Chapter 18
Delaney
After Joey’s newest insinuations, I left rather than go down a road that I’m afraid to reach the end of.
I can’t stay there but I don’t want to go home. Hell, I don’t even know if I have a home.
This all tumbles around my brain as I cut down a street and approach the park on the other side.
I’ve alienated most of my friends and fought with Draven to boot. If I contact Josh, I’m opening a door that I don’t want to walk through.
I could ask Micah to come and get me and pretend I’m not hurt by his careless gossip, or I can outreach Draven.
Although I’m annoyed by her bitchy behavior, she’s the only one who doesn’t expect me to be happy or anything else for that matter.
I can’t decide if it’s sad or just realistic that she doesn’t care but I am grateful when she agrees to pick me up.
She could have told me to fuck off. I probably would have if she outreached me.
Either way it doesn’t matter. I’ve bought myself a few more hours before I have to decide what to do.
Maybe I just need to grab my stash and get the fuck out. It’s not a lot but maybe I can find another job somewhere else.
I’m halfway down the rabbit hole of thoughts that I can’t escape when Draven pulls up.
With a tentative smile, I join her before she revs the engine and pulls away from the curb with a squeal of her tires.
Since I’m used to her need for solitude, at least in the car I turn toward the window only to pause when she turns down the music and mumbles, “I’m sorry.”
Wait! Is Draven apologizing? No fucking way.
Whipping around, I say, “What?”
Her brows furrow before she curls her lip and says, “You’re not…whatever and Maddox, well…”
“Yeah,” I whisper, before shaking my head.
It doesn’t really matter, does it?
It’s not like I’m planning to go steady with her brother and frankly, that should be the last thing on my mind.
“It’s…you know fine,” I say, and she nods before blasting the music again.
I don’t recognize the area, nor the warehouse she pulls up to but light shines through the windows, some of which are broken, and graffiti splatters the walls in loops and whorls, some quite impressive while others are merely offensive.
I ate that bitch, and she liked it.
Charming.
When Draven exits, I follow the loud thumping techno music from inside, pulsing in my ears.
As soon as we enter, strobe lights assault my vision and I avert my eyes, scanning the floor.
Against the wall rests a makeshift bar with two guys slinging drinks behind it.
Most of the floor is filled with writhing bodies, dancing to the harsh beats while the remainder stand against the walls in groups.
Draven leads the way to the other side, and I nod to a few students I recognize from school but never really spoke to.
When the crowd parts and I see Kidd, the Aces guy she introduced me to, I slow.
What the hell? Why would she bring me here?
“Stay here,” she says as we come to a stop, and I turn back to Kidd when she disappears before I can argue.
Kidd watches her go before crossing his arms and I admit, he’s built and handsome too with those devastating blue eyes but I’m not keen on the way he’s looking at me and I glance over the crowd.
Where the hell did Draven go?
“What are you chasing, girl?” he asks, and I swing around.
“I’m not chasing anything,” I say, and he raises a thick blond brow.
“No? You hangin’ with a Saints princess and you ain’t chasing something?”
I don’t particularly like the way he smirks, and I shake my head before saying, “What the hell does that mean?”
“I seen you around. Your family’s pigs. They don’t mix, girl.”
Although his blue eyes twinkle and he winks at me, I sense a darkness behind his words that sends a shiver up my spine.
Unfortunately, between caution and irritation, my anger wins, and I grit through my teeth, “You don’t know me.”
The problem is that I don’t know me either. I thought Joey was my dad and I sure as shit never knew about his affiliation with the Aces.
It turns out, I don’t know much.
Who the fuck am I? And why is everyone lying?
When Kidd’s lips curve into a smug smile, the pot boils over and I lash out at the last person I should be speaking to. “My dad was a fucking biker, dick. Shows what you know.”
It’s a lie, I guess, assuming Joey isn’t my damn dad, but I hate the panic swirling through my system and Kidd’s smug fucking face.
However, I’m still reeling over Joey’s cruel words, and I admit that right about now, I don’t know where I belong, and I guess his insinuations hit their mark.
Although when his smile doesn’t falter but his eyes ice over, I damn myself for spitting out secrets that even I don’t understand.
“A biker, huh?” he says. “Dray over there’s been holding out on me.”
Shit. Fuck. Damn.
Why did I open my big fat mouth?
I need to go, like now.
“The Smokin’ Aces ain’t like the Saints,” Kidd says, and I turn back to him.
“Oh?”
With a curl of his lip, he says, “Buncha pussies. We don’t got time for stupid shit. Ya know?”
I really don’t but I also don’t care. The longer I stand here alone with this guy, the more uneasy I am and shrugging, I muster a smile even as a trickle of unease rolls down my spine.
“You should be careful,” he says, and I eye the patch on his chest.
Is he threatening me?
“Why?”
Are they as dangerous as my brain is screaming or is this asshole all bark and no bite?
“Things are gonna get ugly soon,” he says. “If your dad is one of them, it ain’t gonna go well.”
Oh shit. Ugly how?
“What do you mean?” I blurt and he glances over my shoulder.
Following his gaze, I stare blindly as Draven approaches with a scowl only to freeze when Kidd says, “You’ll see, soon enough.”
“Fuckers don’t have vodka,” Draven barks.
Dumbfounded, I turn away when Draven steps into his arms and they proceed to make out. Meanwhile, I’m reeling.
What was that about? Do I want to know? Was that a warning?
Why is she making out with the enemy? Has she lost her damn mind?
When my neck tingles, I back away and find a place by the wall.
