“I didn’t lie to you, Delilah.”
“Well, you certainly didn’t tell me the truth. You were too busy protecting your brothers and your precious club.” I threw my hands up and said, “You know what? Forget it. I’m done. I’m done with all of it. I didn’t sign up for this—any of it. You can have your club, you can even have my brother, but you can’t have me. Not like this.”
When I started to get back into my car, Zander called out to me, “Delilah, Wait.”
Seeing the anguish in his eyes tore at me, but I was too hurt to stand there and listen to his excuses. I’d trusted him, and even though Danny had obviously forgiven them for everything they’d done, I just couldn’t do it. I got in my car, and before I closed the door, I looked at Zander and said, “This is just too much. I can’t do it.”
Saying those words to him killed me. I loved Zander. I didn’t want things to end, but I couldn’t make the same mistakes my mother had made. I needed to know that I could trust the man I loved, and I clearly couldn’t trust Zander—at least not in the way I needed to. I fought back the tears as I slammed my door and started my car. Without looking back at either Zander or Danny, I pulled out of the parking lot and sped through the gate. I tried to keep it together as long as I could, but as soon as I was out on the main road, the dam broke and tears started to stream down my face. I wanted to think I’d done the right thing by walking away, but the throbbing ache in my chest made me wonder if I’d made a terrible mistake. That doubt weighed heavily on me as I pulled up to my apartment, got out of my car, and started upstairs.
As soon as I stepped inside, I knew something didn’t feel right. I figured it was just my mind playing tricks on me, so I ignored the voice in my head that told me something was wrong. I tossed my keys and purse on the counter like I always did, then, without turning on the lights, I headed towards my room. I hadn’t gotten far when I heard a familiar voice call out to me, “Well ... hello, Delilah.”
Hawk
I stood there under a blanket of darkness, feeling completely powerless as I watched the taillights of her car disappear into the night. I wanted to call out to her, demand her to stay, but I couldn’t. Deep down, I knew she was doing the right thing by leaving. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell to watch her go. Fuck, it had taken me a lifetime to find Delilah, and it gutted me to think I’d actually lost her. My hands were tied. If I’d told her what had happened with Danny, she would’ve had questions—questions I couldn’t begin to answer. I’d hoped the fact that he was set free would be enough to appease her, but I should’ve known that wouldn’t have been the case. I was still standing there, staring off into the darkness, when Danny stepped over to me.
“What was that all about?” His eyes narrowed as he stood there studying me. “You got something going on with my sister?”
“You could say that.”
“Damn, I didn’t see that one coming,” he scoffed.
“I don’t think anyone did.”
“You’re a brave man to get involved with my sister.” He snickered as he said, “Dee is a hard-ass, man. Doesn’t let anything slide by.”
“I’m aware.”
“No offense, man, but”—he ran his hand through his long shaggy hair—“After everything that happen, I’m surprised she didn’t tell you to fuck off.”
“You’re not the only one.”
“I’m not one to judge. Fuck, I’ve never had any kind of relationship that was worth a damn, but Dee’s got a good head on her shoulders. She thinks things through ... Something I’ve never been very good at. So, if she gave you a chance, there had to be reason.” Danny looked over to me as he continued, “I’m guessing she saw some good in you; otherwise, she wouldn’t have given ya a second thought.”
“If that’s the case, then she was wrong.”
“I don’t know, man. I got no idea what kind of fella you really are. Still trying to figure that shit all out. I do know that the lifestyle you got going on here is a lot different than what she’s used to. Hell, it’s a lot different than what I’m used to, but that’s not a bad thing. I’ve seen how you guys interact with one another. It’s like you’re more than just a club or whatever. You stick together and have each other’s back. Even the way you handled me. You did what you had to do to protect the club. You gotta respect that.”