24. Londyn
LONDYN
After a whirlwind of a day, I took Dalton to Macomb’s room and put him to bed.
I waited several hours, but Malcomb never showed.
My exhaustion caught up with me, and I eventually drifted off to sleep.
I woke up the next morning and was disappointed to find that there was still no sign of Malcomb.
Being careful not to wake Dalton, I eased out of bed and went to the bathroom.
I took a moment to fix my hair and wash my face, then went back into the bedroom to check on Dalton. When I walked in, I found him sitting up on the bed with a smile on his face. “Hey there, buddy. Did you sleep okay?”
“Um-hmm.” His smile grew wider as he said, “I like it here.”
“I like it here, too.” I brushed his hair out of his eyes as I asked, “Are you hungry? We could go get some breakfast or maybe some juice.”
He nodded and pushed the covers back before hopping out of bed. He picked up his shorts from the floor and slipped them on, then looked up at me and said, “Oo-kay. I’m ready.”
“Alright, let’s go see what we can find.”
I took his hand and led him out the door, and to my surprise, there wasn’t a soul in sight as we started down the hall.
As we made our way to the kitchen, I couldn't shake the feeling that something seemed off. It was quiet—too quiet for a clubhouse full of rowdy men. The silence played with my anxiety, making me wonder if we should turn around and go back to Malcomb’s room.
Dalton, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to it all and hummed a tune to himself as he looked around the long, narrow hall. He seemed so enthralled by it all.
I couldn’t blame him. I felt the same way the first few times I came to the clubhouse.
It felt like a different world. It still felt like a different world, only now, it seemed a bit more daunting.
I tried to ignore the feeling as I led Dalton into the kitchen and over to the fridge.
“What are you thinking? Some cereal or some scrambled eggs?”
“Eggs!” he answered excitedly.
“I can make them,” a voice interjected from the doorway.
I turned, and I felt like I’d been punched in the gut when I found Candace standing there with an awkward smile on her face. I couldn’t hide my distaste for her as I muttered, “Hey, Candace. Thanks, but I can scramble his eggs on my own.”
“Of course.” After grabbing the eggs from the fridge, I started looking for a skillet, and when I didn’t find it right away, she said, “Bottom left corner.”
“Thanks.”
I bent down and opened the bottom left cabinet, then took out a small skillet. “Hey, sweetie. Why don’t you grab a drink from the fridge and have a seat at the table? I’ll bring your eggs over when they’re read.”
“O-kay, Momma.”
Dalton stepped over to the fridge and grabbed a box of juice, then went over to the table and sat down.
Doing my best to ignore the fact that she was still standing there, I placed it on the stove, then grabbed a bowl and started cracking the eggs.
I’d hoped that she would eventually get the hint and leave.
She didn’t.
Instead, she walked over to me and said, “I know you hate me, but I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry about that day. I only did what Malcomb asked me to.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“That’s just it. I do worry about it.” She actually sounded sincere when she said, “I think about that day a lot, and if I could go back, I would tell Malcomb not to do it.”
“Why would you do that?” I glanced over my shoulder as I said, “I would’ve thought you’d be happy that we broke up.”
“You weren’t here. You didn’t see how messed up he was. He was devastated over losing you, and I hate I had a part to play in it.” She looked over at Dalton, then back to me. “And now, seeing how happy he is that you’re back and that he has a kid, that makes that feeling even worse.”
“It’s not your fault.” I turned my attention back to Dalton’s eggs. “Like you said, you were just doing what Malcomb asked.”
“So, you’re going to stay mad at me.”
“No, I’m not mad.” I sighed. “I just want to put all this mess behind us and move on.”
“Do you think you can really do that?”
“I don’t know, but I certainly want to try.” I took Dalton’s eggs and scooped them onto a plate, then carried them over to him. “Here you go, sweetheart.”
“T’anks, Momma.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie.”
I walked back over to the stove and started cleaning up, and it wasn’t long before Candace joined in. She started washing the dishes while I wiped down the counters. We were just about to finish up when I asked, “Have you seen Malcomb or any of the guys this morning?”
“I’ve seen a couple of them here and there. Pretty sure they’ve got something going on.”
“What makes you say that?”
“There was a commotion last night, and after that, they’re all pretty wound tight.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure what was going on or is going on, but they’ll handle whatever it is. They always do.”
