“But it won’t be as fun without the outfits, Delilah. The tutus, crowns, and then the cute stuffed animals around the table. That’s the fun stuff.”
“You’ve thought about this a lot.”
“Well, maybe I have,” he sasses back at me, exiting the kitchen in a blaze.
Delilah chuckles. “He’s something else.”
“He’s something,” I mumble. “Ready to go see Ryan?”
She nods, taking the smoothie out of my hand, and I follow her from the kitchen, down the steps, and then down the darkened hallway where the suites are. Every member who lives here has their own room.
Delilah finds the third door on the left and knocks. “Ryan? It’s Delilah. I brought you a smoothie.”
There’s a rustling behind the door, and a second later, it swings open, showing an exhausted Ryan. He has dark circles under his eyes, but his smile seems genuine. His gaze shifts me, and his smile falters.
“Mr. Milazzo, how are you?”
“I’m good, Ryan. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. Thank you for bringing me breakfast. I’m starving.” He takes the glass from Delilah and bypasses the straw, gulping down half the smoothie.
“Ryan, I wanted to ask you a few things.” Delilah enters the room, and I’m right behind her.
“You can shut the door, Ryan. We need privacy for this conversation.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. I don’t want anyone listening in on our conversation. I have told Delilah what I would like her to asked, questions I believe will be easier coming from her than me.
Ryan swallows, wiping the corner of his mouth. “Right,” he whispers, his hand trembles as he grabs the handle and shuts the door.
I look him over to make sure he’s okay. His bruises have faded to pale yellow, and he has a small scar near his eye from where Delilah had to relieve the pressure. A lot of blood poured out, but the swelling immediately went down. He seems like he is on the mend, but I don’t like that he stays in his room alone so much. He came here for sanctuary and has yet to treat this house as his home.
“You aren’t a prisoner, Ryan. You’re able to come and go as you please,” Delilah informs him.
He stares at his feet,
scratches the back of his head and he nods. “I have nowhere to go. I’m afraid they will find me and kill me if I leave. I’m only safe in this room. This is it for me.”
“Romano has been very quiet since my kidnapping.” Delilah begins to tiptoe toward what I want her to ask. “Do you know why? I thought you said he had a plan.”
Ryan’s brows pinch together as he thinks, taking a seat on the bed. “He does. He did, from what I heard. His plan fell through if the man he hired to kidnap you went off the rails. I know he wanted you alive, and from what I understand, you said this guy wanted to kill you, right?”
Delilah snorts. “To kill me and chop me up into bits.”
I growl, wishing I could kill that asshole all over again. Delilah pats my arm when Ryan flinches.
Ryan takes another drink of his smoothie. “You’re worth more to Romano alive than you are dead. He wanted to make a show of having you. You’d earn him money.” He flicks his attention to me and winces. “I’m sorry. I don’t like saying things like that in front of you, Mr. Milazzo.”
“It’s okay. All information is good information.” I try to keep my mouth shut so Delilah can lead the conversation. Ryan is afraid of me, and it’s best to remain calm and collected.
“Do you know why he’s been quiet?” Delilah asks, her voice gentle and kind. It washes over me like a warm blanket, and I’m less stressed after I hear it.
“His attempt to kidnap you failed. You lived. He’s probably hiding to buy some time to figure out his next move.” His leg begins to shake with anxiety, and he rolls his head over his shoulders.
Delilah takes his hand, holds on to it, and takes a deep breath to calm herself. “Do know where he would hide? Even his docks have been empty. No boats, no merchandise in or out, there’s nothing. It’s like he disappeared.”
“I’m so sorry I don’t know. If I did, I’d tell you. I’d tell you in a heartbeat because I hate him. I want him dead. I never got that information. Anything I know is because I listened when I wasn’t supposed to. I wouldn’t let your guard down. He’s out there. He’s waiting for the right time. And now that you’re pregnant, he will only want you more.”
“I won’t let him get near her,” I sneer, and Ryan flinches at my tone.
Delilah switches gears. “Well, I get to leave the house today and go on a little adventure. Do you want to come with us? Carmine will be there, along with Matias. We will be protected. I think it will be good for you to get out of the house.”
Ryan chews on his thumbnail as he thinks, then crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t know. It’s safe here. I like safe. I’ve never been safe before. There’s no one here taking-” He shuts his eyes and shudders. “I haven’t been touched. I like my room.”
“We don’t want you to think you’re unwanted here. You can come upstairs and socialize. It is your new start in life. Come with us today, and then you can stay in your room all night.”
Ryan stares at her for a minute and agrees. “Okay.”
“She’s pretty persuasive when she wants to be.” I can’t hide how proud I am of her. “Just to be sure, there’s nowhere you can think of where Romano would go?”
“No, I’m sorry. I was…” his throat bobs, and his cheeks turn pink. “I was kept in a windowless room. I slept on the floor on a thin mattress with a ratty blanket. I wasn’t allowed to know anything that happened in the organization. I was kept away from it all. From everyone.”
“Oh.” Delilah throws herself at Ryan, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug. “That won’t happen here with us. Don’t lock yourself away here. Promise me you’ll try to give yourself a chance.”
“I promise.” Ryan lifts his arms, unsure of what to do with them until finally, he wraps them around her.
The poor kid is touch starved-for positive touch. His fingers curl into her back, and he holds onto her for dear life, burying his face in her shoulder.
He doesn’t want to let go.
I wait for the jealousy, my possessive nature to burst free, but it doesn’t. The kid needs someone, and there isn’t anyone better than Delilah.
“We’re leaving in a few minutes. Meet us upstairs.”
“Yes, Mr. Milazzo,” he says, still not letting go of Delilah. As Ryan squeezes his eyes shut, a tear drips free, and I have to look away.
Suddenly, I want to find anyone who has ever hurt him, or allowed him to be hurt, and wipe away their very existence. Somehow this kid came to mean something to me. I know what it’s like to be abused by someone who is supposed to love you. Ryan reminds me too much of myself when I was younger. I lift my hand and let it hover right above his shoulder, debating for a moment. I let it fall and squeezed his shoulder.
His eyes snap open, fear glazing from the pupil to the whites of his eyes.
“You’re safe here, Ryan. You have my word.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Milazzo. A man’s word means nothing to me.”
Delilah lets go and cups Ryan’s face like a child needing love. “I can promise that Carmine’s word is the only word you’ll ever need to trust.”
“I’ll try to believe you. It will take time.”
“I understand.” I open the door, needing to escape all this vulnerability and emotion. It’s bringing back too many memories and too much pain. I’m not good at emotions or trying to understand them. I either hate or love; I have never spent much time concentrating on anything in between.
Everything in between is nonsense and inconsistent, but with Delilah, I’m learning the feelings between hate and love are defining and leave marks.
Delilah is love.
And everything in between.