Page 21 of Hero

My chest blossoms with pride.

“But Buttercup—”

“Don’t call me that,” she says, cutting in.

“?I don’t think you’ve thought this through,” he says. “You don’t belong in this podunk town with these people.”

“Here’s your order,” says a voice with a heap of sass that I recognize to be Reese. “If you need anything else we podunks will be glad to be of service.”

I smile when she comes by my table.

“Man, I felt like dunking that order on his head,” she says. “He’s been rude since he got here.”

I glance around the diner and see most of the patrons and workers facing Delilah’s direction.

“She can handle him,” I say to Reese.

Delilah raises her voice. “That’s where you’re wrong. I do belong here in thispodunk townand if it weren’t for your cheating I would never have finally found a place with people who cared for me, a place I could call home and learn what it is to truly be in love.”

Her words blast me harder than the rays from an early morning sun.

“You’ve found love? Nonsense. If you mean that overgrown neanderthal who grabbed you from our wedding then you’re delusional. He’s lucky I didn’t call the police, or better yet that I didn’t want to ruin my suit in a fight,” he says. I’d laugh if I didn’t want to clobber him. “I get it, you got cold feet—”

“No, you cheated on me with my sister,” she says.

“What did you expect? You wouldn’t put out. I could be with a girl levels above you, but I chose you. You’re lucky to get a guy half as good as me,” he sounds pissed. “What guy would ever want you?”

“Try a tall, gorgeous neanderthal who fucks like a god,” she says, eviscerating him.

“You silly girl,” he yells.

I’ve heard enough.

I shoot to my feet and stand sentinel on her end of the booth.

“Don’t worry, I won’t chuck him out of here if you don’t want me to,” I say. “I just want to make sure he behaves himself.”

“Thanks, Silas. But I think I’m done here anyway.” She slides out of the booth and gets to her feet. “I don’t want you or myfamilycontacting me again.”

“Him? You’re leaving me for him? The man’s a brute,” he spits, reaching out for her.

I snarl at him and he cowers. Delilah wraps herself around my arm and pulls me away. But Harvey isn’t done yet, and stands quickly.

“Fine with me, if you want to be a slut for an animal then I won’t stop you. And when you come to your senses and run crying to me or your family, we will leave you out on the street where you belong. Where you should have been in the first place. You are nothing, you have nothing and you’re all alone.”

I step closer and make it apparent that I’ve got seventy pounds of muscle on him and the only thing stopping me from yanking him off his feet and tossing him through the window is the beautiful angel on my arm.

“Don’t ever let me catch you around here because if I do, even Delilah’s good nature won’t save you.”

He stumbles back and looks indignant. “Did you all hear that? He just threatened me.” The silence inThunderbrook’s Bistrois deafening, except for the chime of the bell when Mom walks in with my sister and brother. “Officer, did you hear what he just said? He threatened me! Arrest him.”

“I’d say Silas was being pleasant, on account of giving you a warning and not kicking your ass,” Mason says, casually.

“Are you kidding me?” Harvey says. “How are you an officer of the law?”

“We look after our own here in Thunderbrook and that’s the law we all follow,” Mom says. “And Delilah is one of us.”

Delilah smiles at my mom, tears welling in those bottomless brown eyes. “As you can see, you’re the only one who’s alone here. I’ve found my people. Now get out before I throw you out.”

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