SHADES: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series Book 3) (17 page)

“Well, somebody had to do it. And you know me, work, work, work.”

Heavy almost spit his beer out laughing at Hammer’s response.

Shades stifled a grin. “Come on, seriously, Hammer.”

“Hell, I don’t know. She was looking to hook up with a brother, and I was the only fool in sight.”

“You got that right,” Heavy snickered. “The fool part I mean.”

Shades shook his head and looked at Hammer. “You’ve been tryin’ to get in Tink’s pants forever. You really think rubbin’ Ashley in her face is gonna help your chance there, Brother?”

“After three long muth-fuckin’ months of tryin’, yeah. Thought maybe it’d make her jealous. At least I’d get some kind of reaction out of her.”

Shades shook his head. “One of these days I’m gonna have to sit you down and explain women to you.”

Hammer bent down and started working on his bike. “Shit, last I heard, you weren’t doin’ much better.”

He couldn’t be more wrong, Shades thought. Which reminded him, Skylar was still upstairs waiting for him. In his bed. Naked.

Shit. He needed to get rid of these yahoos. Quick.

“Just fix your damn bike, already,” he snapped at Hammer.

The next bay over, JJ was goofing off with the air ratchet, hitting the trigger and sticking it in Griz’s face.
Whir, whir, whir.

“Get that thing out of my face,” Griz growled, grabbing JJ’s arm and shoving him.

“Yeah, I hear that’s what your ol’ lady says,” JJ teased back.

“I’m gonna shove that up your ass, you little shit.”

“You couldn’t catch me, Griz. You’re too slow.”

Just then a sneeze could be heard coming from upstairs.

Ghost, who was kicked back in an old metal chair, balanced up on the two rear legs, let the chair fall to all fours with a bang. He looked over at Shades. “Well, well, well. What have you got stashed upstairs, Brother? You been keepin’ secrets?”

Shades gave him a look that said, shut your damn mouth.

Ghost only grinned, then yelled up, “Come on down, darlin’. We know you’re up there.”

Shades glared at Ghost. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as pissed at you as I am right now, Brother.”

Ghost chuckled. “Oh, sure you have.”

“You need to keep your mouth shut.”

Ghost looked at Shades and grinned. “And you need to perfect your poker face. I knew you were up to something.”

A couple of minutes later, a dressed Skylar appeared at the top of the stairs. The guys all turned their eyes to her as she started down.

“Hot damn.”

“Holy shit.”

“Um, um, um.”

“Shut up boys. Show some respect,” Shades snapped as he walked over to meet Skylar as she got to the bottom of the steps. He took her hand and helped her down the last couple of steps then pulled her close and leaned down and kissed her. Might as well lay it out for the boys right now. She was his and off limits to them all.

“We gonna be here all night?” one of his brothers grumbled, rolling his eyes. Shades glared at him over Skylar’s shoulder, not breaking the kiss.

There was a round of laughter.

Shades finally broke the kiss, letting Skylar up for air. He winked at her, and she turned to face his brothers, and they got a good look at her face. There was silence for about a split second before the shit hit the fan.

“You lucky son-of-a-bitch.” This from Gator.

“You
stupid
son-of-a-bitch,” Ghost corrected, realizing his brother had just broken a major fucking rule.

“Wait a minute. Ain’t she Crash’s ol’ lady?” Gator asked with a frown.

“Brother, what the fuck are you doin’?” Hammer whispered.

“You messin’ around with a brother’s ol’ lady?” Heavy asked.

“She’s not his ol’ lady,” Shades protested.

“You sure about that, bro?” Spider asked.

“Tell ‘em,” Shades told Skylar.

“It’s true.”

“Need more than
her
word on it, Shades. You talk to Crash about this?” Griz asked.

“No.”

“Then a call needs to be made.”

“He went back to California.”

“Don’t care if he went to fuckin’ California. Don’t matter if he’s eatin’ chop suey in China. You need to get this straight from him. Not her. You know that, Brother,” Griz insisted emphatically.

“Wait. What? You two are together now?” JJ asked, putting the air ratchet down and finally catching up with the conversation.

“Now we know the speed of stupid.” Hammer shook his head.

Ghost’s phone chirped, and he pulled it out and looked at it. Then he looked up at the guys. “Butcher wants to know where the fuck we all are. Let’s head out, boys.”

