Saving Della Ray

“I don’t care,” he replied, his face set and menacing.

“Alright,” I said, my heart a little torn. “That means then that there can be absolutely nothing real between us, so I will say what I wanted to.”

“Go ahead.”

“I-I just want to sleep with you, at least once. Believe it or not—I’ve only ever been with one guy, and that was a disaster, so I want to feel the way you made me feel that night.” I shut my eyes then, my hands wringing with nerves. After all, he had said I should have been running for the hills … instead I was still here.

“I can make you feel better than you felt that night,” he stated softly.

I didn’t know how to respond to that. An ‘okay’ seemed a bit lackluster and ‘thank you’ was not exactly appropriate, so I remained silent. I must have been silent for a long time, because when I turned to steal a glance at him he was quite soundly, and I hoped, peacefully asleep.

I stayed watching him sleeping for a few minutes, because he was so beautiful when he was asleep, then I quietly left his apartment and went to work.

Bone

I was torn awake from a nightmare to find myself bolting upright in bed. I was gasping for breath, my heart was pounding like an African drum, and my whole body was drenched in sweat. Just another nightmare. My breathing slowed as the red mist faded away. I cupped the throbbing wound on my arm with my hand.

I knew without checking that she had left. It was as much as a relief as it was a disappointment. I had been weak last night. I shouldn’t get close to her.

She must never know what her mere presence yesterday evening did for me. From the complete senselessness of the attack to the boy whose life had forever been changed right in front of me … it was more than I could take. The only way for me to get me through another breath was her.

And it had worked.

I looked at the pizza boxes. They were unopened. Moving forward, I opened the box. It was hers. Ham and pineapple. I pulled a piece and took a bite … and nearly gagged. I spat it back into the box … not even for you, Della.

My phone was buzzing.

I turned to look for it and only then realized my gun was still hooked to my fingers. I had returned back to the room with it and hid it under the pillow as I had fallen asleep. I flung it aside and picked up the phone.

It was Snake. “Where are you?” came his cold voice.

“I needed some air,” was my gruff response.

“Where?” he asked.

My brows furrowed into a frown. Had something gone wrong? My thoughts instantly went to the girl and I felt the hairs on my body stand to attention. “Is there a problem?”

“We have church right now. How far are you from Reno’s?”

“I’ll be right there.” I ended the call.

I thought for a moment about what the buzzing running through me could mean, but apart from the girl, nothing else came to mind. I thought to call her, but then I realized that I didn’t even have her phone number.

“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath. I immediately tore my bedding away and reached into the slit in the mattress for my second phone. I switched it on and got my old friend, Yuri on the line.

“Do you know what time it is?” he asked.

“Can you help me look a number up?”

He groaned. “Sure, whose?”

I gave him Della’s address.

“Okay I’ll look it up.”

“Can you do it now?” I could feel him about to ask, so I immediately cleared the air. “It’s personal.”

“Uh … that puts me in a tight spot. You know I can’t reve—”

“Are you going to make me go to someone else?”

With a sigh, he agreed and the conversation came to an end.

I needed a shower, but I didn’t have time for it so I quickly washed. Her number was already in my phone by the time I got out of the bathroom. I pulled on an old vest, it was easier to get into than a t-shirt. Then I memorized the number before I switched the phone off, returned it to its place, and ran from the apartment. I was on my Harley and on my way in no time, navigating the chilly night with my only good hand.

The moment I arrived at the discrete midtown bar, a text lit up my phone. I stared at it in surprise. It had been so long since I’d received a text, but when I saw that it was from Volt, I froze.

I pulled it up as I disembarked from the bike and read it.

They tailed you … Tell them about the girl.