Page 45 of Fury
"Someone trying to keep me alive," I snap. "Which is more than I can say for you. Do you have any idea what you've done? Richard is dead, Diane. Murdered. And now these people think I might be involved in your blackmail scheme."
The sob that comes through the phone is heartbreaking, but I steel myself against it.
"I'm so sorry, Livie. I never wanted to hurt you. I was desperate, and when I heard those recordings… God, the things he described, the women they've hurt… I thought if I could get some money from them, maybe I could help their victims somehow."
"By keeping the money for yourself?" Dad's voice cuts through the speaker, cold and unforgiving.
"I… Yes," she admits in a broken whisper. "I was going to donate some of it, but I needed… I was behind on everything. Student loans, credit cards, medical bills from when I got sick last year. I thought just a little bit wouldn't hurt anyone."
"A little bit?" I can barely contain my fury. "Diane, these aren't people you can 'just a little bit' extort. These are killers. And now they're coming for you."
"What do you mean?" Her voice rises in panic.
Dad leans toward the phone. "I mean you need to disappear. Tonight. Change your name, leave the state, and pray they don't find you before you can get somewhere safe."
"I can't just leave everything?—"
"You can and you will," Dad cuts her off, "if you want to live to see next week. These people don't negotiate, girl. They don't forgive. They eliminate problems."
The silence stretches for long moments before Diane speaks again, her voice small and defeated.
"What about Livie? Are they going to come after her too?"
I look up at Greyson, seeing the grim determination in his eyes. "We're handling that," he says simply. "But you need to understand—Livie is under protection now. Real protection. The kind you should have thought about before you dragged her into this mess."
"I know," Diane whispers. "I know I messed up. I know I don't deserve forgiveness. But, Livie, please… I love you like a sister. That has to count for something."
My throat tightens with emotion I don't want to feel. "It does count for something," I say quietly. "It's why I'm warning you instead of just letting whatever happens happen. But, Diane… we're not friends anymore. We can't be. Not after this."
"I understand," she says through her tears. "Just… be safe, okay? Be happy. You deserve so much better than the mess I've made."
"Goodbye, Diane," I say, ending the call.
The silence in the room is heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts and grim possibilities. Finally, Dad breaks it.
"She's as good as dead," he says matter-of-factly. "Girl like that, on the run from professional killers? She'll be lucky to last a month."
"Dad," I protest weakly, though I know he's probably right.
"It's not cruelty, baby girl," he consoles me, his voice gentling. "It's reality. She made choices that put not just herself but you in danger. Now she has to live—or die—with the consequences."
Greyson's hand squeezes my shoulder. "What matters now is making sure you stay safe. That means no more contact with her, no matter what. If she calls, you don't answer. If she shows up, you call us immediately."
I nod, understanding the gravity of the situation even as part of me mourns the friendship that's truly dead now. "So, what happens next?"
"Next," Dad says, reaching for another phone, "I make some calls. Let certain people know that you were an innocent bystander in all this, that touching you would bring consequences they don't want to face."
"And if they don't listen?" I ask, though I'm not sure I want to hear the answer.
Greyson's smile is cold and predatory. "Then they learn why you don't threaten family in MC territory."
The certainty in his voice should terrify me. Instead, I find it oddly comforting. For the first time since learning about Diane's betrayal, I feel like I can breathe again.
"Come on," Greyson says, helping me to my feet. "Let's get you home. You've had enough revelations for one day."
As we prepare to leave, Mom pulls me aside for one last hug.
"I know this is scary, sweetheart," she murmurs in my ear. "But you're exactly where you need to be. With people who will protect you no matter what."
