“They did. Enough to prove your innocence and now it’s up to Fallout’s expertise to expedite the process.”
Tears climb up my throat and fall from my eyes. I am overwhelmed with a mixture of joy and relief. “Not trying to look a gifted horse in the mouth or whatever that saying is, but how can Fallout make things go faster?”
North lifts his finger and taps his forehead, “He has a strong mind and persuade almost anyone to agree to anything he wants.” Right. Fallout can control people’s minds to the point the never know that the thought he plants in their brain came from anywhere other than within their brain.
“I could kiss Fallout, I swear,” I absentmindedly say, not really meaning it at all.
“The fuck you say. Those lips are mine.” My cheeks burn with embarrassment, and I peer at North through my lashes.
“It was a figure of speech. Ya know, a joke? Ever heard one of those?” I poke my finger between two of his ribs and he jerks backward. The man is actually the tiniest bit ticklish, but he will not admit it. Doesn’t matter, if he acknowledges it or not. He is.
“Yes, Delayni. I know what a joke is,” he smirks. “I just kind of thought you would be happier. Is this not what. You wanted? To be able to walk on the streets without constantly looking over your shoulder?”
“No. I mean yes, this is exactly what I want, North. I just. It is just so surreal to think that I might be able to walk around as a free woman after spending so much time in lock up. I think after a person is in a prison for so long, they learn to get used to being let down. I did anyway. I know you said the Kings would help and I believed you whole-heartedly. Really, I did. I promise. I just didn’t want to get my hopes and be let down again. It’s not that I did not believe in you or your brothers coming through on your word. It is because I didn’t have it in. myself to believe I deserved good things anymore, It’s not a you thing, it’s a me thing.” I sigh, letting my shoulders slump and stare at the red sheet I am sitting on to keep from looking North directly in the eyes. There’s no hiding anything from him, he is a literal telepath, but he does try to give people their privacy. According to him some people have louder thoughts than others, and apparently mine are pretty dang hard to ignore. So, not looking at him really is pointless.
“Delayni, you deserve the world do you hear me? You. Deserve. Everything. Get those other thoughts out of your head. I want you to remember who you belong to. Who do you belong to, Delayni?” I point at him. “No. I want to hear you say it. Who do you belong to, Delayni?”
“I belong to you, North.” A small smile creeps onto om lips. The man might have a career as a cheerleader if being a biker and a telepath does not work out for him.
“That’s right you fucking do and I’m the best,” he cackles with laughter, kissing the tip of my nose, pulling me into his arms. “It’ll all be over soon, little fox, and then you can come out of your burrow. But I’ve kind of enjoyed keeping you to myself in our little love nest.” North pulls my body against his and then he kisses the top of my head. Other than having the sinking feeling that I was going to get hauled away at any moment, I have loved being here with North. Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagined two months ago that I would see anything more than prison walls and cages.
“You are, North. You’re the best. I really mean it. I love you with all of my heart and soul.”
“I love you more than that.”
“Is that even possible to love someone more than that? I don’t know that it is. Is it?”
“Sure. I love you with every inch of my fucking body, too,” he announces, and I want to one-up him, but don’t have it in me to take this one away from him. We press each other’s buttons and push each other to our limits, but isn’t that what any relationship does? If it doesn’t, then it isn’t for me. I can tell you that much. I guess it does not matter how anybody else handles their relationships, because I don’t want one with anyone else except for North.
“Fine. You win. Now get over here and love me with every inch of your fucking body, will you?” I tug at his shirt, pulling him on top of me and extending my neck to reach his lips. He rolls on top of me and smiles against my mouth.
“Yes, ma’am.”
CHAPTER 20
North
EPILOGUE
“Hold still and let me fix your helmet. You squirm too much to be on the back of my ride without one.” My fingers tighten the chin strap beneath Delayni’s chin, and I nod. “There, all set.” I bounce my palm lightly off the top of the pink shell. Delayni got it in her head that any good old lady needed to know how to ride on a motorcycle. She wanted to drive mine and that answer was a huge blaring hell no. Maybe once she rides for a while with me, and she’s comfortable, then we will revisit her driving a motorcycle. The woman is resilient as fuck, but I’m not about to tempt fate by tossing her on a sled by herself. That is just asking for trouble in my opinion. I just got her back not too long ago and I will be damned if I let her slip through my fingers again. I’m not doing! Ever again. I need her with me until we are old and gray and even then, I’ll try to figure out some miracle cure to keep us together. I’m not giving her up ever again.
“I don’t see why I need to where this if you aren’t going to wreck us. Are you going to wreck us? How many times have you wrecked?” she fires off the questions one after another and my sides vibrate with silent laughter.
“None, Deylani. I have never wrecked, don’t plan to wreck us ever. But if something happens, you know things that might be out of my control, I want to make sure you’re protected.”
“Ok. Fair enough, then you need to wear one, too.” I don’t want anything happening to you either, North.”
“I do. You know that.” I arch an eyebrow in her direction. She has seen me put one on every time we leave, I don’t understand how she does not remember that.
“Not the black one. I want you to wear a pink one, like me.”
“A pink one?” I snort. “Why in the hell would I wear a pink one, Deylani?”
“So, we can match. If I have to wear the putrid color, you should, too,” she bites her upper lip, trying to contain the laughter threatening to bust out of her mouth and fails miserably.
“You hate the color pink?”
She nods. “Absolutely despise it.”
