Chapter Twenty Three
Delaney
"Good Morning!" Veronica skipped into the room singing at the top of her lungs.
"Veronica." I groaned covering my ears.
"Wake up! Time to get ready to explore Puerto Rico with your favorite tour guide!"
"At the moment your my least favorite human being."
"Hmmm well it's not my fault Axel called and you answered."
I sat up and glared at her.
"How do you know?"
"Thin walls hun." She smiled.
"I hate you."
She laughed. "I'm sorry chica."
"Well in my defense he couldn't sleep and was calling me about what medicine to take."
"Aww pretty boy can't handle being alone. You got him whipped."
"Your incredibly happy this morning Veronica. Why?"
"That's so weird, because my abuela told me I was glowing this morning. I'm having a good ass skin day too. I feel good, so good." She emphasized. "Let me do your makeup! Get you a fine ass man."
"But Axe-"
"Axel nothing, you aren't dating. You can be going around being your flirtatious self. Until he asks you to be his, your on the market mi amiga."
"How can you be so ok with putting me on the market and so happy knowing we are going to meet a sex trafficker!" I said at the end using a loud whisper.
"Because technically he's my ex and also we've been friends. I was a stripper for a little for some big drug dealers up here. We'll be fine, I got you protected." She winked.
"Veronica does Elias know?"
"Yes he does, how else do you think he found me?" She winked.
I looked at her confused.
"Elias-"
She laughed. "No, I'm kidding. But Elias knows. I'm more sane than I originally was. My ex kind of put me on wild side and Elias settled me." She smiled like she remembered something. I just didn't know who made her get that smile.
"I was wild too, my ex's named Dantae, he thought he was a badass. Never really loved me, we did have pretty good sex, not gonna lie. But Elias loves me and cares a lot more about me than Dantae ever had. So I'd never think twice about going back to Dantae." Something about her speaking about him made me realize there was sadness in her voice. The type of sadness that made me wonder if there was something that went wrong between the two of them. Something she doesn't really like to talk about.
Before I could ask her grandma came in.
"He here." She smiled cheerfully.
"Dantae's early." Veronica looked at her phone and the clock read eight twenty.
Hopefully Axel didn't miss his flight.
This tall, tan, dark haired, dark eyes, pretty smile, man appeared in the doorway.
"Dantae!" Veronica got up and threw her arms around him.
I watched him react and lift her up off the ground and spun them around.
They talked low and he nodded before I was introduced.
He was handsome, but also looked like a bit of a player.
"Dantae this is Delaney, my very single bestie." She grinned.
"Not single bestie, it's complicated." I took out my hand waiting for him to shake it.
Veronica laughed. "She's very much American."
"Hey! I was taught Spanish, it's just harder to understand it but I can speak it pretty well."
"Veronica told me that about you. I can speak both very well." He stated.
"Ok now that you two know sorta something about each other how much time do you have before you gotta go?" Veronica looked at Dantae.
"The guys wanna see you actually." Dantae smiled.
Veronica's smile disappeared.
"Dantae-" She then said something low that I couldn't hear and she said it in Spanish faster than what I could comprehend.
Something tells me something bad happened.
"No Veronica not that, not yet anyways. The boys, our amigos."
Veronica forced a smile. "Oh, of course."
My phone began to vibrate and Elias's name popped up.
"Excuse me." I muttered walking away.
"Laney?" Elias sounded worried.
"Yes?"
"Is Veronica ok? I haven't gotten a call from her at all." Elias sounded concerned.
"What?" I was confused.
"She hasn't called me. Is she ok? Please tell me Dantae's not there."
Shit. I turned to see Veronica talking to her grandma and Dantae checking her out.
"She's ok. What's so bad about Dantae?"
"He's a prick, he's bad for her. Just keep him away from her, I can't tell you everything because Veronica should. Just please make sure you don't go to any clubs."
"Elias why'd you let her come to Puerto Rico?" I waited for a response.
"I can't keep her here, no matter how much I want to keep her here. Please watch her. Be careful who you trust over there."
"Ok." I nodded even though he couldn't see.
"Tell her I love her."
"I will." I nodded.
"Bye."
"Bye."
I walked over to Veronica placing on a smile like what Elias just said didn't affect me.
"Was that Axel?" Veronica smiled.
"Actually Elias." I smiled back. "Nothing important. Can you help me pick out my outfit today?" I asked.
Veronica nodded knowing something happened.
"Actually your outfit right now will be fine. Let's go, we're gonna go get some food." Dantae butted in.
