by Wilder, L.
“Fuck you, asshole.”
“Better watch yourself,” Widow warned. “He’s not a man you’re gonna wanna piss off any more than you already have.”
Miller looked up at me, noting the fierce expression on my face, and said nothing more. In fact, he was completely silent as Shotgun and I dragged him over to the Mercedes and locked him in the trunk. Once he was detained, Viper turned his attention to Danny. He knelt down beside him as he asked, “There a reason why you pulled that stunt?”
“He was gonna shoot you,” Danny muttered with a grimace. “Figured I’d do what I could to stop him.”
“I see.” Viper’s brows furrowed as he pulled back Danny’s t-shirt and studied his wound. “Looks like he got you pretty good.”
“Yes, sir, but I’ll be all right.” Danny glanced over at Shotgun as he admitted, “Those fucking ice pics hurt worse than this.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Shotgun replied.
Viper stood and extended his hand to Danny’s good arm. “We need to get you back to the clubhouse so Doc can tend to this wound.”
Menace and I went over and helped Viper get Danny to his feet, and once we had him loaded into the SUV, I grabbed a towel from the back and offered it to him. “You’re gonna need to keep pressure on it. We’ve got a long drive back to Nashville.”
“Thanks, man.”
Danny took the towel and pressed it against his shoulder as he leaned his head against the window. It was clear the guy was hurting, but he didn’t breathe a single complaint. Instead, he sat silently as we prepared to leave. Menace got in Danny’s car, and Shotgun and Widow got in the Mercedes. Once they were set, Viper and I loaded up in the SUV with Danny, and we started back towards Nashville. We hadn’t been driving long when I glanced back at Danny. The towel in his hand was almost soaked through with blood, and his complexion was becoming paler by the second. He was struggling, even more than he had under Shotgun’s handy work. Considering what he’d put him through, it was hard to believe that he’d taken a bullet for us. The guy definitely had balls, just like his sister. The thought had my mind drifting to Delilah. I had no doubt she’d lose it if she knew her brother had been shot. While it wasn’t news I could share with her, there was a possible silver lining to it all. By taking that bullet, Danny might’ve taken the first step in getting his life back—but he’d have to survive first.
Delilah
Delilah
I’d just gotten dressed for work when I heard a knock at my door. I couldn’t deny that I was hoping it might be Hawk returning, but when I opened it, I found my mother standing in the hallway. She looked like she’d just come from the gym in her sweats and loose t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up, and she was wearing just a hint of makeup and a smile. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“What are you doing here so early?”
“I thought I’d bring breakfast for you and Krissy.” She stepped inside my apartment as she continued, “I brought all your favorites.”
“That was sweet of you to come all this way.”
“Well, I was in the area.” A solemn look crossed her face as she admitted, “I went by your brother’s place to see if he was home. I was thinking I might be able to catch him if I went by there early.”
Already knowing the answer, I asked, “Did you have any luck?”
“No. He wasn’t there.” She placed the box of donuts on the counter as she sighed. “What about you? Have you had any luck reaching him?”
“Afraid not.” I shrugged. “I guess he’s still out doing whatever it is he’s doing.”
“Maybe it’s time we contacted the police and filed a missing person’s report or something.”
“No! I-ah ... I don’t think that’s a good idea.” If I didn’t already know where Danny was, I would’ve insisted that she go to the police, but under the circumstances, I couldn’t let that happen. “You know how Danny is. Like I told you before, he’s probably just laid up somewhere with a few of his buddies.”
“No.” She shook her head. “He’s in trouble, Dee.”
“You can’t know that for sure.”
“Yes, I can. I’m his mother. I can feel it in my bones.” It made my chest ache to see the worried look on her face as she added, “And it’s all my fault.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I should’ve done more for him. He needed a father in his life. You both did.” Tears filled her eyes as she muttered, “Maybe if I’d stayed with your father ...”
“Mom, stop,” I fussed. “You staying with Dad wouldn’t have been good for any of us, and you know it.”
“I don’t know that, Delilah.” I could see the wheels turning in her head as she leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. “I know you may not remember, especially after the way things played out, but there was a lot of good in your father. I can still remember when I first fell in love with him. He was so handsome and charming and funny. Oh, my … the way we used to laugh.” Her eyes drifted to the floor as she continued, “He would give the best hugs. Made me feel like I was truly loved … and he was great with you and your brother. You both were always crawling onto his lap, listening to him tell one story after the next.”
“You’re right. I don’t remember that.” I came off harsher than I intended when I said, “I remember the yelling ... and all the times the lights would get turned off because he’d gambled away all your money. I remember him being gone for days on end and how worried you were that he might not come home. But he always did, and when he finally did show up, it was only because he’d ran out of money.”
“He was sick, Delilah. It wasn’t his fault.”
“His fault or not, he caused more harm than good.”
“Maybe things could’ve been different if I’d pushed him harder to get help.”
“What is it with you and the blame game?” I fussed. “It wasn’t your job to make Dad do right by his family and get the help he needed. If he cared at all, he would’ve gotten the help on his own. He certainly wouldn’t have entirely given up on us all.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“I’m definitely right.” I gave her a warm smile as I tried to assure her, “Besides, we did just fine without him. You were a wonderful mother. You still are.”
