Page 11 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“Why are you here?” Deloris had asked herquestion softly, keeping her voice low so the server wouldn’t hear.“With me?”
“Because I find you fascinating.” Dolph hadgiven her honesty, something he normally held close to the vest.“Because you interest me. Have since the first time I saw you.”
Gesturing at the table between them, she’darched an eyebrow and asked, “And this is all you want?”
He’d reminded himself of her age andprobable innocence. “No.” Honesty had kept her in her seat; he’dthought it might serve him again. “I would like much more, shouldyou choose to grant it to me.” He reached out and waited, palm up,fingers curled. “The choice is always yours, Deloris.”
The first tentative touch of her hand on hishad driven the very air from his lungs. Her verbal response hadprovoked a different physical reaction. “And if I already know Iwant to choose you, Dolph? What happens then?”
Dolph shifted in the seat,wishing for the solitude he’d imagined in those hours watching herat the library. The rest of their conversation played out in hismemories.“Then, you finish yourschooling. And you select a college to attend. And we have manymore dinners such as this one, but maybe not in so public asetting.” His main message was one of satisfaction with who shewas, and Dolph wanted to make certain she understood. “I don’t wantyou to change the trajectory of your life for me, Deloris. I want achance to find where I fit in alongside you, see where we can findan us, perhaps.”
Dolph tightened his armsaround Deloris, holding her tight to his chest.So much for my youthful musings, hethought. She shifted, and her head dropped back as she stared up athim. “My beauty.” He kissed her forehead, murmuring endearments inhis native tongue, words she wouldn’t understand but helped himstay true to the love he held inside himself for her.
“You had to go somewhere.” As Dolph smoothedthe lines between her brows with the pad of one thumb, she reachedup and caught his hand. “Didn’t you?”
“You needed me here.”
“I dreamed you caught me.”
“I’ll always catch you, beauty.”
She settled against his chest again, and hersigh this time was full of sweet trust and a belief in hislove.
If only she could remember.
When their daughter Katrina had been born,Deloris had been articulate and bright, overflowing with love andadoration as she held the infant to her breast.
Ten hours later, she’d barely been holdingon to life itself. That had hurt so much, stealing the breath fromhis body, knowing she was an innocent casualty of a war within hisown family. Then had come the pain of finding out it was a relativewho had called the hit, hoping to undermine Dolph’s hold overAtlanta. Leveraging his love against the brutality of the bratva,and he’d come out the loser.
It had taken years of the bestrehabilitation practices he could buy to bring Deloris back even alittle to herself. And in the mix, she’d lost any memory of whatthey’d been to each other. He’d been wiped from her brain as ifhe’d never existed. Her beauty unchanged, but her mind foreverdifferent. Fear had suffused him, caught up in the what-if worldthat surrounded him then. He’d been holding Katrina when he’d madethe hard decision to follow the path Deloris’ mind had blazed,hopefully taking any hint of target from the backs of his twogirls.
Money had altered Katrina’s birth records toremove his name. More money had set fire to the document storage.Even more money had bought an apartment building where he couldinstall Deloris and Katrina, rent money moved to an account thatfed back into Deloris’ bank. Necessity had him installing a nursewho doubled as a nanny, one loyal only to him.
Everything to keep his girls safe.
He’d then taken on a role defensible inDeloris’ altered memory: family friend and near uncle to littleTrina. It placed him close enough to take part in many of hermilestone moments, but still provided a barrier to keep his enemiesat bay. Not close enough, though, as Trina’s current arrangementhad brought home nearly two years ago.
There were rumblings of more activitydirected at her chosen partner’s club. Rumblings delivered byindependent sources as well as Dolph’s nephew, Pooka. Rumblingsthat were as solid as rumors could be.
Dolph measured everything in his life. Riskversus reward was the least complicated calculation.
To keep his girls safe, he’d do anythingneeded.
Tightening his arms around Deloris, hepressed another kiss to the curve of her forehead, skin warmagainst his dry lips.
Even reach out to Retro.
Chapter Five
Einstein
“Be there in a minute.” Dragging a handroughly down his face, Einstein forced his eyes open and yawned ashe blinked wearily at the darkness shrouding the room. The knockingat his door resumed, and he pushed off the bed, stepping into thejeans he’d discarded last night. “Hold your goddamned horses.”
At least the room had become familiar overthe past months, so he was able to make a beeline for the door.Yanking it open, he stared into Alex’s bleary eyes. The prospect’shand was lifted in preparation to resume the pounding, and Einsteinreached out and grabbed it, stopping the forward movement.
“The fuck you need, man?”
“Popova is downstairs, wants to talk toRetro.” Alex ducked his head, failing to hide a wide yawn behindhis shoulder. “You’re next in line.”
