Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
KRUGER
The following days pass with a surprising ease.
Delphi hasn’t mentioned the letters, though I know she’s read them all at least once. She watches me with curiosity, which I’ll take over indifference any day of the week.
Delphi hasn’t had any more seizures, and slowly but surely, the headaches and migraines have been lessening. Healing is a slow process, but there is quiet strength and resilience in Delphi that I don’t usually see in others. The only thing getting to her now is boredom.
“Alright, I can’t do this anymore. I need to get out. I need fresh air. I need to do something before my brain rots and drips right out of my ear. Well, what’s left of it.” She flops down on the sofa dramatically, making me chuckle.
“Well, what do you want to do?”
“Anything.”
“I could do with stopping in at the office. Want to come see where I work?”
“Can we get ice cream on the way back?”
“Whatever you want.”
She fist pumps the air before holding her hand out to me. “Help me up.”
“Of course, milady,” I joke, keeping it light.
Truth be told, she does need the help. When she gets up too quickly, especially from lying down to standing, it leaves her feeling lightheaded and unsteady on her feet.
It’s one more thing she’s taking in stride, but I find myself watching her more and more, waiting for the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
I help her to her feet and hold her steady until she nods that she’s good to go. I give her a wink before taking advantage of her happiness and planting a quick kiss on her lips. I pull back before I lose control, and walk up to the bedroom to grab her shoes.
“Sneaky fucker,” she calls out before mumbling, “tenacious too.”
I grin, grab what she needs before jogging back down to the sitting room. She pulls her hair back into a ponytail, covering up the bald spot where she had to have part of her hair shaved for surgery.
“Sneakers or sandals?”
“Are we taking the bike?” she asks hesitantly. If I had to guess, it’s because the only bike she’s been on the back of was Snake’s.
“As much as I’d love to, I’m not sure that’s a good idea just yet until we figure out what might trigger you. Having a seizure on the back of a bike is the absolute worst thing that can happen.”
“Truck it is,” she hurries to say.
“I don’t want you to live your life in fear, Delphi. This isn’t that. I just want us to be as prepared as possible. I will take you out on my bike. You can bet your cute fucking ass on that.”
“I’m good with that,” she answers with a small smile.
I lean over her, feeling my cock thicken when her breath hitches. “Friends tell each other shit, right?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Because I’m dying to tell you just how much I want to bend you over my bike and fuck the shit out of you.”
Her mouth drops open, and her cheeks flush, but more from excitement than anything else. I lift my hands and trail my fingers across her collarbone, stopping at the button of her Henley.
“I won’t, because we’re just friends.” I wink at her before pointing at both pairs of shoes on the sofa. “Sneakers or sandals?”
“Sandals,” she whispers somewhat drunkenly.
I grab them, get to my knees in front of her, and lift her leg so her foot is sitting on my thigh.
She’s wearing a pair of denim shorts with the purple Henley.
Not the kind of cut-off ones we see a lot of around the clubhouse, but fancy ones that hit mid-thigh and look almost like a skirt.
They’re a deep indigo blue and make her ass look amazing, though her ass would look amazing in a trash bag, I’m sure.
I lift her foot and slide it into the sandal, then fasten the strap around her ankle and repeat the process with the other foot. I look up at her when I’m done and find her staring down at me with an intensity I’m not used to seeing from her.
“Why are you so good to me, Kruger?”
“Because you deserve it.”
She rests her casted arm on my shoulder while using the other to run her fingers through my hair. She’s due to get the cast off next week, and I can’t say I’ll be sad to see the back of it, either.
“If this is all a trick—” her voice drifts off as she shakes her head. She drops her hand and forces a smile to her face. “Come on then, you promised me ice cream.”
One step forward, two steps back. It’s a dance I’m intimately familiar with. But every day, I wake up and she’s right there beside me. I count it as a win.
I get to my feet, grab the keys for the truck, and spot Delphi’s new cell phone on the counter. “You want me to put this in my pocket, or do you want to take a bag?”
She waves me off. “You can take it. Nobody but Legs would call me anyway, and she’s still mad at me.”
“What’s she mad about this time?”
“She dreamed I stole the last chocolate chip cookie. It doesn’t matter that real-life me doesn’t even like chocolate chip cookies. She’s still mad.”
“I’m more upset that you don’t like chocolate chip cookies. It’s un-American is what it is. Next thing you know, you’ll be telling me you don’t like PB and J.”
