Page 155 of Maddox
“Maddox?”
“Hm?”
My mind is going a million miles a minute. I need Delaney away from this right fucking now. I can’t think straight knowing she was so close to the poor dead waitress.
“I need–”
“Later, princess,” I say.
“But–”
“Keys.” I snap my fingers, and she frowns but pulls them from her pocket.
After unlocking the door, I push her gently toward the car and when she resists, I bark, “You can’t be here, Delaney.Please.”
Her wide eyes meet mine and I lock my jaw to keep from saying more. Thank fuck, she slowly nods, and I exhale before kissing her forehead and saying, “Go.”
Once she’s behind the wheel, I watch her go before turning away. I have to take care of Darcy but once that’s done, it’s time to do some hunting.
There’s a little weasel that’s about to meet his end.
Chapter 36
Maddox
The room is packed to capacity when I arrive, and I glance around at my brothers while Wolf paces at the front.
Pops called church an hour ago, but I haven’t seen him to find out why.
I spent the evening with Josh and showed him the error of his ways. His screams still echo in my ears and even though I showered before I came down, my skin still burns from his blood. I’ve killed before but usually in the name of self-defense.
This time, I enjoyed every fucking second of it. If I could have, I would have spread that blood across my face as a true warrior. As it stands, I buried him so deep, nothing but time will keep him company.
My bones ache as a result and I’m fucking thirsty but the panic pushing at my vision is gone. That asshole will never hurt Delaney again.
His confessions still rebound around my brain though and I bite back another surge of rage as I scan the room. Delaney’s ex, the asshole, fell right into Josh’s trap and what none of us could have guessed was that Josh didn’t plan to rape Delaney. Nope, he was working for the Aces.
If I hadn’t come along that night and shit this evening, she would have ended up in Ice’s clutches, thoughts of which press at my chest like a lead weight.
Why does that fucker want her so badly?
With the crisis averted, I can rest a little easier, but I know I can’t let this go. Her pig stepfather isn’t capable of facing off with Ice, but I am and I’m not about to just stand by while Delaney is in danger.
Not only that, but we've found Darcy’s body and while I mourn the bright-eyed girl who was always down to have some fun, my heart slams in my chest for another girl who could have been next.
Knowing how close she was to death sends a shiver through me and it’s this that hardens my resolve.
Delaney deserves more than some asshole contemplating using her to get to the Aces. I failed her and the best gift I can give in the aftermath, once this is done, is to stay far the fuck away.
When Pops blows through the door, I turn my focus as the room drops to silence. He stops beside Wolf and traces his gaze across the crowd.
I’ve seen him at his lowest after we found Mom, and he couldn’t pull himself from the bottle. I watched him savagely beat the man who slit her throat with nothing but satisfaction behind his eyes.
I’ve never seen this particular look though and a chill marches down my spine when his eyes land on mine.
Something dark passes behind his expression before he says, “My daughter is missing.”
That’s when the floor drops out from under me and the blood previously pumping through my heart races to my head.
