SHADES: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series Book 3) (37 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

“Where’s Skylar?” Shades asked, glancing around the room as he approached the bar where Tink was loading bottles of beer into the cooler under the bar. She bit her lip. There was something she didn’t want to tell him. His eyes narrowed on her. “Tink?”

He watched her eyes drop to the new VP patch on his vest. Butcher had tossed it to him, and they hadn’t let him leave the room until he’d hastily stitched it on. He’d have to go back and do a better job later tonight, but for now, it was on his cut. At long fucking last. His chest would swell with pride if his ribs didn’t hurt so fucking bad.

But now, all he could think about was Skylar. She’d been through a lot, and all he wanted to do was hold her. Butcher had insisted on holding that stupid meeting the minute they got back. He’d only had the time alone with her in the car as they’d ridden back from Atlanta. There’d been no way he could ride his bike back, not with his ribs fucked up. Shit, the car ride had been bad enough. Thank God Slick and Boot had thought to bring the car, not sure what condition Skylar would be in. Slick drove them back, and Boot had ridden Shades’ bike back for him.

Shades and Skylar had climbed in the back. He’d pulled her close against his good side, his arms tight around her. Slick had gotten them out of there quickly, gunning the engine and spinning the tires of the big old Buick.

“Did they hurt you, baby?” Shades had asked her.

She’d pressed her face in his neck, and he’d felt her body shake with a sob.

“Slick, turn around. She needs to go to the hospital.”

She’d looked up. “No. No hospitals.”

“Babe, if they…” God, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. “If they hurt you—”

“They didn’t. Not like that.”

“Sky, you can tell me—”

“I know I can. They didn’t rape me. Just slapped me. That’s all.”

He’d brushed the hair back from her face, his eyes going over the bruise. “I’m gonna kill the motherfucker that did this to you. I’ll kill every last one of ‘em for you.”

She’d shaken her head. “No,” she’d said sharply. “That’s not what I want. That’s not what I need.”

Her angry outburst had brought his head back. Christ, he hadn’t know what to say or how to make this better for her. “Okay, baby. Whatever you want.”

“I just need you to hold me.”

“Okay, Sky. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

She’d sniffled. “You’re the one they hurt. I’m so sorry, Shades. This is all my fault.”

“Hey, listen to me.” He’d squeezed her. “None of this is your fault. You did nothing to Rusty or his club, and you didn’t deserve what they did.”

“But they hurt you—because of me.”

“They hurt me because I wear an Evil Dead patch, Sky. No other reason.”

“But they think your club lied to them, hid me out and…and fucked them over.”

“Skylar, shh, baby. Don’t worry about any of that now. It’s all over. It’s all fucking over, baby.”

“You came for me.”

“Of course I did. You think I wouldn’t?”

She’d sobbed.

“I love you, sweetheart. Couldn’t live without you.”

And now he was staring at Tink, and a bad fucking feeling was skating down his spine. At Tink’s continued hesitation, he prodded, “Tink?”

“I saw her ride off with Blood.”

Shades brows shot up in shock. “What?”

Tink swallowed uncomfortably.

Ghost put a hand on his shoulder. “There’s got to be an explanation, Brother. Maybe he took her to get checked out.”

Shades was about to whirl on him, when Undertaker came up to him. “We need to talk.”

“Not now. I have to find Skylar.”

“She wants to come home.”

Shades spun on him, frowning in disbelief. “Home? What the fuck are you talking about? She is home.”

Undertaker shook his head. “We need to talk.” He grabbed a fistful of Shades cut and pulled him to the side. Shades was just confused enough to let him.

“What are you talking about?”

“I just talked to Blood. Skylar told him she wants to go back to Slidell with us. ‘Wants to go home with her daddy’ she said.”

Shades shook off his hold. “I don’t fucking believe it.”

“She’s been through a lot. And if she wants my protection, she’s got it. But I’ve seen the way you are with her. I know you walked in that fucking DK stronghold alone. For her. Goddamn, boy, I believe you’d walk through the fires of hell for that girl. My girl. So, I’m giving you a shot here. Givin’ you a chance to talk her out of this. But mark my words, if when you’re done talking, she still wants to go home with me, I’m takin’ her, and you aren’t stopping me.”

“Where is she?” Shades growled.

“She asked Blood to take her to your place to pack a bag.”

Undertaker barely got the words out before Shades was running out the door.

****

Blood heard the roar of the motorcycle before he saw it. One bike roaring up fast. Only one person that could be. Shades. The bike tore up the drive. Yup. One pissed off man, come to get his ol’ lady.

Blood stood up and waited by his bike, he knew what was coming. He gave a quick glance up at the bedroom window. Skylar peered out. His eyes slid back to Shades as he dropped his kickstand. He hobbled a bit pulling his leg off the bike, and Blood knew what it cost him to ride that bike out here. He knew the pain of riding with cracked ribs. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.

Shades strode toward him, a bit of a limp in his gait. He didn’t say a word before throwing his first punch, a brutal right hook that put Blood on the ground.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Shades snarled down at him.

Blood rubbed his jaw, still on the ground, and looked up at Shades. “I let you have that one, ‘cause I deserved it, but I get up I’m gonna hurt you.”

“Then you better stay the fuck down.”

“Shades—”

“You’re fucking lucky I found you out here and not inside.”

“Shades, I wouldn’t do that. I just gave her a ride. She looked like she was about to lose it. She needed you. I wanted to break in that meeting and get you, but she wouldn’t let me.”

“Get out of here,” Shades hissed, and Blood saw him reach a hand to his ribs, and he knew he was in some wicked pain.