I don’t know what to do about the information Kidd just handed me. Joey already denied knowing anything about MCs. I could confront him again about the patch but to what end?
He’s lying for a reason.
Now what?
The only thing I do know is that I don’t want anything from Kidd and if I’m lucky, this was all just some weird joke or something.
While Draven locks lips with Kidd, I disappear into the crowd and end up by the dance floor.
To my right, I spy two kids exchanging something which I suspect are drugs and money. The guys behind the makeshift bar hand out drinks like they’re candy, and I know none of these people are twenty-one.
I’ve never been anywhere like this and it’s weird to be here where I know the shit going down is illegal.
Uncomfortable standing here alone, I move onto the dance floor and lose myself to the music.
Maybe I’m not the goody two shoes I thought myself to be though because with each minute that passes, I feel myself loosening up until it’s just me and the beat.
That is until someone brushes against my back, and I stiffen before turning, ready to tell them to back the fuck off.
To my surprise, I find Micah and his eyes widen as he shouts, “Hey Delaney.”
“What are you doing here?” we both say at the same time, and I crack a smile.
Micah grins and pulls me into the circle of his arms before grinding against me.
Laughing, I grab his shoulders and shake my hips. This is the Micah I used to have fun with and although his moods drive me fucking crazy, in a way, they’re simpler than the shit Maddox pulls with his hot and cold attitude.
Besides, everything is so out of control that Micah feels familiar and safe, which is why I don’t push him away.
We dance through three songs before he grabs my hand and says, “C’mon, let’s get a drink.”
I follow him through the crowd and pull away when we reach the makeshift bar.
After nodding at the bartender, he asks, “What do you want?”
“Shots.”
His brows rise before he grins and leans toward the dude standing beyond the counter.
I turn when a scuffle breaks out on the dance floor. Two dudes are going at it and I silently root for the one with purple hair and multiple face piercings while the other, dressed in a polo shirt and jeans takes another hit.
“Here.”
Micah presses a bottle of water to my face, and I guzzle down half the bottle before saying, “Thanks.”
Sweat clings to my nape and I fan my face before we each take two shots, and he waves for another.
After that, time passes in a blur of dancing and more shots before I glance around and frown because I don’t remember how I got to where I’m standing and unfortunately, Micah has his hand down my pants.
When his wet mouth trails along my neck, I shudder before stumbling back.
Shit. Did I black out?
“Babe,” he says but I wave my hand, staring at the two of him leaning against the wall.
Yeah, I definitely drank too much.
As soon as the thought enters my brain, dizziness assails me and I ask, “Where’s the bathroom?”
When he points toward the back of the building, I push through the masses, bouncing here and there as I attempt to walk a straight line before stopping at a door that I presume leads outside.
After turning in a circle, I don’t see anything that says restroom. I’m guessing that I have to pee out there. Great.
The crisp air feels good on my heated cheeks when I emerge from the building.
It takes me God knows how long to find a spot that can’t be seen by bystanders but is still close enough to the building to be safe.
Once I’m done, I pull up my pants but as soon as I stand, the world tips and I stagger a few steps before grabbing onto the machine before me.
I have no idea what it does but it’s tall enough to brace my weight and keep me from planting face first in the dirt.
All at once my stomach burns and I groan, pressing the heel of my hand against my chest.
Shit. I should’ve stopped drinking after the first round.
The cool air that felt good moments ago batters my skin while I retch up the alcohol I drank before falling to the ground, shivering uncontrollably.
My head spins and for a moment, I lose track of where I am until I hear through the ringing in my ears, “Babe? You, okay?”
Tilting my head, I wipe my eyes, but the man still wavers in my vision. When I can finally focus, I blink to find Micah kneeling before me.
“I want to go home,” I mumble. “I don't feel well.”
“No?” he says. “Want me to take you home?”
Nodding, I push to my knees and sway, although as I turn in a circle, my feet propel me toward the door.
“Uh uh,” Micah says, “the car is this way.”
“Where?” I slur.
“Close,” he says, wrapping his arm around my waist.
Unfortunately, I stagger, my limbs uncooperative and when I fall to my knees, Micah shrugs and says, “Maybe you should lie down?”
“M’kay,” I mumble.
The grass cools my heated cheeks, and I turn my head to feel the wind through the trees as Micah says, “Delaney?”
“Sick,” I groan when he hovers over me.
“You’ll be fine.”
I can’t focus beyond the halo of light over his head, but something niggles at the back of my brain, and I can’t quite reach it.
When he touches my hand, I shove it aside and roll over, retching once again.
“Sh. Just let it all out. You’ll be fine.”
“Unh…”
My stomach burns but I can’t stop convulsing and when Micah turns me over, I flinch away as he says, “You want me to take you home or not?”
“What the fuck are you doing?” The harsh rasp inspires me to open my eyes as the air whooshes around me and I blink and blink again, unsure if what I’m seeing is real.
Where did Micah go? Was that…
“Maddox. Sick. So sick,” I whisper, and his dark stare meets mine.
Closing my eyes, I fight back another bout of nausea as a scuffle breaks out and then something squeals.
“Mad-dox,” I say, after swallowing to drum up some spit.
“You’re okay, princess,” he says, and I nod.
I’m okay now, except…with a groan, I vomit again, sobs barking from my lips as I say, “Please. No more.”
“Fucking fucker,” Maddox growls before I hear another squeal and someone says, “I didn’t touch her.”
“Enough, Maddox.”
That’s the last thing I remember before everything goes dark.