Griz pointed at Shades. “Clear this shit up.”

With that they all headed out to their bikes.

Ghost hung back. His fingers moved over the keys of his cell, as he sent back a reply to Butcher. Then he shoved it in his pocket. His eyes moved from Shades to Skylar and back again, and he shook his head.

“You got something to say?” Shades bit out.

“You know that moment when you give someone advice, they don’t fuckin’ take it, and then you sit back and watch everything you predicted happen? I’m havin’ one of those.”

“Just shut the fuck up.”

“I fuckin’ warned you, didn’t I?”

“She’s nobody’s ol’ lady, Ghost. I’m not repeating it again.”

“Yeah? Well the verdict’s still out on that one.”

Shades blew out a frustrated breath. “Drop it.”

Ghost nodded his head toward the bikes in the parking lot. “You comin’?”

“Yeah. You go on.”

“You bringin’ her?”

“Yeah, we’re both coming.”

“Better make that call first,” Ghost warned.

Shades huffed out a breath. “Okay, Ghost. I got it.”

“Later.” Ghost turned to leave.

“Tell Butcher I’m on my way,” Shades called after him.

“Yup.”

When the last bike rolled off the lot, Shades walked over and slammed his palm over the button to lower the garage door. Then he dug his phone out of his hip pocket and scrolled through the contacts until he found Crash. Then he made the call, putting the phone to his ear, his eyes meeting and holding Skylar’s.

“Crash, this is Shades. Just got one question. All I need is a one word answer, yes or no, Brother, then I’m hanging up ‘cause I’m not in the best mood right now, and I don’t want to say shit I’ll regret. So, I’m asking, is Skylar yours?”

His eyes stayed on her as he listened to the response. Then he disconnected the call and shoved his phone back in his pocket. His eyes still on Skylar, he said, “Guess we’ll have to save that naked ‘anything you want’ fun we had planned for later. Go get ready. We got a party to get to.”

She smiled at him then and ran back upstairs.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Shades was standing in the yard of the clubhouse, next to the keg, one arm slung around Skylar’s neck and barely half a beer down before Griz approached.

“You make that call yet?” he asked, his eyes taking in the arm hanging loosely around Skylar as he picked up the nozzle of the tap and began filling his red cup with beer.

“Yeah. It’s all good, Brother,” Shades replied.

A big grin formed on Griz’s face. “So, you claimin’ her?”

“Yup.”

Then Griz met Skylar’s eyes. “Welcome to the family, darlin’.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Griz. That’s sweet of you.”

He turned pink with embarrassment at her words. “Hell, I ain’t sweet.” Then he turned to Shades. “She better learn how to bitch and moan like the rest of ‘em or she ain’t gonna make it in this group.”

Gator and Hammer walked up.

Gator’s bald head gleamed in the bright sunlight, his eyes were covered by black wraparound shades, and he aimed them toward the gate. “Place sure is packed. Bulldog got one hell of a turnout, huh?”

“Yeah,” Hammer agreed, his eyes searching the crowd.

Gator looked over at him. “Let me guess who you’re lookin’ for.”

“Nobody. And mind your own damn business, fuckface.”

“Touchy. Touchy. What’s eatin’ your ass?”

Just then Tink walked up to the keg.

“Nothing now.” Hammer pulled a cup off the stack and began filling it. “Here, darlin’, I’ll pour you one.”

Her eyes flicked up to him. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure, Tink.” He gave her a smile. “And might I add your hair looks particularly lovely today.”

“Shouldn’t you be sweet talking Ashley? She’s the one you fucked last night.”

Hammer looked ashamed. “Who’d you hear that from?”

“Her. Are you denying it?”

He looked away. “No. Just saying it was a mistake, Tink.”

“You tryin’ to get back on her good side?” Gator asked.

“He’d have to suck up at the speed of light,” Griz put in with a snicker.

Tink attempted to ignore them all as JJ and Heavy walked up.

“Hey, Tink, tell Hammer how much you like my new look,” JJ teased, rubbing his shaved head.

Tink rolled her eyes.

“What’s the matter, you on the rag, Tink? You ever heard the saying, ‘don’t trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn’t die’?” Gator smirked.

Everyone hissed in a breath, even his brothers knew not to joke about that shit. At least not right to a woman’s face.

“Say the word and I’ll kill him for you,” Hammer offered.

