Chapter 9 #2
It’s all I can think as Maddox steps away from Micah, who sags against the wall with a petulant frown.
Meanwhile Peter turns back to me and says, “I was hoping we could talk.”
There are too many things happening at once, but my brain is screaming to defuse the situation and get the fuck out.
“There’s nothing to say.” I smile stiffly but when I see Maddox studying us from the corner of my eye, I acquiesce and wave toward his car.
Peter turns away with the expectation that I follow as Maddox’s shadow looms over my shoulder, and he says, “What else don’t I know about you, princess?”
The other man looks at me with eyes so pale and cold that I suck in a breath before they both cross the street.
Shit. That was close. Now what? I’m not ashamed of my stepdad and the fact that he’s a cop, or at least I wasn’t before.
“Delaney, what’s going on?” Peter says when he looks back and I’m still frozen on the sidewalk. “Do you know those guys?”
I glance sideways, hiding behind my hair and suppress a shudder when I find Maddox looking back.
I have to get Peter out of here before Maddox does something stupid, like push for no good reason.
I’m pretty sure that has disaster written all over it.
“No, Peter,” I say, turning away from Maddox on the off chance that he can read lips. “What are you doing here?”
Peter touches my arm, but I shy away, and he drops his hand with a sigh. “We’re worried about you. When are you coming home?”
“I’m not…I can’t talk about this right now.” I look awkwardly at Micah, who’s dropped back into the seat, staring at the wall.
Peter frowns following my gaze. He opens his mouth, closes it, and raises a questioning brow just as an alert comes through from the dispatcher.
My limbs tingle with relief at that because the longer we stand here, the more likely a confrontation.
Finally, Peter backs up a step and holds out his hands, palms up, saying, “Fine. Promise you’ll call your mom?”
“Yes, okay. Fine,” I say.
Just go the fuck away. Please.
“You have the number?”
“Yeah, um, yes,” I mumble, and he cocks his head.
“Okay, we love you, you know,” he says softly, and tears prick my eyes.
“I know.”
Once he’s finally in his cruiser, I exhale slowly, staring after him, as he pulls away.
My relief turns to irritation though when Micah says, “Delaney?”
How could I forget that my douche ex-boyfriend was sitting behind me the entire time I faced off against a suspicious biker and a cop. This after he almost caused a damn riot.
“Micah,” I groan. “It’s over. Done.”
With a grimace, he pushes from the table and reaches for me.
When I back away, he raises his hands and glances around warily before saying, “You don’t mean that.”
“Yeah, I do.” How many times do I have to say it? Why won’t he listen?
“Are you with that freak?” Micah barks and I rub my brow.
Except my hands and face are still sticky and with a grimace, I hold them out to him, and hiss, “No Micah. I’m not. What I am is covered in cold ass fucking chocolate.”
His lips curl back in a sneer, and he waves his finger in my face. “Fine. Fuck you. I don’t need you. Shit. You never even let me fuck you.”
“And I never will,” I mumble as he slams his way into his car and backs out with a screech of tires.
In the aftermath, I’m alone and chuckling, I spread my arms wide and turn in a circle.
What the fuck just happened?
Jittery from the whole encounter, I step inside the ice cream parlor and head toward the back.
Once in the bathroom, I wash my hands and face before staring at my reflection.
I feel nothing but relief now that it’s done with Micah but what the hell am I supposed to do about Maddox?
I’m grateful that he stepped in when Micah was acting like an ass, but would he have taken it too far?
Who was the man who stared at me with those dark forbidding eyes?
Maddox
“What the fuck is wrong with you, bro?” Jersey barks as we step inside the garage.
“Nothing,” I snap, watching through the window while Delaney speaks to the pig.
We’re not friendly with cops and they sure as fuck aren’t friendly with us.
How does Delaney know this one? He knew her by fucking name.
I should have minded my own business but when I found my delectable little cheerleader being assaulted by that asshat, I lost my mind.
Shit. I don’t even know what happened. One minute, I was minding my own damn business and the next, I looked up to find that little prick tossing something at her.
I don’t remember crossing the street.
Frankly, I saw black. Not red or any other fucking color. I wasn’t even processing what I was doing when I dropped the wrench to the ground, jumped over the bike and grabbed that fucker up to shove him against the wall.
With the bone deep rage flying through my system, I might have killed the little weasel if Jersey hadn’t called me off…over a drink in her face.
Fuck. Echoing Jersey’s words, I wonder…what the fuck is wrong with me?
Whatever, I should be focusing on the fact that Delaney knew that cop.
We can’t afford to have the pigs all up in our business. We’re lucky they haven’t come sniffing around again after Margie but it’s only a matter of time.
Of course it won’t be with concern for our lost woman. They’ll be trying to find ways to pin it on our asses.
Not only that but I barely know the girl and the sting of betrayal burns my chest.
Who is she really and is she hanging out with Draven because of that cop?
Fucking pigs.
Jersey eyes me strangely and with a last glance at Delaney, waving her hands at the little asshole who assaulted her, I move away from the blinds.
My fingers itch to go back over there and finish the lesson but I ease when the fucker storms to his vehicle and drives away.
When Delaney turns in a circle before bowing her head, my skin prickles and I avert my gaze, stepping toward the shelves in the corner.
Instead of seeing the supplies stacked in neat rows thanks to Jersey’s OCD tendencies, Delaney’s wide panicked eyes pass over my vision.
I can’t pinpoint the expression on her face when the pig pulled up but something about that look presses at my chest now.
She’s not my problem but I still have to fight the urge to go back and make sure she’s okay.
However, that fucking pig and the way he looked at me, assuming I was the one in the wrong and not that little pencil dick fuck, keeps me rooted to the spot.
Delaney doesn’t belong in my world and I sure as shit don’t belong in hers.
“C’mon, we got church in thirty,” Jersey says, and I set aside my rage, following him out back to our bikes.
From the corner of the building, I see Delaney standing on the sidewalk and shake my head.
Leave it alone. Just leave it the fuck alone.
“Hey!” Jersey says and when I meet his gaze, his mouth quirks.
“Maybe I should call you Mad Dog from now on.”