“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.