“I can handle him.” She pushed past Hammer and walked over and got in Gator’s face. “Well, I don’t trust anything with two heads and only one brain.”

There were a round of ‘ooowws’ among his brothers.

Tink stalked off.

“Boy, you’re screwed. She’s gonna poison your next draft,” Griz advised Gator.

“What? I mouth off to everybody. People love that about me,” Gator insisted.

“Guess again.” JJ grinned.

“This shit cracks me up,” Heavy added.

Griz looked over at Hammer. “So what exactly
is
your plan to get Tink, cause if that was it, I don’t think it’s workin’?”

“I thought I’d stand next to you.”

“Huh? What for?”

“Cause next to you, I look like a catch.”

“No, seriously, shithead, what’s your plan?”

“I’m gonna flirt shamelessly with her, tell her how pretty she is, and then stand back and let her fall at my feet.”

“You had me till that last part.” Griz grinned.

The guys all burst out laughing.

“Why do you think she’s so fucking hard to get? You know what? I don’t care,” Hammer grumbled.

“
You
don’t care,” Gator mumbled under his breath sarcastically.

“Go, on Hammer. Take a shot. What have you got to lose?” Griz encouraged.

“You’re right, enough of this game playing.” Hammer nodded and headed in the direction Tink had gone.

Griz grinned. “I should take up motivational speaking.”

Shades shook his head.

“Y’all get a shot glass yet?” Ashley asked as she approached Shades and Skylar. She had a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and a stack of little throwaway plastic shot glasses in her other hand. “We’re going to do a toast to Bulldog in a minute.”

Shades took two off the top of the stack and passed one to Skylar. “Thanks.”

Ashley held the bottle up and poured them each a shot. “Now remember to save it for the toast,” she reminded them with a wink at Shades.

Shades made no reply, just gave her a cold look.

She moved off through the crowd, making sure everyone had one.

Shades kept Skylar pretty much glued to his side throughout the event. He knew he needed to have a conversation with her about the women here. Women he’d been with. Some good girls that wouldn’t cause him a lick of trouble. Some like Ashley, who most probably would.

But he hadn’t had time for that with his brothers showing up today. Hell, he’d never intended to be bringing her by the clubhouse this soon. Things were moving really quickly between them, not that he was complaining.

****

Skylar stood, Shades arms wrapped around her from behind her and watched Butcher bring Bulldog’s widow up on stage, her two teenage daughters, as well. He approached the microphone that had been set up for the event.

“If I could get everyone’s attention.” He waited a moment for the crowd to quiet down. “I want to thank everyone for showing up today. I see a lot of club supporters and friends of the club in the crowd today. The Evil Dead want to give a warm welcome to everyone. We appreciate you coming out today. As you all know, today’s event was organized to help out a fallen brother’s family. Bulldog was with this club for over thirty years. What some of you outside of the MC may not know is that today is also Bulldog’s birthday. Before we talk about the money we raised, we got a tradition here on the birthday of fallen brothers. Everybody got a glass?”

The crowd replied with a roar of assurance that they did.

“Then raise ‘em up.” Butcher held his glass in the air and a hundred others went up as well. “Happy birthday, Bulldog. We miss you, Brother.” Then Butcher knocked his back and everyone in the crowd followed suit.

Butcher stepped to the microphone and cleared his throat. He took in the crowd and then he turned to look at Bulldog’s widow.

“Darlin’, we were hoping to come up with enough to cover all those medical bills and make the last two payments on your mortgage. We fell a little short on that…”

Suddenly, Shades was dipping his head to Skylar’s ear.

“Something I gotta do real quick, babe. Be right back.”

And then he kissed her cheek, and he was gone. She watched him make his way through the crowd to the stage. And with two bounds, he was up and on it.

“Hold up, Butcher. Got one more.” Then she watched him turn to Bulldog’s widow and smile softly at her. His hand went in and under his cut and came out with a long white envelope. He held it in his hands as he explained. “Had a kid bring his car in for repairs about four months ago. Needed a lot of work. Bill ended up bein’ about close to two grand. Long and short of it was, he couldn’t pay. I gave him time. Then I gave him more time. Kid never came back for it. So, a couple of weeks ago I sold it. Got five grand for it.” Then he held the envelope out to her. “There’s a cashier’s check in here for that amount. I want you and the girls to have it.”

Skylar watched as she broke down in tears, but shook her head.

