They leave, and Blade says nothing and carries on eating, and I wonder if he has, well, been with any of those women. I really don’t want to know. I must accept he’s been with a lot of them because, quite frankly, who wouldn’t?
We finish up and I must admit the food is good and, on our way out, I wave to Lou who blows me a kiss. I try not to look at the various men scattered around the room. A few of them call out to Blade and say hi to me, but we don’t approach them.
To be honest, I’m happy about that because this place is fraying my nerves, and I hope one day, it becomes normal to me. If I had my wish, I would never leave because for the first time in what seems like forever, I feel at peace with myself and happy with exactly where I am.
* * *
Blade givesme the guided tour, and I marvel at the sheer size of this place. The gym, the various beauty rooms, and there’s even a games room where a few of the guys are shooting pool. Blade whisks me through the rooms before anyone can stop us, and I’m grateful for that. It’s a little taster of what’s in store, and I suppose tonight will be an interesting one because I’m guessing we will be heading to the infamous Reaper bar.
As we walk back toward the accommodation blocks, I blink twice when I notice a familiar face heading our way.
“Drake. Mr. Bellingham!”
I call out and he smiles as he approaches.
Drake Bellingham went undercover as the history teacher at Rockwell, and we worked together to bring down Angela and Jenna Sloane. He caught feelings for Imogen, Flash’s daughter, and I wonder how it worked out for them.
“Hey, Delilah, I heard you were back.”
He smiles at Blade. “Good to see you, bro.”
Blade merely nods, which doesn’t appear to concern Drake at all. I guess they’re used to his incommunicative ways.
“You’re looking a lot better than the last time I saw you.”
“Thank God.” I shiver. “I never want to see that place again.”
“You and me both.”
He shakes his head. “Imogen’s been asking to catch up with you. She’s in town now with Cassie, but they’re dying to catch up and check you’re okay.”
“I would really love that.”
He turns to Blade. “We should arrange it. The girls are banned from the bar, so perhaps you could bring Delilah to Imogen’s at, say, seven?”
Blade nods. “No problem.”
Drake grins. “I’ll tell them. I’m glad you’re here, Delilah, and if you need anything, come and find me, or any of the girls. We all want you to be okay.”
He heads off down the path toward the building we vacated, and Blade grunts. “Are you okay with that?”
“Sure. I’d love to see them again.”
He checks the time. “You have one hour. How about I show you my room, so you know where to come if you need to?”
“I’d like that.”
I’m suddenly a little shy because it’s one thing being with Blade out here in the open. At the cabin that was also out in the open to a degree, but when the door closes to his room, I wonder if things will change.
* * *
The Reaper’sblock is similar to the whores and as we make our way inside, we head up a huge staircase where it branches off at either side. The stairs go up another level, but we stay on the first floor and approach one of the rooms on the right.
Blade’s name is on the door, and I notice the one next to him is Razor. That figures, I suppose.
We don’t see anyone, which I’m grateful for because I don’t want to be seen going into Blade’s room, no matter how innocent it is.
As we head inside, I do a double take because this isn’t a room, it’s a small condo. It has a couch set before a giant television screen, a kitchen unit with a counter separating itfrom the main room, and a door to the side that I’m guessing must be his bedroom.
