“I can pay, no problem,” the guy says.
Oh, to hell with that.
“Oh, no, I can’t take that,” she says.
“No way I’m letting a dude pay for my lunch,” I jest.
“Besides, I have work in about an hour or so. Don’t really have a lot of time,” she says.
“Okay,” he says, sighing. “Well, I’ll see you around then. Let me know if you want to do something, okay?”
“I will.” She smiles, but I can clearly tell she’s trying too hard to make it look real.
Doesn’t matter. It’s time for me to get the fuck out of here before this whole thing blows up in my face.
“Yeah, I really have to go,” I say, and I turn around and jog off.
Chapter 12
Defending Her Honor
A few hours later …
I’ve been spending my time frowning, pacing up and down the alley behind the Denny’s joint, wondering how my first ‘real’ drug exchange will go. Jaret’s only help was handing me the client list, which he forgot to give me previously. I’m lucky he didn’t forget to give me the price list. I think I’ll have to bring both with me wherever I go, because I can’t for the life of me remember all of this. The gang would definitely be against it, since I could get them exposed, but who the hell cares. I’m not gonna tell them, so how would they find out anyway? Besides, staying low is my priority too, for now. I want to find out who the leader is before I throw them to the dogs.
Speaking about dogs, I was supposed to call Agent Williams after I successfully got into the gang.
I dial his number on my phone. “Yeah, this is Agent Williams.”
“Hunter Bane. I’m checking in to say that our plan’s working.”
“That’s good to hear,” he says. “Are you proceeding as planned?”
“It seems I’m gaining their trust, but I’m afraid I’ll have to dig deeper to find out more. The only problem is that they’re forcing me to do stuff that’s not exactly according to the law.”
“We talked about this, Hunter. You’re on your own out there. Just make sure you don’t get caught, ’cause I’m not going to protect you.”
“There’s really nothing you can do?”
“I told you, getting your brother out of jail comes at a price.” His bluntness is enough to know that he really doesn’t give a rat’s ass. He only cares about getting the leader, making his career look good. Not my brother.
I snort. “Fine. I’ll keep you updated on my progress. I’m going to do a drug trade in a few minutes, so I’m hanging up now.”
“Hunter,” he says, pausing for a second. “Do not talk about this to anyone. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I told you that a hundred times already. I’ll stay low, worm my way to the top, and expose them for who they are.”
“Good. I will talk to you soon then,” Agent Williams says, and then he hangs up.
Asshole. Makes me phone him every other day, but only to keep tabs on me. He’s only using me to get what he wants, but doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. Bastard.
The moment I put the phone down, it rings again. When I pick it up, my heart stops beating.
“Hey, little brother.”
“Jessie?” I say, my breath hitching in my throat.
“How are you?” he says.
“What? Oh … I’m fine, I guess. What about you? How are you holding up in there?”
“I’m managing,” he says, coughing and sniffing.
“You don’t sound good.”
“Ah, it’s nothing.” He groans and I can hear noises in the background. Yelling and thwacking.
“What’s going on in there?” I ask, concerned.
“Ah, they always fight over the phone. I don’t have much time to talk.”
“Oh … right.” The way he’s breathing into the phone, making painful noises, is already enough for me to know he’s hurt. Fuck.
“Listen, I know what you said about getting me out, but promise me you won’t get involved with those pricks in the gang.”
I don’t answer. All I can do is stare into the distance, my eyes stinging from the incoming tears. The silence is deafening.
“Please … just do it for me,” he says, his voice strained with emotions.
Fuck. I can’t take this. I can’t not do anything.
“No.” My teeth barely separate as I speak. “I am going to get you out of there. That’s the only thing I can promise.” I can’t do what he wants.
“Hunter, stop. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I don’t care! I’m gonna fucking come for you!”
“You can’t fix this!” he yells. “Shit. I gotta go, I don’t have any time left.”
“I can fix this and I will,” I say. “Just hold on, okay? I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Stay safe, all right?” he says.
