Page 161 of Maddox
The thought sours my tongue, but I ignore it as we roll up and cut our engines. The door swings open before we reach the porch and a woman with fiery red hair and wide blue eyes steps outside.
She pulls her sweater close and zeroes in on Pops to say, “Where’s my daughter?”
Any hope I fought for on the way here fizzles as Pops raises his hands and says, “That’s why we’re here.”
“She’s not with you?” she asks, glancing at me with a frown.
When Pops shakes his head, she covers her mouth, her thin fingers trembling and I bow my head.
This is so not good. Fuck me.
“Look,” I say, ignoring Pops’ sidelong stare. “We think she might have gone to Ice. You know where he is?”
“Ice?” she gasps, stumbling back.
When Pops rushes forward, grabbing her arm to steady her, she looks up at him with tears in her eyes and says, “Please. Not my daughter too.”
At that, Pops’ frown fades and I cock my head when he rasps, “Tell us where he is.”
I know Wolf said they were once married but I’ve really only ever seen him with my mother and it’s weird to spy the same softness around his eyes for another woman.
“I don’t know,” she cries, grabbing his shirt.
My chest burns at her desperation, and I swallow the lump in my throat before asking, “Why does Ice want her so bad?”
She turns her glossy eyes my way, rolling them over my face and says, “You look just like her.”
When she attempts to smile, I cover my unease by rubbing my neck. Why do I get the feeling that there’s unresolved feelings between these two?
Whatever. Does it matter? No, her daughter does, which is why I mutter, “Delaney…”
The small spark of life fades from her eyes and she shakes her head as she says, “He wants her so bad because he thinks he can use her to get to Jason.”
A trickle of awareness slides down my spine and I turn to Pops who frowns and says, “Why would he think that?”
When she blinks her eyes, it reminds me of Delaney and I rub away the ache in my chest as she says, “Because I think he thinks she’s yours…ours.”
“Huh?” Pops says as I stagger back.
Wait just a fucking second. Delaney?
This can’t be fucking happening.
“That’s not possible,” Pops says, while simultaneously I mutter, “I thought that piece of shit, Snake was her dad.”
“It’s complicated,” Helen sighs while Pops looks on with a puzzled frown.
“No, shit,” I bark. “Can somebody answer the fucking question?”
When Pops eyes me sideways, I wave my arm and he says, “Why would he think she’s ours? We haven’t fucked for over twenty-five years. You tell that shithole you was pregnant with my kid?”
Okay, that’s good. I think I can breathe again but now my chest burns. I pushed her away. For what?
Revenge? This is my fight not hers.
Dammit.
“Like I said,” Helen mumbles. “It's complicated. I never said anything of the sort, but you know how he is.”
