Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Delaney
Moving slowly, I pack up my classroom. I keep pausing every few minutes to look around and take it in. Who knows when I will be back in a classroom or if I ever will be.
God, I miss it.
I never thought I would be forced out of doing something that I loved. I figured that when my time came, I would retire, and that would be it. It wouldn’t be because of something like this.
This isn’t fair.
“Hey, do you need help?”
I turn and see Lydia standing there with a sad smile on her face along with a fellow teacher, Mr. Smith, who teaches PE.
“You don’t have to help me. You guys should head home.”
“It’s late, though,” Lydia says, frowning.
It’s not technically late, but it is after the end of the school day. One of the requirements for me to come back to clean out my room. The district thought it would be best if I came an hour after the end of the day so there would be no risk of students seeing me.
Not only that, but I know Principal Marshall is in the hallway waiting for me. He was kind enough to let me do this alone but had to stay close. I guess in case I lose it and do something stupid.
I would never, though.
“I’m sure.”
Mr. Smith clears his throat. “I know we don’t know each other well, but I just wanted you to know your kids miss you. They keep asking when you are coming back.”
I offer him a smile. “I really appreciate that, actually. Thank you.”
“At least let us carry some boxes to your car for you?” Lydia says.
“If you really want to, my car is unlocked.” I shrug.
Mr. Smith frowns. “That’s not very safe.”
“Haven’t you heard? She’s dating a guy who’s part of an MC. No one is going to mess with her.” Lydia winks, making us laugh.
“Good point.” Mr. Smith smiles before looking back at me. “My brother is a vet and is part of an organization back home that’s all bikers. They aren’t one-percenters or anything, but still they get a lot of judgmental looks for what they do. I’m sorry this is happening to you. It’s not fair.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly, feeling touched.
Maybe Lydia was right and not everyone on staff thinks I deserve this.
“Okay, well, we will take these and then lock your car when we are done. Make sure you lock it between trips. We don’t need anyone crawling into your back seat while you wrap things up,” Lydia says as she grabs a box.
“I appreciate it.”
I watch as she loads Mr. Smith down with two boxes and then grabs one for herself.
“I’ll see you soon,” she says before walking away.
Sighing, I get back to work. It takes me roughly another hour and roughly four trips to my car before everything is cleared. I hate that Principal Marshall shadows me the entire time. It’s like I can no longer be trusted. It has a sourness settling into my gut.
When I’m finally done, I take one last look around my empty classroom. There are no posters on the wall, half the books from the bookshelf are gone, and a bunch of the other decorations are gone along with the beanbags I had bought for the reading corner with my own money.
It looks so sad and depressing. Lifeless, really.
But it’s a blank slate for whoever takes my place to fill. Whoever steps into my shoes, though, I hope they like the kids’ name tags and star chart I left behind.
I head out of my room, shutting off the light behind me as I go. The halls are quiet, my sneakers squeaking on the freshly polished floors as I go.
“I’m really sorry it has to come to this,” Principal Marshall says.
“Me too. I think it’s best we leave it at that. My lawyer doesn’t think we should speak off record.”
He nods. “Probably for the best.”
He holds the door open for me, waiting until I step through before it slams shut.
Don’t cry.
Whatever you do, don’t cry.
Taking a shuddering breath, I head to my car. I unlock the passenger door before setting the last box in the passenger seat.
It breaks my heart to see all the things I bought out of my own pocket to make these kids’ lives better.
As I shut the door, though, something gets my attention.
“What in the world?” I mumble to myself.
There is a jagged cut in my tire. My breath catches when I see the other tire. Quickly, I round the car and see that both tires on the other side are cut as well.
Someone slashed all four of my tires.
What. The. Fuck.
It wasn’t like this earlier when I started bringing boxes out. I would have noticed.
Heart racing, I reach into my purse for my phone. I dial Acid first. He should be close. His phone goes to voicemail. It has this eerie feeling coming over me. Something isn’t right.