“You too.”
And then he hangs up the phone. The bleep that follows tears my heart in two.
Fuck. FUCK!
I squeeze my phone so hard I hear it crack. I don’t want to break another one, so I quickly tuck it into my pocket and clench my teeth to stop my rage from erupting. I’m one second away from screaming my lungs out.
But then I hear someone else scream.
My attention is immediately drawn to the high-pitched sound, a woman’s voice. It sounds like she’s in serious trouble.
I run around the corner and look into the restaurant. To my horror, I notice the group of guys I was supposed to meet in a few to make the drug trade have already disappeared. Shit.
I turn around and follow the ruckus up ahead. A group of guys come into view, and with them is a young girl, screaming for help. She’s trapped in their grips, her clothes ripped to shreds. Her curly brown hair and white skin, covered in tears, glint in the moonlight. Leafy.
“Get your fucking hands off her!” I yell, bolting toward them. I don’t wait one second. Fury is boiling inside me and I’m ready to release it. “Get the fuck away from her! Right. Now!”
How dare they fucking touch her!
My hands ball up into fists, and when the guy turns around, I smack him straight in the face.
“You fucking son of a bitch!” I yell. “Don’t you fucking dare lay a hand on her again.”
Fucking bastards. Just the thought of what they were doing makes me furious. They were harassing her, trying to … FUCK!
I spit on the ground. They’re disgusting. Fucking pieces of shit. I can’t believe I was about to trade drugs with them. No way in hell I would ever give them anything. Not them. Fuck the deal. Fuck the gang. I’m going all out now.
His buddies come after me like a pack of wolves, smashing their fists into my face. I avoid as many hits as I can while punching them in their guts. I aim for the weak spots: neck and balls. Nothing’s off-limits now. Not after what they were about to do to her.
I stomp one in the stomach so hard he pukes his guts out. Good. I kick one in the balls, but am too late to avoid an elbow to the nose. It feels like a hot poker has been rammed into my face. Fuck, it hurts, but I don’t care.
“No!” Leafy screams, but I’m not stopping. They hurt her, and for that they’ll pay.
My mind clears and my veins expand, my blood pumping energy to my muscles. I’m running on pure adrenaline right now. I’m gonna kick their asses so hard they can’t sit for weeks.
“I’ll kill you! You dickhead!” the one who was touching her yells. He joins the fight, but I’m so angry I don’t even care. I’m gonna knock them all out, one by one.
“Stop it!” Leafy screams, her voice croaky. “Stop it, stop it!”
I’m not stopping, not even if she wants me to. Nobody puts his hands on her like that.
My heart is racing, my face stinging from the cuts and bruises, and blood is spilt all over the ground. “You motherfucker. Think you can stop us?” one of the guys I was supposed to trade the drugs with says. “We take what we want, when we want it. You don’t get to f
ucking intervene!”
I don’t fucking care what they want. They can take anyone, anywhere, except her. She is mine, and mine alone. Nobody gets to fucking touch her but me.
I avoid their punches, determined to win. I won’t fail. I throw out as many punches as I can, quickly jabbing them in their eyes, stomachs, and groins. I’m like a bull on steroids, ramming my way through.
My eyes momentarily catch Leafy’s, and when I see the sheer horror in her eyes I can’t help but feel distressed.
“Run!” I yell. She’s hurt, and I don’t want her to get hurt anymore. I want her to be safe. She needs to get out of here, fast.
But she doesn’t listen to me. She stays put, her eyes scanning the pavement for something. What the fuck is she doing? Is she trying to get into trouble? I’m fighting my ass off here, and she needs to go, now!
“This is your life now, rookie. Just like it’s ours. Get used to it,” one of those bastards says, and he spits on the ground.
He knows I’m in the gang, but I don’t fucking care. I’ll break the rules if I have to. I don’t need to take this shit from them. I won’t let them do this. Fuck him. Fuck them all.
“I won’t let you fucking hurt her,” I snarl.
