Unmasked (King Morine #4)

44. Stryker

CHAPTER 44

Stryker

T he memory of Mallory waving goodbye, her face despondent, stuck with me the entire drive back to Green Haven.

I’d never back down from a commitment, especially one I made to Zayne Morine, but damn, my heart is broken in two. Even though I’ll see her again in four days, I’m miserable without her.

You’re doing this for her. You’ll be able to take care of her the way she deserves. I yawn, reaching over and turning up the volume of the music playing in my truck. You’ll no longer be the trailer trash boy. The poor son whose father is a murderer.

I’m exhausted and can barely keep my eyes open when I arrive in Green Haven. But I can’t sleep yet.

I meet Zayne in the coffee shop. His dark eyes quickly assess me. “You look like shit.”

Shrugging, I place my order. “I’m tired. I’ll be fine.”

After we get our coffees, Zayne levels me with a look. “I was your age once, too. Thought I was invincible. Chose pussy over sleep. ”

I frown. “She’s not pussy.”

“Ahh. She means something to you.”

After taking a long drink, I look him in the eyes. “She’s everything to me.”

A smile spreads across his face. “I get it. Just make sure you’re focused, okay? I’m counting on you, kid.”

My chest swells with the compliment. “I won’t let you down.”

Two nights later, I’m standing outside the bookstore when Mallory texts me. Although I’d been tired and cranky, my mood brightens when I see her name.

LITTLE PREY: Are you watching me again?

I frown, reading her text a second time. A sense of foreboding washes over me.

I’ve been watching Delaney, who went inside the bookstore. A strange car is parked across the street, and I’ve been watching it.

ME: No, baby. Why?

I’m trying not to alarm her, even though I’m panicking. Is someone stalking my girl?

LITTLE PREY: I felt like someone was watching me. Probably just my imagination.

Her text does not reassure me, but I don’t want to worry her, mainly because I’m an hour away.

ME: It’s probably because I’m thinking about you. Are you being careful?

LITTLE PREY: Always, love.

LITTLE PREY: Do you have someone watching me? I saw him by the tree, wearing a suit. He needs to blend in better.

What the fuck is she talking about. I don’t have anyone watching her.

Fear churns inside me as I respond.

ME: No, I don’t have anyone watching you. Tell me about this guy.

I suck in a deep breath as I wait for her reply, a sense of foreboding inside me. My eyes move to Delaney.

Fuck! A guy grabs her, shoving her against her car.

Horrified, I shove my phone in my pocket and sprint to her. He draws his fist back, but I grab it, yanking him away from her.

I take my worry and anger out on this asshole, beating the shit out of him. I know it’s my fault Delaney nearly got hurt. I was distracted.

Zayne’s going to fucking kill me for my mistake.

“Stryker.”

Speak of the devil.

I look up, the anger in Zayne’s eyes evident behind the Michael Myers mask. Every muscle in his body is taut as he stomps over to me. The look he gives me is clear I fucked up.

I shove the asshole toward him, letting him release some of his rage on the guy who manhandled his woman. I jog over to Delaney, feeling like shit that I allowed it to go this far. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. You intervened before he could hurt me. ”

My head bows, the shame I’m feeling engulfing me. “He got to you, though. I let that happen.”

“Stryker. Is that your name?”

My masked face jerks up, my eyes searching hers. I nod, waiting for her to start screaming at me.

Delaney steps closer, putting her hand on my arm. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You stopped him from hurting me.”

I hear Zayne coming up behind me, and I brace myself for his wrath.

Surprisingly, Delaney steps between us, her hand landing on Zayne’s chest, fisting his hoodie. “Stop. He saved me.”

“He shouldn’t have let him get that close to you,” Zayne snarls, his rage palpable through his mask.

“He feels bad enough.”

“He fucking should. When I get my hands on him, he’ll feel worse.”

“Stop it. You can’t hurt him without hurting me.”

I stand there, stunned. Delaney barely knows me, yet she’s standing up for me. Not only that, her words resonate with me. My mom hit me plenty of times when I was a kid, and I’m getting a vibe from her that suggests she’s experienced child abuse, too.

“I’ve had enough violence in my life because someone made a simple mistake.” She steps into Zayne, pressing her body against his.

Brave, brave woman.

“Please let this go.”

Amazingly enough, Delaney calms Zayne. “Okay. But only because you begged.”

She links their fingers together and then nods in my direction. “Thank you. Let’s talk to him. Calmly and rationally .”

I brace myself as they turn, walking toward me.

Fuck, I hope he doesn’t fire me .

Delaney addresses me first. “You shouldn’t feel bad for what happened. He’s not going to punish you because Tim grabbed me.”

I drop my gaze to my boots, feeling like a failure. “I had a job to do, and I failed. I was distracted by a woman.”

Fuck. Why did I let that slip?

“Ahhh. I get it.” Delaney’s eyes sparkle as they stare into mine.

Zayne stares at Delaney like she sprouted another head. “Get what? That’s not a fucking excuse.”

“He likes a girl and was distracted by her. So what? He got to me before I was hurt. He won’t let it happen again, right?”

I nod, amazed at Delaney’s boldness. She’s a badass.

Delaney looks over her shoulder at Tim, and something changes in her expression. She’s shaken, and from the distant look in her eyes, memories of something in the past assault her.

Zayne immediately recognizes it, leading her to the passenger seat of her car. “Get her home,” he says to me over his shoulder.

I hurry to the driver’s seat and slide inside. Zayne grabs the keys from Delaney’s purse and tosses them to me. I start the car as Zayne buckles her in, murmuring reassuring words.

Zayne gives me a warning look before he steps back and shuts the door. I wait until he moves to Tim’s body before backing out of the parking lot. “If you haven’t figured it out, that man loves you. He’s only looking out for you.”

Delaney turns her head and stares at me, not saying anything.

I ensure no one follows us before I look over at her. I know she can’t see my facial expression because of the mask. “Sorry I fucked up. I won’t fail you again.”

She stares at me for a few beats before she whispers, “Thanks for protecting me. ”

I nod, being extra cautious to get her home safely.

As I drive, a thought rolls through my head. If one of my friends was supposed to be watching over Mallory, and they were distracted, putting her in danger, I would’ve beat the hell out of them and probably killed them.

I’m damn lucky Zayne didn’t do the same to me.