“Shades, I can’t take that,” she whispered.

“Please, honey. Let me do this for you.”

Shades heard one of his brothers’ yell out, teasing, “God, is that what you sound like on a date, Shades.”

The crowd chuckled.

“Shut up, asshole,” Shades yelled into the crowd, not sure who had said it. He turned back to Bulldog’s widow and held the envelope out to her again. “Take it.”

“But, you’d be out all that money on the repairs.”

“Don’t worry about that, honey. It’s a done deal. That money’s yours. I want you and the girls to have it. That and in the future…any repairs your cars need, I’ll do ‘em for free. Oil changes, tune-ups, whatever. From now on, you bring ‘em to me. That’s all taken care of.”

She reached out and took the envelope with shaking hands. “Oh, Shades.”

“We take care of our own, darlin’.”

She broke down and Shades hugged her.

Then Butcher hugged him, pounding him on the back. Then Boot and Slick, who seemed especially choked up, each clutched him in a man-hug, pounding his back as well.

Butcher returned to the mike, but his eyes were on Shades. He grinned big and joked, “You’re one fish and a loaf from being a fuckin’ saint, Brother.”

The crowd roared with laughter.

Butcher turned to the crowd and yelled, “Guess that puts us over our goal!”

A huge cheer went up.

Then he turned his head toward Bulldog’s widow, his mouth still at the mike. “You’re family, darlin’. Always will be. Guess I can’t say it any better than Shades just did. We take care of our own.”

She nodded to him, tears in her eyes. Then he turned back to the crowd.

“Thanks to everyone who donated today. Not just members, but we got a lot of club supporters here today. Many of you participated in the poker run we had last week for Bulldog’s family. A lot of you donated today. You know who you are and I want to thank each and every one of you.”

He paused as a round of applause burst out.

“And to all the ol’ ladies and the women who helped put on this shin-dig.”

Another round of applause.

“So enough talkin’. Let’s get to celebrating. There’s tables of food laid out and the kegs are tapped. Thanks, everyone.”

With that another cheer went up, and the party began.

Skylar watched Shades get swamped by his brothers and other people who had shown up for the event. There must have been over a hundred people crowded into the compound.

She felt a presence at her side and looked over to see the girl that had passed out the shots. The pretty blonde they’d called Ashley.

Ashley took a sip from her red plastic cup, observing the melee over the rim, and then her eyes came to Skylar and she smiled, but not a friendly smile, a fake smile.

Then she spoke.

“I know right now you think you’re with Shades, but I just wanted to set you straight on that. Shades and I are really close. And yeah, when a pretty girl walks by she’ll catch his eye. He may even give her like fifteen minutes. But then he comes back. To me. Because he and I have a connection. Now, whatever you think you have going on with Shades, it won’t last, and then it’ll be time for you to leave. If you don’t, you will be sorry.”

Then, before Skylar could even come up with a response, she was gone.

Skylar turned her head, watching her disappear through the crowd.

What the
hell?

When Shades returned to her a few minutes later, she straight out asked him about it.

He stared at her for a moment, frowning, his expression saying
what the fuck
. But that’s not what came out of his mouth.

Instead he said, “Right. We need to talk. Come on.”

He took her hand and pulled her through the crowd, inside the clubhouse, past the bar, up a flight of stairs and into a room that faced the back of the property. It was an office of sorts, but it didn’t looked like it was ever used. There was a window that looked out over the back, and that’s where Skylar moved after she pulled free of Shades hold. Tossing her purse on the dusty desk, she folded her arms and stared out the window. Noise from the party below drifted up to them.

“Been meanin’ to have this conversation with you. Thought I’d have more time. Didn’t think we’d be back at the clubhouse this quick. With the boys showin’ up like they did today, I didn’t get a chance. Should have made time. Should have took the time.”

“Just say what you have to say,” she said impatiently.

“Skylar, there’ve been women since you left. Not gonna deny that. Some of ‘em are even here today. But none of ‘em have ever meant anything to me. We have some fun, and they go on their way. They know the deal, and they don’t expect more. Because I don’t let ‘em expect more. But those times are in the past. You’re mine now. And I’m not gonna fuck that up again. Told you that.”

“What does that mean?” she asked, still staring out the window at the crowd below.

“Means those women are a thing of the fuckin’ past. Means I won’t be with anyone but you from now on.”