Chapter 21

Daelyn

My heart sinks when we pull into the parking lot to the restaurant Dmitri and I had breakfast at yesterday morning.

Kaleb knows I was here with Dmitri .

Keeping my expression blank, I climb out of his car and slam the door shut. We’re dead silent as we walk in and wait for the hostess to seat us. I’m under dressed again. My surroundings sound muffled, and I feel like I’m walking on uneven marshmallows as we follow the hostess to a table in the center of the restaurant.

“Welcome to Maggie’s! I’m Rory and I’ll be your server today. Can I start you off with a drink?”

Panic has sweat blooming down my back as I look away from her. Please don’t recognize me. Please don’t say something about me coming back so soon.

Kaleb orders our drinks because my tongue’s tied. He also orders our food.

Did he tail me yesterday or just look up my location on the app?

Maybe I’m being paranoid. Only one way to find out. “What made you pick this place?” I ask with a light, cheerful tone.

“I know you’ve been wanting to try it.”

That trips me up. “When did I say that?”

“That time we passed by after the switch off with Emmanuel.”

Suddenly too stunned to speak, my mind races to connect the dots in this new game he’s playing with me.

“Remember?” He cocks his brow.

No. I don’t remember. I didn’t know about this restaurant before Dmitri took me here. But I clearly remember the time I’d been sent, on Kaleb’s behalf, with two duffel bags filled with cocaine that I had to hand over to a man named Emmanuel. Ace was with me that day. But it wasn’t on this side of town, so I couldn’t have said I wanted to come to this place to eat.

That… wait… no. I’m sure I didn’t know this place existed. Or am I crazy?

They say when you’ve been through enough abuse, the chemicals in your system change and can actually cause some kind of brain damage. You don’t remember things correctly, if at all. I think I’m suffering from something like that because nothing makes sense to me anymore.

“You look confused, babygirl. Here, let me refresh your memory.” Kaleb pulls his phone out and taps the screen a few times before sliding it across the table.

These videos have nothing to do with me allegedly saying I wanted to come to this stupid restaurant. But they make terror spike in my system again because the first one playing is of me pulling bricks of coke out for someone to check the quality of. And I’m the only person in the video that can be identified…

“It’s pure,” I say to the headless man on camera. “We don’t fuck with cutting.”

My vision tunnels.

Kaleb casually swipes his finger across the screen, bringing up another video. And another. Photos come after that. All of them damning. All of them are evidence that would earn me major jail time.

“Why do you have those?” I whisper. The betrayal stings. How could he have had his men do this?

“Why do you think?” His jawline sharpens with his smile. “Relax, babygirl,” he says with a chuckle. “I just like to make sure you understand the severity of your actions.”

My . Actions.

Icy dread encases me. “You’re blackmailing me.”

“I’m reminding you of who you are, and who owns you.” He points at my wrist. “Because branding you clearly isn’t enough anymore.”

“What’s that even mean?”

“It’s time to put you back on a short leash, Daelyn. Can’t have you thinking you’re allowed to hole up in a fucking hotel room all night when you have responsibilities at home.” He cocks his head to the side. “We don’t want CPS or the DEA or anyone else to see these things, do we? What will happen to Addie if you go to prison?”

It’s a miracle I get my napkin up to my mouth in time to catch the vomit that flies out of me.

Kaleb sits back and looks disappointed. “Jesus Christ, you’re turning into such a weak fucking kitten, Dae. Go clean yourself up.”

Holding the napkin to my mouth, my vision blurs as I snake through the tables and bump the bathroom door open with my hip. Tossing my napkin in the trash, I barely make it to the toilet before I heave again.

I have to do something.

I need to get out of this.

I need to save Addie!

Dry heaves make the vessels in my eyes burst. I haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday morning, beyond those few bites of hamburger and fruit I had with Dmitri at the Monarch.

Dmitri .

I pull out my cell, my instincts screaming that I should call him for help.

But I stop myself. I can’t possibly run to the man I’ve been ordered to ruin with a sob story about the man who sent me to ruin him. That’s fucked.

I don’t think I’ve ever realized how very alone in the world I am until this moment.

I’ve spent my whole life leaning on the wrong people when I needed saving. Foster kids. Councilors. Kaleb. Even Addie.

No more.

No. More.

Flushing the toilet, I rise and roll my shoulders back. My emotions drain out of my head like sand in a sieve, landing in the open box at my feet. The lid slams shut. Calmly walking over to the sink, I wash my hands, rinse out my mouth, and splash cold water on my face.

Blotting dry, I toss the paper towels into the trash and leave the bathroom as a very different creature. I may be stuck between a lion and a wolf, but I’m not without my own claws and teeth.

Kaleb’s right where I left him, only his plate is empty. He sits back, eyeing me like he’s trying to get a read on my current state of mind.

He won’t be able to. I’ve perfected my masks, and this one is my toughest to peel off.

Dropping back into my seat, I dig into my food like a ravenous animal. I’ve barely chewed before I swallow and stuff another spoonful in. Chugging my drink, I drain the glass and lift my finger to catch the server’s attention. “Can I have more orange juice when you get a chance?”

Not waiting for a reply, I shove more food into my mouth and snag Kaleb’s drink, sucking it down greedily. “I didn’t realize I was this hungry.”

“No food service at the hotel last night?”

“Didn’t bother looking.” I suck a piece of food out of my teeth. “I was too busy enjoying a self-care night.”

“Self-care.” Kaleb’s smile is a real one. He’s amused by me. Good. “Is that what it’s called?”

