Dirty Pucker (Denver Bashers #2)

49. Del

Chapter 49

Del

I sit with my elbows propped against my knees, my head in my hands. I take a breath and immediately wince and cough.

It smells like stale piss in this jail cell.

I sit up and lean back against the concrete wall behind me.

My head spins when I think about what happened tonight…and everything I’m about to lose because of what I did.

My opportunity to play for the rest of the playoffs. My spot on the Bashers roster. Maybe even my career.

Dread digs into my side like a knife.

There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be suspended from the team. There’s currently a video of me kicking the shit out of my dad going viral online, on every social media platform, on every sports news site.

I huff out a breath. As upset as I am to lose everything, I don’t regret what I did.

I was protecting my mom. And I’d do it all over again to keep her safe.

A second later, my mind goes to Ingrid.

That dread burrows deeper into my gut. What’s she going to think about all this? What’s she going to think about me? Is she even going to want to be with me anymore?

The thought of losing Ingrid sends a wave of panic through me.

I wouldn’t blame her for leaving me over this. She’s a mega-successful woman who comes from a wealthy, wholesome family. And I’m a guy who just got arrested for beating up his abusive dad.

I can’t think about this, not right now.

The main door squeaks open. An officer I haven’t seen yet walks over to my cell. He whips out a pair of keys and unlocks the door.

“You just posted bail.”

Relief washes through me. I’m still in deep shit, but at least I’m out of here.

I stand up and step out of the cell. I follow the officer out the door to the hallway of the police station. Blomdahl, Theo, or Xander must have bailed me out.

I still can’t believe they insisted on coming with me to help my mom. They could have gotten into trouble too, but they didn’t care. They just wanted to help.

That tightness in my chest is back. Just a couple of months ago they hated me. But they gave me a chance. They saw me for more than just the dirty player I am—I was. They became more than my teammates. They’re my friends now. And they supported me through one of the most difficult moments of my life.

For that, I owe them everything.

The officer has me sign some paperwork in the booking area. He gives me my phone and wallet back.

He motions to the glass door. “You’re free to go.”

I tell him thanks.

“Never seen so many people lined up to bail someone out,” he mutters.

I frown, confused. When I walk into the lobby area of the police station, I stop dead in my tracks.

Because in front of me is the entire Bashers team, along with Maya, Sophie, Dakota, my mom, and Ingrid.

My gaze fixes on Ingrid, who looks worried sick. She runs up to me and hugs me.

“Are you okay?” she asks, her voice shaky.

I close my eyes and sink into her embrace. I hug her tight, savoring the comfort of this moment. I inhale deeply and breathe in her perfume.

“I am now,” I say. “You’re here.”

She leans back and cups my face in her hands as she gazes at me. Her eyes shine with worry. “Of course I’m here, Del. I’m always here for you. Always.”

“Are you sure? Are you sure I’m the guy you want to be with? I just got arrested for beating up my dad. It’s probably already all over social media and the news…” My voice shakes. “I don’t want you to get caught up in all this, Ingrid. It could get ugly.”

She kisses me, catching me off guard. When she breaks the kiss, she holds my face and looks me in the eye. “I’m positive. You did an incredible thing protecting your mom. I don’t care what anyone says. I’m proud of what you did. And I’ll stand by you always.”

My heart rattles in my chest. This woman. She is beyond amazing.

I kiss her, then lean my forehead against hers and close my eyes. “I love you. So, so much.”

“I love you too.”

We break apart. My mom and Dakota walk up to hug me.

“Are you okay?” I ask my mom.

She flashes a tired smile, but that frightened look in her eyes is gone. “I’m doing fine, honey.”

“What happened with Dad?”

“After the officer took you away, I explained to the other officer what happened. I explained how he’s been harassing and threatening me for months and trying to break into my house, how he was trying to run me off the road, how I have a restraining order against him.” She lets out a shaky breath. Dakota holds her hand.

“They arrested him,” my mom says. “He’ll be going away for a long time.”

I let out the breath I’ve been holding. I hug her and kiss her forehead.

I turn to Dakota. “I’m sorry you got woken up for all this,” I say to her.

She hugs me. “Don’t be sorry. Thank you for protecting Mom.”

I glance over and spot Xander, Theo, and Blomdahl talking quietly on the other side of the room.

I step away from my mom and sister and walk over to them.

“Hey.” They all look at me. “Thanks again for everything you guys did tonight. Things would have been a million times worse if you hadn’t been with me.”

“Of course, man,” Blomdahl says.

Theo nods. Xander pats my shoulder.

“Just let me know how much bail was and I’ll pay you back,” I tell them.

The three of them exchange a look. “You don’t need to do that,” Blomdahl says to me.

“What do you mean?”

Blomdahl looks past me to where the rest of our team is. “We all pitched in for your bail.”

I spin around. “Are you serious? The whole team?”

My teammates nod. I open my mouth to speak, but I’m too shocked at first. “You guys didn’t need to do that.”

Blomdahl claps my shoulder. “We know we didn’t need to. We wanted to. We support you, man.”

They all murmur in agreement.

Emotion surges through me. “Thank you, guys. Seriously, thank you.”

I let out a breath, feeling exhausted all of a sudden.

“You should go home and get some rest,” Xander says.

As thankful as I am for the support of my whole team, I still can’t stop thinking about what will happen when my coaches and the team’s management see the video of my arrest.

I glance around at the guys. “The video of me tonight. How bad is it?”

When no one says anything and just looks at me, I know I have my answer.

“I’m sorry, guys,” I say. “I know this is gonna mess up things going into the rest of the playoffs…”

“Hey.” Xander claps a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t even worry about that right now.”

I nod. Ingrid walks up to me and takes my hand. “What do you need from us right now?” she asks.

Just the touch of her hand and the sound of her voice is enough to distract me from this mess. “I want to go home with you.”

She gives me a soft smile before dropping a kiss on my lips.

We walk out of the police station together, ready to face whatever comes next.