Page 21 of Frank's Felon
Delilah shot to her feet. “Aren’t you full of wit today? Don’t expect me to stoop to your level. Unlike you, I’m not one to mince words,Guard.”
“Clearly you have a problem with guards, or is it just me? At least you’re using that sharp tongue of yours for something other than sucking cock.”
Delilah slapped him. Frank’s eyes flared, but he didn’t back down, not that she expected him to. His words had been so hurtful. She wanted to scream at him, at William, at the WSSO, but she couldn’t. They were really good at silencing people, and it was so hard to find her voice these days. Like now. But the anger needed to go somewhere. Delilah raised her hand to strike him again, except this time Frank clamped his hand around her wrist.
“I’m sorry, Delilah,” he said, his voice soft, pained, as if he had been the one locked away, unable to do anything except bend to their rules, their whims, their degradations.
‘I don’t have a choice.’Those are the words he had said, the words that had repeated over and over in her mind, haunting her since she had run from Frank in that office building.
“I didn’t have a choice either,” she spat out at him as she yanked her arm away and ran.
* * *
FRANK
He had been avoiding Delilah for four days. Four days of cold showers that did nothing to ease his cock. Not that he should even be thinking about sex with her, not after what had happened in town. He wasn’t even sure if he could apologize for what he had done, but he knew he had to try. She hadn’t hurt anyone. She was Tess’s sister risen from the dead practically. He had some foolish idea that they could start over, that a book—the one thing that had helped him hold on to his sanity while in prison—would be the peace offering he needed.
He was wrong. So very wrong.
A few haughty remarks from her and he had gone right for the jugular, like he was taught to do as a guard. Except she wasn’t the enemy, and this wasn’t a battle—at least it wasn’t supposed to be.
The worst part of this entire fiasco was that she was hurting, and he suspected he wasn’t the only one who’d hurt her, that he was simply the most recent one to do so.
“What’s going on here?” Tess asked as Delilah nearly knocked her over in her attempt to flee him.
‘I didn’t have a choice either.’She had said. It was true then. He had pressured her,forcedher into sex.
It took all Frank’s energy and focus to stand there and finish what he had started. He would never be able to undo the damage, but the least he could do was apologize, perhaps find a way to return some of the power he had stolen from her.
Delilah glared at him and then turned to walk away, not run as before. She didn’t need to run now that Tess was here. He’d never get her alone if she told Tess everything. Then he’d lose Tess as a friend as well because she most certainly would support her sister, as she should—as he should have.
Frank’s heart felt tighter than ever, as bad as the third year in prison when all mail had stopped. Nothing, not a single letter for nearly two fucking years. He had thought they’d forgotten about him, or worse, had decided he wasn’t worth the trouble.
He would speak with Delilah, whether she wanted him to or not. Before she could flee again, Frank gripped Delilah by her upper arm. She winced, and he loosened his grip, but he didn’t let go.
“Let her go, Frank,” Tess ordered.
“She and I need to talk. We’re going someplace private, so we won’t frighten the kids.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, ass.”
“Lily, lower your voice. I’ve got five- and six-year-olds over there.”
“She’s sorry, Tess,” Frank said. “It won’t happen again.”
Delilah glared at Frank. “You don’t speak for me.”
“Yet, Delilah. You’re still having trouble with that one word.Yet.”
He really was an ass. Days telling himself he’d never have her, and yet when she pushed, he shoved back. He wasn’t even sure if it was his wolf telling him she was his or his soul that couldn’t let go of a female it recognized as a kindred spirit. A growl emerged, unbidden, but not unappreciated. The look on her face, the way those green eyes looked to him with an unspoken plea he had yet to understand, the way Delilah’s breathing intensified. . . No, he had not misspoken before. She would be his, if he could find a way past those walls of hers. . .if he could be better than who he was.
Tess’s head moved from Delilah to him. “She doesn’t want to go with you. She’s staying here.”
“You don’t have a say in this, Tess,” Frank said, his eyes locked on Delilah.
“Do I have to remind you of the oath you swore to me not too long ago, Frank?” Tess challenged. He should have known he wouldn’t get rid of her so easily, not when her sister was involved.
“Damien left me in charge of security,” he rebutted. “This involves our security.”
