Chapter 8 #2
I hold up my hand. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.
I’ve never sent you roses. You told me you loved wildflowers that first date at Jud’s place, and those are the only flowers I get you.
I don’t have flowers delivered because I want to see you smell them.
I want to see your enjoyment of getting them.
” My body is vibrating with anger for a completely different reason now.
I don’t know what is going on. “I’d never hurt you, so I wouldn’t ‘bathe in your blood.’ But I’ll never let you go. ”
I walk toward her, but she holds a hand up to stop me.
“Wait. You didn’t send me roses?” She pauses.
“Did you send me that cheap nickel ring? I told you I was allergic to certain metals. Then there was that picture of MGK and Megan Fox’s ring that cuts you if you remove it.
You wrote you were having one designed for me. I got that letter today.”
“I didn’t send you pictures like that. I’d never want to hurt you.” I push past her hands. “The worse I’ll ever do to you is spank you, but you’ll like it. Then I might withhold an orgasm, but even then, it will be for both of us. I’d never dream of physically hurting you. Where is all this stuff?”
“It’s at my condo. I kept it all.” She looks up at me. “You really didn’t do or say any of that stuff?”
“Never, baby.”
Her head hits my chest. “Oh my God. What does this mean?”
“What I already feared. You’re being followed, and it’s why I have you under surveillance.”
I pull away from her. We need to get this taken care of before I claim her.
“Call your sister and have her come up here. I need to call Cronus and the guys to get some help.”
Me
Need a meeting about Daphne. She’s not only being followed like we suspect, but he’s sending her things too. Flowers, gifts, and notes.
Cronus
Got it. Give me a couple minutes.
Titan
I’m ready when Cronus is.
Totten
I’ll be right up.
Moments later, Delphi knocks on the door. “What’s this? I thought you would be claiming my sister and telling her she’s never getting away from you?”
“I was going to do that until she told me she got a letter saying I wanted to ‘bathe in her blood.’”
“Shit, really? Wait.” She pulls out her phone and starts tapping away on it. “I got a message similar to that a few months ago. It was from that creeper who thought I was Daphne. Here.” She hands me her phone, and I see the screenshot.
My love for you is so intense. I have moments where I want to hurt you so badly that I can bathe in your blood while I take you raw and brutally.
“Dear God.”
“Someone sent that to you?” Daphne looks at the screen, and I wrap her up in my arms.
I need to send another message.
Me
Your girl is in danger too. Come to the pin drop if you’re in DC. If not, get on the phone call with Cronus. I’ll let him know.
Hades
I’m here with Cronus now. What’s going on?
Me
You’ll hear when he calls.
Hades
Don’t tell her you told me. She’s still fighting me.
Me
Got it.
I lead both women to the table and set my phone in the center on speaker when Cronus calls. Totten walks in and joins us just in time.
“The ladies and Totten are here,” I say when I answer.
“Hello. Call me Cronus. I’m a friend of Darrell’s. I run a security firm.” He gives them the easy explanation of what he does. “Darrell has used my services several times. I believe I’m speaking to Daphne and Delphi Placer, correct?”
“Yes,” they both say at the same time, in the same voice.
“I’m Titan. I work with Cronus and Darrell too. I handle computer issues for them. I helped Delphi get her social media account straightened out.”
“Thank you,” Delphi says.
“I just want you ladies to be aware, so you can’t say later you weren’t notified, but a couple of my associates are with me too,” Cronus says, forever being the logical one.
“Cronus, get on with this,” I demand.
“Daphne, can I ask about the letters and gifts you’ve been receiving?”
“They started shortly after I met Darrell.” She pauses.
“No, wait, that’s not right. I mean, these recent ones have been since then, but I was getting weird messages and things when I was still living in Atlanta.
It’s one of the reasons I moved. I closed all my social media accounts because of them.
But since I’ve been with Darrell, they’ve gotten worse.
I honestly thought it was him. The first time I can remember was the day he sent me the dress and shoes.
There was a huge bouquet of red roses too. ”
“I didn’t send her flowers. Titan, I thought we had an agreement with the concierge to turn over everything that was sent to Daphne without her unit number on it?”
“We did, but it stopped a week afterward. I think they decided not to include us. I’ll get legal on it.”
“I got messages on my social media after Daphy closed her accounts,” Delphi says, and a growl can be heard across the line. “What was that?” she asks.
“Nothing,” Cronus says, then a smack echoes from the speaker. “Daphne and Delphi, can you forward me the messages?”
“Okay,” they both respond in unison.
“I want to do some digging on your computers, so I’m going to remote into your phones,” Titan says.
“No. You can’t do that to mine. I have attorney-client privilege. I don’t give you permission.”
“Goddamn it. Let him do it, Delphi,” Hades barks into the phone. “He’s got higher government clearance than most people. It’s for your fucking safety.”
“Kit, is that you?”
“Fuck,” he groans. “Yeah, goddess. It’s me.”
“No.” Delphi shoots up from her seat, her body trembling. “I can’t do this. Don’t count me in.” She looks at me before turning to Daphne and then back to me. “Protect my sister. I’ll send screenshots of the messages I’ve received, but I won’t be part of this.”
“Damn it, Delphi, you need protection too. If this crazy is after your sister, he could come after you as well.”
“I told you no. It’s a complete sentence. I won’t do this. I’m sorry, Cronus. Darrell, please promise you’ll protect my sister. Daphy, I’ll be in my condo. Come see me tomorrow if you can.” She smirks at me before walking out the door.
“Son of a bitch,” Hades growls. “Protect her as best you can. She won’t be a part of this if I am.”
“You,” my girl says. “I’d prefer Mr. Garrett have no part in this investigation, or I’ll walk too.”
“Daphne, baby, he’s part of the organization. He’s good, and he’s a friend. I don’t know what is going on between him and your sister, but trust him to help both of you.”
“I can’t betray her that way. He…” She doesn’t finish her thought, but I can see the pain in her eyes.
I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her onto my lap.
“We’ll get started with what we have so far, if that’s okay with you, Daphne? I don’t need access to her stuff. I’m used to working with attorneys.”
“I agree, Titan. Get what you can. Daphne, we’ll keep you safe, as long as you do as we tell you,” Cronus says.
“I can do that,” she says, her voice trembling.