by Wilder, L.
“You got nothing to be sorry about.”
I was about to continue when Viper stepped over to us and asked, “She okay?”
“Yeah, she’ll be fine.”
“Well, I hate to rush, but we need to get moving.” Viper glanced around Delilah’s apartment complex. “By now, somebody’s reported the gunshots, and the cops will be on their way.”
“Okay. What do we need to do?”
“You tend to her. We’ll take care of this.”
Delilah’s back stiffened as she watched Shotgun and Menace lift her father’s body off the ground and carry it over to his BMW. Knowing I needed to get Delilah out of there, I turned back to Viper and asked, “You sure you got it covered?”
“Yeah, I’ve already put a call into Billy.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Prez.”
“No problem, brother. Go take care of your girl.”
I quickly helped Delilah to her feet, and together we started walking towards the front of her apartment. We were about to go in when Danny rushed over. “Hey, Dee. Hold up a second.”
“Danny.” Tears started to fill Delilah’s eyes once again as she asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Remorse filled his eyes as he told her, “I’m really sorry about all this, Dee. I had no idea it was Dad I was working for.”
“I know. He told me everything.”
He glanced back over at his father’s car, watching as the brothers locked his father away in the trunk. “I can’t believe it was him, and that I actually killed him.”
“I know it’s hard, Danny, but—”
“No, that’s just it. It’s not hard, at least not as hard as it should be.” Danny shook his head. “After all these years, he was still the same asshole that he was the day Mom walked out on him. I’d even go so far as to say he was worse.”
“Yes. I can’t disagree with you there. The man was clearly insane.”
Danny lowered his head in shame as he muttered, “I should’ve never gotten involved in this shit. I’m going to make all this up to you, Dee. I swear it.”
“Consider it a lesson learned.” Delilah reached over and gave him a hug as she told him, “And just so you know, you’re nothing like him. He might have been our father, but you’re so much better than him. Remember that.”
Danny gave her a slight smile as he replied, “I’ll try.”
“Hate to cut this short, guys, but we need to get moving.” When Danny nodded, I told him, “Tell the guys to let me know if they need me.”
“You got it.”
Danny turned to head back to the others, and Delilah called out to him, “Hey! You need to call Mom. She’s been—”
“I already took care of it,” he interrupted. “I called her as soon as you left the clubhouse. Told her I’d be by the house tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Danny.”
“No problem.”
I took Delilah by the hand and led her up the front steps of her apartment. Just as I opened the door, she turned to me and asked, “Do you mind if we stay at your place? I really don’t want to be here tonight.”
“Of course. Whatever you need, Delilah. I’m here for you.”
She wound her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly as she whispered, “Thank you ... for everything.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Delilah."
When she looked up to me, I leaned down and kissed her softly, careful not to hurt her busted lip, then rushed up to her apartment to grab a few of her things and the keys to her car. After being manhandled by her father, I doubted she’d be up for riding on my bike, so I called one of the prospects to come pick it up, and we took Delilah’s car over to my place. On the way there, I couldn’t stop glancing over at her, checking to see if she was really okay. Hearing the fear in her voice when she called me nearly broke me. I knew then, I would do anything to save her, and once I did, I would claim her as mine. Delilah was mine, and it was time everyone knew it—including her.
Delilah
I’d been at Zander’s place several times over the past few weeks, but tonight there was something different about the modern four-bedroom Tudor-style home. Before, the sparse furniture and lack of home décor made the place seem cold and uninviting, but after everything that had happened, it felt safe and comforting. As soon as we walked in, I could feel the tension I was carrying start to ease, and I knew it had everything to do with Zander. He’d been so sweet to me, doing whatever he could to set my mind at ease—even going so far as to draw me a hot bath. Once it was ready, he came into the bedroom and took me by the hand, quietly leading me into the bathroom. His eyes never left mine as he slowly and ever so carefully started to remove my clothes. Anger marked his face when he removed my t-shirt and saw the bruising along my ribs. “I’m fine, Zander. It’s just a couple of bruises. They’ll go away in time.”
“I want to kill him all over again for what he did to you.”
“Zander, it’s okay.” I placed the palm of my hand on his cheek as I whispered, “He’s gone. It’s over.”
He nodded, but the anguish in his eyes only grew more intense as he continued to remove my clothes. His touch was soft as he helped me undress. Once my clothes were gone, he guided me over to the bathtub. I slipped down into the warm, soapy water, and Zander knelt down on the floor next to me. He took a washcloth and dipped into the water, then soaped it up before gingerly running it across my back. I drew my legs up, resting my head on my knees and closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of the warm water cascading down my back. I tried not to think about my father or the events that had transpired earlier that night, but it wasn’t long before the memories came rushing into my mind. My heart started to race as I thought about the moment I walked into my apartment and found my father sitting there in the dark. All the things he’d said to me caused my stomach to twist into a knot. I didn’t want to believe that man was my father, that he could be so cold and cruel.
