Chapter Thirteen: Can We?
Bear
Rocky was cunning and probably had the holdup planned for weeks.
Delphia failed to call me straight away after the robbery.
This near death experience for her launched me right into a time capsule back to the past. Terror swept through me. I couldn’t let this happen again. I was supposed to be her protector, but Rocky got to her before I did. Flashbacks of Murphy’s body being covered in a white sheet and pushed into an ambulance blazed through my mind.
Delphia and I were out on the highway. I decided to take her out of Holbeck where she could breathe for a minute and I could get a grip on my own demons. I assumed for her, Holbeck was becoming a dangerous place.
We were halfway through another little town named Haver, an in-between, nothing place. It had a diner and a few other convenience stores spotted throughout. I liked the spot because to me, it represented a clean slate. Small dust clouds swirled over the golden fields as we rode through. My Harley purred, pulling into a gravel parking lot as I let my engine die.
Delphia looked paler than ever, with dark ominous circles around the bottom of her eyes that I wanted to kill Rocky for. I’d been there, with the gut-wrenching pain and the sleepless nights. I knew more than anyone.
Pain and hopelessness radiated from her eyes as I took my helmet off and walked with her to the inside of the diner.
An older man with a gimpy leg greeted us. “Hello,” he said gruffly. “Are you dining in today or do you want this to go? I just need to know what menu to give y’all.”
“No, we’re going to dine in,” I replied.
Silent, Delphia remained aloof to the man’s greeting.
“Okay, find a seat and I’ll be right over with the menus.” His coarse eyebrow lifted as he eyed Delphia. “Where are y’all coming from? Not many bikers ride through Haver. I see you got your patches. I’m retired from my old club.” A small hint of a smile grew on his face as he said it.
“We’re coming through from Holbeck. Do you know it?” I put my hand on Delphia’s back for her comfort.
“Yes, I know it. It’s not bad there, got the casino and all. Shame about all the Bible bashers ruining it.”
I nodded not wanting to engage any further. My focus was on Delphia and learning about the robbery. I led her to a booth up front. Her eyes were glazed over, and I wanted to get through to her before she gave up completely. We glided into our booth and I sat across from her.
The old man brought the menus to us and smiled then left the table.
“Delphia, how you feeling? I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” A build-up of rage tornadoed through me at my misstep. “I made a promise to protect you and I failed. I’m sorry.” I swallowed down the regret at my wrong move. At the time of the robbery, I was in my living room poring over the last parts of the ride. It was hard to reconcile inside myself that I was in my house without a care in the world while Delphia was being held up by Rocky. It reminded me of my personal Groundhog Day with Murphy, reliving my mistakes over and over again.
“There’s nothing you can do. He’s going to come for me and I’m going to end up like my brother.I don’t know how he keeps doing it. And Bear, I am not your responsibility. You can’t check on me all the time.”
She possessed a forlorn look in her eyes that scared me. “Delphia, look at me.” My military mindset was coming back, and I would need to employ it if I was going to keep Delphia from harm. I would have to eliminate Rocky before he could do any more harm. My initial approach was to shield her, but I was starting to re-think a lot of things—one being the fact I might have to hunt Rocky.
Her eyes found their way back to mine.
I held her gaze, stroking the top of her hand. “Don’t give up on me. I’m happy to forgo the reunion if I need to. You’re more important.”
My message was having a hard time cutting through. Delphia’s eyes were like the vacancy sign at the highway motel. “You’re not my bodyguard, and you can’t protect me 24/7. I’ve got a few days off work. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She sighed.
“I do. You are staying with me. Can I see your phone?”
Delphia stared at me. “What?’
“Give me your phone,” I repeated.
She shrugged and held it out to me.
Taking it, I scrolled through her contacts and then found the number I need. I tapped it.
It rang twice then a voice replied, “Hello?”
“Hello, you don’t know me personally. But I am calling to let you know that Delphia will not be into work.”