64

64
  Delia’s legs shook, and tears spilled unbidden down her cheeks. “What the fuck is going on, Frank?!” she yelled, her voice raw and trembling. “You just… you just leave me here like I’m some kind of child! And these people—they knew I was here! They—” Her words broke off into a sob, her hands gripping the window frame so tightly her nails dug into the wood.
  Frank’s eyes softened ever so slightly, but his jaw remained tense. “Delia, calm down. I—”
  “No!” she screamed, spinning on him, tears streaming freely now. “You can’t just say ‘calm down’! People broke into your apartment! They were looking for something and for you! And you—” She threw her hands up, wracked with a sob. “You just left me here, Frank. You—”
  Her voice cracked completely, and she sank to the floor on the balcony, clutching her belly protectively. “I could’ve… I could’ve been hurt. I could’ve—”
  Frank’s hands reached out, but she flinched away from him instinctively. “Delia, listen—”
  “I don’t care! I don’t care if you ‘took care of it’ or not! I need to know what’s happening! What the hell is going on?!” Her sobs wracked her body. She shook her head, crying hysterically, unable to control the panic and anger that had built inside her over the past hours.
  Frank stepped closer, his expression hard yet filled with concern. “I promised your parents I’d keep you safe. That’s all that matters. You’re alive. The baby’s safe.”
  “You don’t get it!” she yelled, rising to her knees, fists trembling. “You could’ve died! Or worse, someone could have hurt us! Do you have any idea what it feels like to think you’re about to die, Frank? To think me or my baby—my baby—could die?!”
  Frank’s eyes softened. He reached out again, this time slower, more deliberately. “Delia, I understand. I’m here now. I—”
  She slammed a hand against his chest, her palm connecting with a sharp smack that left him momentarily startled. “Don’t—don’t just stand there! You don’t get to just… just waltz in and act like nothing happened!”
  Frank inhaled slowly, pain flickering in his icy eyes. He reached up gently, brushing a tear from her cheek. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his voice low, measured, but soft enough to make her flinch at the intensity. “I did what I had to do. You’re safe.”
  Delia’s anger wavered, mingling with the tremor of relief coursing through her. She wiped her tears roughly with the back of her hand, breathing hard, her chest heaving. “Safe doesn’t explain any of it, Frank. You don’t tell me anything, you disappear, people break in… and you just expect me to sit here?”
  Frank took a careful step closer, closing the distance, his presence overwhelming and magnetic. “I won’t ever leave you,” he murmured. “I promise. But you need to trust me—trust that I won’t let anything happen to you or the baby.”
  Delia’s chest shook, a sob escaping her lips. Her hands, trembling, found his shoulders as she pushed him back slightly, a reflex born of frustration and fear. And yet… the proximity, the warmth radiating from him, was undeniable. Her anger and fear battled with something else—something raw, impossible to ignore.
  Frank’s lips were suddenly near hers, his voice soft but urgent. “Delia…”
  Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. She didn’t pull away. She wanted answers, yes—but she also wanted him. Needed him. And when he leaned in fully, brushing his lips against hers, the kiss was fierce and consuming. Her hands gripped the back of his jacket as the anger and fear melted into something altogether more vulnerable and passionate.
  She gasped against him, the tension of the past hours exploding in that single, desperate kiss. Frank’s hands slid around her waist, holding her tightly, grounding her, anchoring her as the storm of adrenaline and terror inside her finally found release.
  For a heartbeat, nothing existed outside the balcony, the ruined apartment, the scattered papers, or the danger that still lurked unseen. There was only him, only the weight of his body pressing her close, only the taste of his lips and the unspoken promise that he would protect her at any cost.
  When they finally broke apart, Delia’s forehead rested against his chest, her tears still wet on his shirt. Her voice was barely a whisper, broken and trembling. “I… I don’t understand any of it. But… I’m scared. I can’t do this alone.”
  Frank’s fingers threaded through her hair, brushing it back gently. “You’ll never be alone,” he murmured, his tone soft but resolute. “I’ll handle it. All of it. I swear. No one will hurt you.”