Damaged Souls (Broken Man) - By Christopher Scott Page 0,25

me now, he thought as his engine obeyed his command and he peeled out of the parking lot.

“Turning Meadows, right,” Greg confirmed the location although he had been there many times.

“Yes, I’m just down the road from his house,” she started to cry again. “Please hurry Greg.”

“I’m almost there, don’t put down the phone,” he started to cry as he felt Delaney’s pain. “I love you Delaney. It’s going to be okay.”

He worried when she didn’t reply and he increased his speed as he approached the development. “Delaney, you still there.”

“I’m here, Greg,” she reassured him. “I love you too, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, don’t be sorry,” he said as he turned onto Mitch’s road. “I’m here now. Where are you, Delaney.”

And then he saw her as she stepped out from behind a row of hedges. It was a feeling he would never forget, the feeling of knowing she was going to safe as he pulled his truck over and ran to her.

As he took her into his arms, Greg finally understood what he should have known all along. He was in love with her, and Delaney was in love with him too.

Chapter Nine

What is Greg doing here?

Jack immediately knew something was wrong when he heard the sound of Greg’s truck pulling into the driveway. It’s after midnight, he realized as he jumped off the couch and sprang into action, running outside just in time to see Greg help Delaney out of the truck. Seeing her condition, Jack suddenly felt an anger he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Crying uncontrollably, her hair and makeup ruined, her shoes gone, a large bruise on her arm, Jack didn’t need to be told what had happened. His first reaction to kill someone, Jack consciously calmed himself down, knowing that wasn’t the answer, at least not yet. He needed to concentrate on taking care of Delaney.

He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the house where they were met by Amanda, who immediately started to cry. The feeling of impotence both foreign and painful to him, Jack tried to comfort both of them as he led the way to their bedroom. Finding a calm sanctuary, he laid Delaney down on the bed and tended to her wounds as Amanda held her and she tried to tell them what happened.

“It happened so fast,” she tried to explain. “Everything was fine at the club, but once we got back to his house, he started drinking and turned into someone else.”

“Delaney, you don’t have to tell us now,” Jack tried to soothe her. “Just try to relax.”

“It was awful. I was going to leave, but he forced me into the bedroom and his hands were all over me. I tried to scream but he wouldn’t stop. I don’t know how I got away,” she started to cry even harder.

“It’s okay Delaney, you are safe now,” Jack tried to maintain his composure as he took her into his arms. “No one is going to hurt you, I promise.”

Finally, after a few minutes, he was able to regain a little control over the situation as Delaney and Amanda somehow managed to calm down. Now it’s time to take action, Jack again sensed his anger as he walked into the hallway to consider his alternatives. I could easily do that, he suddenly pictured his hands wrapped around Mitch’s neck.

“Jack, don’t do anything stupid,” Amanda’s words snapped him out of his murderous trance as he felt her hand touch his arm.

“I’m not going to,” he replied as he realized they had too much to lose and reached for his cell phone to call the police. “Take care of Delaney, I’ll be back in a second,” he decided to step away so Delaney wouldn’t overhear his conversation.

Then, he was overcome by a sickening feeling as a shot of adrenaline coursed through his veins. Oh no, he thought to himself as he quickly searched the house but didn’t find what he was looking for. “Oh shit,” he said out loud as he realized what was missing and knew right away this night was not going to end well.

Greg was gone.

* * *

I am going to kill him, Greg understood his fate as he arrived at Mitch’s house. And nothing is going to stop me, he realized as he slammed the door of his truck.

How could he have done that to Delaney, Greg’s anger boiled over as he thought of her crying. It’s like molesting a child. I should have never let