Her fingers twitch but she doesn’t say anything, just keeps facing the window.
“I can make her leave, Deli,” her brother says, his voice rough with emotion.
“It’s okay,” she whispers. “Give us a minute, yeah? I could do with something cold to drink.”
He hesitates for a minute, his gaze landing on mine. “No MC,” he growls. I nod. His anger is justified.
I wait until he leaves before turning back to Del.
“I didn’t…I wasn’t the one who hurt you. This wasn’t a setup,” she chokes out.
I reach over and grab her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I know. And I made it perfectly clear to Midas that I believe you.”
She flinches at the sound of his name. “You’re still with him?”
“He didn’t do this, Del. We think the person who came after me, Lil, and the other club girls, came after you. If I hadn’t come near you, none of this would have happened.”
She squeezes my hand but it lacks the strength I usually feel from her. “I heard him, Legs. I heard him tell someone to burn it down. Don’t tell me he didn’t do this.”
I hang my head, needing to tell her the truth. But the truth is just as shitty. Regardless, she needs to know. So I tell her anyway, holding nothing back, even when she flinches about what they were willing to do. She breaks down and cries. I join her because it’s fucked and nothing I say will make her feel better.
“I think you should go,” she whispers. I wipe my tears and nod. I’m living with a man—no, not just living—I’m in love with a man who set this in motion. Worse, it’s not enough to make me leave him. Staying is what’s best for me and my baby, but it’s still a betrayal of our friendship, and I own that.
“I’m so sorry, Del. I understand if you never want to see me again. You have to look after yourself. I will never hold this against you, and you have every goddamn right to hate me for staying, but I can’t keep my baby safe alone.”
“I know. And I don’t hate you. I get it, I truly do. I just can’t do this again, and I am still not sure I believe it wasn’t a brother who attacked me.”
I don’t try to convince her otherwise. It’s not my place. Instead, I bend down and press a kiss to her forehead, her breath hitching in her chest when I do. “You will always be my friend. If you ever need me, I’ll be there. Please be safe. I can’t lose you too.”
I’m losing her already, though I take comfort from the fact she’ll be safer away from me. I pull away and head to the door, swiping furiously at my tears as they fall.
I pull the door open and almost collide with her brother. “Sorry,” I move to slip past him but his voice stops me.
“Stay away from her, please.” His voice cracks. “We nearly lost her last time. I can’t go through that again.”
I nod. “I’ll stay away, as long as she knows I’m there if she needs me. Today, tomorrow, or ten years from now. She’s the sister I never knew I needed, and I can’t just turn that off.”
“Try anyway,” he grunts before pushing past me and closing the door.
I press my head to the wood and cry softly, hating myself for breaking something that became so important to me.
When I have myself together, I walk back to the waiting room, where I find Midas and Kruger both looking somber.
Kruger jumps up first when I reach them. “How is she?”
“Medically? I don’t know. We didn’t get that far, and given the circumstances, it wasn’t fair of me to ask. Mentally, though, she’s a wreck.” I swallow, not wanting to start crying all over again.
“It’s time for us to go.”
“I’m staying,” Kruger tells me.
I sigh. “She doesn’t want you here. She doesn’t want any of us here.”
“Tough, I’m not leaving her here like this.”
“Then be prepared to get arrested. Her brother doesn’t want us here. She doesn’t want us here. Everything she had, she lost. It took her years to rebuild her life, and now it’s all gone again. And whether you like it or not, you had a hand in that.” I say that part looking at Midas as he moves closer.
“She owes us nothing. All she’s asking for is some peace. And goddammit, Kruger, we’re gonna give it to her.”
