“I swear on my life.”
Six hours later, and after a battery of blood tests have been done, Delphi is finally released. Instead of going home, though, she hits the button in the elevator for the maternity floor.
“Delphi, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Probably not, but I’m doing it anyway. He took so much from me, Kruger. I won’t let him take this too.”
I slide my hand into hers and sigh. “Okay, chestnut. Whatever you need.”
When the elevator opens on the correct floor, we head to the nurses’ station to find out where Legs is, when I hear my name called.
“Kruger, over here.”
I turn and see Crane sitting in one of the waiting room chairs, the rest of the visitors giving him a wide berth.
“Hey, any news?”
“Not yet. First babies take a while, though. You might have come too soon.” His gaze drifts down to Delphi’s arm, where he sees the hospital bracelet around her wrist. “Delphi?”
“I need to use the restroom. Kruger can fill you in. I…I’ll be right back.”
“Del—”
“I promise I’m okay, Kruger. I just can’t go through it again. I won’t be long, so don’t drag it out, okay?”
She’s gone before I can stop her. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about her having another seizure, but wrapping her in cotton wool is a sure-fire way to lose her.
“What the fuck is going on, Kruger? I know Blade, and the way he was acting was fucked. Tell me he didn’t hurt her.”
“No, not like that.” I sigh, taking a seat. “Sit down. Trust me, you’re going to need it.” I tell him everything he missed, including what happened since we got here.
“That poor fucking woman. It would be so easy to lay the blame at Blade’s feet and say we didn’t know. But we knew what he was suggesting wasn’t Delphi’s style. If we’d really thought about it, we’d have known he wasn’t acting right himself. But we were all too wrapped up in what was happening.”
“Why is everyone so set on blaming themselves? Why can’t we just blame the assholes who did this to us?” We both jolt at the sound of Delphi’s voice.
Before I can say anything, Crane jumps up and gently pulls her in for a hug. She looks so surprised for a second, she doesn’t know what to do with her hands. Eventually, she wraps them around his waist and hugs him back.
He pulls back and looks down at her. “I’m blaming them. I’m blaming them all, trust me. And later, you better be sure I’m going to piss all over them.”
I snort, knowing he’s being serious. He knows exactly where the bodies are buried because he helped bury them.
“But we all let you down, Delphi. Nothing you can say will change that. We can’t go back, but I can guarantee moving forward that each man will lie on broken glass so that you don’t cut your feet. We can be dumb motherfuckers, but we learn our lessons.”
She reaches up and kisses him on the cheek. “I missed you, Crane.”
He swallows, and I can see the man getting choked up. “And me you, sweet girl.”
I grin, not sure that was English, though I got the gist. But sweet girl? Even Delphi laughs at that.
“Not sure I’m all that sweet anymore.”
“Bullshit. By rights, you should have doused us all in gasoline and thrown a match at us. But here you are, standing with the man who was always meant to be yours, forgiving an old man who fucked up and knows it, all while waiting on news about a mother and baby you helped save. Damn fucking right you’re sweet.”
She chuckles, and the sound loosens some of the tightness in my chest. It’s not gone, and this might be the calm before the storm because I’m not sure she’s processing shit the way she should be. But then how are you supposed to process this? Is there a handbook to guide you through something like this? Oris it just one more thing that men ignore, and women endure in silence as a lesson learned?
As if she knows what I’m thinking, she looks my way. Before she can say anything, Midas comes running into the waiting room.
“He’s here.”