“If you mess with us, you can pay the price with your life,” the asshole says. “We. Demand. Respect.”
Screw respect. Especially for these kind of guys. Pathetic bunch of bitches. I’d risk my life for this girl every goddamn time I can. She is worth it.
We’re still fighting, and I’m trying to catch my breath while pounding in on them at the same time. I can feel I’m growing weaker, but I won’t give in. I need to protect her at all costs. And I need to avenge her honor.
Suddenly I see Leafy run to the left, her quick movements catching everyone off guard. She grabs something lying on the ground, and before I have time to react she sprays them full in the face.
They scream, holding their hands to their eyes, while I get back onto my feet. She grabs my arms and helps me get up. Just before I’m hauled to my feet, I spot her glasses on the ground, and I pick them up. I’m limping quite badly, my leg aching like hell. She pulls me away, supporting me with her shoulder. Shit, now I’m the one getting helped by her.
She takes me to a park and sets me down against the trunk of a tree, breathing heavily. She sinks to the floor. Now we’re both just sitting there, trying to calm down. I can barely catch my breath. I’m exhausted, drained of all my energy because I threw everything I had at them.
When I look up at her, tears start flowing down her cheeks. Oh, no. Christ, what did they do to her?
My body aches as I lean forward, my fingers reaching for her. My heart is breaking. Seeing her cry is the last thing I want. My instincts tell me to console her. To caress her and pull her in for a hug. I gently pet her head, her frizzy hair tickling my hand.
“They tried to … they wanted to …” Her breath falters with each word, and her voice cracks.
“I know …” I say. Her ripped coat and shirt tell me they tried to rape her. I’m seething with anger, my teeth grinding because of what they did to her. I can’t believe I got there so late. I should’ve seen them leave. I shouldn’t have taken that phone call, maybe then I could’ve spared her that experience.
Goddammit!
The first urge I have is to slam my fist into the ground, but I can’t. The instant I move my body I wince. It’s too painful.
Her head lifts, and her sad, watery eyes make contact with mine. She’s so beautiful, and I’m so fucking pissed they tried to ruin her. Thoughts rage through my head—thoughts about killing them.
She scans my face, her eyes widening, her mouth dropping. “Oh my God …”
Do I look that horrible? I must. I’ve taken quite a beating for her.
I cough, and blood spills from my mouth, running down my chin.
“Don’t move,” she says, her voice cold, without emotion. It’s like she’s already forgotten about what happened and only focused on my injury. I don’t want to worry her.
She takes a band aid out of her purse and leans forward, sticking it to my face. She’s so close I can smell her scent on me, lingering on my clothes as she touches me. I fight so hard not to wrap my arms around her and pull her close. I want to bury my head in her neck and cry with her, because I was so goddamn afraid they’d hurt her.
I wonder why she didn’t run. Why she didn’t listen to me. The only reason I started fighting was so I could save her. So she’d be able to flee. Why didn’t she? Did she want to save me too?
“Why did you … why did you do that? Why did you help me?” I say, but she shushes me, putting a finger on her lips.
“Shh … They can’t know we’re here.”
Then I hear their voices, and the primal rage inside me awakens again.
I keep my eyes on her, forcing myself not to get up and go after them. Looking into her dark blue eyes gives me clarity. I’m driven to stay with her, to protect her at all costs, even if it means letting them off the hook.
“Motherfucker! You’ll pay for this!” one of them screams. “See you in the arena.”
My heart stops hearing that word. The arena. I’ll take on that challenge. If I’m gonna have to fight someone there, it’ll damn well be them. But this time, it won’t end before I say it does.
Chapter 13
Beaten to a Pulp
She helps me stand as we make our way back to campus. My body feels broken, although all my bones are still intact. I’ve sustained quite a lot of wounds, cuts, and bruises, but I’ll manage. I’m glad she’s here to drag my ass back to the dorm. She pulls me into a bathroom and I sit down on the nearest toilet I can find. I wipe away the blood running down my face. My entire hand is covered, and I can feel it dripping from my nose, too. Damn. I got hurt badly this time.
