11. Delaney
CHAPTER 11
DELANEY
“Oops, sorry.”
That’s the fourth time the chick next to me has elbowed me in the boob, but I’m not gonna complain. Apple came out on the stage twenty minutes ago, and it’s been pandemonium since. The stadium is huge, and there isn’t an empty seat in the house. The energy is electric, causing the hairs on my arms to stand up.
“No problem,” I yell back.
I brought a pair of mini binoculars with me, and being this far back from the stage, I’m grateful for having them in my arsenal. The giant screens hanging on either side of the stage provide a clear view of Apple moving around, but the spyware allows me to peak into the crowd. My hips sway to the music, my head bops to Apple’s latest release, and my mind wanders back to when I entered the stadium.
Clutching my clear bag, which I bought from Dollar General earlier today, I step in line. I watch the security guards, who are more interested in looking at tits and ass than paying attention to what women have in their bags.
I had a feeling security was going to be tight, so I only brought the essentials. My comb knife, binoculars, a taser disguised as lipstick, and the monkey fist that hangs off my keychain are buried under my wallet. I also shoved a mini umbrella in the bag because there’s a slight chance of rain, and bonus, it also acts as a baton if I need it to be.
“Next!”
I sashay up to the rent-a-cop and drop my bag on the table for inspection. His eyes quickly glance at the contents within and then slowly roam over my body. My thirty-four Cs are pushed up together, giving me the perfect cleavage in my low-cut V-neck black satin shirt. My red bra strap peeks out, giving a hint as to what is hiding underneath.
He sucks in a breath. “Here you go,” he says as he thrusts my bag back into my hands.
“Keep it moving,” a man shouts from just past the entry gates.
It’s clear the man is a biker based on the cut he’s wearing, and he’s watching the lines with an intense focus. What’s not clear is why he’s here.
“Enjoy the show,” the rent-a-cop says, pulling my attention back to him.
I wink. “Thanks.”
I smile as I surface back to the present when Apple switches to a new song. The bass thumps through the speakers, and everyone sings along with her, including me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a couple of people shuffling through an aisle, but everyone looks like ants so it’s hard to tell from this far away. The show has only been going for thirty minutes, but that doesn’t mean anything. Concertgoers like to drink which means people are constantly walking around whether to go to the bathroom or get a refill.
Sweat drips down my back as I keep an eye on the couple and pull out my binoculars. The man has a grip on the woman’s neck, and it appears he’s leading her. They’re a few sections over, and with the dark lighting, it’s hard to determine if the woman is scared or perfectly fine. My stomach twists into knots.
Calm down… a lot of men put their hands on their woman’s neck. It doesn’t make him a killer.
I try to shake off the nagging feeling and enjoy the concert. The feeling doesn’t subside, so I pick up my bag and edge toward the stairs that lead to the enclave where the concessions stands are.
“... concert is really good. Do you really want to leave? We can hook up after.”
The woman leans against the wall, but the man pulls her toward him. Luckily, there are a lot of people milling around, so they don’t notice when I creep closer. The female is gorgeous with short dark brown hair, and he’s tall and masculine. He’s not bad looking but not gorgeous either.
Still, something feels off. He looks familiar, but I can’t place him.
I must’ve seen him at one of the bars in town.
“Baby, I can’t wait to be with you. I leave to go out of town tomorrow,” he whines. “I wanna be able to take my time worshiping you tonight.”
The woman blushes, grabs his hand, and leads him to the escalator. At the bottom of the escalator are the doors to exit the building. I wait until they’re almost to the bottom before I step on behind them. He grabs her ass and buries his face in her neck. I can’t put my finger on it, but something about his profile urges me forward. I shuffle along and stop at the vendors’ tables when a security guy stops the couple from leaving the building.
“If you leave, you won’t be allowed back in,” he states, eyeing the couple up and down. “No matter what the circumstances are.”
“Maybe we should sta?—”
“We know the rules,” the guy says, tugging the woman under his arm. “C’mon baby, I have a promise to keep.”
They push through the doors, and I wait a minute before I follow. The rent-a-cop steps up to give his spiel to me, but I hold up my hand.
“I heard.”
I rush out the door, whipping my head back and forth to try and see which direction the couple headed in. I take off to my right when I hear a giggle. Glancing over my shoulder, I spot the two I’ve been stalking heading in the opposite direction. I follow them from a distance until we reach the main parking lot.
It’s easy for me to go unnoticed because they’re clearly into each other. Once we reach section F, I’m ready to admit defeat and head back to the arena to wait for the concert to end.
But then I hear a scuffle and freeze.
“You fucking want this!”
“No… no, please.”
“Fucking slut, practically begging for it all night.”
Without thinking, I run in the direction of the couple. I skid to a stop as I come around the corner. The man has one hand wrapped around her throat, and her face is bright red. She’s clawing at him, trying to escape, but he’s too strong. As he’s strangling her, he’s pulling at his pants with his free hand.
I see red.
I kick in the back of his leg, and his knee buckles, which effectively releases his grip on his victim.
“Run!” I yell.
The man twists his body to lean up against the car, sneering at me. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
My breath hitches. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
But I don’t need him to respond as my brain finally registers what my gut has been trying to tell me since I started following him tonight.
It’s him. He’s the asshole who stole my sister from me.
The Phantom stares at me. There’s nothing impressive about him. At least, nothing that stands out. He’s a normal-looking man around six feet tall, and he’s got brown hair. He’s muscular but not the bodybuilder type. He has no distinguishing features that I can see.
No wonder no one has any idea who this guy is. He blends in well. I focus on his eyes and realize that he does have one feature that is unforgettable. His eyes are soulless. It’s like looking into a black hole. There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, in their dark depths.
“It’s you,” I growl.
His mouth curves into a twisted, sinister smile. “I’ve been pat?—”
I haul my arm back and thrust it forward. My fist connects with his jaw, causing his face to jerk to the side forcefully.
He slowly turns back to face me, his eyes burning with the promise of retribution and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “You’re gonna re?—”
“What the fuck is going on here?”
I glance over my shoulder to see a hulk of a man coming toward us, but then I’m violently shoved by the Phantom. I wait for my head to connect with the pavement, but a pair of strong arms keep me from making contact as thunderous footsteps take off in the opposite direction.
Fuck!