Page 47 of Fury

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Go, girl.

“Are you, honey?” The man’s shadow filled the doorway, his low chuckle rolling through the space.

I pressed Serena’s gun against the hand Dark Eyes had on the knob. She took it and released the safety, making a show of it to the guy. “No, honey, I’m not alone. Now back the fuck off so a girl can pee without having to call 9-1-1.”

“Yeah, yeah, easy there. All right.”

“All right what, exactly?”

“I’m leaving!”

“That’s good.” Dark Eyes slammed the door shut and locked it. I motioned for her to come get Serena. She handed me the gun back and took Serena in her arms while I stood by the door and listened. Muffled voices. Gravel crunching.

We waited in that grimy bathroom. The seconds ticked by in our drumming heartbeats, our tight breaths, the stifling stench of dried earth and piss.

Was this it? They’d be back, they’d be circling. Two sets of pipes blared, popped, and raged off into the distance.

My head dropped, the gun sticking to my sweaty hand.

I turned back to the women, both of them clinging to each other, faces grim.

“We got to get outta here,” I said barely above a scratched whisper.

The girl held my gaze. “I’ll help you.”

I eyed her. No screams, no freak outs, no crying. Just an offer to help.

Thank fuck.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.

“Tania. What’s yours?”

“You don’t need to know, Tania.”

“Since you’re the one with the gun, I’ll go with that for now. But that’s going to have to change once I get you two in my car.”

15

Tania drove withSerena layingdown in her backseat. She had a ton of shit in her car, like she was moving or something. We managed to squash some of it into the front seat and to the side to make room for Serena.

I followed them on my bike.

Three towns down, she pulled up at a motel. “I’ll go get us rooms. You stay here.”

I got in the back with Serena, her head in my lap. Her tired gaze hung on mine as she slugged down water from a small bottle Tania had given her.

“Why are you helping us?” I asked Tania.

“Isn’t it a bit late to be asking that question?” Tania shot me a look as she took her wallet from her backpack.

“I’m curious ‘cause you don’t seem the type to—”

“That’s why, right there.” A grin grew on her lips. “By the looks of you I should’ve run the other way at top speed, but here I am. You obviously really needed help.”

“Well, I appreciate it,” I replied.

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