Page 65 of Skid
I could see the program running, trying to find Grace in the heavy foot traffic inside the Atlanta airport. Devlin stood and walked to me. “I need your phone.”
Curious but trusting, I unlocked the phone and handed it to him. He plugged it into his computer, and a minute later, he had the last phone call I made to Grace pulled up. This was one last one she sent to voicemail, and I had no idea what he was doing.
“Here she is,” James said, and I turned away from Devlin and looked up at the monitors. “She’s moving fast and damn. Did you see that? Something has her terrified, and I don’t think it’s you, Skid.”
I could see the sudden change in her, and when she tripped into the pillar, I clenched my hands in rage. She was in and out of the bathroom in under five minutes, and we watched her speed walk through the airport, hiding herself under a hat and keeping her head down. Outside, she started looking for something, and James focused two different cameras on her as she walked to a blue SUV parked at the end of the long sidewalk.
The tag number was visible, and I stood silent as she climbed inside with an unknown woman and pulled into traffic. My chin fell to my chest, and I felt her slipping through my fingers. Turning to the nearest wall, I punched the sheetrock repeatedly, and someone grabbed me from behind, stopping my violent outburst.
My wild eyes met Devlin’s, and he gripped into my shoulders as he forced me to look at him. “You need to keep your cool. I’ve got a track on her now, and as soon as she stops moving, I can lock onto her location. I need you to calm the fuck down and be ready to move.”
“How can I let her be out there alone? She’s scared, and I hurt her,” I yelled, slamming my fist into my chest. “How can she forgive me?” I asked and fell to my knees, feeling my heart being ripped from my body.
James stood and joined Devlin as they helped me from the floor. I’d never been weak a day in my life, but feeling Grace’s love, then losing it, was killing me. They walked me to the couch, and James kneeled in front of me.
“Dalton, I’ve known you going on a decade, and in that entire time, I’ve never seen you as settled as you are with Grace. I know your first instinct is to save the day, and countless times in the past, that’s what you’ve done. For us. For your club. For your family. It’s time you let us save you. Let us find Grace, and we’ll make her understand. Your intentions have always been to protect her, and she will forgive you.”
“How can you be sure?” I croaked out, shaking my head.
“Because I know love, and that woman I met yesterday in the park, she loves you. She just needs to remember you’re on her side. Trauma can cloud someone’s perception when they’re confronted with demons from the past. It’s your job now to let her speak her truth and hold her until she’s whole again.”
I looked to see Devlin on his computer, and when he looked at me across the room, his smile turned devious as he explained, “I know where Grace is, and I know how to get her to listen. Get ready, boys. We’re heading to Atlanta.”
Chapter 22
Grace
The room looked thesame as I walked inside. A decade ago, I walked into the building unsure and untrusting. Today, I walked in only slightly better than before. My heart physically hurt from Dalton’s betrayal, and as I moved toward the person who taught me confidence, I felt some of the pain lessen. He looked across the desk, and one side of his mouth lifted into a smile.
That was as much affection as I was going to get, and when I stopped in front of him, I suddenly felt out of place, like this wasn’t where I was supposed to be. I wasn’t scared and didn’t fear for my safety, but I knew instantly I shouldn’t have run.
His appraising eyes locked with mine as my internal debate raged on, and when the realization, I’d made a mistake fully dawned on me, he finally spoke. “Figure it out?”
Sighing, I sat down on the chair in front of his desk and nodded. “I shouldn’t have run,” I rationalized, and sat back in the chair.
Bringing his hand up to his chin, he rubbed the bottom contemplatively before he asked. “Then why did you?”
