Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
DELPHI
After taking me to the diner for club sandwiches and shakes, the guys talked me into coming back to the clubhouse. I wasn’t sure how, but they were pretty persuasive. Since Kruger was going to be there, I figured, why not?
I fought back my nerves. I’d already done the hard part the first time I’d come here. Still, the butterfly feeling was in full effect, though Circus made a valiant effort to distract me by filling me in on his latest conquest.
When I hear a whistle, I look over and see Kruger.
I relax, that is, until my eyes fall on Blade, and everything from that night comes rushing back.
I feel myself sway, the milkshake in my hand slipping from my fingers.
My vision blurs, as my ears start buzzing, and a weird tingle spreads over my body.
I try to speak, but nothing comes out. I feel the muscles in my arms twitch before it’s lights out.
When I open my eyes, all I can see is white for a minute.
I start to panic, thinking I’ve gone blind.
But then Kruger’s worried face comes into view, and I realize I’m lying on the ground with my head in his lap.
I can hear noise all around me. I can’t distinguish between the sounds, so I focus on Kruger, knowing he’ll keep me safe.
“You’re okay, chestnut. I’ve got you.”
I feel calmer than I have any right to feel, waking up on the ground and having no idea how I got here. I’m sure if Kruger wasn’t here, I’d be filled with blind panic. As all my systems come back online, all I feel is a little wooziness and a lot of embarrassment.
“I had another one, huh?” I croak out.
He smooths the hair from my face. “Yeah, you did, but you’re okay. Capone caught you before you hit the deck.”
“I really hoped it was all a mistake. That the seizure was just a fluke. But I guess not.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s not something we didn’t know. I guess I wasn’t quite as accepting of the whole thing as I thought.”
“You process shit faster than anyone I know. You’ve been dealing with it. This is just a reminder to be careful.”
“I guess we figured out another one of my triggers.”
“Yeah. Fear.”
“I was going to say stress, but yeah, maybe you’re right. I wasn’t expecting to see him there, looking at me like he hates me.”
“I didn’t know you were coming, or I’d have given you a heads up. Though I had no fucking clue he’d act like that. Asshole.”
“He’s been out of the loop, dealing with Sunshine and Conan,” Havoc says, dropping into a squat next to me. “How you feeling, Delphi?”
“Like a freakshow.”
He winks at me. “You fit right in then. We’re all a little freaky here.”
I chuckle, groaning when my head throbs. “Please tell me you have some painkillers. I left mine at home.”
“I’ll find you some.” He gives my leg a squeeze before he leaves.
“Want me to help you sit up?” Kruger asks.
“Yeah.”
He eases me into a sitting position, which has me groaning when a wave of vertigo hits me.
“Easy, baby.”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”
“From what I’ve seen with my sister, it’s normal,” a new voice says. I look up and see a vaguely familiar man, though I don’t think I’ve ever met him. Maybe he was at karaoke night.
“Your sister has epilepsy?”
“No, but the type of cancer she has triggers seizures. I imagine they’re similar.”
“I’m sorry about your sister,” I tell him, pressing my fingers to my forehead to help relieve the pressure.
“Does someone want to tell what the fuck is going on?”
I flinch at the sound of Blade’s voice, and frown when I hear the sound of a baby crying.
“I swear to god, Blade, if you don’t get your shit together, you can sleep at the clubhouse,” a gorgeous blonde says.
She takes the baby from his arms and lays the little girl over her shoulder.
She indicates to the man behind her, who is holding a baby of his own, to follow. “Let’s get the kids out of the way.”
He doesn’t answer. He throws a look my way, which I can’t decipher.
The woman walks over to me with the kid, who is making a mewing noise, her little hand fisted in her mouth.
“I’m real sorry about all this. I hope to meet you again when the testosterone isn’t flying.”
“Um…okay.”
“That’s Sunshine, Blade’s old lady,” Kruger murmurs to me softly.
I gulp, surprised she doesn’t hate me on the principle that her old man does.
“She’s also the old lady to Inigo here, plus Conan—whom you haven’t met yet—and King.”
“King? As in the ex-president of Kings of Carnage?”
Sunshine nods. “That’s the one.”
“I met him once. He was a dick.” I cover my mouth with my hand, but she just laughs.
“He can be. Try living with three others just like him.”
“No, thank you. I choose sanity.”
“I like you. We’re going to be best friends, I can tell.”
“Hey, you can’t have her. I licked her so she’s mine.” I hear Legs whine from somewhere, making me grin.
