Free Fury (New Adult Romance) - #1.5 Fierce Series by Clarissa Wild

the
drugs.”
    “What?” I scream. “No! No fucking way!”
    “You have to. You’re in the gang now.”
    “The fuck I will!”
    I slam my backpack into the ground. I hate that crap. I hate it with
all my guts. It’s the one reason everything in my life is fucked up. Drugs and
I have a history I’d rather keep hidden away forever.
    “Hey!” Jaret grabs both my arms. “Calm down.”
    “I’d rather die than take that shit,” I yell.
    Jaret squeezes my arms and looks me straight in the eye. “Do you
want to get your brother out or not?”
    “Of course I do!”
    “Then you’ll do what they ask.”
    “But―”
    “There’s no other way. You have to do this. They won’t accept no for
an answer. Not anymore.”
    I bite my lip, trying to chew away the gut-wrenching feeling I have.
I hate drugs. There’s nothing I hate more than drugs.
    But if this is the only way I can get accepted into the gang, I have
to do it. I have to find out who the leader is so I can free Jessie.
    “If it’s the only way …. I’ll do it.” I’m already regretting what I
just said, but there’s no turning back now.
    “Don’t worry. They’ll start slow. Pot, probably. They just want to
know what you’re made of.” Jaret gives me a friendly punch on the arm. “And
you’re made of bricks, remember?”
    I snort and clench my jaw tight. I don’t like this. I don’t like
this at all, but I’ll do it. For my brother. For Jessie.
     
    ♥♥♥
     
    I’m outside, working out on the fresh grass. Having a cold breeze
cool me down while I do some push-ups. I alternate them with stretches, pushing
my muscles to the limit. I want to be as fit and lean as possible. I need to be
focused and ready to take some blows before it’s my time to beat someone up for
the gang.
    After I’m done, I shake my limbs, loosening them. I hang a ball on a
tree branch so I can use it as a target. It’s not much, but it’ll have to do. I
can’t just replace it with a living human being, and I don’t have the money to
get the real thing.
    I blow out some concentrated breaths and ready my fists before
striking hard and fast. I’m throwing out as many punches as I can, forcing
myself to step over my boundaries. With each strike I drift further away into
my thoughts, into my memories, and I’m reminded of the pain. The gash in my
heart the moment my brother was ripped away from me. The gang that’s behind it
all. The gang that I’ve now joined.
    My anger drives my fists even harder into the ball. With each hit, I
imagine it’s one of them that I’m hitting, and it makes my strikes so much
better. I’m fueled by my rage. I even hit it so hard I send it flying into the
air.
    It reminds me of the times my brother and I used to do this. Just
the two of us, a long time ago. He’d teach me how to fight, how to fend for
myself. He always told me to use my anger as a tool to increase my strength.
Especially when the bullies were harassing me.
    I guess he regrets part of that now, since I started beating them up
instead of it being the other way around.
    I draw in a deep breath and wipe the sweat away from my forehead.
Taking a break, I look around campus and notice Leafy sitting in the grass with
her friend. The sun makes her glow, and she looks so radiant, so alive. So
oblivious to what’s going on all around her.
    I like how she’s not involved in anything dangerous, and that I know
there’s at least one normal person in my life. Although we’re still not on
friendly terms. Not yet.
    But I love looking at her, and the way she smiles at her friend, and
how she wriggles her nose when she’s embarrassed. How her tiny body could fit
perfectly in my arms.
    When she turns her head and notices me, her eyes widen. My lips curl
up into a lazy, arrogant smile as her cheeks turn red. Damn, she looks cherry-poppin’
hot.
    She doesn’t even look away this time. Courageous.
    I wave.
    She waves back.
    Well, that’s a first. I wonder if she’s just a scared