by Wilder, L.
“Maybe so.” Danny glanced behind him, watching the guys as they sat around the fire drinking a cold one. “How about a couple of beers? Might help take your mind off things for a bit.”
“Doubt it, but you go ahead. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
“You got it, man.” He turned to leave, but quickly stopped and looked back at me. “Hey, I was meaning to ask you ... Have the guys been watching Delilah?”
“Yeah, we had to be sure she wouldn’t talk about you and everything that happened.”
“I get it. Did Delilah know y’all were watching her?”
“We didn’t keep that a secret.” I sighed. “Figured it would help motivate her to keep her mouth shut.”
“She didn’t talk, did she?”
“Not a word.”
“Didn’t think she would. Delilah isn’t one to go back on her word.” Apprehension crossed his face as he said, “So, this creeper she was talking about ... He something I need to be concerned about?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” I’d seen the guy and hadn’t forgotten the uneasy feeling I got after I noticed him parked outside her apartment. At the time, I hadn’t known for certain if he was there for her, but now that I did, it made my blood run cold to think he might do something to hurt her. I needed to know for sure that he had no connection to the club, so I told Danny, “I’ll talk to Viper and see if he knows anything about it.”
“Okay, sounds good,” he replied, sounding relieved. “If you don’t mind, let me know what he says.”
“Will do.”
When Danny turned to join the others, I went inside the clubhouse to find Viper. He and Menace had been going over the intel Menace had collected on Flint, the new dealer we were looking into. With the new club open and doing so well, we wanted to get product moving before our customers went looking somewhere else. Even though Viper was eager to get our first order placed, he wasn’t going to make a move until he was certain that we’d found the right guy. When I walked into his office, they were both gathered around his desk, going over all the files. “How’s our guy looking?”
“Pretty good, actually,” Viper answered. “I’m not seeing any red flags yet, so I’d say that’s a good sign.”
“That’s a very good sign. So, now what?”
“I’m thinking we’ll place a small order and just see how it plays out. If the product is as good as they say it is, then we’ll be set.”
“That’s great to hear. It’ll be good to finally get the ball moving on this. Just let me know if you need me to do anything.”
“You know I will.” He lowered the papers onto his desk, giving me his full attention. “You got something on your mind?”
“Yeah, I need to ask you about something.”
Menace stood up, and as he started out of the room, he said, “I’ll give you two a minute.”
Once he’d closed the door, Viper looked up at me and asked, “What’s going on?”
“It’s about Delilah.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know anything about a guy who’s been watching her? He drives a black truck ... been sitting outside her place and hangin’ around.”
A puzzled expression crossed his face, and I knew right then he didn’t have a clue. “I don’t know anything about it. Hell, I put you in charge of watching her, so if there’s anyone who’d know about a new guy, it’d be you.”
“Damn, I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“So, she’s got some guy watching her. You got any idea why?”
“I wish I did.”
“How long has it been going on?”
“Apparently, he’s been at it a while—a week or more.” I let out a deep breath. “She thought it was one of the brothers, so she didn’t mention anything about it until she came by here tonight.”
“When was this?”
“Hasn’t been long since she left. Twenty minutes or so. She was pretty upset when she got here.” I thought back to the moment she stepped out of her car. I was glad that she’d come, but I didn’t get a chance to tell her. Hell, I didn’t get a chance to tell her much of anything. “She was freaking out over her mother wanting to go to the cops about Danny.”
“You set her straight about him.”
“I was about to, but Danny beat me to it. He came outside when we were talking. Needless to say, she was pretty torn up that I hadn’t told her he’d been shot. Things went south from there.”
“She took it pretty hard, huh?”
“Yeah. She left on a pretty sour note,” I grumbled under my breath. “I didn’t expect it would go well. Her brother means a lot to her. For that matter, her whole family does. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for them.”
“That’s a good thing. It’s important to have those ties to family. Those binds will see you through some hard times, and Delilah having them says a lot about her.” He ran his hand over his thick beard as he mulled things over for a moment. “You think she’ll come around?”
“Hard to say. She had her mind pretty set when she left here.” My chest tightened at the thought of actually losing her. I never imagined it would happen, not to me, but I’d fallen in love with her. I knew she deserved more than I could ever give her, but I didn’t have it in me to just let her walk away—not without a fight. “But I’m not giving up on her. I can’t.”
“You really got something for this girl, don’t ya?”
I nodded. “She’s everything I never knew I wanted. I’m just afraid I’ve fucked it all up and lost her.”
“I doubt that.”
“I don’t know, brother. When she sets her mind to something, it’s hard to change it.”
“Same with most women.” Viper chuckled. “Just give it some time. She’ll come around. For now, we need to be figuring out who’s staking out her place. Find out what the hell he’s up to.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“You think he’s there now?”
“Can’t say for sure.” I shook my head and scoffed. “I’d call her to ask, but something tells me she wouldn’t answer.”
