SHADES: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series Book 3) (36 page)

Rusty broke from the group, stepping over to them.

Shades and Rusty stared at each other. Then Rusty’s gaze dropped to hers. “Take care of yourself, Skylar.” His eyes returned to Shades, and he lifted his chin. “Get out of here. Don’t fuckin’ show your face in Georgia again.”

Shades didn’t waste a moment. He turned, his hold on her tight. He stood there waiting for the circle of Devil Kings to step back out of his way, letting them pass. Then together they started walking toward the door, her arms wrapped tight around his waist.

“Are you okay?” she whispered noticing the way he limped, his movements stiff, and she wondered if they’d broken his ribs.

“Yeah, babe. Just keep walking.”

One of the DKs opened the door for them and whistled to the two at the chain link gate. They unlocked it and stood back as Shades and Skylar shuffled across the compound and out the gate.

Skylar tugged on Shades’ cut. “Baby, look.”

His eyes lifted. There, lining the street were about thirty members of the Evil Dead, guns drawn. He tried to smile through the pain. “Nothing like having your brothers show up with lots of guns.”

Ghost was running toward them. When he reached them, he looped Shades arm around his shoulders, taking his weight as Shades almost collapsed.

“Motherfuckers busted my ribs,” Shades hissed.

“You’re fucking lucky that’s all they did, you crazy son-of-a-bitch.”

Skylar was suddenly surrounded by Shades’ brothers. They were all there, Butcher, Boot, Slick, Hammer, Griz, Heavy, Spider, JJ, Gator and a bunch of others that Shades would later tell her were his brothers from the Gulf Coast Chapter. And then another pack of bikes were pulling up and suddenly Blood was there in front of her.

“You okay, Princess?” he asked, taking her face in his hands, his eyes running over her.

“I’m fine. What are you doing here?” And then he was shoved to the side, and her father had her in a tight bear hug.

“Jesus Christ, girl. You nearly gave me heart failure.”

Undertaker was here? Stunned, her arms clutched at him. “Daddy?”

“Baby.”

She heard Blood growl at Shades. “You walked in there alone, dumbass?”

She smiled into her father’s shoulder. He had. He’d walked in there alone. For her.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

The long line of bikes pulled through the gates of the Birmingham clubhouse, followed by Slick driving the big blue Buick that carried Shades and Skylar in the backseat.

They climbed out of the car and moved inside the clubhouse. When Skylar saw how uncomfortable Shades was, she insisted he sit down on a couch against the wall. He slumped down in it, but pulled her down next to him.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” she murmured.

He tried to smile. “If you ain’t goin’, I ain’t goin’.”

“I’m fine. I told you that.”

His eyes moved over her face, and his hand lifted to gently cup her cheek. “You don’t look fine.”

“They just slapped me. That’s all.”

Undertaker came over and squatted down in front of Skylar. “Baby, are you okay?”

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

He shook his head. “You should have stayed in Slidell. I should never have let you leave.”

“It was my fault,” Shades admitted.

Skylar’s head swiveled to him. “No, it wasn’t. You saved me. You walked in there and saved me.”

Butcher approached. “You need help getting up, Shades?”

Shades frowned up at him.

Butcher nodded toward the meeting room. “This won’t take long.”

Shades nodded and got to his feet.

“Mind if I sit in?” Undertaker asked Butcher.

Butcher stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. “All right, you got anything to say, you can say it, but you don’t get a vote.”

Shades looked over at Skylar. “Will you be okay for a few minutes?”

She nodded. “I’ll be fine. Go.” After Shades and the rest of the brothers trouped into the meeting room, she moved to the bar.

Tink reached over and laid her hand over Skylar’s.

“You okay, doll?”

Skylar gave her a timid smile. “I’m fine.”

“What can I get you?”

“Jack and Coke.”

“You got it, honey.” Tink quickly mixed her drink and set it before her.

Skylar felt someone sit down on the barstool next to her and looked over to find Blood.

“Crown,” he told Tink.

Skylar sipped her drink as Tink poured him a couple inches in a short tumbler, setting it in front of him.

He looked over at Skylar. “You okay, darlin’?”

She nodded and gave him a halfhearted smile.

He nudged her with his shoulder. “You know I was gonna give Shades a run for his money, but I gotta say…You seem like a lotta work, Cupcake.” He grinned at her, and she knew he was trying to make her laugh.

His words reminded her of everything that Shades had just done to get her free. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about how violent this MC life that he had chosen was, and it gave her pause.
I can’t do it
, she thought. This club meant everything to Shades. How could she ever compete with that?

Her mind was racing. And suddenly it was all too much. She couldn’t breathe. The walls of the clubhouse were closing in on her. She couldn’t think. Not here, not now. She needed time. She needed to breathe.

Panic overwhelmed her, and she pushed off the barstool. She noticed Blood’s confused look as she whispered, “I can’t do this.”

She just had to get out of there. Out of this room, out of this clubhouse. She dashed toward the exit. By the time her tunnel vision cleared, she was out on the back stairs, leaning heavily on the railing. Blood must think she was insane the way she’d suddenly ran out.

Her eyes traveled around the lot at all the rows and rows of motorcycles.

She couldn’t stay. She couldn’t do this. Why had she ever thought she could? Why had Ghost been so sure she could? She loved Shades. She did. But suddenly she was afraid that wouldn’t be enough. Not for a man like him. He wasn’t the same boy she’d fallen in love with years ago. Back then he’d been sweet and tender and loving. Until he’d shoved her aside, and he’d crushed her. Now he was a grown man, hardened into this life, everything about him bespoke of his dedication and loyalty to the club. He had it in him to be VP, maybe even lead this club one day. He had the confidence, self-assurance and street smarts. He was good at reading people, and he was smart at figuring out problems and diffusing situations.

