Page 43 of Injustice and Absolution

“Anyway, I would catch Diego watching Maggie, scowling when Fernando got her attention instead of him. She was maybe thirteen or fourteen at the time, and it made me uneasy. Why would someone so much older show that much interest in her at that age?”

Draven purses his lips, reminding me that I just told him what happened between me and Delilah.

“Fuck you. On her life, I never had one ounce of desire for her until after she turned eighteen.” Before he can school me with the math that, regardless of her age, I’m still twenty years older than her, I continue. “Don’t forget what we did for her. I didn’t pull her out of that hellhole only so I could subject her to the same torture.”

“Okay, fair enough.” He nods for me to continue.

I recounted the story from there for Draven, his face contorting into various states of shock from the details of Diego’s proposed deal to come back and take Maggie off my hands.

I wanted to barrel through the eighteen-hour drive home after the swap was made, just to ride off some of my aggression. But Draven convinced me to stay overnight at the clubhouse of our Memphis chapter as we originally planned. It was the right thing to do since the chapter’s president, Reign, planned a huge party, knowing we would be there.

Even two weeks later, I’m still reeling from the entire interaction, but especially over the additional details I received regarding Penny’s disappearance.

I tried locating the letter she left behind to see if I could read between the lines, but I couldn’t find it. Maggie used to have it hidden in her room, but maybe she finally threw it away after all these years.

Giggling breaks my concentration again. I look up to see Delilah furiously typing away on her phone. The joy on her face is something I’ve longed to see for some time now.

You could have been the cause of it if you weren’t such an unbalanced maniac.

My eyes shoot to Maggie who is sitting across from her. She’s also looking at Delilah, but she doesn’t seem happy for her either. I’m surprised to see she’s not engaged in conversation about the cause of Delilah’s unusual, good mood.

Looking back at my plate, I poke at my steak and potatoes until the sound of a chair scraping along the floor causes me to look up again.

“I’m all finished,” Delilah says to the table.

She tucks her phone into the back pocket of her jeans before grabbing her plate and disappearing into the kitchen. Several minutes go by before I hear the front door open, and I wonder where she’s going.

I look to Maggie to see if there is any sign she knows what Delilah is up to. But she too is enamored with her phone.

Fucking kids.

That should have been my reaction toward Delilah as well. Rather than my unwavering interest at her every move. I scoff and shake my head.

I never hear the door close, but I look down the hallway in time to see Delilah crossing the foyer with someone in tow. The boy she’s been giddy over, no doubt.

But when he looks up, I realize he’s no boy.

He’s a grown fucking adult.

I told her to go find someone her own age. What the fuck is she thinking?

As though she can sense my anger from all the way down the hall, her head lifts toward me, meeting my eyes. For a moment so brief only she and I notice it, she stares at me.

Then, without missing a step, she leads him up the stairs to her bedroom.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

ROYCE

Icount to ten as I try to stomp out the irrational anger overtaking me. But it’s a feeble attempt.

“Maggie!” She jumps in her seat due to my abrupt shouting.

“What?” Her reply is laced with attitude.

“Who the fuck is that guy Delilah just let in my house?”

“Probably Drew. Why the fuck are you screaming at me?”

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