“Well then, you best get over and see for yourself,” Viper suggested. “Try and get this guy’s license plate number or something. Anything we can use to find out who he is and why he’s got a sudden interest in Delilah.”
“I’ll head over there now.”
“Take one of the guys with you. Just in case.”
“Will do. Thanks, Prez.”
I gave him a nod, then left his office. When I got outside, I went over to the bonfire to find Shotgun. I quickly explained the situation with Delilah to him, and minutes later, we were headed over to our bikes. I was just about to start up my engine when Danny rushed over. Seeming unsure of himself, he shoved one of his hands into his pocket as he asked, “Hey, you going to see about Delilah?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“You mind if I tag along? I’d sure feel better if I knew what was going on.”
“If this guy happens to be around”—I glanced down at Danny’s sling—“I’m not sure you’d be any help to us with that bum shoulder.”
“Probably not.”
“Then I’d say it’s best you just hang out here, man.” I appreciated the fact that Danny wanted to check on his sister, but it was too risky. If we ran into trouble, he’d cause more harm than good. “If something’s up, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
“Okay, sounds good.” As he stepped away, he gave us a slight wave and said, “You guys be careful.”
I nodded, and moments later, Shotgun and I were on our way to Delilah’s place. As much as I wanted to go up to her apartment and talk things out, I knew it wasn’t a good idea—at least not yet. I needed to give her some time to sort things out on her own, but that didn’t mean I was just going to roll over and play dead. I’d waited too damn long find a woman like her, and now that I had, I wasn’t going to give her up without a fight. One way or another, I would make her see that we were right
for one another. When we pulled up to her place, I scanned the parking lot for the truck, but saw no sign of it. In fact, Delilah’s was one of the few cars in the entire lot. Shotgun looked over to me as he asked, “You seeing anything?”
“Nope. Looks like the motherfucker took the night off.”
“Any chance he’d be in a different vehicle?”
“Fuck if I know.” I glanced up at Delilah’s apartment, and other than one small lamp by the window, all the lights were off. Assuming she’d already gone to bed, I told him, “I guess I’ll try again later.”
“You don’t want to go up and check on her?”
“Yeah, but that’s not a good idea.”
“Trouble in paradise already?” While I cared a great deal for all my brothers, Shotgun and I had always been close. I’d even go so far as to say he was my best friend. He knew me better than anyone and wasn’t afraid to call me on my shit, so I wasn’t surprised when he decided to give me a hard time about my present situation with Delilah. “Hmm ... Figured it would take you a little longer than a few weeks to fuck things up.”
“So, you thinking this thing is my fault?”
He cocked his eyebrow and smirked. “Am I wrong?”
“No,” I scoffed.
“Didn’t think so.” He crossed his arms and gave me one of his looks. “So, what are you gonna do about?”
“I’m gonna get her back.”
He gave me a nod of approval. “That’s my boy.”
“I want to give this guy some time to show up. Let’s take a ride downtown and make the loop?” I suggested. “Once we’re done, we can swing back here, and maybe we’ll catch sight of this guy before we head home.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He gave me a nod, then he followed as I pulled out of the parking lot. As we drove towards downtown, I thought back to my life before Delilah. Back then, I never would’ve dreamed of getting involved with just one woman. The thought just didn’t interest me. I was all about getting in and getting out, never giving any chick the opportunity of getting too close. Maybe I was just keeping my guard up, protecting myself from disappointment, or maybe it was the simple fact that I’d never met the right woman. Whatever the case, everything changed the minute I saw the fire in Delilah’s eyes. It was a feeling that I didn’t expect, and I was suddenly torn between what I’d always known and what I found myself wanting. I tried to ignore those feelings she stirred in me, but with each moment I spent with her, they only grew stronger. The pull I felt towards her was palpable, making me want things I’d never wanted before, and the mere thought of her being in danger was fucking with my head.
As we got closer to her place, I was becoming more and more on edge. I needed answers, and I was determined to find them as we pulled up to her apartment. Unfortunately, there was still no sign of the asshole anywhere. My patience was running thin as I looked up at Delilah’s place. Just like earlier, all the lights were off except the one small lamp by the window. I was sitting there, staring up at her window, when I got the strangest sensation that someone was watching me. I took a quick glance around, but saw no one. Sensing my unease, Shotgun turned to me and asked, “You all right?”
It was getting late, and while I wasn’t ready to leave, I had no doubt that he was. “You can head on back. I’m gonna stay here for a while and make sure this guy doesn’t show.”
“If you’re staying, I’m staying.”
I nodded, then settled back in my seat. I looked back up at Delilah’s apartment, and even though I wished I was lying in the bed next to her, I found some small comfort in knowing she was close. That feeling was quickly replaced with an all-consuming dread when I noticed a large shadowy figure—one much too large to be Delilah—walk past her window.
