Page 149 of Injustice and Absolution

DELILAH

When I wake up, the early light of dawn is beginning to warm the sky.

But the bed is cold next to me.

Sitting up, my chest aches when I see Royce is gone. I listen for any sounds that may tell me if he's in another room, but I hear nothing. Wrapping myself in the bed sheet, I breathe in Royce’s calming scent mixed with the alluring stench of yesterday’s numerous liaisons. I let it calm me as I tiptoe silently from the bedroom and down the short hallway into the kitchen.

No sign of Royce.

A light panic settles in my chest as I wonder if I imagined everything that happened yesterday. All that we did. Everything we said.

But with Royce’s spicy aroma still lingering in my nose, I know what I remember of our emotional reunion is true.

My eyes scan the room. I wasn’t able to take it in yesterday as Royce pulled me through the door and straight into the bedroom. Royce grew up in this house. He lived here from the time he was born until the time they found out Penny was pregnant with Maggie.

Maggie told me Royce let Penny stay here after that, and he moved into the old MC clubhouse—wherever that used to be. Eventually, he bought the land surrounding this house. When he took over as president, he built the clubhouse and the barracks where they are today because it’s easier to maintain privacy and secrecy out here.

Maggie had two bedrooms. One here and one there so Royce could keep an eye on her when Penny had to work or wanted to go out.

The house looks the same as I remember. I’m surprised Royce never gutted and remodeled it. That he didn’t swap the pink, floral curtains for something else, at the very least.

As I continue scanning my surroundings, my eyes land on a piece of paper on the counter. Picking it up, my body relaxes again, relieved when I realize it’s from Royce.

Kitten -

I had to run an errand. I'm hoping to be back before you wake up. If not, please make yourself at home, and I’ll see you soon.

Yours,

Royce

His sign-off brings a smile to my face. Recalling how he expressed himself to me yesterday causes my heart to swell. I feel like I'm dreaming, but as I'm usually plagued by nightmares, I smile knowing this has to be real.

Placing the note back on the counter, I search through his cabinets, looking for coffee. When I find it, I get a pot brewing then sit down on the sofa to wait. Eyeing the remote control, I turn on the television to drown out the deafening silence more than anything. Surfing aimlessly through the channels, I have no intention of watching anything specific.

Until a breaking news announcement pulls me in, keeping me from hopping to the next channel. More than the emergency she’s reporting on, the intersection behind the woman on the screen catches my attention.

"I'm standing in front of Harrisburg nightclub Spotlight—or what’s left of it—where a fire began a little over an hour ago. What’s being described as a tremendously quick blaze by witnesses was put out quickly by fast-acting firefighters. They’re currently sifting through the ashes, ensuring that every flame has been extinguished."

My jaw drops when the camera pans out, and I see the smoking rubble of what once was Spotlight.

"I'm getting word..." The reporter begins again, "Apparently, firefighters found signs of an accelerant that was used—a sign of arson—which caused the place to burn as quickly as it did."

My head turns toward the note that Royce left me, and in my bones, I know he was the one behind it.

Turning back to the newscast, I can't peel my eyes from it for the next few minutes as the reporter goes through the alleged timeline of events and the destruction the fire has caused. She speaks with the anchorman in the news studio, answering questions as he fires them off.

"It looks… Sorry, Jim. I don't mean to cut you off. They’re pulling what looks to be a body from the ashes. No… Oh goodness. Two bodies, Jim. The fire chief just confirmed they've found the remains of two people among the ruins."

If the shock of the fire wasn't enough, learning that two people were killed gets my adrenaline going. I need to know who, and I hope it wasn't any of the girls. It's bad enough what happened to Haven. I don’t need any more innocent blood staining the trail of destruction Drew’s devious actions have caused.

When I hear the sound of keys in a lock behind me, I stand. Spinning around, my eyes zero in on the doorknob. Spooked by the newscast, fear settles in my veins, suddenly unsure who is at the door.

I release a relieved breath when I see Royce's face as he walks in. The stench of smoke fills the air immediately, confirming my suspicion that he set the fire.

The news report pulls his attention from me, and I note a hint of panic in his eyes.

"Shit, that was fast." A hint of a smile twitches at the corner of his lips.

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