Page 22 of The Addict

I slammed my fist against the door of the car, unable to control my anger. “Dammit!”

I was too late. David had hurt her, I was sure. Once again, my mother was paying the price. I should’ve returned right when she had called, but that would have meant leaving Delane alone to fend for herself against Silas and his lackeys. She would have become another statistic silently taken behind an alley dumpster.

At my outburst, Delane jumped, her eyes widening as she looked at me. Her form was tense, her body angling closer to the car door, away from me. “I-I can leave, i-if you w-want...” She mumbled hastily, her words stuttering.

I placed my face between my hands. I realized my display must have frightened her. It took a lot out of me to keep my anger at bay. My emotions were like ticking time bombs, and the information Marcus gave me about my mom lit the already very short fuse. “No, this isn’t your fault. You’re fine.”

I studied the back of the passenger seat, willing the car to move faster.

Delane spoke up again, almost reassuringly, which startled me. “I’m not sure what’s wrong, but I’m sure it will be okay.”

I resisted the sigh of annoyance brewing within. She knew nothing.

“You’re probably right,” I agreed, to appease her.

When I looked up, I saw her pitiful attempt at a smile. “Thank you again, for helping me,” she murmured.

Something within me tugged from her smile. My pulse quickened, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from traveling the map of her mouth down to her bare collarbone, suddenly so aware of her near naked form encased in my clothing. She was stunning.

“You’re more than welcome,” I answered.

She laughed quietly. “I mean, you literally saved me.”

“It was nothing, really,” I said, feeling a bit out of place. I had never been a “hero” before. This was new to me.

I glanced out the window to see the mansion coming quickly into view. The car took a turn and began its descent down the winding pathway to the roundabout in front of my home.

Delane gasped, nearly pressing herself into the glass to get a better look. “Woah...is that where we’re going?”

I nodded, amused at her attentiveness. “This is where I live.”

I found her reaction absolutely adorable to the place I considered normal. Boring, even.

Honestly, every person usually reacted the same. I guessed it was a low or middle class thing. People were always thrilled to see my home, my cars (although they were actually Damian’s), and my collections of miscellaneous shit that my mom swore “had value” and enhanced the aesthetic. Usually, when I took a woman back to my home, it was to fuck, so this was a little different.

The sporadic thought of laying Delane down across the mahogany table in my dining room suddenly crossed my mind and I shook my head, hoping to rid my brain of the image.

But that was easier said than done.

My attention drifted back to Delane, observing with humor as her mouth dropped slightly when the car pulled to a stop in front of the two story doorway. Her hands were still glued to the window.

“Shall I get the door for you, Mr. Hansen?” Marcus asked politely, placing the vehicle in park.

Delane had already unlocked the door and stepped outside to get a better look before he finished his offer. While she was distracted, I decided to rummage in the rear seat compartment.

“No, thanks,” I handed Marcus a few big bills. “Thank you for arriving at such a late hour.”

Before I could step out of the vehicle, Marcus reached behind the head rest and grabbed my shoulder. “Son, please, don’t do anything stupid.”

I slipped the item I had been searching for into the back of my pants. “Of course not.”

Marcus’s grip tightened. “Anger is not the answer,” he sighed. “Son, anger is a drug. Remember that.”

I smirked. I was fortunate to have a thorough understanding of drugs. Plus, I was ready to let off some of the rage that had been bottled up inside of me for the better part of the night. I had been so good. Not a single fight.

Yet.

Ready for Marcus to stop calling me “son,” and get his hands off of me, I said, “I’ll be fine.”