CRASH: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series) (18 page)

Shannon
looked back in time to see a blonde stand up with the brunette, and they both
headed to the restroom. Shannon turned back to the guys, picked her clutch up
off the table and slid off her stool. “If you’ll excuse me gentlemen. I think I
need to use the ladies room.”

They
all watched her leave.

Shane’s
head, which had been twisted to watch her ass as she walked away swiveled back,
his eyes connecting with Crash. Crash had seen him checking out Shannon.

“So,
you and her…?”

“Nope.”

“So,
I could…?”

“Nope.”

Shane
smiled. “Message received. She’s off limits.”

“She
seems like a real sweetheart,” Jake commented.

Crash
tilted his drink up, scooping out an ice cube. Crunching on it, he grinned.
“You ain’t seen the bitch come out yet.”

“Oh,
really?”

“Stick
around. She’ll show up.”

“Yeah,
but she’s a fucking knockout. Babe looks like that, she’s worth putting up with
bitchy,” Jake suggested.

Crash
shook his head. “Crazy’s worth putting up with. Bitchy? No.”

Ten
minutes later, Shannon returned to the table, the brunette and blonde in tow.
“Ladies, I’d like you to meet Shane and Jake. They’ve just returned from
Afghanistan. Boys, this is Lauren and Heather.”

Shane
stood up off his barstool. Taking the blonde’s hand, he kissed it. “Heather,
nice to meet you. Won’t you sit down?” He offered her his stool.

Crash
watched as Jake did the same. Then he looked over and caught the self-satisfied
smile Shannon threw him as she slid back onto her stool. He raised his glass
and murmured, “Nice work, matchmaker.”

“What do you do?” the blonde asked.

“I drive an ice cream truck.”

“Right.”

 
“Okay, seriously, it’s kind of
embarrassing to admit, but you girls look like sweet girls. You wouldn’t laugh
at me, would you?”

The blonde innocently shook her head.

“I’m a Dolphin waxer.”

“And what does a dolphin waxer do?” she asked naively.

“Dolphins in captivity need to be waxed so their skin won’t
disintegrate.”

Shannon and Crash looked at each other, trying to keep a straight face.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “It’s a pretty convincing story if you’re
a young, naïve, and tipsy girl. Especially, considering she
is
a blonde.”

Shannon elbowed him in the gut under the table.

“And what do you do?” the redhead asked Jake.

“I man an ATM machine.”

She frowned, “Huh?”

“I sit inside and dole out money when people put their cards in.”

“I’m not anywhere near that naïve, or drunk, for you to try that story,”
the redhead replied, rolling her eyes.

“What you don’t believe me?” Jake asked with his hands over his heart.
“I’m wounded.”

“What you are is full of shit,” she told him. “Obviously you’re
military.”

Crash grinned and whispered to Shannon, “Restores my faith in redheads.”

“What makes you say that?” Jake asked her.

“The haircuts. The military wristwatches. The fact that you’re both
built like a brick house.”

Jake grinned. “I do love an intelligent woman with keen observation
skills.”

Two
hours later, those boys had danced with probably every chick in the joint and
currently each had a babe draped across their laps as they sat on the nearby
window ledge. Crash looked over at Shannon. She was sipping her third drink and
glancing around the room. His hand came up and brushed a lock of hair out of
her face. When her gaze swung back to him, her expression was soft, her eyes a
little bright. He grinned. “You gonna be okay to ride back? Don’t want you
sliding off the back.”

She
smiled at him, looking down at her drink. “I’m fine. These aren’t very strong.”

“Come
here,” he suddenly growled as he took her hand in his and tugged, pulling her
off her stool to stand between his spread knees. Her eyes looked up at him, her
pupils dilating until they were big. He couldn’t get over how fucking gorgeous
her eyes were. The prettiest he’d ever seen. His eyes drifted down to her sweet
bow of a mouth. Unconsciously, his hand came up, his thumb brushing over her
lip, remembering their earlier kiss. Her mouth parted, her teeth catching the
tip of his thumb. His eyes flashed back up to hers, and the heat he saw there
told him she was remembering, too.

Blue
lights flashed through the window, lighting up the bar. Crash twisted to look
over his shoulder. Several patrol cars had just pulled into the lot. He noticed
both Jake and Shane looking also. Glancing down at them, he said, “I’m gonna
get Shannon home. Looks like maybe a fight out in the parking lot.”

Jake
and Shane both stood up, setting the girls on their feet.

“We’ll
head out with you,” Jake offered.

“The
party’s not moving back to my place.” Crash wanted to be sure they understood
these girls were not coming back.

“Message
received,” Jake confirmed.

Crash
nodded and signaled the waitress for their tab. After they paid, he led Shannon
out. Jake and Shane followed behind, their arms draped around the girls they’d
picked up.

When
they moved through the doors and out the entrance into the parking lot, Crash
realized the commotion outside was more intense than he’d figured. There were
several guys already in handcuffs, but one guy was being hard to subdue and was
repeatedly taking a swing at the officers. Before he could get Shannon out of
there, one of the cops hit the guy with a Taser, bringing him to the ground.

“Wham-o,
take that sucka,” Jake teased.

“Fifty
thousand volts will do that,” Shane confirmed with a laugh.

Crash
smiled at them, but then he felt Shannon pulling back on his hand. Twisting
around, he frowned, taking in her face. Shit she was freaking out again. Like
that time in the parking garage, only this time was ten times worse. The look
of utter terror on her face tore into him. “Fuck, baby. It’s okay.”

She
shook her head, pulling back on his arm. He tightened his grip. No way in hell
was he letting go. He pulled her to him, reeling her in until he could get his
other arm around her. “Shannon. You’re okay. Nobody is going to hurt you,” he soothed
her with low murmurs against her cheek as he cradled her head to him.

