by Wilder, L.
“Yeah,” Danny answered. “Last time I used it was when I made arrangements to pick up your take.”
Viper turned to Shotgun and me and nodded his head, signaling us to follow him out of the room. Once the door closed behind us, he turned to me and said, “Get the phone to Menace. Have him track the number and see if he can find out anything about this guy Miller or their main supplier. We need to know exactly who the fuck we’re dealing with.”
“You got it.”
“It’s late. Let’s call it a night. We can get back at it early tomorrow morning.”
I could tell by Shotgun’s expression that he wasn’t ready to stop. He was finally making some headway with Danny, but he’d never go against orders. “You want me to let him down or leave him strung up for the night?”
“Leave him. It’ll give him some time to think things over before we start in on him again.”
“Understood.”
Once we’d retrieved the cellphone from Danny, Viper and Shotgun headed out, while I took the phone to Menace. After I gave him the rundown of what we needed, I went to check in on Delilah. It was late, and just as I’d expected, when I opened the door, she was sound asleep. Deciding it was best to let her get some shuteye, I closed the door and went to the room across the hall. I hoped by staying there I could keep a closer eye on her. Besides, I was too fucking exhausted to go back to my place, so I left the door open and collapsed on the bed. As I lay there, I thought back to my earlier conversation with Delilah. Hearing her talk about being there for her brother got to me. Delilah didn’t care if her brother was in the wrong or that he should take the responsibility for his own actions, she wanted to support him just the same. It was rare to find an outsider who held the same beliefs about loyalty and family as my brothers and me. Our whole life was driven by the brotherhood, always having each other’s backs and being there for one another when times were rough. It had me wondering if there were other things we had in common. With each moment I thought about it, I found myself becoming more and more exhausted. I could barely remember closing my eyes when I was jerked awake by the sound of Axel’s voice saying, “Hey, brother. Viper’s called us in.”
As I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes, I asked, “What time is it?”
“Just after six.”
“All right. I’ll be right there.”
He nodded, then disappeared into the hallway. I pulled myself out of bed, and after a quick run to the bathroom, I went to check in on Delilah. Not wanting to just barge in on her, I tapped on the door as I unlocked it. When I stepped inside, I found her still in bed watching TV. When I glanced over at the screen, I was surprised to see she was watching Animal Kingdom—one of my favorite shows. I’d stumbled across the series a few months back when I was nursing a hell of a hangover and quickly became engrossed in the crazy family. The three sons and their lunatic mother were always into something, and I found it hard to believe that a woman like Delilah would be interested in all of their antics. She drew me from my thoughts as she sat up and turned off the TV. “Any news on Danny? Did you find out what you needed to know? Can I go home now?”
“Slow down, Delilah. As of now, nothing’s changed.”
“How long is this going to take?”
“Already told you ... That’s up to Danny.”
Worry filled her eyes as she asked, “So, he’s ... still alive?”
“He is.”
“Thank god.”
It was clear Delilah was relieved that her brother was still alive, but her face was still marked with worry. I couldn’t blame her. She was stuck in the middle of an impossible situation. Hoping to take her mind off things for a moment, I asked, “You a fan of Animal Kingdom?”
“Yeah, I guess.” She cocked her head with curiosity. “Why? Do you watch it?”
“From time to time. Smurf is something else, isn’t she?”
“She’s a nutjob, but she makes the show.”
“That she does.” As I started out the door, I told her, “I’ve gotta get going. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Okay.” She nodded, and just as I was about to close the door, she asked, “Hey, do you think I might be able to make a call into work? I need to let them know I won’t be coming in.”
“Doubt Viper will go for that.”
“It’s not like me to just not show up for work,” she pushed. “I doubt anyone but my mother would notice that Danny’s not around, but if I don’t at least text my lead nurse, they’ll get suspicious and—”
“I’ll talk to Viper and let you know.”
“Okay, but my shift starts in a couple of hours and—”
“I said I’d talk to him, Delilah.”
With a look of defeat, she sighed. “Okay.”
“I’ll be back when I can.”
With that, I closed the door and went down to the conference room to join Viper and the others. When I walked in, they were already seated and waiting for me to do the same. As soon as I was settled, Viper announced, “You all know that we brought Danny in last night, and he spent some quality time with Shotgun. I’d like to say that we got everything sorted and this thing with him is done, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.”
“So, what’s going on?” Axel asked. “Who fucked us over?”
“Can’t say for sure ... at least, not yet.” Viper turned to Menace and asked, “What were you able to find out?”
“Don’t have a lot just yet, but I’m still working on it.” He took a piece of paper out of his file and handed it over to Viper. “Lives in Texarkana. From what I can tell, he’s just another go-between. I tracked the burner he was using, and it looks like he goes to Texas at least once a week, if not more.”
“Got a name?”
“Not yet.”
“Is he making drug runs to Texas?” I asked.
“That would make sense, but I can’t be certain just yet.”
As Axel looked over at the paper Menace had given Viper, he said, “Not much here. Looks like you have your work cut out for ya.”
“I do, but I’ll get it.” He turned to Shotgun. “Need you to see if Danny knows anything more. Might help to know how he got his start dealing with these guys.”
