Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Midas
The first appointment was the hardest. I sat frozen in place, unable to say anything at all. And when we left, I felt like a fucking asshole, like I let her down all over again.
But then, the next day, she took me with her to the hospital for her antenatal appointment. I got to see her baby—our baby—on the screen for the first time, and fell in love for the second time in my life. I couldn’t stop touching her belly after that, much to her amusement.
After that, things didn’t seem quite so bleak.
And that’s why, now—on our fourth appointment—I open my mouth and let it all pour out of me.
I squeeze Legs’s hand as she sobs beside me and I cry along with her.
Surprisingly, I don’t feel ashamed for it.
It feels cathartic, as if it’s been boiling over for years and now I’ve given it an outlet.
“You’ve made excellent progress, Midas,” Beverly, my therapist, says, handing the box of tissues to Legs.
“I feel…not better…that’s not the right word. Lighter, maybe?”
“That’s a good way to describe it. Too often, victims carry the weight of shame when it isn’t theirs to carry.”
I know. I mean, I get it, but it’s never that easy. I look over at Legs as she dries her eyes before leaning over and kissing me.
“I’m proud of you. I know this was hard, but you did it anyway. You slayed some demons today, baby.”
I grin, tugging her closer for a kiss. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Okay, well, I want you both to take it easy over the next day or so. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, therapy can be exhausting. Be kind to yourself so you don’t back slide. Hazel, I’ll see you next week.” She smiles at Legs, who nods.
Legs opted to come to her sessions alone and fill me in on parts of it afterward.
I can’t be mad about it because her argument was valid.
If I had to sit and listen to what happened to her, I’d lose my mind and destroy the place.
I can’t control that reaction any more than I can control the weather.
The last thing I want is for her session to become about me.
So I wait outside with tissues and hugs and get comfort food from the drive-thru on the way home.
“There’s something I need to do later. I’m going to take you to the clubhouse so you can spend some time with the girls. Don’t eat anything you don’t make yourself.”
“I know. I won’t, I promise.”
I know I’m paranoid, but I’m not risking them. Tina is slowly recovering, but we’re still no closer to figuring out who’s behind the attacks.
I walk her in and leave her showing off pictures of the baby as I head back to the truck. Kruger follows me out and slips off his cut before hopping into the driver’s seat.
“I need to do this alone.”
“Tough.”
“Dammit, Kruger.”
He leans back and ignores me, so I curse and pull out. “You know where she is?”
“She’s staying at one of the cottages on her father’s property a couple of hours away.”
“Alright, point me in the right direction. And when we get there, stay in the truck. I don’t want this getting any more fucked than it already is.”
He grinds his jaw but says nothing, only speaking to give directions.
When we arrive, I park on the road and sneak onto the property.
I look around for cameras but don’t find any.
I keep going, marveling at the shit security this place has.
Mind you, this isn’t a compound. It’s a home, and not everyone has to worry about the shit we do.
I find the cottage Kruger is talking about and knock, stepping back so she can see me clearly.
I’m taking a risk doing this because she could just as easily call the police on me.
The door cracks open, revealing a tired-looking Del. She’s still bruised in places, the horrible yellowing color they turn right before they fade. It’s been over a month now, it shows just how bad that beating was.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I have something for you.”
“I don’t want anything from you.” She’s about to slam the door, but I shove my foot in it. She scrambles back, fear in her eyes.
I hold my hands up, showing her that I mean no harm to her. “I’m not here to hurt you, Delphi. I know you’ve got no reason to believe me, but it’s true. I came to apologize and to make amends.”
She opens her mouth before snapping it shut again.
I reach into my cut and pull out two envelopes.
I hold out the first one for her. She looks at me as if I’ve dipped it in acid, but eventually she takes it.
I stay clear as she opens it and pulls out two of the photos of the baby. Her hand covers her mouth as she gasps.
“Legs said you’re number one auntie, so we thought you should know first that we’re having a girl.” I swallow and grin. “I’m having a daughter.” I still can’t get my head around it. I’m half terrified, half elated.
I hold out the second envelope. “This is from me, not Legs. I did you dirty. This is what I owe you. Part of it anyway.”
She tears her eyes away from the photos and takes the envelope. She looks at me with tears in her eyes before coughing to clear her throat. She reaches inside and pulls out the papers with a frown, scanning over them before his gaze snaps to mine.
“You’re giving me Au?”
“It’s owed to you, Delphi. I might not have burned your business down, but it’s possible someone followed me there and did.
I know it’s not enough, but it’s a start.
We live above the shop right now, but the apartment is included.
I’m moving Legs into our new place this week, so any time after that its yours free and clear. ”
She looks dumbfounded. Her mouth opens and closes in shock.
“You already have a diner in Raven’s Nest.”