Unaware that I was working myself into a panic, Zander continued to bathe me, taking his time to wash my neck and down the length of my arms. I wanted to focus on his touch, but it was just too hard. I couldn’t push the thoughts out of my head, and I started thinking about that moment when Danny pulled out his gun and shot him. Every muscle in my body tensed as I remembered the bullet piercing my father’s chest and the look on his face when he realized he’d been shot. It was at that moment, Zander whispered, “Delilah ... are you okay?”
I fought back my tears as I turned to look at him and said, “No, but I will be.”
“I love you, Delilah, and I’m here for you in any way that you need me. I hope you know that.”
While he’d shown me in so many ways how he felt about me, he’d never actually said the words to me. Hearing them now only confirmed what I already knew. “I do know that, and I love you too, Zander. So very much.”
He leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to mine, and as he kissed me, I’d never felt so loved and adored. We sat there for several more minutes, talking about our versions of the night. I told him about the conversation my father and I had and all the threats he’d made, and how scared I was for Danny. I could hear the misery in his voice as he talked about watching my father and me coming down the fire escape. When he mentioned how he’d called the brothers, it brought back a thought I wanted to share with him.
“You know, when the guys showed and I realized they were there for me, I finally got what you’ve been talking about. I was starting to understand your draw to the club, especially after their visit with Mr. McClanahan, but tonight ... there was something really powerful about having your brothers come to my rescue like they did.”
“I meant it when I said they’d do anything to protect you.”
“I see that now.”
I thought back to my conversation with my father and the anger I’d felt when he told me about the drugs. At the time, I didn’t understand why I hadn’t felt the same anger towards Hawk and his brot
hers. Now, I finally got it. Yes, the Ruthless Sinners did bad things. They sold drugs, ran strip clubs, and even killed bad people, but at the same time, they were good men. They had each other’s backs at every turn and even risked their lives to keep their family safe. Zander was right when he told me his brothers weren’t anything like my father. They’d proven that when they came to my rescue. It was that thought that had me wondering about the moment they loaded my father into the trunk of his car. Even though I knew it was doubtful he’d answer, I asked, “By the way, what will they do with my father?”
“You know I can’t answer that. Just know it’s been handled.”
“By Billy?”
“Delilah,” he warned.
“Okay, I’ll leave it.”
He helped me out of the tub and carefully dried me off, then he slipped one of his t-shirts over my head and led me into the bedroom. As he pulled the covers back, I looked around the room, noting once again the lack of furniture, and I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “What’s with the big house? You have three empty bedrooms, and just a few pieces of furniture in the rest of the house. Why haven’t you done more with it?”
“Guess you could say I was waiting for you.” He lifted his hands up to my face, brushing my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I want you to make this house our home. Fill it with whatever you like.”
My heart swelled with emotion as I looked up at him and saw the love in his eyes. I couldn’t stop myself from lifting up on my tiptoes and kissing him once again. What started off as soft and tender, quickly became heated. I felt a warm rush of heat course through my body when his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. Unfortunately, just as I was about to get lost in his touch, his arm pressed against my bruised ribs, causing me to whimper in pain. He quickly released me from our embrace, looking down at me with concern. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s fine. I’m okay.”
I went to reach for him but stopped when he shook his head. “You need your rest, Delilah. We have plenty of time for that once you’ve recovered.”
“Zander, I’m—”
“This isn’t up for debate.”
With a determined look in his eye, he reached for the covers and lifted them, beckoning me to get into bed. As much as I wanted to protest, I gave in to his demands, and just as I’d hoped, he quickly removed his clothes and crawled in next to me. Even though I wanted to him to make love to me, it was comforting to have him nestled up close behind me. As I lay there listening to the soothing sound of his breath, my entire body started to relax, and it wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, I was disappointed to find that I was in the bed alone. I’d hoped to pick up where we’d left off the night before, but that wasn’t going to happen—not this morning or anytime soon, for that matter. Zander had his mind set on giving me time to heal. While urging me to stay in the bed and rest, he took care of all the cooking and everything around the house. The only time I even got out of my pjs was the day we rode over to the clubhouse.
Zander needed to speak with Viper about some club business, and he thought it would be a good opportunity for him to show me around. When we got there, most of the guys were off doing whatever it was they did, so the place was basically empty, giving us free rein to walk about. I’d only been in the one room when I was there before, so I had no idea how big the place really was. It was massive. Not only was there a full bar with pool tables and a jukebox, there was also a large kitchen and a family room area with sofas and a large flat-screen TV. I was surprised to see that there were enough bedrooms for every member to have their own room, and for the most part, they looked like the one I stayed in. Even though most of the guys had a place of their own, they used them whenever they wanted to spend the night at the clubhouse. Zander had me wait in the family room while he spoke with Viper, and as soon as they were done, Zander insisted that we return home.
I tried to protest, telling him I was fine and didn’t need more rest, but he wasn’t having it. He was set on taking care of me, and he did. In fact, he’d tended to my every need—except one. He refused to engage in any sexual activity whatsoever. Other than a few brief kisses, he simply wouldn’t touch me, and even though I found it very endearing, I was becoming frustrated.
