyone’s burden. I’m not here for a pity party. He thinks I’m weak; he has no fucking idea what it’s like to be so afraid of one single person. To say I have no backbone, how dare he?

“Fuck, Alexis, stop.”

I don’t.

I won’t.

I scurry toward the gate until he stops me with a careful hand around my upper arm. It’s a gentle stop, one that ensures he doesn’t hurt me, but I’m not about to sit back and take him touching me after what he just said. Jerking my arm from his grips, I wail in agony as my ribs pinch and burn. Fury immediately releases me, putting his hands up to show he isn’t going to try and touch me again.

Panting, I drop my hands to my knees, unable to take the pain any longer.

“Alexis, listen ...”

“Do not,” I grind out through gritted teeth, lifting my head just enough to look at him. “Do not tell me to fucking listen. How dare you? Is this some sort of joke to you?”

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