"Sounds fun." Veronica smiled getting up and motioning me to follow.
Something about this trip told me it was gonna be a long one.
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We parked after traveling here and there and it made me want to go home. But I barely know the stranger that was taking us around places.
All he did was hang around Veronica or stare at her twenty four seven. The guy gave me the creeps.
"Ready to meet the guys?" Veronica looked at me from the back.
Dantae looked at his rear view mirror.
"Sure." I shrugged.
"Don't worry Laney they speak English too."
"Mmmm perfect." I said through my teeth getting annoyed.
Only friends call me Laney or Lane or hell even Stormi, no actually only Axel calls me Stormi.
Veronica's been sensing something but hadn't said anything.
We all got out and Dantae got the door for Veronica before totally ignoring me and letting me open it myself.
"Jackass." I muttered as we made it to the front of the house.
Dantae once again opened the screen door for Veronica but let it close before I got the chance to walk through.
I grabbed the door knob annoyed and also broke and kicked him in the balls for being a complete ass.
But before my intentions got the best of me I smelt alcohol and drugs and everything I didn't need to be around.
"Guys this is Delaney."
The dumbasses either grunted or stared like they've never seen a girl before.
"She's American so speak English please." Dantae continued.
He's uncontrollably annoying.
"Laney don't let your feelings start to show please. Just pretend a little longer and then we can talk ok?" She whispered as the guys talked.
"Oh we are gonna talk, a lot. No more secrets Veronica." I snapped taking a bottle from the table and opening it, completely uncertain as to what it could be.
"No, lets not get drunk." Veronica looked at me with sorry eyes.
"So this Axel guy, Axel King, is he actually good?" One of the guys said.
"At?" I raised my eyebrow getting defensive.
"Football as what you dumb Americans call it." He responded.
I stood up fed up.
"Ease up Luis." Dantae hit his shoulder.
"He's really good, even without the pads and I'm betting you he can beat your ass at soccer." I crossed my arms.
"Mmmm is that a challenge?" He raised his eyebrow at me.
"That's up to Axel if he wants to, I'm just saying." I shrugged.
He scoffed. "Are you his new sex toy? How much are you hun?"
Veronica grabbed my arm and pulled me down.
"Ignore them."
"Veronica was pretty cheap, from what Dantae said."
Dantae got up and slapped one.
And said something in Spanish that I never heard.
I looked over at Veronica starting to wonder if I even knew her.
"Don't look at me like that." She whispered.
"Like what?" I raised my eyebrow.
"Watch your tone Laney, seriously." She said quietly.
"What do we have here?" A little bit older guy came in. Maybe late twenties.
"Boss!" Dantae looked up suddenly.
"Shit." Veronica whispered.
Boss? Where the hell was I?
"Who's this?" He looked directly at me.
"We don't bring pretty girls to the house." He smiled at me giving me chills, the bad kind.
"Veronica." I whispered. "If something happens to me, I will never trust you again." I looked over at her.
"You, hun, what's your name?"
"Delaney sir." Dantae said it for me.
"I'm sure she has a voice Dantae." He growled.
"I don't think it really matters who I am to you." I snapped.
"Laney shut up." Veronica snapped.
"What did you just say to me bitch!"
I was strong and could take care of myself.
"I said-" I stood up. "It doesn't matter who I am to you!" I yelled at him. "I'm sick and tired of this shit. All of you! You-" I pointed to Dantae. "just a fuckboy. You boys all just wimpes afraid of the big bad boss and you-" I looked at Veronica. "I don't know you at all. Now excuse me, I'm leaving."
Dantae blocked the door and the "Boss" grabbed my shoulder.
"Get your ass upstairs!" He yelled at me.
"Listen here dumbass!" I growled. "I'm tired of all this bullshit and I'm especially sick and tired of being told what to do. Stop trying to boss me the fuck around! I'm not some bitch you can push around, and touch me again and I'll remove that dick of yours. So if you think your gonna make me walk my little pretty ass upstairs and let you fuck me then I guess you got another thing coming." I glared at him.
"Take her upstairs."
Dantae took my arm and twisted it.
"No!" Veronica stood up. "She's with me! She's with me ok! I take full responsibility for her actions! Punish me, not her. Please. Ok I'll take it. I'll take it."
"Shut up Veronica!" Dantae yelled at her.
"Please, please." Veronica was crying now.
"Get your fucking hands off me!" I snapped twisting my arms out and me slipping out of his hands before getting punched in the face and knocked out.