On the fourth morning, I’d had enough and decided it was time for us to talk. When I walked into the kitchen, he was wearing only his boxer briefs as he stood at the stove, frying up a batch of bacon. I took a moment to admire the defined muscles of his back. The man was a beautiful creature, and just looking at him had me wanting to reach out and touch him and spend the entire morning messing up the sheets with him. Unfortunately, when he glanced over his shoulder and saw how I was gawking at him, he shook his head and said, “Don’t even think about, beautiful. We’re not having any of that.”
“And why not?”
“Because you’ve been through an ordeal and need time to heal.”
“I’ve had time to heal, Zander. It’s been days,” I fussed. “The bruises are practically gone.”
“You need more time.” He turned his attention back to the stove. “Besides, we’ve got things we need to discuss.”
“Such as?”
I walked over to the counter and sat down on one of the stools, listening with surprise as he said, “I want you to move in with me.”
“What?” I gasped. “When?”
“The sooner the better.” As if it were no big deal, he continued, “I was actually thinking I’d get a few of the prospects to bring the rest of your stuff over this afternoon.”
“You don’t think that’s rushing it a bit?”
“Not at all.” He turned to face me as he said, “I’ve waited a lifetime for you, and now that you’re here, I don’t want to waste a second of the time we have together.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
A sexy smirk crossed his face as he said, “It’s simple. Just say yes, and we’ll start our future together.”
“But—”
“Stop thinking of all the reasons why you should say no, and just say yes, Delilah.” He leaned towards me, still smiling as he rested his elbows on the counter. “You know you want to.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay.” I smiled. “I’ll move in with you.”
“That’s my girl.” He leaned in closer, briefly kissing me before turning back to the stove. “I’ll call the guys and get them to bring your stuff over.”
“I have a lot of stuff, Zander. I’ll want to be there to help.”
“Fine, but I don’t want you overdoing it and I’ll be there to see that you don’t.”
“Okay, I guess that settles it. You have yourself a new roommate.”
He glanced back over his shoulder as he said, “You’ll be more than just a roommate, Delilah. You’re my ol’ lady, and if I have my way about it, it won’t be long before you’ll have my last name and a ring on that pretty, little finger of yours.”
“Hold on there, Romeo. Don’t you think you’re moving a little fast with all this?”
“No, as a matter of fact, I don’t.” He pulled the skillet filled with scrambled eggs off the burner, then walked over to me. His eyes met mine as he said, “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost you that night. I have no intention of finding out. Not now. Not ever.”
“But I’m okay, Zander. You made sure of that. Your brothers too,” I tried to assure him. “You don’t have to worry anymore.”
He reached for me, then kissed me long and hard, and when he was done, my entire body was humming with need. I inhaled a deep breath, and after I’d collected myself, I muttered, “Okay, I’m in.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
He kissed me once more, then went over to the stove and finished our breakfast. After we finished eating, he put a call in to the prospects and ordered them to go get my things. Keeping true to his word, they moved a
ll my stuff over from my apartment, and I didn’t have to lift a finger—until it came to unpacking everything they’d brought over. I took a week off from work and used the time to get things organized. I had the guys put my bedroom furniture in one of the empty bedrooms for a guest room and had them use my living room furniture to make an office out of one of the others. Once I started unpacking the rest of my things, it didn’t take long before the place looked completely different. It looked like a home—our home.
When Zander came in from the clubhouse and saw everything I’d done, a proud smile crept over his face. “It looks great, babe.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. Hell, I didn’t even know it could look this good.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“See? I was right. All this place needed was you.”
As I stood there gazing at him, my mind was suddenly filled with wonderfully wicked thoughts. I walked over to him and took him by the hand, leading him into the bedroom as I said, “The bruises are gone.”
“Is that right?”
He removed his cut and draped it over the dresser as I nodded with a smile. “I’m feeling really good. There’s just one thing that would make me feel even better.”
“You sure you’re ready?”
A simple nod was all it took. As soon as he got the answer he needed, his mouth covered mine with a kiss that was hungry and demanding. I let my fingers trail along the curves of his perfectly defined chest and relished the sensation of having him so close. I felt him smile against my mouth as I reached for the hem of his shirt and eased it up over his head. My eyes drifted down, slowly roaming over the defined muscles of his chest, and I couldn’t imagine wanting anyone more than I wanted him at that moment. “Zander.”
“I’m right here, baby.”
A moan of pleasure filled the room as his hands drifted down to my waist, pulling me tightly against his muscular frame. His warm hands slid beneath my tank top and across my bare back, his touch sending a rush of warmth through my entire body. I felt myself being led backwards as his strong hands slid up my waist, pulling the soft cotton fabric over my head. When the back of my legs touched the edge of the bed, he slowly lowered me down onto the mattress and tossed my shirt to the side. My breath became ragged with anticipation, my body begging impatiently for his next touch.