She grimaces, making me pause.
“I’ve seen you eat PB and J before, I swear it.”
“No, you have. Just not since someone stuck their fingers in my head and poked around in my brain a bit.”
“Are you saying your tastes have changed?”
“A little, maybe? I’ve not tried many different foods since waking up.
It has not exactly been a priority. It was the other day that I started noticing the oddities.
Like how I hadn’t had cream cheese bagels since I woke up, but then the thought of them made me gag.
Same thought with the PB and J. And then later on, I had that craving for a BLT, remember? ”
“Yeah, with mustard.”
“With mustard,” she agrees. “Fun fact. I don’t like mustard. Never have, apparently, until now.”
“Wow, that’s…wow.”
“I know, right?” She blows a strand of hair off her face. She sighs. “Every time I think I have something figured out, something else comes along and throws me off-balance.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I have an idea, though. You said you wanted ice cream, right? Well, what better way to start figuring out what you like than to try a scoop of everything?” I waggle my brows at her playfully.
Her eyes light up with excitement. “I approve of this plan. We could call Legs and see if she wants to meet us there later. The ice cream might buy me some forgiveness for eating her cookie.”
I chuckle when she groans. “You just realized how dirty that sounded, huh?”
“Behave. Now, let’s go. Ice cream awaits.”
She stares up at the building as I buzz us in. “It looks so normal.”
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know, maybe security outside and a topless assistant waiting to serve you.”
I laugh. “It’s a security firm, not a strip club.”
“Oh, I’m always open to new ideas. This is why we need a suggestions box, dammit, Kruger. I’d happily take a topless assistant to boost morale,” says a voice from beside us.
“I’m sure it would boost something.” I laugh as I turn us to face him. “Delphi, meet Nathan. He’s my second in command, and honestly, he runs this place better than I ever could.”
“Impressive.” She holds her good hand out for him to shake. He gives her the once-over, but it’s not in a sleezy kind of way, so I’ll allow him to keep his teeth. For now.
“What can I say? I’m a man of many talents. And you must be the lovely Delphi. I’ve heard so much about you.” He kisses the back of her hand.
I decide that teeth are overrated. He can still do his job without them.
“I’m scared to ask.”
He winks at her as he releases her hand. I take the moment to wrap my arm around her shoulder and tug her to my side. She looks up at me and frowns.
“Not at all. Seems bossman here is quite smitten.”
I sigh. “Nathan.”
“Smitten?” Delphi chuckles.
“He’s got a thing about Bridgerton. Don’t ask.”
“Got it.”
“What are you doing all the way down here anyway? I thought you weren’t coming in until next week.”
I nod to Delphi. “Someone got bored.”
“Someone can still hear you.” She pokes me in the ribs, making me grin.
“How about you go do what you’ve got to do, and I’ll give Delphi here the grand tour?”
I open my mouth to tell him it’s not necessary when Delphi jumps in. “Sounds good. Kruger?”
I sigh. “Fine. I won’t be long. Here, take your phone. Text me if you need me.”
“Will do.”
She gets up on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek, making Nathan smirk. Oh, he’s going to drive me up the wall over this. I can see it now.
Nathan tugs her from my hold and offers her the crook of his arm.
I narrow my eyes at him, wondering if he could still do his job without his fingers, too.
I guess there’s only one way to find out.
Seeing me watching him, he drops his lazy grin and gives me a nod, letting me know she’s safe in his hands.
“Alright, have fun, kids.” I wave them off. It will be good for Delphi to talk to someone other than me for a little while. I don’t have to like it. I can’t stop her from living her life, and I can’t be with her every second of the day. But that doesn’t mean I can’t watch her.
The first thing I do when I arrive at my office is turn on my computer and pull up the building’s cameras so I can keep an eye on her. Am I being a creepy motherfucker? Probably. Do I care? Not one bit.
I try to focus on the shit that needs to be done, but my eyes drift back to the screen every five minutes.
I give up all pretense of working. Instead, I lean back in my chair, kick my feet up, and watch her face illuminate as she laughs at something Nathan says.
I know he won’t make a move on her. He’s a naturally friendly guy.
It’s weird that all our clients, both male and female, like him so much.
Hell, he’s even on good terms with all three of his ex-wives.
I still hate that she’s giving him laughs and smiles that should be mine.