Page 57 of His Fury

“Isla, I swear, I didn’t know this would happen?—”

“Youdidknow!” I shouted, the words ripping out of me before I could stop them. “Youknewwho you owed. You knew what kind of people they were. And youstillkeptplayingfucking cards.”

The silence rang louder than my voice.

“I wastaken, Julian. Thrown into a car by men I didn’t know. Held in a room that was in complete darkness with someone else’s blood drying on the walls. Do you understand that? Do you actuallyhearwhat I’m saying?”

Julian flinched. He didn’t try to interrupt this time.

“Do you know what it’s like to sit in a locked room for hours, knowing that every second could be the one where they decide you’re not worth keeping alive?” I watched him as I spoke. Watched him squirm against the truth of my words. “When I knew the debt that you owed them was more than you could pay?”

He blinked fast, eyes wet. “I don’t. I—God, Isla, I’m so sorry.”

“He told me exactly why I was there,” I continued because he needed to feel it. “He told me you were the reason. That I was amessage. A pawn. That if you or Zayn didn’t pay, then it was going to be really fucking bad for me.” I fought back the tears. “And the whole time, I kept wondering how I ever let myself care so much about someone who could gamble me away without even realizing it.”

Julian’s face was pale, his throat working as he swallowed hard. “I didn’t know they’d come for you.”

I ignored him. “Do you know what it’s like to realize thatyoudid that to me?” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Because I do. I have to live with that now. I have to carry it.”

“Isla, please, I didn’t know that this would happen. Please, you need to believe me.”

“That’s the problem,” I said. “You never know. Because you don’t think ahead. You think everything works out if you just stay charming and throw enough apologies around.”

He dropped his head into his hands. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“But you did.”

The words sat between us like shattered glass.

The silence that followed was suffocating. I finally sat down—not next to him—across from him, where he had to look me in the eye.

“I know I fucked up,” he said finally. “I know I don’tdeserve your forgiveness. But you have to believe me—I would never, ever, put you in danger on purpose.”

On purpose.That was the problem. He hadn’t thought about his actions at all.

“It doesn’t matter,” I whispered. “Because it happened. Whether you meant to or not.”

Julian wiped his hands across his eyes, his look pleading. “Tell me how to fix it.”

“I’m not asking you to fix it,” I said softly. “You can’t. This damage is done. But if youeverput me in that position again…” I let the sentence trail off, but the message was clear.

Julian looked up at me, his face pale. “Zayn’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”

I tilted my head as I studied him, and something inside me hardened. He was still only thinking about himself. With a huff, I looked away from him. “If he wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Julian gulped as I spoke the harsh reality. “And you?” he asked.

“I don’t want you dead,” I whispered. “But I don’t know if I want you in my life either.”

His face crumpled. “I’m sorry.”

“I know,” I said. “I just don’t think it’s enough.”

He stood like he was going to come closer. I rose to my feet at the same time.

“Don’t,” I said quietly. “Not right now.”

His hands dropped to his sides. “Are you going to tell Zayn we talked?”

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