He would need a woman just as strong, and she was afraid that would never be her. Maybe they could make it work for a while, but someday he’d see it, he’d realize…and then when he did, where would that leave her? If he tossed her aside again, she knew she wouldn’t be able to survive it a second time.

Oh, God.

They were in there, right this minute, giving him that VP patch. She was sure of it. And she just didn’t think she’d be strong enough for him, be the kind of woman he needed. Ghost had tried to tell her, hadn’t he? Shades would make VP, and when he did he was going to need a strong woman at his side. Skylar just didn’t think she could ever be that woman. How did one deal with a life like this—a life where your man came home with broken ribs? Or worse?

When Shades came out of that meeting, she knew she wouldn’t be able to face him. To tell him her fears. He’d talk her into staying. She knew he would. He wouldn’t let her go. So, it had to be now. She knew he’d think that he’d done something wrong. Shit. Why couldn’t she just be honest with him? Why couldn’t she tell him what she was afraid of, instead of panicking and running away?

She hated her inability to confront this. The fear, the anxiety, that
she wasn’t good enough
. And that was what it all came down to. That’s what it had
always
all come down to. Her whole life.

Suddenly, Blood was at her side.

“Skylar? You okay?”

She shook her head.

His hand reached up to slide a lock of hair over her shoulder. He was trying to see her face, she was sure. She tried to turn her head away, but he caught her chin and turned her to look at him. She knew her eyes were shimmering when she looked up into his dark brown eyes.

“Babe.” His eyes took in the bruising on the side of her face from when Reno had hit her. She watched his jaw tighten. Saw the anger flash across his face, and then just as quickly he reined it in. His eyes skated down her body, taking in the torn buttons of her blouse, the stained camisole pulled halfway out of her skirt and her bare feet. They trailed back up, stopping at her crotch. “You should go to the hospital, sweetheart. Get checked out.”

Oh, God. He thought she’d been raped. He was trying to be delicate about bringing it up, but that’s what he meant. Maybe there was a soft spot under all that badass after all. Her throat constricted, and she shook her head. “It’s not what you’re thinking. They didn’t touch me. Not like that.”

“Whatever they did to you, it’s got you shaking and on the verge of a panic attack. I should get Shades. You need your man.” He turned to go, but she reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked down at it. Her soft touch stopping him in his tracks.

“No. He’s in that meeting. It’s important.”

“Fuck that meeting. You’re more important right now.”

“No. That’s not what I need.”

He frowned at her, studying her. “What do you need, Princess?”

“Will you…will you do something for me?”

“Anything.” There was no hesitation in his answer, and that choked her up, closing her throat so she had to take a breath to speak again.

“I need to get out of here.”

Suddenly his eyes were flicking around the yard. Anywhere but at her.

“Will you take me?” she whispered.

“Skylar, takin’ a brother’s ol’ lady,” he broke off, shaking his head. “That’s not allowed.”

He was shaking his head, but in a way that made her think he was conflicted about his answer. “Please, Blood. I need to get my things. Then I…” Skylar paused, making a snap decision. “Then I want to go home…with my daddy.”

Blood looked stunned, and he must be, she thought. That was quite a bomb she’d just dropped. He studied her a long time, then his eyes went to the horizon. She knew she was asking a lot. She was asking him to go against a brother. And in reality she was probably misleading him. If he thought he had a chance with her, he would be wrong.

His eyes came back to her. “Okay. Let’s go.”

He moved toward his bike, and she followed.

Twenty minutes later, Skylar gave him directions over his shoulder, pointing to the turn off and then the drive. He pulled in and rolled to a stop at Shades’ cabin.

Skylar got off the bike. She noticed Blood’s eyes studying the place as he pulled his helmet off.

“Come on.” She paused and looked back when she realized Blood was not following her. “Blood?”

“I’ll wait out here.”

She frowned. “Blood, it’s like ninety-five degrees out here. Come inside.”

He shook his head. “Givin’ you a ride’s one thing, babe. But goin’ in a brother’s house—with his ol’ lady—when he’s not here? That’s a line even I won’t cross.”

Suddenly nervous, she nodded and said, “I’ll just be a minute.”

He nodded.

Blood leaned back on his bike, his ass in the seat, one boot on the ground, one on his foot-peg. His eyes went to the water visible beyond the cabin. He took in the quiet peacefulness of the lake. It was at complete odds with the turmoil rolling inside him. Riding off with Skylar was a big deal. Huge. If what she said about going back with them to Slidell—going ‘home’ with her father—were true, then it was a game-changer.

If that’s what she wanted,
really
wanted,
then he’d take her. And maybe after the ordeal she’d just been through, that was exactly what she needed. But a part of him whispered in his ear that this was all wrong. Now more than ever she needed her man.

And that man wasn’t him. It was Shades.

Blood had seen the way the two of them were together. She loved Shades, and as hard as it was to admit it, Shades was a good guy, and he loved her. Blood saw it. Hell, anyone could see it.

His cell went off. Blood reached into his pocket, pulled it out and put it to his ear.

“Yeah.”

“Where the fuck are you?” Undertaker growled in his ear.

“Uh…your daughter is packing a bag. She says she wants to go home with you.”

“Say what?”

“I think she’s in some kind of shock or something. Got to be a knee-jerk reaction to what happened to her, I don’t know. I was afraid she’d take off alone, so I took her.”

Undertaker was quiet a long time, taking in the news. “Where are you?”

“Shades’ place. She’s inside packing a bag, like I said.”

“All right. Call me before you head back.”

“Right.” Blood disconnected. Then he lit up a smoke.