“Sharing is caring, Legs.” Sunshine gets to her feet when the baby starts fussing and leaves without a backward glance at Blade, who I’m actively avoiding looking at.
Havoc walks back and hands me a glass of water before placing two pills in the palm of my hand. I look up at him, unsure. It’s not smart to take pills when I have no clue what they are, but something tells me to trust him. I pop them in my mouth and swallow them down with the water.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. You ready to get up off the floor?”
I nod and feel my eyelid twitch at the bolt of pain that hits me.
“Here, let me help.” Circus is on the opposite side of me, giving me a wink. “I knew I could make you swoon.”
I can’t help it. I laugh even though it hurts my head and probably makes me look a little insane, given the current situation.
With Kruger, Havoc, and Circus’s help, I find myself upright, albeit unsteady. Kruger keeps hold of me as everyone else lets go. He leads me over to the sofa, where Probe is stopping Legs from getting up.
“See, I told you she was fine. She’d have woken up and felt like shit seeing you kneeling on the floor in your condition.”
“I’m pregnant, not dying, Probe.”
“He’s right. I’m okay, no point in us both being sprawled out on the floor. God knows what’s on it.”
We look at each other and grimace at the thought as Kruger eases me down beside her the second Probe stands up and moves out of the way. I rest my head on her shoulder, feeling exhausted.
A scraping chair pulls my attention and I look to my left. Blade has pulled up a chair in front of us, his arms folded, his glare on me. I cringe away, unable to deal with his bullshit right now.
Kruger, being Kruger, misses nothing. He whirls and stalks over to Blade. “You are not my president anymore, which means I’ll feel zero remorse for knocking you out.”
“Ah, I see how it is. Didn’t take her long to get her claws in you, Kruger.”
Kruger pulls back and punches him, making me gasp in shock. “I fucking warned you,” he roars as Circus and Capone hold him back.
Havoc storms over with Mac and Toot, of all people, beside him. “What the fuck is your problem, Blade?” Havoc snaps, before looking at Kruger. “Get your shit together, Kruger. Your woman needs you at her back, not in a pissing match with Blade.”
Kruger shakes the guys off and ignores everyone, getting down on his knees in front of me, his large hands sliding up my thighs. “Let’s get you home, okay? You don’t need to deal with this bullshit.”
“That’s rich. What the hell is wrong with you all? Did you forget what she did? Because I sure as fuck didn’t,” Blade snaps.
Havoc loses his patience, and I’m reminded that’s not necessarily a good thing. He got his name because when he erupts, havoc and disorder tend to follow.
“You have not been here. You have no clue what the fuck has been going down while you’ve been gone because you’ve had enough on your plate.
Well, I can see that was a mistake. That woman you’re shouting at—the one who just had a seizure because of the stress brought on by seeing you—saved Midas, Legs, and their unborn baby.
She potentially saved a lot of lives. The club owes her a debt. ”
“She’s Snake’s wife.”
“She’s mine,” Kruger snaps.
I clear my throat. “I’m not Snake. I didn’t try to kill you. I didn’t try to take your club or hurt anyone, so why do you hate me so much?”
The club goes quiet as I wait for him to answer, but he keeps his mouth shut.
“You gave an order, made me persona non grata, and threatened the people who might have helped me with repercussions if they did. And after what you ordered them to do to my home, I can’t blame them for not intervening.”
“What’s she talking about?” Havoc questions. When Blade doesn’t answer, he looks at G, who sighs.
“Those of us who were there when she turned up that night were ordered to steer clear. If we helped, we’d lose our patch.
I put it down to the near-death experience and shrugged it off.
But I won’t lie, I didn’t think much about it after that.
We had too much going on trying to weed out any other traitors. ”
Havoc runs his fingers through his hair, cursing. “So the whole club, not just the officers?”
Circus nods. “The rest of the brothers followed by example.”
Havoc looks around the room before bellowing. “Everyone out except brothers.”
I groan and try to get up, but Havoc huffs. “And sisters. You and Legs can stay. I think you want these answers as much as I do.”
“Maybe, but I’m feeling a little out of it. If I can’t remember all of this later, someone will need to fill me in.”
“Maybe this should wait,” Kruger states, looking worried.
“Blade will just head off again, then this conversation will have to wait when it’s already been a long time coming.”
Blade gets to his feet, but G is there pushing him back in his seat. “Sit down, Blade. Let’s get this settled once and for all.”
“No, you don’t have any idea what you’ve done,” he snaps, his eyes looking wild as he focuses on Kruger. His hands grip his hair, and I’ll admit, his reaction is freaking me out more than anything else.