Ties That Bind (Ruthless Sinners MC 1)

“Ah, I’m all right, Prez. Besides, the kid was scared shitless.” Rafe could’ve easily held a grudge against Danny, but it was in his nature to just let things go, so I wasn’t surprised when Rafe said, “He knew what was coming, and if I was in his shoes, I probably would’ve done the same fucking thing.”

“He shot you—a brother of the Ruthless Sinners. You don’t do that shit and get away with it,” Viper argued.

“He didn’t.” Rafe nodded his head to his left. “Shotgun made sure of that.”

“You saying we should just let this kid walk?”

“I don’t see why we wouldn’t.” Rafe shrugged. “I know he panicked and all that, and didn’t come forward to set things right, but he wasn’t the one who tried to pull one over on us. And don’t forget ... he took a bullet for you.”

“Rafe’s got a point,” Axel agreed. “You both do. He fucked up when he shot Rafe, but he’s come a long way in making up for it.”

“That he did.” Knowing how much it would mean to Delilah that her brother would soon be free, relief washed over me when Viper said, “We’ll let him walk. Who knows? Maybe having him around will come in handy someday.”

“You never know. It just might.”

“The day’s wasting away, boys.” Viper stood as he said, “Get out there and make the best of it.”

We all got up from the table and slowly dispersed. I stopped and had a few words with Axel and Viper, thanking them again for going over to the nursing home with me to see McClanahan. As soon as we were done talking, I headed over to Delilah’s place. I was just about to enter the apartment complex when I noticed the black truck from the night before whipping around the corner. Once again, he was going too fast for me grab the fuckin’ license plate. Having no choice, I let it go and continued upstairs to her place. I’d barely knocked when she opened the door and smiled. Her scrubs from earlier had been replaced with a pair of running shorts and a long-sleeved, tie-dyed t-shirt. Her hair was down, and she was wearing just a hint of makeup, but she didn’t need it. Delilah was a natural beauty who looked amazing with little effort. “Hey... come on in. Dinner’s almost ready.”

She closed the door, then rushed back into the kitchen. “What are we having?” I asked as I stepped inside her apartment.

“Tenderloin and veggies.” As she checked the potatoes, she looked over to me and said, “You were pretty clever today.”

“Really? How so?”

“Bringing the guys to the nursing home like you did.” She gave me one of her little smirks. “I know you had ulterior motives.”

“Oh? And what was that?”

“You bringing them over to see Mr. McClanahan wasn’t just for him. It was for me too.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me and said, “You were hoping I’d get to see a different side of them.”

“Um-hmm.” I eased over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close. “And did it work?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” A smile crept across her beautiful face as she said, “I gotta admit, I was kind of surprised. They were all really great with him, and it meant a lot to Mr. McClanahan. He wouldn’t stop talking about it. As a matter of fact, everyone in the nursing home was going on about you guys.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but I want you to know ... I would’ve gone back to see McClanahan regardless of what happened with us, and sooner or later, the guys would’ve ended up coming along too.” I kissed her lightly on the neck. “I just sped up the process a bit.”

“I know.” Her expression grew soft as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s one of the things I like about you.”

“One of the things?” I took a step back and looked down at her. “So, there’s more?”

“Yeah, there’s plenty more.” Her blue eyes never left mine as she said, “I like that you’re a little self-absorbed, and yet so very thoughtful of others. I like that you’re confident when you’re right, but you’ll admit when you’re wrong. I also like the fact that you’re this rough and tough biker, but at the same time, you can be the most gentle man I’ve ever met.”

Damn. I’d never had anyone sum me up quite like that before. We’d only known each other for a couple of weeks, but she nailed it. Delilah knew me even better than I knew myself, making me realize, now more than ever, that I’d found the one. Delilah was like no woman I’d ever met. She was it for me. No doubt about it. Consumed with emotion, I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, kissing her long and hard, showing her exactly how much she meant to me. The kiss led us into the bedroom, and I knew the second I started to remove her clothes, dinner was going to be late—very late.