Her eyes flash with fire. “Scared? You think I’m scared? I’m so far beyond scared, it’s a joke. I’m terrified. I’m barely surviving this life as it is. And now you and your mc want to pull me back in when you have no idea how hard it was for me to claw my way out?”
“So tell me.”
She looks distressed and moves to pull away, but I hold her in place.
“Don’t do this, Kruger. Trust me when I say you don’t want to go there right now.”
“If not now, when? How long will it take until you crack yourself open and allow others in?”
She huffs out a laugh, but it’s laced with malice. “I let you in before. I let you all in, and you tore my insides to shreds when you threw me away. Why the fuck would I put myself through that again?”
I reach up to grab her flailing arm and grasp her wrist, my thumb grazing over the scars there. She tries to pull away, but I won’t let her.
“Baby.”
She knows I’m aware of the scars. I think a part of her has left her cuffs off, pushing me to ask, but it would only unravel her faster.
“I’m not your baby. I’m not your anything, just some woman you used to know.”
“You’re so much fucking more than that, and you know it. Tell me about these scars.”
“No.”
“You—”
“I said no,” she screams at me, making me freeze. “You don’t get those. They’re mine. You think you can thrust yourself back into my life again, and I’ll be a good little bitch and just roll over so you can rub my belly? Fuck you, Kruger, and fuck that damn club of yours.”
She struggles in earnest then, trying to hit me, and screaming. She gets a few good shots in with her cast before I pin her down using my whole-body weight to hold her in place. Eventually, her yells give way to tears and full-body sobs. God, she cries so much. It’s a wonder she doesn’t drown us both.
“It’s okay, Delphi. I’ve got you. I swear to god I’ll never let you down again.”
She hiccups but doesn’t speak, as her hands wrap around my forearms and hold me close.
“I know you don’t believe me, but you will. One day you’ll get it.”
“Get what?” she croaks out, surprising me. Up until that point, I wasn’t sure she could hear me.
“That I don’t want just a moment with you, I want forever.”
She drifts off to sleep, tears still dripping down her face onto the bed. The mask of pain is still firmly in place, making me want to roar at the whole damn world.
When I know she’s out cold, I gently pull away from her. I tug the blanket up to cover her before gripping the end of the bed, my head bowed as I sort through shit. I feel like the deeper I dig, the further away she falls. At this point, I’m holding onto her with my bare fingertips. One wrong move, and she’ll slip right through my hands.
I tug on my jeans and socks before slipping on my boots and lacing them up. I throw on the T-shirt packed for me, rolling my eyes when I realize what it says. “You should see the other guy.” Hilarious. Someone’s idea of a joke because this ain’t my T-shirt. With a shake of my head, I grab the key card and shove it in my back pocket before sliding my cut on.
Something settles in me when it’s on. I feel like half a man without it, and it guts me that the same cut that centers me is a constant reminder to Delphi of all she lost.
I head out to the corridor and call the only person I know might be able to offer me some insight. I wait as the phone rings, wondering if they’re going to pick up at all before they answer.
“Hey, Kruger. Is everything okay?”
“Legs? I need your help.”
It’s been years since I smoked, but the urge to spark one up hits me hard as I wait in the hallway for Midas and Legs to appear.
I turn when I hear the ding of the elevator. Midas steps out first, his eyes scanning the space to make sure it’s safe before he guides Legs out. He’s been extra protective since the attack, and I can’t say I blame him. Luckily, Legs doesn’t seem to mind. Despite everything that happened, I’m glad they finally opened their eyes to what was right in front of them.
When she spots me, her eyes light up. She walks over to me as fast as she can with her heavily pregnant belly. “Hey, Kruger.” She wraps her arms around me from the side and gives me a hug. I pat her on the back, earning a glare from Midas.
