Page 89 of Fury

“Tough.”

“I know.”

A pounding at the door. Our heads jerked toward the booming noise. “Who the hell is that this time of night?” Tania shot up from her sofa.

I grabbed her arm. “I’m going in your bedroom.”

“Go.”

I gathered my mug and sweater, jacket and backpack, and went into Tania’s small bedroom. I stashed everything under the bed, closed the door behind me and waited, every cell in my body listening.

Was it finally happening? Did they find me?

“Boner? What the hell are you doing here?” Tania’s shriek was somewhere between shock and delight.

Boner was a member of the One-Eyed Jacks from her hometown. Tania had told me he was Dig’s best friend and a close friend of Grace’s.

“Where is she?” His voice was tortured, loud, almost off key.

I went to the door and peeked through the opening I’d left. Boner was tall and thin, with long dark wavy hair and green eyes that gleamed in the lamp light. He was emotional, distraught. Something was very wrong.

“Who?” asked Tania.

“Who? Are you kidding me? I’ve been riding straight to get to you so I could look you in the eye myself ‘cause I can tell when I’m being lied to. Don’t you fucking lie to me!”

“Calm the hell down and talk some sense, would you?” Tania shot back. “You want a drink? Let me pour you a drink.”

Glasses clinked, a liquid poured from beyond my sightline. Heavy breathing and the sofa creaked. “What’s going on?” Tania’s even voice rose.

“She’s missing. Sister’s missing.”

Sister was the club’s nickname for Grace.

“What the hell are you talking about missing? Someone kidnap her or—” Tania’s voice was high pitched, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My stomach dove and twisted like the innards of a washing machine with a double load on full power mode.

“No, not that,” said Boner. “She picked up and left. Not a word to anybody.”

“And Ruby?”

“Went with her. But that was weeks ago. Ruby’s back now and ain’t talking. She put Dig and Grace’s shit in storage, sold their house real quick. Now she’s left town too and got a job in Rapid. I went to see her, but she ain’t talking. You know Ruby.”

“Hard as nails.”

“Yeah.”

A glass slammed on the table.

“You were her best friend, Tania. You gotta tell me where she is. I gotta see her, make sure she’s okay. I can’t not know where she is. I just can’t!”

My heart twisted in my chest at the anguish in his voice.

“I wish I knew, but I don’t.”

“Don’t say you don’t know, Tan! Don’t say that! How is that possible? You two—”

“Since the funeral I’ve been calling her, but she never answers. Now you’re telling me she up and left town? Her home? Her friends?”

“Yeah. Gone. How could she do this? She needs us! I need her.”

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