The words had barely left her mouth when there was a loud click, and the back door opened.
Seconds later, several of the guys walked past the kitchen and down the hall.
Curious, I stepped over to the doorway and watched as they all filed into the family room.
I glanced back at Candace and asked, “What was that all about?”
“No idea. Let’s go find out.”
“But...”
Before I had a chance to protest, Candace was out the door. As I started after her out, I told Dalton, “Wait here, sweetie. I’ll be right back.”
I quietly followed Candace down the hall, and when we reached the family room, Candace and I peeked inside and found all the guys standing in front of the TV.
I stepped closer and saw that they were watching the news.
There was some kind of explosion in the city, and it wasn’t just any explosion.
This took out an entire block. There was debris everywhere like a bomb had gone off.
I stood there in shock as I listened to the reporter say, “A massive explosion occurred in Yesler Terrace late last night. The explosion took out an entire block, including an abandoned warehouse and an apartment complex. The twenty-two acres is well known for its gang activity, but officials are saying that the explosion appears to be the result of a major gas leak. The investigation is ongoing.”
I was shocked.
Yesler Terrace wasn’t all that far from my apartment, and I knew it well.
It was a place many avoided at all costs.
Everyone did—which led me to wonder why the guys were so invested in the news of the explosion.
It just seemed so odd to me, but they were glued to that TV and looked truly disturbed by what they were witnessing.
After several minutes, Cotton asked, “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yeah, it is,” Rooster answered. “He did it. He really fucking did it.”
“There was no way this was him.”
“Who else could it have been?” Rooster argued.
“You really think that was Br...” Torch’s words trailed off when he spotted me and Candance in the doorway. “Heads up. We got company.”
And just like that, everyone in the room turned and looked at us. I knew then that I’d screwed up and wanted nothing more than to crawl into a dark hole and hide. Malcomb stepped out of the pack and said, “Londyn, what are you doing here?”
“I was just getting Dalton some breakfast when I heard you guys come by.” I suddenly felt morbidly embarrassed and took a step back. “I’m sorry if I was intruding on something.”
“It’s just the news, babe. Nothing to intrude on.”
“Either way, I think I’ll get back to the kitchen and check on Dalton.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”
I nodded, then darted out of the room and down the hall. I could hear Candace following after. “Oh, I can’t believe I did that.”
“Did what?” Candace asked. “You were just watching the news.”
“We clearly interrupted something.”
“Yeah, but there was no way you could know that. They were in the family room, and it was the news,” she tried to reassure me. “Don’t worry about it. Things like that are gonna happen.”
“If you say so.” I walked over to Dalton and picked up his empty plate. “Are you ready to roll?”
“Um-hmm.”
“Okay, then let’s go grab our stuff, and then we can head on home.”
“But I don’t wanna go home.”
“I know, but Momma’s got some things she needs to take care of. Besides, we’ve been here long enough. Malcomb has things going on, and we don’t want to get in the way.”
Dalton sighed, but he didn’t argue. Before walking out of the kitchen, I looked over to Candace and said, “Thank you for the apology. It means a lot.”
I didn’t wait for a response. I was afraid she might try to convince us not to leave, so I rushed down the hall to Malcomb’s room and started packing our things. I’d just finished putting everything into my bag when the door opened and Malcomb asked, “Woah, where are you two going?”
“It’s time for us to be getting back.”
“What?”
“I just don’t want to get in the way. Besides, I need to get back to work.”
“You’re not in the way. Far from it.” Malcomb stepped over to me and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. “I want you here.”
“It’s just too much right now.”
“Doesn’t have to be. You just skip the two-week notice thing and stay.”
“Malcomb!” I gasped. “I can’t do that!”
“Sure, you can. You get in your car, and you and Dalton follow me over to my place. Easy as that.”
“And what about my apartment?”
“I’ll send the boys over to pack it and move everything over to my place. Easy as that.”
“But it’s not that easy,” I argued. “You can’t just snap your fingers and make my life in Seattle disappear.”
“Not trying to make it disappear, babe. I just want you here with me. Is that so bad?”
“No, you’re not being fair.” I stepped back, pulling myself free from his embrace.
I don’t know why I was resisting. It made zero sense.
I had everything I’d ever wanted right there at my fingertips, but I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “This is a lot all at once, and I’m not sure Dalton and I are ready for all this. ”