Page 58 of Sunny Undone

“Yeah, how would you have phrased it? Because I went to bed after one of the best nights of my life, and when I woke up, you were gone. And I knew someone was threatening you, because I was there when you ran out of the undergrowth. And I was there when you saw your motel room was broken into. And I was the one who took you home to keep you safe. So, yeah, I was fucking scared for you when I woke up and found you gone because I didn’t know if something bad had happened to you and I slept through it.”

“You did?” Della says.

I shrug. “Yeah. But I found out you took your vehicle and obviously wanted to leave without me knowing. So, I didn’t want to bother you like a creep. After every bad thought I’d had about what could have happened to you, I debated riding up to see you, but decided you probably left without talking to me for a reason.”

“Oh,” Della says.

“Yeah. Oh. And then, I decided, fuck it, I like her, so I was trying to figure out where you were so I could come find you.”

I take a breath. I didn’t realize I’d been getting tense, and now, it’s clear I was hurt. But I don’t tell her what I know. That she overheard people talking shit about her. For some reason I can’t explain, it seems important she tells me about that herself. I’m probably being immature, testing her like this. But I want her to know she can talk to me when things get hard for her.

“Tell me why you’re here,” Della says. “Then, I’ll tell you why I left.”

I take another deep breath. “A broker approached the club. Representing some developer who wants to buy all the club land.”

Della’s shoulders sag, as if she’s heard enough. “And you said yes?”

I hate the disappointment in her tone. “No. We didn’t. We’re letting them think we might say yes to kill some time while we figure out who they are. And me and Knox had a conversation.”

Della lets two of the bags she’s carrying slide off her shoulders. “What was your conversation about?”

I step closer to her. “About what it means to protect a legacy. Gator Flats belongs to the club.”

Della shakes her head. “It belongs to Mother Nature.”

I smile at that. “Fine. The club is responsible for protecting Gator Flats, and Knox realized that means more than just…you know…the stuff we usually do. But you got Knox thinking about what it would mean to the club and Gator Flats if this area was developed because the boundary of this area you care about lines up against the club’s.”

Della’s expressive face shifts as she puts the pieces together. “You’re out here to uncover what’s going on?”

I smile at the question. “Yeah. And in a second, I’ll walk you down to your research spots personally. But first, why did you run?”

Della looks down at the dirt as she digs the toe of her boot into a hole. “Because I woke up happy. And I wanted some coffee, since I was going to sit in the bar and do some work until you woke up, but on the way to the kitchen, I heard a man and woman laughing at me and calling me a pity fuck.”

I reach out and tip her chin with my thumb and forefinger so she has to look up at me. “I heard. After. You believed them?”

“Sunny,” she says, almost exasperated. “They said you’d done it before. Look at you and look at me. Of course, I believed them. But I came back today because I thought…maybe…that isn’t what you thought. And I left without finding out or saying thank you for an incredible night.”

I lean forward and brush my lips over hers, gently, at first. As soon as she gets over whatever internal battle she’s having with herself and joins in, it gets a little more demanding. I swipe my tongue over her lips and practically sigh into her mouth when she opens for me.

My memories of the taste of her and the tentative touches of her tongue to mine didn’t do her justice.

I slide my hand around the back of her neck and grip it firmly, keeping our heads close. “I’m an ass. And yes. I’ve done exactly what was said about me. But that wasn’t what you and me were about.”

“And this.” She gestures between the two of us. “This isn’t about me helping the club protect their land, is it?”

“It’s a side benefit. But what I will say is that I was planning to ride up to that university of yours tonight to find you, regardless of everything else. Because I just missed you, Indy. Life is more interesting with you around.”

She sighs at that. “Are you sure?”

I nod, placing a kiss on her forehead. “Never been surer.”

“I’m sorry I shoved the book at you.”

I smile at that. “Nah, don’t be. I liked seeing that side of you. Good to know you can fight back. You should have done it to the assholes making you feel like shit.”

“I wasn’t sure if they were telling the truth.”

“So, next time you’ll ask me, first, and then, we’ll deal with them together, okay?”