Bones growls, but I’m so used to his grumpy attitude that it doesn’t faze me. If he wanted me to fall in line, he knows better than to pull any alpha posturing shit.
“Do you think it’s safe to destroy the chip?” Phantom asks, wisely redirecting the conversation.
He moves away, sitting down at the table and leaning heavily on it, his forearms flexing as he twists his hands. I follow suit, taking my usual seat as Bones and Cross get the hint and join us. I set down my tablet and connect to my remote server, pulling up the data from the chip.
“I mean, it’s not going to explode, so I suppose?” I answer with a shrug.
“I don’t think we should,” Cross mutters, speaking so low it’s almost to himself.
All of us whip our heads around to look at him, expressions a mix of confusion and alarm. But he’s not really looking at any of us, his jade green gaze fixed on the surface of the table, lost in thought. There are several tense moments of silence as we wait for him to elaborate.
“If we destroy it, then he knows we’re onto him. And I don’t like that he knows where we are,” Cross says, tone unchanging.
“Well, what do you propose we do about that?” Phantom asks, a hint of irritation hidden behind his flippant attitude.
Cross looks up at that, and my heart kicks a little harder in my chest as a Cheshire cat smile spreads across his handsome face. Whatever plan he’s cooked up, it’s going to be good.
Chapter forty-six
Iusedtohatebaths. I’m too restless to sit and steep in my own personal broth for them. But with Delilah, I’m finding a brand new appreciation.
I’ve added relaxing salts and oils to the water, lit the candles, turned down the lights, and created the perfect cocoon of warmth and comfort inside the soaking tub. And when I settle Delilah backwards against my chest in the water, the skin-on-skin contact between us drains the tension from her fragile body, one heartbeat at a time.
I’m careful to keep the incision out of the water, though every time I look at it, my stomach churns with boiling, acidic rage. The person who hurt Delilah was already a dead man walking before I found out about the tracker,but now…
Now death won’t be good enough for the sick bastard.
I gently run my fingers through Delilah’s ponytail, purring for her constantly. Her scent isn’t nearly as strong as it was a while ago, but I almost miss it. It’s been so muted and ashy for so long, and even though it was under duress, breathing in her true, untainted scent was like taking the first hit of a new drug. I’ll be chasing that high for the rest of my life.
“J-Joker?” Delilah stutters, so low I almost miss it.
“I’m right here, beautiful,” I reply, leaning forward to nuzzle my temple against hers.
“I…I’m remembering so much. Too much,” she whimpers, and my heart shatters.
“Talk to me, luv. I’m here to listen,” I say, pulling her even closer.
I swallow hard as she lets out a choked sob, shaking her head.
“I don’t want to be in my head. Not right now. There’s too much…too much…”
Delilah trails off, and I let out a silent breath. I know what she’s asking, and I can’t deny the deeply twisted part of my soul that wants nothing more than to give her that. But I don’t think I can. At least not alone.
“I want to help you so much, but I need you to say what you want out loud. I’m not going to do anything you don’t consent to,” I answer, voice dropping almost a full octave.
“I need someone to get me out of my head. I don’t want to think, or remember. Please,” she begs, twisting slightly to look up at me in the low light.
“And if I need to pull in one of the alphas?” I ask, my mind already turning.
Delilah nods, ponytail bouncing. “I trust you. Trust them. Please.”
That’s all the permission I need. Careful of her incision, I wrap my hand around her jaw and throat, pulling her head to mine and slanting my lips over hers. Our first kiss was tame, testing the waters. But right now, she doesn’t need my softness. I move her lips with mine, forcing them to part with my tongue so I can taste her before she has a chance to object. Not that she tries to resist. She melts into my grip, yielding control so beautifully.
I gather her more securely in my arms without breaking our kiss, all while tugging on my bond to Bones, asking for his presence without words. The answering tug is questioning, asking why, and I only send my desire in response.
“Let’s get you back to the nest,” I mutter between heated kisses.
Delilah nods, and we rise together from the tub. I help her out, wrapping her in a fluffy towel before scooping her up in my arms and carrying her back out to the bed. Within moments, Bones is there in the doorway, half inside the room.