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I chuckle, happy that she’s maintaining her attitude despite her obvious discomfort. After several more minutes of her heaving, Delaney shifts to sit between my legs.
“Feel better?” I ask.
“Sure. I was jus’ makin’ room for more,” she quips.
“Very funny.”
She drops her head back against my chest and shivers. “I feel… gross.”
“Wanna shower before I tuck you into bed?”
Delaney moans. “Sounds wonderful.”
I help her to stand and strip out of her clothes. Once I’ve got her under the hot spray, I strip myself and join her. She remains still, allowing me to wash her body and hair, and I make quick work of it.
“C’mere,” I instruct after stepping out of the shower and securing a towel around my waist.
Delaney slowly steps forward, and I engulf her in another towel.
“So tired,” she mumbles as I rub the terrycloth up and down to dry her off.
I ease her out of the bathroom and to the bed where I gently push her down and cover her with the comforter. I’m about to climb in next to her when my cell pings from the pocket of my jeans which I left on the bathroom floor. It pings again before I get to it, and I snag it to glance at the screen.
Soul: Come to the meeting room
Soul: Don’t bring D
After putting on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, I quietly leave my room and make my way to the meeting room. My stomach twists into knots as I walk because meeting at this time of night never means something good.
“How’s she feeling?” Soul asks when I enter the room.
“Okay, now that she’s puked her guts up.”
“Hopefully she gets some sleep because you’re both heading out in the morning.”
I narrow my eyes. “What? Why?”
Before Soul can answer, Malice, Spike, Abyss, and Fort stride into the room.
“I was balls deep in Mel,” Abyss grumbles. “This better be good.”
“As soon as the others arrive, I’ll dive in,” Soul says. “Fort, get everything set up.”
Fort moves to his seat and sets his laptop on the table. While he’s pecking at the keyboard, the rest of the patched brothers enter the room.
“I left my wife naked in our bed,” Grim sighs, his movements agitated. “Someone please tell me why.”
“Sit down everyone,” Soul instructs, his expression darkening. “You know I wouldn’t have called you here at this time of night without a good fucking reason.”
“Pres, what’s going on?” I ask.
“Fort, go ahead,” Soul says, nodding at him.
“Jesus,” I snap. “Would someone please tell me what the fuc?—”
“He struck again,” Fort says. “The Phantom Strangler struck again.”
My blood runs cold. I told Delaney that she could take a break, that we’d be fine if we stopped hunting for a night.