Chapter 22 ~ Damned If You Don’t

Venom

I don’t know what happened. Maddox had barely uttered the last word of his story.. and Delaney moved so fast, I didn’t realize she had until she had Tammy in the front yard beating her senseless.

With every punch she asked a question “What the fuck is wrong with you? (Punch) How dare you say something to a child that is private? (Backhand) Then to threaten him with his biggest fucking fear? (Punch) I could kill you for that! (Punch)I should kill you for it!” Then it finally dawned on me.. when that last punch landed. Shit! She means it!

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to me. She fought a few seconds and she realized what she had done. She said “I’m okay.” I kissed her head and she walked away “FUCKKKK!” Before she went to Maddox.

I told Axe to get Tammy to the infirmary and went in search of my family. I found them both in my office.. and I snuggled into them on the sofa.

I just sat and listened.. as she spoke quietly.. “You know that I don’t care if Marcus finds us. You have to know I actually hope he does. Ten years isn’t nearly long enough to pay for what he did. I’m not sure if I want to kill him or if I want to make him wish for death”

Maddox asked “Does she know my dad? Can she write him? I don’t want her writing him, Laney.” She sighed and kissed his head “She doesn’t know him. Or even his name. The ignorant twit overheard Ashley and I talking about it at work one day. She put two and two together…. Surprisingly. And she wanted to hurt you. She succeeded. And that bird don’t fly!”

He grinned “And you hurt her.” She laughed and tickled him “And I will do it again and again if someone hurts you.” I loved watching them.

The resilience of Maddox astounds me. She talks to him about everything and he just accepts it as the way things are. She knows exactly when and how to pull him away from the seriousness.

I said “I will sell her contract tomorrow. She has caused enough disruption.. and now to go after Maddox? Hell no!”

Delaney chuckles “I love you. But we aren’t selling her contract. I haven’t begun to make her sorry. I would also rather her be where I can watch her. I said I don’t care if Marcus finds us.. but I damned sure don’t want him having help.”

I growled “If she betrayed the club like that, she would die. It’s in our by-laws. I could kill her now for threatening it… but I honestly think she’s just stupid. Hopefully, you knocked some sense into her”

Maddox said “I doubt it. She accused me of using some kind of voodoo magic because my freaky sister is a wolf. Mind you.. she just called werewolves freaky..in an entire house full of them.”

I cracked up.. Yep! Pretty stupid. “Well.. what do you suggest we do? She has to be disciplined. She went too far threatening the brother of the leaders of this club.”

Delaney grinned “I have so many unique and unusual punishments in mind. She decided she hated me.. just because.. now I will give her a reason to.”

I told her I was headed to the cells to talk to our visitor. I asked her if she wanted to come.. but she refused, like I knew she would… preferring to stay with Maddox right now.

Axe, Snake and I went down to the cells. We need answers. This guy knows something.. and he is going to share with the class.

Axe said “His name is Chad Edwards.. according to his license. And he’s local.. to Trenton Falls. I have already dispatched a team to go through his apartment.”

I nodded “Nice work, Axe! Maybe we will find some evidence that will lead us to these missing women. Bring old Chad on in here.. time to chat with Chad.”

Snake brought him in handcuffed to the table. I slid a bottle of water over to him. He looked at it and back at me.. before he decided he was thirsty enough.

I told him “We know you are a part of the trafficking going on in Trenton Falls. What you’re going to tell me is who you’re doing it for.”

He shrugged “I don’t know what I can tell you. Yes. I took girls. Me and two other guys. A guy calls himself Ace hands us a flash drive every two weeks. Got three girls’ pictures on it. Then the three of us start hunting .. whoever gets a girl first gets the thousand dollar bonus.. on top of our usual thousand.”

I questioned “Who contacted you and how? How do you get paid?” He sneered “Don’t you listen? I just told you. Ace gives us a flash drive. We hunt. We catch. He pays us.”

I mind linked Delaney to come meet me… I needed her people reading skills. I want to be sure he’s lying before I start breaking off body parts.

I snarled “If you disrespect me again, I won’t give a fuck about your pathetic information. I will snap your fucking neck.”

Delaney showed up.. kissing me.. then taking a seat beside Snake “Carry on…” I laughed “Yes, your highness.” She flipped me off… making me laugh harder.

I turned back to face Chad “Who contacted you initially.. and How did they contact you?” Delaney sat a little straighter.. Chad replied “I told you. Ace! He gives us a flash drive with three pictures. We hunt. We capture. We get paid by Ace.”

Delaney said “What he just said is truthful. But he deflected on how he was contacted.. indicating a deliberate pattern of deception.”

I smiled “Well Chad.. it seems you don’t want to be truthful. So big or small?” He asked what I meant.. I said “Choose. Big. Or. Small?” He said small and I broke his little finger. He screamed like a girl!

Grinning at him “That is going to happen every time.. you lie.. you omit information.. you deflect. That could very well be a lot of broken bones before I’m done.”

He croaked “There’s a website for dark jobs. Anyone who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty goes there to look at job postings. It’s called sins of the father. All one word. They posted almost a year ago now. First it offered a reward for any blonde haired, blue eyed females between sixteen and twenty six. After a few months, he started paying us a weekly salary. We bring them to a place called the Koffee Klatch in Oakville.

There’s a warehouse out back that we drive into. Ace takes the girl out of our car…inspects her.. then approves or disapproves. That’s only happened twice. If he disapproves.. it’s usually because they’re too old, he says. Then he gives them to us. Vinnie is stupid as fuck though. He likes rough sex. Can’t get off unless he’s hurting the bitch. Killed them both.”

Delaney grinned “That was truth. His body was relaxed.. he made eye contact and the left side of his mouth didn’t tic.”

I nodded and said “So.. Vinnie.. I’m going to want his full name.. and your other partner in crime.” He was already shaking his head “I can’t. Dude! They would kill me.” I said “You will tell me.. or I will kill you!”

Delaney said “You know what they say about damned if you do…” Chad groaned “Damned if you don’t.”