Page 72 of Fury
"You think because you're a woman, you can get away with it?" I ask, moving to block her escape route. "You think no one will believe him?"
"We believe him," Rose says, her voice deadly quiet. "And unlike the hospital administration, we don't need proof or witnesses to deliver consequences."
Alex's eyes dart between us, calculating her odds. Apparently deciding she can take us, she sneers, "Four against one? Real brave. What are you going to do, beat me up for rejecting your little gay friend's advances?"
The slur is the final straw. Tiana moves with lightning speed, her fist connecting with Alex's jaw before any of us can react. The nurse staggers, eyes wide with shock.
"That's for touching him," Tiana snarls.
What follows isn't pretty. We're not savages, we don't put her in the hospital, but we make our point with brutal efficiency. Meadow pins her arms while Rose and I deliver calculated blows to her midsection, careful to leave marks that won't show in scrubs but will remind her of this lesson with every movement.
Tiana delivers the final blow, grabbing Alex by her ponytail and forcing her to make eye contact.
"If you ever touch Xavier again, if you ever even speak to him, if you so much as look at him wrong," she promises, her voice ice cold, "what happens next won't be a warning. Do you understand me?"
Alex nods frantically, blood trickling from her split lip.
"And if you report this, or try to retaliate against Xavier at work," I add, "we'll be back. With more friends next time."
We're so focused on delivering our message that we don't notice the motorcycles until they're right behind us, engines cutting off with ominous finality.
"What the fuck is going on here?"
Greyson's voice sends a chill down my spine. I turn slowly to find him and Zach dismounting their bikes, expressions thunderous as they take in the scene: Alex slumped against her car, with the four of us standing over her with bruised knuckles and fierce expressions.
"Livie," Greyson says, his voice dangerously calm. "Explain. Now."
Before I can answer, Zach pushes past, his eyes fixed on Alex's battered face. "Who is she? What did she do?"
Tiana steps forward, chin raised defiantly. "She's the nurse who sexually assaulted Xavier. Put her hands on him. Tried to 'convert' him."
Zach goes utterly still, the kind of stillness that precedes violence. "She what?"
Alex whimpers, trying to make herself smaller against the car.
"Xavier told me this afternoon," I explain quickly. "She cornered him in a supply closet. Grabbed him. Told him she could 'fix' him."
Something dark and primitive flashes across Zach's face. He takes a step toward Alex, but Greyson's hand on his shoulder stops him.
"Not here," Greyson says quietly. "Not like this."
For a moment, I think Zach might ignore him, might give in to the rage clearly building inside him. Then he exhales slowly, his focus never leaving Alex.
"You touched what's mine." His voice is so low it's barely audible. "You put your hands on my man."
Alex's eyes widen with fresh terror as she realizes exactly who Zach is—not just another biker, but Xavier's claimed partner. The man who publicly declared him under his protection.
"I'm sorry," she stammers. "I didn't know— I didn't realize he was?—"
"Shut up," Zach cuts her off. "The only reason you're still breathing is because these women got to you first." He gestures to us without looking away from her. "And because Greyson's right, this isn't the place."
He crouches down, bringing himself to her eye level. "But understand this, if you ever come near Xavier again, if you ever speak his name, if you even think about him too hard…" He smiles, and it's the most terrifying expression I've ever seen. "I will find you. And there won't be enough left of you to identify."
He stands abruptly, turning to Tiana. "Does Xavier know about this?"
She shakes her head. "We didn't tell him. Didn't want him involved."
Zach nods once, his jaw clenched tight. "Good. Keep it that way." He glances at Alex, who's shaking uncontrollably now. "She won't be a problem anymore. Will you?"