Man, I feel dizzy.
My head is pounding like crazy. It’s not like a headache, more like a whirling concussion.
I think Leafy’s grabbing a roll of toilet paper, but I’m not sure. I can’t concentrate and my eyes feel out of focus. Damn.
She dabs something against my face, and I’m guessing it’s the paper. It feels soft and cool against my red-hot skin. When she touches my nose it hurts like hell, but I don’t want her to see that. I just saved her ass. No time to look weak. I can’t look weak anywhere. It’s not safe.
“I have to call an ambulance,” she says.
What? No. absolutely not. If I go to the hospital, they’ll start asking questions about why I look so fucked up. No doubt they’ll call the police and then shit’ll really be rolling. Nope. Can’t have that.
I grab her wrist tight. “Don’t. I don’t want to go there. I can’t,” I say. I let go again the second I realize I’m being overly touchy with her.
“Why not?” she asks.
What am I supposed to say to that? I can’t really tell her why, so I decide to keep it vague. “Because the cops will be asking questions, and I don’t want to answer them.”
Especially not the cops. If Agent Williams shows his face there, I’m done for. No way he’ll keep me out of jail; he said so himself. Damn that motherfucker, using me like this. I crack my knuckles thinking about him.
She frowns, pursing her lips. “But you’re hurt.”
I sigh. I must look like shit right now, and yes, I’m hurt, but I don’t want to go to the hospital. I just want her to fix me.
“Please …” I say, groaning.
After a while she says, “All right.”
I exhale a sigh of relief. Good. I need to calm down now, and going to the hospital or anywhere near anyone in uniform doesn’t do that for me. She does. She has this hypnotizing effect on me, like she’s lulling me into a deeply relaxed state. I’ve never had that before.
Especially when she dabs a cold, watery piece of cotton on my open gashes. God, that feels good.
She’s tending to my wounds, plucking at the paper, pushing it down on my skin. My eyes are glued to her face,
because she’s right in front of me. Now I have the perfect excuse to stare at her every fucking second I can. Even though my head is spinning, she is the one thing I can focus on clearly.
The only thing on my mind right now.
My eyes scan her tiny body, searching for marks left by those assholes. Her clothes seem to be the only thing damaged, though. I let out a sigh, glad that she seems okay. Physically, at least.
Looking at her sparks a whole array of emotions. Anger over what they did to her, confusion over what I should do, desire for her love. She’s so fucking close I could touch her face, press my lips against her skin and kiss her until the night is over. She’s prettier than I remember, although I do miss those glasses. It doesn’t make her any less perfect. She smells of pine forests and fresh citrus, just my kind of spice. Her scent alone can make me hard.
Fuck. I shouldn’t be thinking about this right now. Especially not after what happened to her. And especially not considering the problems that involve me.
“God … it’s hot in here,” I say. It feels like I’m overheating, but I guess that’s just the hormones raging through my body.
“No, it’s not,” she says, and she places her hand on my forehead. The way she touches me sends shocks through my entire body, zinging my cock into action. Shit.
I’m sweating like crazy, and I’m not sure whether it’s because of the fight or because of her. I’ve got to get out of these clothes, fast.
I hook my fingers under my vest and take it off.
Her eyes widen as she gasps, staring at my body. She stiffens, her eyes skidding from left to right and back to me again. I like watching this. She’s trying to look away, but can’t. Sexy. I can’t help but smile. This is just too good.
Suddenly, the pain is back, and it hurts so much I want to shift my body. Groaning, I change my position in the hopes it’ll help.
“Be right back,” she says, and she runs out of the bathroom. Well, that was quick. Did I scare her off just by pulling off my vest? Can’t say I didn’t see it coming. Nerds like her usually don’t last long around me, whether it’s talking or fucking. I’m hard and dirty, figuratively and literal.
Fury (New Adult Romance) - #1.5 Fierce Series Page 10
