The tears finally break loose and run down my cheek. “I can’t.”
He huffs out a breath. “From where I sit, it’s not that you can’t; it’s that you won’t.” He releases my wrist. “Go ahead and leave.”
I get out of the car and into my house as fast as I can, and I don’t look back. He’s wrong. I can’t leave everyone.
As I walk past the staircase and toward my dad’s office, I notice the bullet holes from the shootout. In the office, papers are all over the floor, as if someone emptied all the files. On the desk, there is a bottle of scotch and a dirty glass. Nelson was at that desk when he asked me for the divorce over the phone.
I run out of the room to the dining room. This has happier memories, like the time Logan stayed here with us. But then I remember sitting at that table the first time Nelson called me a bitch. My eyes move to the kitchen and the staircase my mom would go up as soon as she finished eating. Instead of parenting us, she would hide out in her room.
I slide down the wall to the floor and cry. I’m almost thirty-four and still feel bound to this house, this family. Why can’t I let it go?
Can I live with never seeing Logan again? I’ve thought about him so many times over the years, and I didn’t imagine our connection. It’s real, and it’s still there.
But can I risk everything again for a man? While this is a different risk than falling in line for my dad or submitting to Nelson, it’s still a risk. What happens if it doesn’t work out?
I need to talk to Sam. She always helps me think through things. But Sam lied to me. I need to see her and find out why. Since I don’t have a phone, I can’t call her.
My eyes spot the hook where we keep spare keys. Nelson’s car is still parked out front. I grab the spare key.
Wait, what day is it? Sam might not be home. No, it’s Saturday, so she won’t be at work.
As I walk to the front door, I again notice the bullet holes and shudder. Suddenly, the idea of staying here is the last thing I want. Maybe Sam can help me find somewhere to go. It’s the least she owes me for lying all these years.
The Porsche goes faster than I expected. I have to watch my speed so I don’t get pulled over. The car smells like Nelson, and that’s not a good thing. He always believed women loved a lot of cologne.
A familiar car is in Sam’s driveway. I march up to her door and brace myself to see him. Before I can knock, the door swings open and Duke is standing before me.
“Delaney?” He reaches out and pulls me in for a big hug, pulling me into the house as he does so. “I’m so happy to see you.”
Sam walks into the room as Duke sets me down.
I step back. “How long have you two been together?”
Sam sighs. “I think we need a drink for this conversation. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
I follow her in and hope they have a reasonable explanation for keeping me in the dark.
CHAPTER21
Logan
It’s beentwo days since Delaney got out of my car and didn’t look back. I’m back in New York working on all the paperwork for my last assignment. Since the FBI was involved, it’s twice as much as it would normally be.
Despite my great attempt to focus on the task, my mind keeps going back to her. What I don’t understand is how she could walk away so easily. It’s possible if we tried a relationship that it would crash and burn. Or it would be the best thing.
I go to the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee. When I open the fridge to grab my creamer, I know right away something is amiss. The bottle of hazelnut creamer on the top shelf is not the one I bought. How do I know this? Because I used a Sharpie to make a small mark near the bottom, and this one doesn’t have that.
Instead of risking it, I close the fridge door and walk my black coffee back to my office. Lightning appears in my door, wearing a grin. Of course, he’s behind whatever is going on.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
“Glad you’re back,” he says.
I know he’s waiting for me to drink the coffee and react to whatever he did to the creamer. I take a big gulp and smile at him.
He frowns and steps further in. “No creamer today?”
“Nope. And not to be short, but I’ve got a lot of paperwork to get through.”
