Ties That Bind (Ruthless Sinners MC 1)

“We think you do,” Viper growled.

“I’m done with this shit.”

The guy’s arm stiffened, and there was no doubt he was about to pull the trigger when Danny lunged in front of him, taking a bullet to the shoulder. As Danny collapsed to the ground, I fired off a round, shooting Miller in the hand. Miller immediately dropped his weapon and started shouting a stream of curses as he cradled his hand to his chest. “Motherfucker!”

I charged over to Miller, placing my gun to the asshole’s head, then looked down at his hand and snickered. “That’s gotta hurt like a bitch.”

“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.”