“It’s just so hard to be sure.” She wiped the tears from her cheek as she explained, “A boy needs a man in his life that he can look up to and respect. Danny never had that.”
“No, but he had you. That’s all either of us really needed.” I walked over to her and gave her a hug. “Everything’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
“I hope you’re right about that.” She stepped back with a look of doubt on her face. “Are you sure we shouldn’t contact the police ... just to be certain?”
“No. I honestly think it’s best to wait.” Hoping to buy myself some time, I offered, “How about this? I’ll go by his place after work, and if he’s not there, I’ll make some calls and see if I can track him down?”
“That would be great.”
“Okay, consider it done.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” She gave me a quick hug before saying, “I’ll let you finish getting ready for work.”
Once she was gone, I grabbed my things, along with the donuts my mother had brought, and rushed to work. As soon as I walked into the nursing home, I dropped Mom’s donuts off in the work room, and after I put my things in my locker, I headed out to do my rounds. I hadn’t been at it long when my mind drifted to my conversation with my mother. It had been years since she’d talked about my father, and I was surprised that she had anything positive to say about him. He’d caused us all so much heartache, and as far as I knew, he’d never tried to set things right. Not that it mattered. I found it doubtful that I would ever be able to forgive him for the things he’d done. I wished I could. It would be nice to finally let go of all that anger and resentment, but it was just too hard. Maybe in time I’d see things differently, but for the time b
eing, it was easier to blame him for the things that had gone wrong in our lives—including Danny’s ordeal with the Ruthless Sinners. Maybe if my father had been around, then Danny wouldn’t have taken to dealing drugs. It was a thought that had me thinking about Zander.
I’d always promised myself that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes my mother had made with my father. I didn’t want to spend my life constantly looking over my shoulder or waiting for the next bomb to drop like my mother had. I wanted a man who’d be honest and good—a man who’d love me and always be there when I needed them. I wasn’t sure where exactly Zander fit in that promise I’d made to myself. Every instinct I had screamed at me to walk away, but my heart just wouldn’t listen. I knew he was involved in bad things. I’d seen that with my own eyes, but I also knew there was another side to him—a good side. I’d seen it, felt it, but deep down, I wasn’t sure it was enough. I was still trying to wrap my head around it all when Krissy snuck up behind me and asked, “Well?”
I glanced over my shoulder and found her standing behind me with a big goofy smile spread across her face. Even though I knew she wanted to know what happened after she’d left the bar, I feigned ignorance. “Well, what?”
“You know what! How did it go with your guy last night?”
“It went okay. More than okay.” I couldn’t help but smile as I said, “I think we got things sorted or, at least, partly sorted.”
“So, my girl got laid again.” She teased. “I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Don’t get too excited. I’m not sure if I’ll be seeing him again.”
“What? Why not?”
“I don’t know. I’m just scared, I guess.” I shrugged with doubt. “I don’t want to end up with a broken heart.”
“There’s always that chance with any guy, Dee, but I gotta tell ya”—her smile suddenly faded—“I’d give anything to have a guy look at me the way he was looking at you last night. Damn. He’s got it bad for you, girl, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say you felt the same way about him.”
I wasn’t sure I was ready to admit it to her or myself, but she was right. Right or wrong, I was falling for Zander. There was something about him that got to me in a way no man ever had, and it terrified me. There was no way I could explain it all to Krissy, so I decided to try and change the subject. “What about you and your guy from last night? Did you have a good time?”
“He was all right, I guess. He seemed like a nice guy and all, but there were no fireworks or anything.” A look of indifference crossed her face as she chuckled. “I don’t think he’s the one, but I’ll go out with him again just to be sure.”
“You’ll have to let me know how that goes.”
“I will, and I expect you to do the same with your fella. I think you might be surprised by how things will play out between you two.”
“We’ll see.” There was a commotion in one of the resident’s rooms down the hall, so I used the opportunity to cut our conversation short. “I better get down to Mrs. Williams’ room and see how she’s doing.”
“Okay.” When I turned to leave, she called out, “I’ll be expecting an update soon.”
“I know you will!”
After I checked in with Mrs. Williams, I spent the rest of my day staying busy with rounds and paperwork. By the time I made it back home, I was exhausted, but that didn’t stop me from checking my window every few minutes for any sign of Zander or his brothers in my parking lot. When I wasn’t checking my window, I was glancing down at my phone, hoping that by some chance I might actually hear from him before I went to bed. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I knew he said he would be gone for the day, but I was hoping that he might touch base with me, especially after our little discussion the night before.
After hours of foolishly waiting and hoping, I finally gave up and went to bed. Consumed with frustration, I tossed and turned for hours, questioning over and over whether I should simply end things with him and relieve myself of the constant fretting. Even though it might’ve been easier, the thought didn’t set well with me. In fact, the mere thought of never seeing him again made my heart ache with dread.