“No problem. I’ll get him talking.”
“I have no doubt you will,” Menace replied. “Since we have the sister, might be a good idea to have a chat with her as well.”
My stomach twisted into a knot, and I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “We’ve already talked to her. It’s pretty clear that she doesn’t know anything.”
Viper cocked his eyebrow as he told me, “We don’t know that for certain.”
“No, but my gut tells me she’s speakin’ the truth.” I glanced around the room, and it was clear from their expressions that my brothers were surprised by my declaration. Hoping to play it off, I shrugged and said, “I don’t see any reason for her to lie ... not when she’s got nothing to gain and everything to lose.”
“You might be right, but we’ll never know unless Shotgun has a go with her.”
As if he could sense my unease, Shotgun leaned forward and said, “Let me see what I can get out of Danny first. If he gives us what we need, there’ll be no reason to involve the girl.”
“He may have a point there. No need involving her any more than we have to. Otherwise, we’ll just have another problem to contend with,” Axel added.
The second the words came out of Axel’s mouth Billy the Butcher came to my mind. He was the club’s “cleaner.” Whenever we had a mess to be cleaned up or a captive that needed to be dealt with, he would take care of it—using any means necessary. The thought of him handling Delilah made my blood run cold. I didn’t get why it even bothered me. I knew nothing about her. It shouldn’t have mattered to me what the brothers did or didn’t do to her. Since she was already the topic of conversation, I decided to use the opportunity to say, “We’ve got another issue with the girl that needs to be considered.”
“Oh?”
Viper’s brows furrowed as he asked, “And what’s that?”
“She’s got friends ... people she works with who’ll be curious to know why she hasn’t shown up to work. We don’t want folks snooping around and trying to find her, so it might be best to let her contact someone ... make up a reason for being out of touch.”
“Get her phone from Shotgun. You send the messages that need to be sent.”
I nodded, and was relieved when the topic of Delilah quickly changed as Bear asked, “Any word on Rafe? I haven’t had a chance to get down to the infirmary yet. He making it okay?”
“Yeah,” Viper answered. “He’s on the mend. Should be back on his feet in a couple of days.”
“Good.” His expression grew fierce as he added, “Hope Shotgun is giving Danny hell for putting a bullet in our brother.”
“Don’t worry. Danny is getting what’s coming to him,” Viper assured him as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Two hundred grand is a lot of cash. I know you’re all as eager as I am to get this thing dealt with … and we will, but I don’t want it distracting us from the bigger picture. We’ve got some leads on a new distributor that we’ll be checking out, and we still have the new club to get up and running.”
“I’ll be heading over there this morning,” Axel replied. “I want to see if those building permits have cleared so we can get going on the expansion.”
“Good. I’ll check on the liquor license and see if Cassandra has made any progress with getting us some new girls.” Viper stood as he ordered, “The clock is ticking. Let’s get this day rolling.”
As we all started to disperse, Shotgun followed me out the door and into the hall. A look of concern crossed his face as he asked, “Something going on with you that I need to be aware of?”
“No. Everything’s good.”
“You sure?” he pushed. “Sure seems like something is up with you and that girl.”
“You talking about Delilah?” When he just stood there glaring at me, I shook my head. “No, brother. Nothing’s up with her. Just want us to be careful.”
“Oh, come on, man.” A smirk crossed his face as he gave my shoulder a brotherly slap. “I’m just fucking with you. I know you’re smarter than that.”
He was right. I was smarter than that. It was time for me to get my head fucking sorted before I ended up doing something I’d regret. The thought had me thinking about Lisa’s offer from the night before. I wanted to believe that some quality time with her might put an end to the nagging pull I’d felt towards Delilah, but I knew that wasn’t the case. Nothing was going to get that woman out of my fucking head. When Shotgun started down the hall, I shouted, “I’ve got some shit to take care of. I’ll be down in a bit to check your progress with Danny.”
“See ya then.”
As soon as he was out of sight, I went down to the kitchen. After I grabbed a cup of coffee and some biscuits, I headed to the room where we were holding Delilah. Once I’d unlocked the door, I walked in without saying a word and placed everything on the desk. She was still sitting on the bed and Animal Kingdom was back on the TV, but her eyes were trained solely on me as I turned and started back out the door. “That’s it? You’re just gonna leave without saying anything?”
“Nothing else to say.”
“Seriously? I’ve been locked up in this room for hours on end, and you still aren’t even going to tell me what the hell is going on?”
I turned to look at her, and the second her blue eyes locked on mine, I knew I’d made a mistake. She looked so fucking beautiful with her long red hair flowing down around her delicate shoulders, and just like that, she had me thinking things I had no business thinking. Fuck. I needed to get the hell out of there. “I don’t have time for this shit, Delilah.”
I stepped out into the hall, quickly closing the door behind me and locking it. Just before I turned to leave, I heard her bang on the door and shout, “Hawk. Hawk! You can’t leave me in here like this!”
My chest tightened at the sound of her cries, but after meeting with the brothers, I knew she was safer in that room than she was anywhere else.