Tank. I need to call Tank. He can bring the tow truck.
With a shaky hand, I call his number, and he picks up on the third ring.
“What’s up, gorgeous?”
“Tank…” I say my voice shaking.
“Delaney, what’s wrong?” he demands.
“Someone slashed my tires. It must have just happened because they were fine when I brought out the last box. I called Acid, but he’s not answering.”
His tone has changed. “Get in your car, baby, and I’ll be right there. Okay? Don’t get out for anyone but me.”
Even he knows this isn’t good.
“Got it.”
“Do you want me to stay on the line with you? I’m only fifteen minutes out.”
“No. I’ll be okay. Just hurry,” I beg.
“I’ll be there as fast as I can,” he promises.
Hanging up, I take a deep breath. I don’t know why I’m afraid to get into my car, but I am. I can hear Mr. Smith and Lydia telling me that someone could be in the back seat, waiting for me. It’s ridiculous. There are boxes in the back, but that fear is still there.
Is someone in there? Is this some sort of ploy to get me?
“Pull it together, Delaney,” I say, scolding myself.
“Delaney…” a familiar voice says from behind me, making my stomach plummet to my feet.
I turn around and take a step back when I see how close he is to me.
“Blaine, what are you doing here?” I ask, heart racing.
“I need to talk to you. You’ve been avoiding me.”
“For a good reason. You’ve been stalking me and blew up my fucking life,” I snap.
Anger crosses his face for a split second. “Do not talk to me that way,” he hisses.
“I’ll talk to you however I want,” I tell him, taking another step back.
He ignores me completely. “Now, I’ve been accommodating and let you do what you’ve wanted recently. I let you sow your oats, but it’s time for you to come back home and start planning our wedding.”
I shake my head. “You’re crazy. I broke up with you, Blaine. You cheated on me, remember? When you did that, any thoughts of us getting married ended.”
“You’re wrong, Delaney. We’re perfect together.
I had my fun, and you’ve had yours.” A look of disgust crosses his face.
“Although as far as I’m concerned, your choices were more questionable than mine, but that’s not the point.
You’ll come home and officially move in with me, after you’re tested, of course, because who knew what you caught while away from me.
Then we will be married in the next six months. ”
“That’s not going to happen, Blaine. I’m sorry. Tell your family I’m sorry, but it’s just not going to work.”
He grits his teeth. “Give me one good reason.”
“Because I’m in love with Tank, and I’ve already agreed to marry him.”
Not quite “marry,” but Blaine doesn’t need the details.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, my man will be here any minute.”
Like an idiot, I turn my back on him and grab the door handle of my car. Only before I can get it open, something comes down hard, hitting me on the back of the head.
Tank’s name flashes through my mind as everything around me goes black.
Tank
Fuck.
My girl is typically cool and calm. Always composed when out in public. In all the time I’ve known Delaney, I’ve never heard her voice shake like that. It fucking killed me.
I never thought when I answered that she would be telling me that someone fucked with her car. I had just assumed she was calling to tell me that she was on her way back to me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I try Acid again. He’s still not answering. I hope he’s okay, but I can’t worry about him right now. She has to be my main concern. My brother would understand.
I never should have let her come without me. I should have stuck to my guns and came with her, but she talked me out of it. She thought that it would piss off the administration if I showed up when I’m part of the problem for them.
I should have trailed behind them anyway. She would have never known I was there if I stayed far enough away. I really considered it. I wanted to betray her trust and stick with my gut, but I didn’t. My fear of losing her outweighed my common sense.
Now I’m paying for it.
Pulling into the parking lot with the tow truck, I scan the parking lot. I find her car easily, but when I see that her car is empty, I go cold.
Goddammit, Delaney. The one time I ask you to do something, you had to go and do the opposite.
She must have decided that going back inside was safer. Even if that prick Principal Marshall is in there, it would be safer with her being by someone.
I turn the rig around and get it ready to hook up her car before I jump out.
I check her car and see that it is in fact empty, doors locked, crammed to the damn top with boxes.
