Dread courses through my entire body. He knows. Everything I’ve done for the last month, every effort I’ve made and all the pain I’ve put both of us through, is rendered pointless in the blink of an eye. Now, there’s no telling what will happen.
I take a deep breath, wondering how in the world I’m going to get her and me out of this one. A part of me considers running, but it’s guaranteed Paulo is armed and he’ll hold us at gunpoint to get Cal what he wants.
“You have no idea what you’ve done,” I tell the dipshit who brought her here. “Come on, Delaney.”
Carter steps in front of me, blocking my way. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
“Yeah? Are you going to fucking tell him that?” I shout. “He’ll put bullet in all our damn heads!”
“Okay, someone better tell me what is going on, and now.”
Focusing my attention on her, I instantly soften. “There’s so much you don’t know. So much I tried to protect you from.”
“He’s getting impatient,” Paulo says.
I roll my eyes, shoving my way past Carter and taking Delaney’s hand in my own. The two of us follow Paulo out of the arena and up the stairs. Just as we reach the door, he positions himself outside it. I turn to Delaney and gently touch her cheeks.
“I am so sorry.”
Closing my eyes, I press a kiss to her forehead. She gives me a confused look as I pull away but I don’t give her an explanation. She’s about to learn for herself.
I open the door and the two of us walk through. Cal turns around from the window with a snide grin on his face.
Delaney’s breath hitches. “Uncle Dom?”
“Hi, beautiful.” He puts his arms out for a hug and instinctively, I put my hand out to stop her from going to him. His expression turns to a glare. “Let me hug my niece.”
“Not fucking happening. She’s not leaving my side.”
He smirks. “So, she was more than a good fuck after all.”
“You said that about me?” she questions, clearly hurt.
Cal lets out a deep laugh. “Oh, don’t hold it against him, doll. He was just trying to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
“Me…or him, depending on how you look at it.”
My jaw is locked so tight my teeth could cut through steel right now. “Don’t.”
Delaney is getting impatient as she smacks my hand away. “Can someone please explain to me what’s going on? What is this place?”
He leans against his desk and lights a cigar. “You see, darling, I’m in the business of providing services. People who need a willing target to take out their anger on. People who want to see a fight. Gamblers who need a little thrill with their bets.” He levels me with a look. “Even messes that need to be cleaned up.”
“Is that what you were doing down there?” she asks me. “Taking your anger out on that guy?”
I go to answer her, but Cal obviously isn’t going to let me. “No, Knox is in much deeper than that.”
“Shut up,” I hiss through gritted teeth.
“Delaney, come over here.”
Stepping in front of her, I’m ready to snap. “Over my dead body.”
He pulls out a gun and cocks it, pointing it straight at me. Delaney shrieks but I don’t even flinch. I’ve stared down the barrel of his pistol enough times to be numb to it.
“Delaney, now,” he demands, keeping his eyes on me. I watch as she hesitantly walks around me and over to her uncle. “Easy, boy. You don’t want to end up like the ones you’ve killed, do you?”