Fractured Freedom(20)
Her loyalty to her sister, the willingness to defend, made her a lot stronger to me in that moment.
“We both know you wouldn’t do this,” I said softly, trying to lessen the blow. “I could only get you out for now, but—”
“Nope.” She basically shouted the word, then her head shook back and forth before she pounded her miniscule fist on the dashboard. “No, Dante. Don’t feed me bullshit and empty promises. We are not leaving her here alone. We leave this parking lot with her, or I go back in there to be with her.”
“Jesus, Delilah. She’s been in juvenile hall, she’ll be fine.” I winced at my words. To even my own ears they sounded callous.
“Oh my God. You know damn well this isn’t the same.” Before I could stop her, she flew out the door, jerking away from my reach. “There has to be something we can do.”
Oh, fuck me.
I was chasing her down, my dick in the wrong place all over again as I looked at her backside. I scrambled to grab her around the waist to haul her back toward the car. We didn’t have time to be bickering outside the correctional institution. It would cause unneeded attention.
She literally fought me the whole way. It was a forbidden feeling to hold a woman like that because I usually only indulged with those who wanted it. With Lilah, though, my dick was harder than a rock before I even made it to the car. I shouldn’t have lusted after her, kicking and screaming like a little wild animal in my arms.
“She’s getting out in a few weeks, woman. If she’d listened, I would have got her out today. She wants this. Not me. So stop fighting me before I do something about it,” I whispered into the nape of her neck.
The fight left her as I set her down near the car door. She looked at me with questions flying around behind her eyes. “Did you say she wants—”
“Get in and I’ll explain.” I cleared my throat and rubbed my hand over my head once, trying to keep my thoughts straight. “Just listen.”
“If you’re lying, I’ll find a way to make you pay.”
“Even though I’ve told you time and time again that you’re as small as a lamb, I believe that, Delilah, I really do.”
7
Go Undercover
Delilah
I yanked the car door from Dante’s grip and slammed it shut before he had a chance to.
What the ever-loving fuck was going on?
My whole body vibrated with fury by the time he rounded the hood of the vehicle and went to sit in the driver’s seat.
Dante and I weren’t like family. He said we were, but he was so wrong. So fucking wrong. I’d had an idiotic crush on that stupid boy since middle school. And he had my v-card. His assessment was enraging along with the fact that I knew something definitely wasn’t adding up about this whole situation.
He glanced at me as he put the car in drive, and I told myself not to be impressed by the veins on his forearm as he navigated us out of the parking lot.
Dante Reid somehow multiplied in muscles and height every time I saw him. I hated that he still smelled like sandalwood but dressed in freaking tailored pants and a snug T-shirt that showed me exactly how well he’d aged over the last few years.
“Talk,” I commanded louder than I intended to, but it was a great start. I needed to hold onto that anger and make it known that he owed me an explanation.
He cleared his throat as if he was nervous. “First off, Little Lamb, let’s calm down. I learned this Reiki technique—”
“If you call me Lamb again, I’ll claw your eyes out,” I spat. “I don’t need old nicknames and consoling techniques right now. I need the truth.”
He took a deep breath before he said, “Okay, let’s get back to your place, then. Are you still at the same hotel you stayed at with Izzy?”
“Yes. I live there on a month-to-month basis. The hospital set it up when I took the nursing job.” I typed it into my phone, and the navigation started.
He tsked before grumbling, “I know where this hotel is.”
“Great.” I blew off his comment because it wasn’t important. All that mattered was that they’d planned some idiotic part of this. “Now, explain how not getting Izzy out is doing what she wants, apparently.”
“It’s a long story, Lilah,” he said like he was all of a sudden too tired to tell it.
“The cobbled stones of Old San Juan, although beautiful, will make for a slow drive. So start explaining.”
He scratched his eyebrow before he continued. “Some of it’s classified. And some of it you and Izzy should discuss. She’s your sister and you two need—”
“Oh, please don’t start with trying to smooth the waters for me and my sister.” God, was he trying to be the peacemaker here? “And classified information? Wow, well, you can forget about that because obviously I already know too much.”
“Let’s keep calm.” His voice sounded the exact same way it had when I was younger and he was trying to keep me from freaking out. Too bad that technique had never worked for me then and definitely wouldn’t work now.
He grumbled, “I’m not giving you all the details, because you don’t need them. Information is classified so you’re not in danger.”