Page 48 of Battling the Enemy
I cut Roselyn off. “Fuck that, Linnie,” I snapped. “Even if she was ambushed, she should have called me and told me. Or, better yet, gotten the fuck out of there. It’s not like she’s broke and can’t afford a motherfucking plane ticket!”
I had never been so livid in all my life. They must have gotten to her. She showed up and her parents had the Reynolds in tow and convinced Delaney how perfect their lives could all still be. They probably spent all day reminding her of thegood times.And because Delaney’s always been…pliable, she probably caved within an hour.
Never mind that she’s spent every night with me this week. Never mind that I’ve fucked her a million different ways, cumming inside her with no thought to the consequences. Sure, she ended up getting the shot Monday afternoon, but that didn’t mean shit. The dice had already been thrown.
“Deke, you need to call her,” this from Liam. “Yeah, the picture looks bad, but...there could be a very innocent reason for it.”
I scanned the faces of my friends, and knowing they were only trying to help, I gave in. I yanked my phone from my back pocket and dialed Delaney. I dialed Delaney and motherfucking Winston Reynolds answered her phone, “Deke.”
“Where the fuck is Delaney, Reynolds?” I growled into the phone.
“She’s in the middle of her tour,” he answered. “Look, Deke, don’t make this…situation harder than it needs to be.”
Winston Reynold’s was a dead man.
“Meaning?”
“Delaney belongs with me, Deke,” he said, believing he was safe over the phone. “I admit I dropped the ball by taking her for granted, and I’ll have to live with that. I’ll have to live with the fact that you…will always matter in her life. But she’s always belonged with me. Our families…well, you can’t undo years of friendship.”
I clenched the phone so tightly, it’s a wonder it didn’t crack in my hand. “You’re with her in New Hampshire?”
“Check social media,” he taunted. “That should tell you everything you need to know.”
I had to steady myself. Rage was threatening to shatter my psyche. I wanted to kill Reynolds for daring to come between me and Delaney, and I wanted to kill Delaney for being so weak; so spineless.
She said she loved me, but she’d rather be with Winston because it was easier than standing up to her parents. Even though she had me to fight alongside with her, she was too weak to see it through.
I told Delaney I would never let her go, but that was when I thought she wanted me just as badly as I did her. That’s when I thought she loved me more than she loved simplicity. And, truth be told, no one that weak belonged in our group.
“You can have Delaney, Winston,” I hissed into the phone, pretending that rage wasn’t corroding my soul. “But a word to the wise…you better stay away from me, and you sure as fuck better keep Delaney away from me, or I will ruin the rest of your lives, Reynolds. I will spend every resource I have making you jump to your own deaths if either of you come within spitting distance of me.”
He was quiet for a few seconds before saying the words that guaranteed we’d be meeting up really soon, “It won’t matter because, in the end, I’ll have Delaney.” I hung up the phone and threw it across the kitchen, not caring when it shattered against the wall.
“Deke…” Emerson whispered.
I didn’t look at her.
I didn’t look at anyone.
I didn’t look at anyone or utter a word as I heard Ramsey say, “Hey, baby, why don’t you and Roselyn go to the party without-”
“You’re out of your goddamn mind if you think I’m leaving Deke like this,” she snapped. “I’m not goinganywhere,Reed.” Ramsey let out a sigh because, like we all knew, whenever Emerson called him Reed, we knew she was serious.
“I’m not leaving either,” Roselyn piped up.
“Okay,” Liam said. “Just…you girls go watch a movie…or something, while…uhm, we take care of this.”
I could hear the girls shuffle out of the kitchen and it wasn’t until I was certain they were out of earshot that I looked up at Liam and Ramsey. With their girls gone, they let their feelings show plainly on their faces.
They were just as livid as I was.
“Who do you want to destroy first?” Ramsey asked.
That was easy.
Delaney.
Reynolds isn’t the one who was tearing a patch in my chest.