“So open something else. A bakery, or a coffee shop, whatever you want. You could also sell it, add it to whatever you get back on the insurance from the other place, and buy somewhere bigger. This way, you have options.”
“Does Hazel—I mean Legs—know about this?”
“No, but it’s the right thing to do. I’m keeping the shop open until the end of next week. If you want more time to figure shit out, I can extend that for another couple of weeks until you’re ready. You just gotta let me know.”
“Why are you doing this? I get you think you owe it to me for what happened to my diner, but throw that away, and you still hate me. You all do. I cannot see Blade being okay with any of this.”
“Blade’s not the president anymore. Havoc is, and he doesn’t have the same prejudice the rest of us do.
Havoc was pissed at me and Kruger, but not you.
We don’t go after people without proof. But we had one club girl run off the road and another in hospital with organ failure after being poisoned, and all I could think about was it being Legs. I freaked out, and I was wrong.”
She glances around as if looking for a camera. “I don’t know what to think here, Midas.…thank you for this, but it doesn’t really change anything.”
“I know. For what it’s worth, though, Delphi, I’m sorry.”
I turn to leave, pausing on the step. “She loves you. Thinks of you as a sister and aunt to the baby. Please don’t be one more thing I ruin for her.”
I walk away, knowing she needs time and space. There is no quick fix for any of this, and as Legs said, she might just as likely leave us all in her dust and disappear.
I open the truck door and climb in.
“How was she?”
“Tired. Sad, nervous. Nothing like the Delphi I remember.”
He runs his hand through his hair as I pull away from the curb and head back.
“How did we get everything so wrong, Midas?”
“I don’t know. A lot was going on, and we dropped the ball. I don’t think any of us would have even noticed all these years later if Legs hadn’t said something.”
“She won’t talk to me at all.”
“You were her friend, closer to her than most, and turning your back on her hurt more than the rest. It’s going to take time, Kruger.”
He grunts but doesn’t say anything else.
“Wanna come help me build furniture?”
He looks over at me and nods. “She still doesn’t know?”
“What? That I bought us a house, and I’m moving us in? No. But we need more space with the baby coming, and that street can get noisy at night with the bar on the corner. I don’t think she’ll mind.”
“She seems happier and more settled. I know she misses Delphi, but there’s a closeness between you two that was missing before.”
“I know. I feel it, too. It’s more than I could have hoped for. That makes me sound like an idiot, I know.”
“No, I get it,” he replies before he turns away. I flip on the radio and give him space with his thoughts until we pull up. We grab our cuts from the back seat and slip them on before heading inside.
He whistles as he takes in the place. “Nice. I think she’ll love it here.”
“I fucking hope so, man. I can’t lose her. Not now.”
He slaps me on the back before walking into the large kitchen. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. You just have to love her every day. You’re not going to lose her.”
I follow after him as he keeps walking.
“What do you need help with?”
“The nursery. Everything else is good to go.”
“Alright, man, let’s do this.”
By the time we’re done and get back to the clubhouse, Legs is curled up on the sofa, dozing off on Crane’s shoulder. Amity is sitting on the other side of her, playing cards with Nevaeh, Havoc, G, and Toot. From the looks of it, Nevaeh is losing dismally.
“I swear you guys are dirty cheats.”
“Yes, it couldn’t possibly be that you suck,” Amity teases her.
She looks up and spots me, her eyes softening when she takes me in. “You finished?”
I look to Legs to make sure she’s out and nod. “All done. Kruger helped me finish.”
“How exciting. She’s gonna love it.” She clasps her hands like she’s the one moving in, the goof.
“Alright, I’m going to get her home.”
“Cut came in this morning,” Havoc announces.
“Yeah?”
He nods as I move and scoop Legs up into my arms. She stirs before tucking her head under my chin.
“We’ll give it to her at the party on Saturday.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“She show you the photos?”
“Of course she did. You ready for a little girl?” G questions.
“More than ready.”
“I’m happy for you both. I’m glad you stepped up.”
I nod, relieved that the sperm donor didn’t. Yeah, the three of us would have made it work, but I’m a selfish bastard and would hate having to share them. “I’ll catch you guys later.”
I head for the door and almost bump into Kiki. “Hey Midas, I’ve got a bunch of things my grandfather left I thought I might bring by Au. I don’t really know what they’re worth and figured you would.”
“I can have a look. It will have to be in the next couple of days, though, because I’ve sold Au.”
She looks shocked. “But you live there.”
“Legs and I are moving into our new place this weekend, but keep it on the down low. It’s a surprise.” I wink, moving past her, nodding to Ambros when he gets the door for me.
Legs doesn’t wake up when I put her in the truck or when we make it home, only stirring when I undress her and put her to bed.
I climb in behind her and pull her close, breathing her in, hoping like fuck she says yes to everything.
I don’t just want to give her a new set of keys and my property patch. I want her to wear my ring too.