I don’t know how long I’d been lying there when I finally gave in to my exhaustion and drifted off to sleep. I was in the thick haze of sleep when I heard a strange sound in my bathroom. I sat up in my bed, listening in utter fright as the noise became louder and louder, followed by the sound of water coming from the shower. While I was scared out of my mind, I found it doubtful that an intruder would take a shower before slicing my throat, so I eased out of bed and crept over to the bathroom door. My hand trembled as I turned the doorknob and stepped inside. My breath caught in my throat when I found a naked Zander standing in my shower in all his wondrous glory. The water trickled down his chest as he smiled and said, “Hey ... I thought you were sleeping.”
“I was.” I tried to keep my eyes from roaming south as I placed my hands on my hips and let out a huff. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m taking a shower.”
“I see that, Zander. How did you get in here?”
A sexy smirk crossed his face as he replied, “You’re not the only one who can pick a lock, darlin’.”
“You picked my lock?”
“Well, yeah. I didn’t want to hear your mouthin’ again about me blowing you off.”
“So, you broke into my apartment?” I gasped. “Do you have some kind of aversion to picking up a phone?”
Without a response, he reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the shower with him. My t-shirt quickly became soaked under the stream of water, along with the rest of me, but I didn’t mind. Being close to him set my entire body on fire with need. His eyes were filled with desire. “What can I say? I needed to see you.”
Damn. I loved that look in his eyes—like he’d never get enough of me. Zander’s hands slipped around my waist as he leaned towards me and pressed his lips firmly against mine. The kiss was hungry and full of want as he pulled me closer. I wound my arms around his neck while his calloused fingertips roamed down the small of my back. When he touched me, it was just him and me, making me forget about everything else—the doubts, the chaos, and guilt faded into nothing. A soft whimper escaped my lips as he lifted my wet t-shirt over my head, tossing it to the shower floor.
Water cascaded down our bodies as his hand trailed down to my thighs, easing my panties down to my ankles. Once they were gone, he lifted me up, and in a blink, my back was pressed against the cold, wet tile. Seeking more, I tilted my head back, letting the water flow down my breasts. He trailed kisses along the curve of my neck to my collarbone, and ever so slowly, he moved one of his hands up and down my slick side. His fingers brushed against my breasts and then down to my hips, and I groaned with pleasure as his hand found its way between my legs. His fingers slipped inside me, moving ever so gently as he said, “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
“Zander.”
“Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
“Tell me.” I gasped as he moved faster inside me.
“I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. I can’t stop thinking about all the things I’m going to do to you ... all the different ways I’m going to make you come.” He lowered his mouth to my neck, and as he trailed kisses down my shoulder, he whispered, “You’re mine, Delilah … every fucking inch of you.”
Hearing him claim me in such a primal way sent me over the edge. My hips jolted forward as my body clenched firmly around his fingers. I was floating on the high of my release, relishing the moment of ecstasy, when he lowered himself down to his knees. His mouth came closer, and with one flick of his tongue, my entire body was consumed with desire. My hands dove into Zander’s hair as I shamelessly pulled him closer. I’d never been so turned on, and he had just gotten started. What began in the shower moved into the bedroom, where he spent the entire night exploring every inch of my body.
By the time he was done, we were both exhausted and
wondrously sated and collapsed on the bed. He rested his head on the pillow as I curled into his side, my head in the crook of his arm. We lay there motionless for several minutes, trying to catch our breath. I’m not sure what spurred the thought, maybe it was feeling the connection between us growing stronger, or maybe I just needed him to know how I felt. Either way, I looked up at him. “Can I tell you something?”
“Um-hmm.”
I propped up on my elbow, so I could look at him as I said, “I don’t know what this thing is that’s happening between us, and to be honest, I’m not sure I want to know ... but I like it. I’m really happy when I’m with you.”
His voice was soft and low as he whispered, “Delilah.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m not asking for some kind of declaration or anything. I just wanted you to know how I felt.”
He didn’t respond. I didn’t expect him to. I closed my eyes as I listened to the relaxing rhythm of his heartbeat, and even though I tried to fight it, I drifted off to sleep. I woke up the next morning in an empty bed with a note from Zander on my pillow, letting me know he’d gone to back to the clubhouse. I was disappointed but not surprised, as I crawled out of bed and headed to the shower. By the time I was out and dressed, it was almost noon. I didn’t have to go into work, so I made myself busy by cleaning up my apartment and doing laundry. Once I was done, I crawled up on the sofa and turned on the TV. A smile spread across my face when I saw that a rerun of Animal Kingdom was on. It made me think back to the night I’d invited Zander up to my apartment. At the time, I hadn’t realized that our dinner together would be the start of something more—maybe that was what I’d hoped for all along.
Hawk
“I gotta say, that motherfucker has balls,” Rafe announced. It had only been a few days since he’d been shot, but he wasn’t the kind of man who’d let a couple of bullet wounds slow him down. His shoulder was up in a sling and he was moving a little slower than usual, but Rafe looked like he was holding his own as he stood outside of one of Shotgun’s rooms. Miller’s tortured cries were penetrating into the hallway as Shotgun continued to work him over, and a mischievous smile crossed his face as Rafe motioned his head towards the door. “Well, at least he had ’em. After that round of screaming I just heard, I’m not so sure anymore.”