Ties That Bind (Ruthless Sinners MC 1)

“Not a gang. We’re an MC.” She glanced back at me with a confused look on her face, so I explained, “It’s pretty simple. A gang is about finding the means to an end, while an MC is all about the brotherhood. We’re family. Simple as that.”

“And you all live in that warehouse building together?”

“The clubhouse?” She nodded. “No. We don’t all live there, but we have rooms there so we can stay whenever need be.”

“So, you have a place of your own?”

“Yeah. I have a house not too far from here.”

“A house? Hmm ... That must be nice. I couldn’t even begin to afford a place of my own ... at least not yet. Maybe someday, though.” After checking the stove one last time, she turned to me and said, “It’s going to be a few minutes before it’s ready. I’m going to run and take a shower. I have to get out of these scrubs.”

“Okay. Take your time.”

“Make yourself at home.” She started towards her room and said, “Oh, and umm ... make sure the potatoes don’t burn.”

“I’ve got it covered.”

Seconds later, I heard the water turn on, so I took a moment to look around her place. Wasn’t much to see, just a few pictures scattered here and there, but the photographs of her friends and family gave me a little insight into her life. There was no picture of a dad or grandparents, only a few her mother and Danny, and a couple of others of Delilah and a cute blonde. I’d just gone into the kitchen and finished checking the potatoes when Delilah returned. The sight of her nearly took my breath away. The crazy thing about it was that she wasn’t even fixed up. Her long hair was down and she was wearing a pair of baggy sweats with a black tank top, but she looked fucking incredible. A smile crept across her face as she asked, “You ready to eat?”

“Always.”

I helped her bring everything over to the small kitchen table, then we sat down and made our plates. As we started eating, our previous small talk fired up once again. We both shared a couple of stories about our childhood, and Delilah told me about her parents’ divorce and how they’d all moved into her grandmother’s house. From what I’d heard, divorce was tough on most kids, but I got the impression it wasn’t so bad for Delilah. In fact, from the way she talked, her mother walking out on their father was the best thing that could’ve happened to them. Our conversation continued as we cleaned up the dirty dishes and made our way over to the sofa. Delilah reached for the remote, and a smile crossed her face when she saw that Animal Kingdom was on. She looked over to me and said, “I can’t believe you actually watch this.”

“Are you kidding? It’s one of my favorites.”

“Seriously?”

“Definitely.” I chuckled. “Those brothers pull off some pretty impressive shit, and you were right about Smurf. She’s crazy, but damn, they’d never make it without her.”

“I think Jay is up to something.”

“Yeah, I think so, too. I just don’t have any idea what.”

We both sat back and watched the show, occasionally discussing different aspects of it. As soon as it was over, she turned off the TV, and we went right back to talking. We sat inches apart, telling one story after the next. I’d just finished going on about the day my father had bought me my first motorcycle when it hit me. I wasn’t a man who did “small talk.” I sure as hell wasn’t one to talk about myself, but she drew it out of me, making me want to share things with her I’d never told anyone. The realization got to me, but not enough to make me get up and leave. Instead, I sat there and surprisingly relished every moment I got to spend with her.

The sun had set, and it was starting to get late when a fretful expression crossed Delilah’s face. I thought she was going to send me walking, but instead, she asked, “I know I’m not supposed to ask, but is Danny okay?”

The club’s dealing with Danny wasn’t something I could discuss with her. Club business was always kept solely between the brothers, but I decided it wouldn’t hurt to tell her, “He’s hanging in there.”

“Do you think there’s a chance he’ll walk away from this?”

That wasn’t a question I was ready to answer. Unfortunately, I knew this was something she wouldn’t let it go. “The decision isn’t up to me, but there’s always a chance.”

“But he wasn’t the one responsible for the mix-up.”

“He knew there was a problem, and instead of coming to us about it, he tried to skip town. And on top of that, he shot one of my brothers, Delilah. He could’ve killed Rafe.”