By
this time, Jake and Shane had turned around, taking in Shannon’s reaction.

“She
okay?” Jake asked.

“Yeah,
man, she okay?” Shane put in.

“No,
she’s not okay. She’s having a panic attack.”

“Maybe
you should take her back inside,” Jake suggested.

Crash
shook his head. “No. I’ve got her.”

“What
can we do?” Shane asked.

Crash
held her shaking body, his hand rubbing up and down her back. He pushed her
head under his chin. “I’m right here, sweetheart. Nothing’s going to happen to
you. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Shane
and Jake just stood there, not sure how to help.

Crash
looked up, and his eyes connected with theirs, seeing the compassion and
concern in their eyes. “I just need to get her back to the bike and home.”

Jake
nodded. “Yeah, man. We’ll help you.” They surrounded her, trying to keep her
from the prying eyes of the bystanders that had been watching the fight. Both
of them said something to the girls with them, and the girls disappeared back
inside.

Crash
looked over Shannon’s head at them as he walked her down the block to the
bikes. “Guys, I got this. Go. Have fun.”

“Not
a chance, brother,” Shane insisted.

“How
low do you think we are?” Jake put in.

They
reached the bikes. Crash dipped his head low to her face and spoke softly. “You
gonna be okay to ride, sweetheart?”

She
shook her head.

“Okay,
honey. We’ll wait until you’re ready.”

“I’m
sorry,” she whispered.

“Nothing
to be sorry for, Shannon.” He rubbed up and down her back. He could still feel
the tremors shaking through her body.

“I
feel so stupid.”

“Shh.
You’re not stupid, Shannon.”

“You
must think I’m a basket-case.” She tried to push away from him, and he could
sense the bitch was about to come out. She was scared, and that was her coping
mechanism. He needed to break that habit. When he only held on tighter, she struggled
harder and snapped, “Let me go!”

“Babe,
settle down.”

She
only struggled harder, slapping at his chest and head.

Holding
her by the upper arms, he shook her. “Look at me. Stop fighting me, and look at
me, Shannon.” When finally she settled and her eyes met his he murmured low,
his face right in hers, “It’s okay to be afraid, Shannon. You don’t have to
pretend you can handle everything.”

“You
don’t know me! You don’t know anything about me!” she bit out.

He
clenched his jaw, the muscle working. “I know every time you’re scared, the
bitch comes out.” She stiffened, and he could see the accusation had hit home.
His tone softened. “I know that’s not the real you, that’s just the protective
armor you bring out when something scares you. I know something else, Shannon.
Nobody is going to hurt you. Not while you’re with me. That’s a promise.” His
eyes searched hers. When she made no reply, he shook her again. “You understand
me?”

She
stared up at him, her lip trembling, and then her face crumpled, and she went
into his arms, holding him tight, her face tucked against his throat.

His
arms came around her, one hand stroking her head. As his hand caressed over the
silky softness of her hair, his mouth moved to her ear. “Have a little faith in
me, Princess. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” He continued stroking her head. “I
won’t let anything hurt you, sweetheart. I’ve got you,” he whispered. “You need
to believe that.”

“I
can’t stop shaking.”

“Then
I’ll hold you until you do.” She clung to him, and he stroked her hair, his
arms around her tight.

“Thank
you,” she whispered, her face buried in his chest.

“My
pleasure, Princess,” Crash murmured, his lips pressed against the top of her
head. He could hear Jake and Shane quietly whispering to each other, musing how
similar her reaction was to someone with PTSD, wondering if something traumatic
had happened to her, wondering if maybe this ex of hers had beaten her.

*****

A
half hour later, they were back at the loft. Shannon was sitting with her legs
tucked under her in the middle section of the U-shaped sectional, a throw
blanket tucked around her and a mug of hot tea in her hand.

Jake
sat on the section running perpendicular to her left, his elbows on his knees
and a beer in his hands. He looked over at her and smiled. “Tea. I’ve never
understood the appeal. To me it tastes like weak, crappy coffee.”

Shane
sat on the section running perpendicular to her right. He took a pull off his
own beer and then replied, “That’s because you’re not a chick. Chicks love that
shit.”

Crash
walked up to her and stood above her, a beer bottle dangling from between the
fingers of one hand and a short cut tumbler in his other hand with about an
inch worth of amber liquor inside. He held the glass out to her. “Here. This is
what you need, Princess.”

She
looked up at him, taking in the determined expression on his face and realized
he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She took the glass he held out to
her.

He
took the mug out of her hand and set it on the coffee table. Then he twisted
back to her. Standing above her, looking down at her, he ordered, “Drink it.”

She
closed her eyes and threw it back, gulping it down in one swallow. She
grimaced.

“Good
girl,” he murmured, taking the glass from her hand. He moved to sit next to
her, pulling her to him, tucking her under his arm.

Leaning
forward to pick her tea back up, she looked over at Jake and Shane. “I’m sorry
I ruined your night.” She was so embarrassed for how she’d reacted.

“Darlin’,
you didn’t ruin anything.” This from Shane.

She
smiled. “But you were going to get lucky.”

Jake
grinned. “Don’t worry about us. Hell, Shane’s already fucked his way through
half the state of North Carolina.”

“Jake,
don’t be so crude. She’s a lady,” Shane snapped.

“Sorry,
ma’am.” He leaned towards her and whispered. “But it’s the truth.”

She
tried not to laugh.

“Yeah,
and you were a choirboy.”

Jake
grinned. “Damn straight.”

“North
Carolina? Is that where you’re from?” Shannon asked, turning to Shane.