Delilah
The haze of adrenaline and anger had officially worn off, and I was starting to freak out. My mind was reeling with unimaginable thoughts, and with every second that passed, I felt more and more like the walls were closing in on me, smothering my every breath. I was hoping for some small reprieve when Hawk came into the room with some coffee and breakfast, but instead, he only made matters worse. He barely spoke, and when he did, it was clear that he was on edge. I had no idea what had caused his change in demeanor, but it was impossible not to take it as a bad sign. I tried to settle my nerves by watching some TV as I drank my coffee. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay focused long enough to comprehend what was going on. My mind kept wandering to Danny and then to my mother and then to work. I had no doubt that Janet was going to be furious with me for not touching base and letting her know I wouldn’t be coming in. I liked my job and the people I worked with, and I hated the thought of losing everything I’d worked for because of something Danny had done. I’d like to say that things had gotten better over the next few hours, but they didn’t. With every hour that dragged by, I found myself glancing over to the door, hoping by some chance that Hawk would return and allow me to call into work.
When I finally heard the click of the lock, I got up, anxiously waiting for him to enter the room, but he didn’t. Instead of Hawk, a different guy—a much scarier, more intimidating man—stepped into the room. He had long dark hair and tattoos all over his arms up to his neck. His eyes were dark and cold as he charged into the room with a handful of drinks and a sack of food. I shifted to the corner of the room as I quietly asked, “Who are you?”
He placed the drinks and a bag of food on the desk. “Widow.”
“I thought Hawk was supposed to be watching over me.”
“He sent me.”
“Oh, did he mention anything about me getting in touch with my work?”
“Nope.”
“So, he didn’t say anything?”
“Nope.”
Without another word, he stalked out of the room, closed the door, and locked it behind him. Damn. I wanted to bang on the door, scream and shout for them to let me out, but something told me it was best for me to just keep my mouth shut. Feeling utterly defeated, I walked over to the desk, grabbed a bottle of water and a sandwich, then sat down on the edge of the bed. I started to take a bite of food, but with the panic that was building inside the pit of my stomach, I simply couldn’t eat. Looking for something to unlock the door, I decided to check the desk again, and found a small hairpin in the side drawer. I held it in my hand and wondered if it would be possible for me to pick the door’s lock. I’d never actually done it, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to at least try. Even though I was eager to get started, I decided it was best to wait until dark. I quickly slipped the pin back into the drawer, and for the first time since I’d been taken captive, I felt hopeful that I might actually get out of here alive.
I went over to the bed, and as I lay down, I started trying to devise a plan. I thought back to the night before when I was brought to the warehouse and tried to remember every detail of what I’d seen: the long, dark hall; the bar with the jukebox and pool tables; the parking lot with the guards posted by the tall fence and gate. Damn. It seemed as if these men were prepared for anything. Even if I managed to pick the stupid lock, my escape wouldn’t come easy. Every move I made would have to be well-thought-out, but I wasn’t going to let it deter me from trying.
Hours later, I was still mulling over my plan when I heard the lock on the door turn. Moments later, Hawk stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. As I looked up at him, a warmth washed over me, and I silently cursed myself for my body’s reaction to him. After the way he’d locked me in this godforsaken room, I should’ve been disgusted by him—angered at the very least. I hoped to hide my unwelcome reaction by saying
, “You don’t have to keep coming to check in on me. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“Then, why are you here?”
He ran his hand through his hair with a troubled sigh. “Beats the hell out of me.”
“Well, since you’re here ... Did you say anything to Viper about letting me make a call to work?”
“It’s been taken care of.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean ... it’s been taken care of,” he answered sharply.
“Okay ... Then, what about Danny?” I stood up and took a step towards him. “Has he told you what you wanted to know?”
“Why do you keep asking when you know I’m not going to answer?”
“Because I’m hoping if I do, you might actually tell me what the hell is going on.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop asking.” Hoping I might be able to get through to him, I took another step closer to him and placed my hand on his arm. “Can you at least tell me if I have any chance—any chance at all—of getting out of here?”
For reasons I didn’t understand, I actually believed him when he replied, “If I have anything to say about it, you’ll have more than just a chance.”
“I really want to believe that.”
“Then, believe it.” His eyes never left mine as he whispered, “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”
I nodded as I removed my hand from his arm. He was still holding my gaze when a strange expression crossed his face. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought he was thinking about kissing me, especially when his eyes drifted down to my mouth. With each second that passed, the tension between us only grew stronger, suddenly stopping when Hawk grumbled, “Fuck.”
Before I had a chance to even think, he turned and disappeared into the hall, locking me inside once again. Out of pure frustration, I threw my hands up in the air and yelled, “What the hell was that?”
Of course, I got no response. Simply more silence. I was done with this insanity. One way or another, I was getting out of this room and as far away from the Sinners’ warehouse as I possibly could—even if that meant never seeing him again. I forced that thought out of my head as I collapsed down on the bed and started thinking about my plan to escape. I hadn’t been lying there long when the door flew open and Shotgun stepped into the room with a fierce expression on his face. “Time for you to come with me.”