Her purse, phone, and keys are nowhere in sight.
Almost as if she never made it back to her car after I told her to get inside. When I see her tires, my heart freezes.
They were slashed. Not just once, but twice on each tire, top and bottom. Someone wanted to strand her intentionally. The overkill of the job fucks with me. Whoever did this was pissed the hell off and wanted her alone.
Isolated.
One name comes to mind, but I push it to the side.
I can’t get distracted. Not right now when she needs me.
I scan the parking lot again, looking for anything I could have missed. There’s not another vehicle around. Nothing looking out of place.
Maybe she went back to her classroom.
Turning, I head to the building and try the handle. Only to be met with yet another locked door. Quickly, I walk over to the windows and glance inside, finding the rooms dark.
“Goddammit,” I mutter, reaching for my phone.
I realize my pockets are empty, and I left it in the cupholder of the wrecker. I jog back to it and dial her number.
“Come on, baby, pick up,” I murmur as I listen to it ring over and over.
“Hi, you’ve reached Delaney. I can’t come to the phone right now,” her voicemail says.
Pacing, I hang up and dial again and again when the voicemail picks up a second and then a third time.
Think, Tank. Fucking think.
Maybe it’s an issue with my phone?
I pull up Fox’s number and dial.
“What can I do for you, Tank?” he asks as soon as he picks up.
“Shit. It wasn’t my phone.”
“Come again?” he asks.
“Delaney came to the school today to clean her classroom. She called saying that her tires were slashed and needed a ride. Now I can’t find her. Acid was on her tail, but he’s not answering either,” I rasp, worry bleeding into my voice.
Immediately, I hear his keyboard clacking in the background.
“This isn’t like her, Fox. You know that. Something’s wrong. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Keep your head straight, brother. Don’t freak out until it’s necessary. I’m pulling up the cameras now. Maybe she went inside to wait for you.”
“That’s what I thought, but she’s not answering her phone, and the doors to the building are locked. The classrooms I can see into are dark. The parking lot is deserted. No one is here but me, Fox.”
I hear him suck in a breath.
“What is it? What did you find?”
“I need you to head back to the clubhouse,” he says, voice oddly calm.
“Fox, don’t fuck with me, man. I need to know what’s going on.”
“I really think you should head back. I’ll fill Smoke and the others in on the situation while we wait for you to arrive.”
“Fox, I’m not leaving here without her, man. I’m going out of my fucking mind, so just tell me,” I snap.
“She’s not there,” he says coolly.
“Then where is she?” I ask, running my hand through my hair.
“He took her, Tank.”
Fox doesn’t need to tell me who he is. I already know.
Blaine.
Her fucking psycho-ass ex, whom I already should have taken out.
“Fuck!” I roar.
“Get back here now.”
“No, I’m going after her. Can you trace her phone? His? Does his car have a LoJack?” I ask, referring to the tracker that a lot of automotive companies use.
“I’m working on it now, but in the meantime, head back our way. You can’t go off by yourself. Use your brain and think, Tank.”
“This is my problem, Fox. Not the club’s.”
“That’s a lie, and you know it. Fuck with one of us, and you fuck with all of us. Now get your ass back to the clubhouse. The more time you waste, the longer she’s in his clutches.”
“Fuck, fine,” I snap.
“I’ll have everyone ready when you get here. Oh, and grab Acid. He’s knocked out on the playground. Looks like he’s hidden under the slide,” he says before hanging up.
One last time, I scan the parking lot and the street. I take in all the cameras that could have caught something.
I don’t want to know what happened, but at the same time, I need to see it. Without wasting time, I run to the playground, grabbing an unconscious Acid, putting him over my shoulder in a fireman’s hold.
He groans, but I ignore him. He will be okay. He better hope my girl is okay too.
Tossing him into the passenger seat of the truck, I slam the door. Then I jump into the truck and take off like a bat out of hell, leaving her car behind.
I’m coming, baby. I’m coming.