“Sounds classier than finger-banging myself until I decide I’m ready to ride a massive dildo while I’ve got a vibrating butt plug stuffed in my ass, doesn’t it?”

Rory, the stealthy server, grabs my glass and pours more OJ into it. Her cheeks are bright red. I don’t care that she’s heard. In fact, I hope lots of people do. It’ll mess with Kaleb’s head.

“That definitely explains your hobbling this morning, babygirl.”

I salute him with a hushpuppy and eat it.

“Next time you need your holes stuffed…” Kaleb leans in with a devilish grin. “Call me. I’ll send my boys to do the job. You remember how well that went before with Emmanuel’s crew, right?”

My mask nearly slips.

Three years ago, Kaleb allowed Emmanuel’s men to run a train on me to “gain respect”.

He also tried to have Ace fuck me once. Said it was another initiation thing. Ace refused to do it and ended up getting his ass beat so badly he was out of commission for weeks. I have no idea what he did to get back in Kaleb’s good graces, but whatever it took, he’s been Kaleb’s right-hand man ever since.

I think his refusal is the only reason I tolerate the piece of shit.

After cleaning off my plate, I sit back and belch loudly. Kaleb laughs because a few people look over at me with disapproval. “Your manners are deplorable, Daelyn.”

So is the fact that you’re still breathing . “I don’t have to impress anyone here. Their opinions of me don’t matter.”

“That’s my girl.”

I’m not your girl .

Smiling, he waves Rory back over to us. “Can we get the check, please?”

“Sure thing.”

Less than five minutes later, Kaleb’s paid the tab, and we’re back in his car. “Got plans today?”

“Yes.” I buckle in. “I’ve got a mountain of work to do.”

“Why do you insist on working for that dumb company, Daelyn? They don’t pay you what you're worth.”

I lean back and close my eyes. “You know why.”

I refuse to take handouts. I’m trying to be legit. It’s ridiculous Kaleb would even ask such a question after he’s just shown me all the incriminating evidence he has against me.

“I can take care of you, if you’d let me.”

“No, thanks.” I cross my arms and look out the window. “You’ve taken care of me enough.”

Understatement of the century.

“You know everything I’ve done is for your own good, right?” He starts the engine. “The videos, the tracking app, the jobs I put you on. It’s all to help you reach your potential.”

My potential as a what? Drug runner? Whore? “I have zero interest in running some mafia club cartel circuit circus thing, Kaleb. I just want an honest, simple life.”

“You still don’t get it.” He pulls out of the parking lot. “People like us don’t get to have honest, simple lives. We’re made different.”

“Agree to disagree.” Tears prick my eyes and I hold them back, reinforcing my mask. “I’m out. You said if I did this thing with that fighter that I’d be out.”

“I did.”

“Are you rescinding?”

“No.” He sighs and puts his hand on my thigh. “I’m just really hoping you change your mind and want to stay with me.” He side-eyes me. “You’re all I have, Dae. You’re the best thing in my life.”

And yet you punched me in the gut, tried to stab me, and choked me this morning . “I have to do this for myself. If I mean that much to you, you’d want me to be happy, right?”

“I want you happy with me .” His sudden burst of anger is punctuated by the heel of his hand smashing against the steering wheel. At least he’s not touching my thigh anymore. Kaleb exhales loudly through his nose as he tries to calm back down. “I’m sorry I’ve been an asshole lately.”

Lately? Try forever, psycho. “It’s fine.”

“You deserve better.”

Yup. I do. “You’re trying your best.”

“See? That right there.” He grabs my hand and lifts it to his mouth, pressing a kiss on my knuckles. “That’s why I can’t live without you. You’re the only one who gets me. You love me.”

I haven’t said the words I love you to him in years. He’s only fishing right now and I’m not taking the bait.

My silence makes him drop my hand like a hot potato. “I’m going out of town for a few days.”

That perks me up, even though I don’t show it. “Where to this time?”

“Miami.”

Long ago, I would have begged him to take me with him. Not that he ever would. Now, when he goes on these trips, I never ask because I really don’t care. Besides, the less I know, the better.

“When I get back,” he warns, “I expect you to have done your job.”

Saliva floods my mouth, and I swallow before answering. “Okay.”

He looks over at me, once again trying to get a read on my state of mind. And once again, he fails.

“I leave tomorrow and will be back next Friday. Ace will stick around.”

“Great,” I say, annoyed.

Kaleb knocks the side of my head, making it smack the window. “Watch your fucking tone.”

The rest of the drive is dead silent and when he pulls up to my house, I get out and slam the door shut. Ace steps out of my front door, watching me cautiously.

“Dae!” Addie says behind him, beaming a big smile.

Fuck. My. Life .

Kaleb peels wheels, leaving without another insult or slap. Hurray for small mercies.

Ace’s gaze roams my face, stopping at my throat before sailing down the rest of my body and landing on my bandaged hand. His brow pinches slightly as he grinds his molars.

With a big, fake smile in place, I slip past him and step inside my house to see it’s good as new and there’s a much larger TV mounted to my wall.

“Ace bought us a new TV.”

Judging by Addie’s tone, I can tell something’s off with her.

“Yeah. I can see that.” Turning to face him, I block him from coming inside. “Bye, Ace.”

He doesn’t budge from my doorway for a full count of ten, but eventually, he nods and leaves.

Dropping onto the sofa, I bury my face in my hands and sigh heavily.

“Dae?” Addie plops down next to me. “I want to talk to you about something, but I don’t want you to get mad at me.”