Page 24 of Under Fire

“Good.” Her friend rubbed her hands. “Please tell me there’s a good hamburger place in this town. I have a craving for an old-fashioned cheeseburger.”

Delilah’s stomach clenched, a ball of ice settling in the depths. “There’s a fast-food joint with the best hamburgers in town.”

“But?”

“I need a different kind of restaurant.” Junk food junkie that she was, Delilah didn’t want to put herself in a situation where she might compromise her diet.

“Choose a place that serves cheeseburgers and whatever fits in your diet. Cade and Matt eat anything that doesn’t eat them first.”

Laughter melted the ice. “Sounds like a good plan. I know just the place.”

“After you visit your mother, we’ll eat.”

Matt and Cade returned to the suite with their bags in hand. Matt turned toward the room on the right. “Delilah, I’m placing your bag in this room. Cade and Sasha will use the other one.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“Couch. I’ll sleep better if I’m near you.”

“We’ll regale you with tales of our weird sleeping arrangements on missions over dinner.” Cade dropped a quick kiss on his wife’s mouth. “You’ll never sleep in your own bed again without feeling sorry for us.”

When the newlyweds left to store their belongings in their room, Delilah cupped Matt’s cheek. “Let me sleep on the couch. You’ll be more comfortable on the bed.”

“I’ll be fine. Do you want to see your mother before we eat?”

“It’s the only way to know if Randy is telling the truth.”

“All right. Hospital first, then dinner. Choose a restaurant you’re comfortable in.”

Ten minutes later, Delilah gave Matt directions to the hospital. The operative parked near the entrance to the hospital. He turned off the engine and twisted to look at her.

“Ready?”

Never. Delilah nodded. The four of them entered the medical facility and walked to the elevator.

At the entrance to her mother’s room, Sasha clasped Delilah’s hand and squeezed. “Cade and I will wait in the hall. We’ll be close if you need us.” She and her husband moved to the other side of the hall.

Matt turned to Delilah. “No matter what happens, I have your back. When you’re ready to go, we’ll leave whether your family agrees or not.”

Despite the dread growing in her gut, warmth bloomed inside Delilah at his words. She appreciated that he didn’t coddle her or treat her as though she couldn’t stand on her own. He believed she was strong enough to deal with her family. And he was right. She would handle anything they threw at her.

She learned a lot about herself during those hard years of gaining control of her weight. She hadn’t lacked courage or strength and wouldn’t falter now.

Delilah squared her shoulders and knocked on the door. Without waiting for a bid to enter, she pushed open the door and stepped inside the room. Five feet from the door, she cleared the wall blocking her view of the room’s occupants.

Her stepfather, Randy, lounged in a chair. No other term for the slumped sprawl of the man her mother had married six months after the death of her father. In his hands, he held a cell phone, his attention locked on the screen. Unless he’d changed since Delilah left home, he was playing a game.

Delilah’s attention shifted to the rail-thin woman huddled under a blanket, various tubes delivering fluids and medicine to her mother. Michelle Holloway looked as though a gust of wind would blow her off her feet.

Her heart clutched at the sight. Delilah had never seen her mother looking so fragile. She felt Matt’s hand against her lower back, a silent reminder that he was there if she needed him. That small action gave her the strength to move further into the room.

Randy glanced up from his phone. His eyes widened. “Dee?” He rose, his gaze raking over her body in a slow, deliberate sweep. Delilah’s skin crawled. “I wouldn’t recognize you if I passed you on the street. You had surgery, didn’t you?” His eyes glittered. “Where did you get the money for that? Did you con Michelle into paying for it? You’ll pay back every penny, I promise you that.”

Beside her, Matt stiffened.

She wrapped her hand around his. “How is Mom?”

Her stepfather blinked, glanced at his wife. “Going downhill fast. She wakes up every few minutes and asks for you.” He turned back to her and Matt. “I didn’t realize you were bringing someone.”

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