Chapter 37 #2
When he shoves me back, I step away, running my hands through my hair but despair has me by the throat when I mutter, “Delaney.”
“Explain,” Wolf demands, and I do, although in my haste it’s a garbled mess as I move toward the door.
“We’re wasting time,” I growl, ignoring Pops when he appears from down the hall.
“Son,” he says as I step outside, the conversation with Delaney circling my brain on repeat.
Maybe you won’t hate me.
This can’t be happening. I can’t lose my sister and her at the same damn time or ever for that matter.
I will fucking find her and spank her damn ass for worrying me like this.
Resolved, I’m straddling my bike when Pops slaps my shoulder before saying, “We’ll go together.”
Nodding my thanks because I can’t speak through the lump in my throat, I realize as we pull onto the highway, and Pops heads the opposite direction, that I didn’t know where Delaney lived anyway.
While we speed through town, I pray that I heard her wrong. I’d rather her be out partying with some dick or hanging out with her pig stepdad than this.
And although I’m grateful for Pops’ presence, my heart is torn because Draven is still missing.
Hopefully, Romeo and Reaper who are headed to some of the last known hangouts for the Aces will find something. That or Journey and Duke, who went back to the warehouse to scope it out while the other brothers comb the town, hoping for some small clue.
Delaney lives in a two-story home in a nice neighborhood not far from her asshole ex.
The thought sours my tongue, but I ignore it as we roll up and cut our engines. The door swings open before we reach the porch and a woman with fiery red hair and wide blue eyes steps outside.
She pulls her sweater close and zeroes in on Pops to say, “Where’s my daughter?”
Any hope I fought for on the way here fizzles as Pops raises his hands and says, “That’s why we’re here.”
“She’s not with you?” she asks, glancing at me with a frown.
When Pops shakes his head, she covers her mouth, her thin fingers trembling and I bow my head.
This is so not good. Fuck me.
“Look,” I say, ignoring Pops’ sidelong stare. “We think she might have gone to Ice. You know where he is?”
“Ice?” she gasps, stumbling back.
When Pops rushes forward, grabbing her arm to steady her, she looks up at him with tears in her eyes and says, “Please. Not my daughter too.”
At that, Pops’ frown fades and I cock my head when he rasps, “Tell us where he is.”
I know Wolf said they were once married but I’ve really only ever seen him with my mother and it’s weird to spy the same softness around his eyes for another woman.
“I don’t know,” she cries, grabbing his shirt.
My chest burns at her desperation, and I swallow the lump in my throat before asking, “Why does Ice want her so bad?”
She turns her glossy eyes my way, rolling them over my face and says, “You look just like her.”
When she attempts to smile, I cover my unease by rubbing my neck. Why do I get the feeling that there’s unresolved feelings between these two?
Whatever. Does it matter? No, her daughter does, which is why I mutter, “Delaney…”
The small spark of life fades from her eyes and she shakes her head as she says, “He wants her so bad because he thinks he can use her to get to Jason.”
A trickle of awareness slides down my spine and I turn to Pops who frowns and says, “Why would he think that?”
When she blinks her eyes, it reminds me of Delaney and I rub away the ache in my chest as she says, “Because I think he thinks she’s yours…ours.”
“Huh?” Pops says as I stagger back.
Wait just a fucking second. Delaney?
This can’t be fucking happening.
“That’s not possible,” Pops says, while simultaneously I mutter, “I thought that piece of shit, Snake was her dad.”
“It’s complicated,” Helen sighs while Pops looks on with a puzzled frown.
“No, shit,” I bark. “Can somebody answer the fucking question?”
When Pops eyes me sideways, I wave my arm and he says, “Why would he think she’s ours? We haven’t fucked for over twenty-five years. You tell that shithole you was pregnant with my kid?”
Okay, that’s good. I think I can breathe again but now my chest burns. I pushed her away. For what?
Revenge? This is my fight not hers.
Dammit.
“Like I said,” Helen mumbles. “It's complicated. I never said anything of the sort, but you know how he is.”
With a nod, Pops turns away, his back stiff, gazing out over the landscape.
As houses go, it’s a nice one and I wonder what he's thinking about when Helen says, “I need to tell Peter.”
“Don’t bother,” Pops barks and she whips her head up.
“Why wouldn’t I tell my husband?” she says, and I feel like a fucking bobble head doll when he waves his hand.
“Pig’s useless.”
“You know what’s useless,” she shrieks, and I raise my hand.
“Stop,” I growl, and they both turn to me with matching scowls.
Jesus help me.
“This isn’t helping,” I say. “We need to find Delaney and Draven. If you don’t know where they are, do you know where Snake is?”
Maybe that fucker knows something.
It’s worth a shot anyway until Helen frowns and says, “I haven’t seen him in weeks. Delaney said he’s gone. He probably ran.”
“Always was a coward,” Pops mumbles and she opens her mouth, no doubt to skewer him with her wrath if her frown is anything to go by.
“Fine,” I shout, waving my arms. “Is there anyone fucking else?”
I’m assuming my desperation sinks in because she bows her head and says, “No one that would know Ice, but I could try calling him.”
“You got him on speed dial?” I snarl and Pops goes rigid.
“Yes,” she says warily, “he is my brother, you know.”
Okay, now I’m really confused but when Pops sees my confusion, he mumbles, “Stepbrother.”
When she steps back into the house, we follow and while she searches for her phone, I watch Pops, who looks around, a sneer curling his lip.
Shit. Maybe I should have come here alone.
When she returns, she holds up her phone and he nods but as soon as she pulls up the number, he grabs the phone from her hand and puts it on speaker.
Once again, I’m reminded of Delaney when the woman scowls, and it would be humorous if my chest weren’t burning.
With every minute that passes, something bad could be happening and I’m itching to hunt down the bastard and end his fucking life, once and for all.
Unfortunately, the call goes to voicemail and Helen grabs it from his hand, mumbling, “Maybe he’s out of range.”
Pops rocks back on his heels while Helen avoids looking at anything but the floor until he says, “What’s this about, Helen?”
“It's about you,” she says sourly. “My daughter wouldn’t be in danger if you assholes would just stop feuding.”
Of course, Pops stiffens but she’s immune to his seething glare as he says, “I didn’t start this shit but when that animal killed my fucking wife, he made sure that I end it.”
When Helen touches her chest, her lower lip wobbling, Pops averts his gaze. Eyeing the tic in his jaw, I’m more curious than ever about this feud with the Aces but we’re running out of time, and I wave at the phone, asking, “What now?”
I’m not prepared when she whips around and pokes her finger in the air and I hold up my hands as she barks, “Did you mess with my daughter?”
Is now a good time to tell this woman that I think I love her daughter?
Yeah…probably not.
Especially because I’ve been fighting the feeling for weeks and the first person I'd like to speak the words to is Delaney, if she lives through this and wants to hear me out, anyway.
Fuck!
“Why?” Pops interjects, sneering. “My boy not good enough.”
Of course, Helen swings back to him but before either of them can continue this petty shit, I bellow, “Enough!”
When Helen’s mouth drops open, I pinch the bridge of my nose and say, “We’re wasting time. We need to find her now.”
As though my words conjured that fucker Ice, a text comes through on Helen’s phone and she reads it aloud. “Send that fucker to the Palisades Motel in one hour. We end this tonight…that is if he wants to see his daughter alive.”