Delilah
I felt a cold chill run down my spine the minute I heard him say my name. I didn’t have to see his face to know it was my father who was waiting for me there in the dark. It had been years since I’d seen him. In fact, the last time I did was the day Mom packed up all our stuff and we left. He didn’t even say goodbye as we pulled out of the driveway and set out to start our new life without him. After that, I never heard from him again. No visits. No calls. Not so much as a birthday card. It was like he’d vanished from the earth, and I figured that was how things would always be—until tonight. I had no idea why he’d come, but the fact that he was sitting there, hidden in the dark corner of my apartment, gave me an unsettled feeling. Actually, it was more than that. It was terrifying. I did my best to swallow my fear as I stepped into the living room. “Dad?”
“Well, it’s good to know my girl still recognizes me after all these years,” he replied with sarcasm. “I must say, you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman. You look just like your mother did at your age.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to see you.” He never moved from his spot. He just sat there, staring at me all cool, calm, and collected in his black dress slacks and dark gray button down. It was hard to see his face in the dark, but the way he was acting, it was clear that he thought there was nothing unusual about the fact that he’d broken into my home. I wanted nothing more than to lash out at him and tell him exactly what I thought, but I simply couldn’t find the words. Instead, I just stood there listening as he said, “It’s been a while. I thought it was time for us to catch up.”
“A while is a bit of an understatement, don’t you think?” I sassed. “It’s been what? Fourteen years or more since I’ve seen or heard from you.”
“Let’s not get distracted by the details. Besides, that’s all behind us now. It’s time to move forward,” he answered casually. “I see you’re doing well for yourself. Got a nice place here. I guess working at a nursing home pays better than I thought.”
“How do you know where I work?”
“I know everything about you, Delilah.” His eyes met mine in a cold, angry stare. “What kind of father would I be if I didn’t?”
“You’ve been watching me ... The man in the black truck. That was you?”
“That was one of my associates.”
“Of course, it was,” I snapped. “Why don’t we just skip all the BS, Dad, and just tell me why you’re really here.”
“I already told you. I’m here to catch up. To reunite with my children.” There was something about his tone that made my skin crawl. I had no interest in catching up with him, much less being in the same dark room with him. “In case you were wondering, I’ve done quite well for myself too. I’ve got my own business. It’s been very successful until recently.”
“Oh? And why’s that? Did you gamble away all your profits?”
“You’d be wise to watch your tone with me, Delilah. I’m not the same man I used to be,” he barked with a threatening tone.
“Clearly.”
“You know, I spent years listening to your mother’s shit. She was always bitching because she couldn’t see the bigger picture. I had plans. I knew what I was doing. If she’d just been patient, she could’ve had a much better life. You all could have.” Before I could respond, he continued, “But that’s all in the past. It’s time for us to focus on the future.”
“And how do you plan on us doing that?”
“For starters, you could tell me what is going on with your brother.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” I crossed my arms and tried to keep my voice steady. “As far as I know, Danny’s good.”
“You sure about that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Danny came up missing just under a month ago, only a few days after he’d made a big delivery. Shortly after, a second associate of mine came up missing as well.” He leaned forward, and for the first time I caught a glimpse of his face. He hadn’t aged much, just a few sparse gray hairs here and there, but there was an evil look his eyes like I’d never seen before. A menacing expression crossed his face as he said, “I think the two are somehow connected.”
&n
bsp; “Why would they be connected? Danny doesn’t have any ties to your associates.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He shot me an indignant glare and announced, “Danny has been working for me for almost five years now.”
“What?” My mind was racing, making it difficult to think. I knew I had all the pieces to the puzzle, but I was having a hard time putting it all together. I took a deep breath and tried to calm the storm of thoughts racing through my head. After several moments, I was still at a loss. The only job Danny had that I knew about was selling drugs, and I couldn’t understand what that had to do with my father. “How could he be working for you? He hasn’t even seen you in years.”
“Like I said, I’ve established quite a business for myself. I wanted to share my success by making Danny a part of it. I’ll admit, he wasn’t aware that I was behind this venture when he was offered to start dealing, but he’s done well. There’s a chance he could take over the entire business one day.”
I was completely appalled. Our father, a man who was supposed to raise us, guide us, and keep us out of harm’s way, had led his own son down a very treacherous path. To make matters worse, he seemed so offhanded about it, like it wasn’t a big deal that his son was dealing drugs for him. I just couldn’t fathom it. I wanted desperately to believe I was wrong, that he was talking about something else, so I asked, “Are you saying this business of yours, the one you got Danny involved in, is dealing drugs?”
“I’m providing a service, Delilah. A very profitable service.”
“Are you insane? I don’t care how profitable it might be. Dealing drugs is not only illegal, it’s dangerous!” I knew I was being hypocritical. Hawk and his brothers were dealing the very drugs my father had sold to them, but I didn’t hold the same animosity towards them that I had for my father. My rage towards him continued to build as I shouted, “Danny could get killed or land himself in jail, and for what? So you can make a dime? You repulse me.”