“She’s in there packing her shit. Maybe I’ll stick around in case you can’t change her mind.”

“Get the fuck out or you’ll be looking down the barrel of my gun.”

“DKs took your piece,” Blood reminded him with a grin.

“You think I don’t have half a dozen more inside?”

“All right, Brother, but just so you know, you ever fuck up, I’ll be right here for her, picking up the fucking pieces.” Then he turned toward the window just quick enough to see her shadow pull back, and he knew she’d heard every word. He shouted, “You hear that, Princess, I’m just a phone call away.”

Shades stood there a moment, clutching his side with one hand, his eyes drifting up to the window. And then his eyes returned to Blood. “She ain’t ever gonna make that call.”

Blood watched him hobble inside before climbing to his feet. He pulled his phone out, his thumb moving over the screen and put it to his ear.

A moment later, Undertaker growled in his ear, “Yeah.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

Undertaker’s chuckle came through the phone. “Knew you could take care of yourself.”

Blood reached up and moved his jaw back and forth. “He’s got one hell of a right hook, I’ll give him that. If I didn’t have facial hair, there’d be an imprint of an Evil Dead ring visible on my jaw tomorrow.”

Undertaker chuckled again. “She okay?”

“Haven’t heard any screamin’ yet. You want me to stay?”

“I want you to make sure she’s okay. Knows if she needs me, I’m here for her.”

“I made sure she knows I’m just a phone call away. And I ain’t interested in stickin’ around till I hear the bed springs squeak and the headboard hittin’ the wall.”

“Christ, Blood, that’s my daughter. I don’t want that image in my fucking head.”

It was Blood’s turn to chuckle. “Just sayin’, that’s where this is endin’. We both know it.”

“Fine, get back here.”

****

Shades limped inside and into the middle of the living room. He looked up toward the bedroom loft. “Skylar, get down here.”

No response.

“Swear to Christ, you make me climb those fucking stairs—” he held his ribs. Not that he’d get any sympathy from her, but fuck he could barely stand up straight.

She appeared at the top of the stairs, and then she was coming down them.

Shades eyed the duffle bags at the foot of the stairs. Skylar pulled another one from her shoulder and set it down. She stood there, staring up at him.

“You’re leaving?” When she didn’t reply, he repeated himself. “What the fuck, babe, you’re leaving? That’s it? You’re just walking out on us?”

She finally found her voice. “There’s no ‘us’.”

“The hell there’s not.”

“There’s you and your club. That’s all that’s important to you. That’s all you care about.” He knew the words coming out of her mouth were all lies, but she threw them up as a defense, guarding her heart. Hurting him before he could hurt her.

“Bullshit! Didn’t I just walk through hell for you?”

“You did it to get your patch. Everything you did, coming for me, all of it…you did it all just to get VP, because you couldn’t let Undertaker down, isn’t that right?”

“No, it’s not fucking right.” Christ, she was clutching at straws now.

“You come back the conquering hero, and they make you their VP.”

“Yeah, the club is my life, always will be, but that isn’t all I care about. There’s a place for you in my life. And if you’re not in it, there’ll always be a big piece missing. An empty place that won’t ever be filled. I thought we worked all this shit out at the beach. Goddamn, Skylar. You’re enough to drive a man crazy.”

She made to move past him, but he stepped in front of her.

“Let me go.”

“Like hell I will. Running again, babe? That your solution to everything? Hurt somebody before they have a chance to hurt you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to brush past him, but he grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him.

“You’re afraid this is going to end. You think I’m gonna leave, so you’re gonna beat me to the punch. Hurt me before I hurt you.” At least she had it in her to look ashamed, because she knew he was right. “Swear to God, babe, I’ll toss every suitcase in this place out in that fuckin’ lake, if that’s the kind of statement I gotta make to you.”

Her eyes lifted to his, giving him hope he was getting through to her.

“I’m not going anywhere, Sky.”

She searched his eyes. He hoped she could see the resolve in his.

“And you’re not going anywhere either. Not with your father and sure as hell not with Blood.” He growled the last part, hoping to Christ she knew how bad of a fuck up that move was. He huffed out a breath, trying to regain his temper. “Sky, you once told me you had no one. You want family? I’ll be your family. Now you have your dad, the club, and me, if you want.”

“Shades…” Her voice sounded shaky. Maybe she was starting to see.

“I’m here, Skylar. I’m standing right here in front of you.”

Her eyes moved to the wall of windows and the lake beyond. He had her thinking, at least. “I know what this shit is about, Sky, and it’s not about me choosing the club over you. It’s about you being scared. You’re scared, so you do what you do best. You run.”

“That’s not true,” she whispered, her eyes still on the lake.

“Yeah, it is, sweetheart. You’re afraid you can’t let someone else hold the reins in your life again after having no control for most of your life. You’re afraid to let me hold those reins.”

Her eyes moved to his cut and the new VP patch.

“That’s not it. I’m glad you got VP, Shades. I am. You deserve it. It’s what you wanted for so long. This is about me. Don’t you see?”

“Babe…”

“I’m not what you need.”

“Bullshit.”

“You need a strong woman by your side. I’m not that woman. I never will be.”

He shook his head and muttered, “How can such a smart woman be so goddamned stupid?”

“What?”

“You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. Are you kidding? All the shit you’ve been through in your life. You never let it stop you. You never let it hold you down. Every time life knocked you down, you got back up.”

“Shades…” She broke off, shaking her head.

“And maybe you don’t understand that about yourself. Maybe you don’t get how strong you are. But, not understanding something about yourself doesn’t mean it’s not who you are.