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I pay close attention to Della, so I notice when she pales and her entire body stiffens before she draws away. I want to ask her about it, ensure that she’s okay, but she shakes it off and hooks an arm through her friend’s before dragging her to one of the food trucks at the entrance of the pier market.
Cowboy and I hang back, watching them order and sit at a picnic table, waiting for their number to be called. “You been with her long?” I ask casually, when inside, he’s my first suspect.
“Almost five years.” The man is intelligent and catches onto my train of thought. “I’m not the one behind whatever is happening. She’s a good kid; I’d give my life for her. Hurting her is not something I’m in the game for.”
“Any idea who would want to harass her?” Oddly enough, I believe the guy. I’ve always been good at reading people, and his words ring sincere.
“Any one of Carter’s enemies. Any asshole with eyes. Any jealous bitch wanting at the O’Neill empire.” Basically, everyone is what he’s saying.
“No names come to mind, then?” I like that he takes a few minutes to think before answering me.
“No. Carter gets plenty of threats. There are tons of rumors, but nothing has ever been directly towards Della.” Nodding, I motion for the girls to remain seated when their order is ready, and I grab it for them myself.
“Ladies, lunch is served.” Cece blushes as I hand her her street tacos with a foot-long churro. Della hunches her shoulders as I place her taco salad in front of her and get a little too close. Brushing my fingers across her covered shoulder, I glide them up the exposed length of her neck, enjoying the way she shivers as I tuck her hair behind her ear. “Enjoy, girls.”
Returning to Cowboy, I watch Della closely, inspecting the way she traces the path my fingers took and staring down at the tips like she expects something magical to happen. When she cuts a look back at me, there’s a vulnerability in her gaze I have yet to witness, and I’d like nothing more than to expose more of it. Peel away every layer of this woman, piece by piece, until she’s nothing but a shell for me to explore and put back together in a way I see fit.
By the time they’re finished eating, the air has become sweltering, and I wonder how the hell she’s still wearing her little sweater and not dying of heat.
“I can take your sweater,” I whisper in her ear from behind, causing her to jump.
“I’m fine.” Though, there are beads of perspiration on her face.
“You’re not. You’re going to make yourself sick.” My warning is a little more forceful than I’ve been with her thus far.
“I tell her that all the time,” Cece says, scrunching up her nose. “But she never listens, and she wonders why she’s feeling sick by the end of the afternoon.” I’m growing to like this young woman more and more.
“That so?” I grin as I wrap my arms around Della and begin unbuttoning her sweater.
“Please, Holy, don’t.” At the fear in her tone, I stop. I’ve never been able to resist a woman in distress.
Instead, I grip her hand, twining our fingers, and drag her towards a booth selling fresh pink lemonade. Ignoring the way she stiffens in my hold, I push forward and pretend like nothing is amiss.
Accepting the drink, I take a gulp before handing it to Della and watching her take a tentative sip. Her lips wrap around the straw, touching my saliva, causing the beastly part inside me to roar.
It’s because of that beast that I nearly miss the way Della pales slightly and appears sick before tugging her hand out of mine. Something is happening with this girl and being left in the dark won’t fucking happen much longer.
Gripping her bicep, I drag Della between two booths as Cowboy and Cece watch us. “Look, I get that you don’t trust me, but whatever is going on here today, I need to know because one minute you look like you’re about to pass out, and the next you're like a happy little girl in a toy store. I need to know what you know so I can keep you safe, Della.”
Her eyes skirt away from mine, gazing out at the ocean beyond the pier's railing, into the wandering waters, and past the horizon. This is a woman carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and I suddenly see how exhausted she truly is.
“I just want to get my stones and go home, Holy.” I’ll never tire of how my name sounds in her voice, but this time, I can’t admire it. I need to show her that whatever is plaguing her, I’m here to hold it at bay.
She wanders to the wood railings, leaning forward to stare down into the watery abyss, attempting to keep everything in check. The woman is a wall I want to breach.
Standing behind her rigid frame, I place my hands over hers and lean my head into the back of hers. “We can do that, but you have to open up to me sooner rather than later.”
She nearly wilts in my hold at my easy acceptance of her desires. I have the feeling she doesn’t get that very often.
CHAPTER 5
Della
Darkness descends.
Living in a cloud of deep depression, sinking with the ship into the depths of the water, is the only way to describe how I feel. I block out everything from those around me and am left with my own feelings. A scary place to be when all I want is to bask in sunshine and enjoy the rays of light.
Darkness descends.
