Fury and Fists

Fury and Fists
Jason’s POV

“I’m not Aurora’s father. But I wish I were, knowing how much that would hurt you, brother.” Jace laughed darkly.
“Enough with this nonsense,” Lucas snapped, gesturing for two of my men to drag him away.
As they grabbed him, Jace’s voice rang out louder than before, chilling the room.
“Marco… Marco is Aurora’s father.”
My chest tightened. My throat closed as the words sank in.
“Marco?” I muttered, the name tasting foreign on my tongue.
Jace’s smirk widened as they pulled him away. “Every woman you have ever loved once belonged to your enemy,” he called over his shoulder. “Marco is Aurora’s father. Not you.”
I stood frozen, unable to move, unable to think. Rage and confusion crashed through me in violent waves.
Then my phone rang.
I didn’t even realise I had reached for it until my trembling fingers answered.
Marco’s voice sliced through the silence like a blade.
“I know you’ve figured it out by now,” he said calmly, enjoying every second. “As you can see, I’m always one step ahead. The poison was my little advantage. I hope you enjoyed it.”
My stomach churned.
“It’s time to make good on your promise, Jason,” he continued, voice cold and controlled. “Give me back what belongs to me, and I’ll give you everything you need to save your daughter… or should I say, my daughter?”
He laughed.
Fury surged through me, but I forced myself to stay calm. I closed my eyes, trying to control the storm inside. Aurora’s face flashed in my mind. An innocent child trapped in a war she never asked for.
She deserved better.
When I opened my eyes, Emily was whispering something to Lucas, her face tight with concern. My heart twisted.
How had it come to this?
Taking a slow breath, I spoke through gritted teeth.
“I am a man of my word. I’ll send her your way in thirty minutes. The driver will take her down Deserted Road 33. You’ll get what you want… and I’ll get what I need to save my daughter.”
A long pause followed.
Then Marco spoke again, satisfaction dripping from every word.
“Good. You’ve made the right choice.”
The call ended.
The weight of my decision crashed down on me. My hands shook as I lowered the phone.
There was no turning back now.
I had to protect Aurora, no matter the cost.

I clenched my phone so tightly the edges bit into my palm. Anger and despair knotted in my throat, threatening to choke me.
But I refused to break. Not here. Not now.
Lucas approached cautiously, as if stepping into a minefield. He stopped in front of me and placed a hand on my shoulder. His grip was firm but hesitant, like he wasn’t sure I could handle the pressure.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The silence felt suffocating.
“I’m sorry, my friend,” he said quietly. “I know how much this hurts. But Amara… she wasn’t who we thought she was. You loved her, and she betrayed that.”
His words cut deep.
Memories flashed through my mind. Her smile. Her laugh. The lies.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe.
“What are you going to do?” Lucas asked softly.
I considered lying. Pretending I had a plan. Pretending I wasn’t already drowning.
But I couldn’t.
Marco had the upper hand. All I had was the weight of everything collapsing around me.
I turned away.
“Get Emily,” I said coldly. “Take her back to the house. I don’t want her here.”
Lucas frowned. “What? Jason, you don’t mean that. You need her. You need support.”
“I don’t need support. I want her gone. Take her back!”
He didn’t move.
“Did I stutter?” I barked. “Get Emily. Now.”
The words echoed harshly around us.
Lucas stood still, his silence heavier than any argument.
“Jason,” he said carefully, “what have you done?”
The question hit me like a slap.
“You’re giving in to Marco’s demands?” Disbelief filled his voice.
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“Does it even matter anymore?” I whispered. “I don’t have a choice, Lucas. Aurora needs me.”
Lucas grabbed my arm and pulled me into an empty room, slamming the door shut behind us.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled, yanking my arm free.
Lucas didn’t flinch.
“What’s wrong with me?” he shot back. “What’s wrong with you? Do you even hear yourself?”
He gestured around the room, voice low but burning.
“I brought you here so your men wouldn’t hear this madness. You’re ready to give up. You’re ready to let the enemy win.”
I straightened, forcing my face into a mask of indifference.
“What happened to ‘we fight until we die’?” he spat. “What happened to Don Jason? The man people fear just by hearing his name?”
I couldn’t answer.
“Jason,” he said, softer now, “don’t you love Emily anymore? You fought so hard to keep her safe. Are you really going to give her up now?”
“Don’t you dare,” I growled. “You know what Emily means to me. But there are sacrifices I have to make. Aurora is innocent!”
Lucas scoffed. “Aurora isn’t yours, Jason. She’s Marco’s child. Are you going to make him pay, or are you just going to hand him everything?”
Something inside me snapped.
I swung.
My fist connected with his jaw. He staggered back. I hit him again, rage pouring out in every blow.
Lucas didn’t fight back.
He just stood there and took it.
When he finally collapsed, blood trickled from his lip.
“Fight me!” I roared. “Fight back!”
But he didn’t.
He only looked up at me, disappointment in his eyes.
The rage drained out of me, leaving nothing but emptiness.
I let out a broken yell that echoed through the room.
As Lucas stood, I instinctively reached for him, but he brushed my hand away.
At the door, he paused.
“This isn’t you, Jason,” he said quietly. “This isn’t the man I swore to follow.”
“You will destroy everything if you do this.”
“Jace was right,” I muttered, voice hollow. “I’m a monster. So what else is new?”
Lucas looked at me with pity.
Then he walked out, leaving me alone with the silence closing in.