SHADES: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series Book 3) (4 page)

“There’s not much to tell.” Her voice was soft in the dim light.

“How did you end up in the system?”

“My mother died when I was three, and I never knew my father.” She shrugged. “I guess there was no one else to take me. I don’t know. I was so little. I’ve never known anything else.”

“So, you’ve been with this foster family your whole life?”

She let out a soft snort. “Hardly. I’ve been in six different homes.”

“Six? You’re shitting me.” His eyebrows shot up with her stunning announcement.

“Nope. Not shitting you.”

“Why so many? Did they abuse you?” He frowned down at her, wanting an answer, but realizing he was being an insensitive ass to blurt out a question like that the way he had. If her answer was yes, he didn’t know how he was going to take it.

She shook her head slightly. “No, they just never worked out. I would act out or do something else that would make them give up on me, I guess.” She let out a slight laugh. “I was kind of like the puppy that got returned to the pound. Over and over and over.”

Shades listened to her try to make a joke out of it, and it broke his heart. “Babe…”

Her eyes came to his, and she interrupted sharply, “Don’t.” She shook her head. “Don’t say how sorry you are. Okay? Anyway, it’s over now. I’m eighteen. And now that the Fullers won’t be getting anymore government checks for my support, I guess I should count myself lucky that they didn’t kick me out the door the day I turned eighteen.”

“They can do that?”

She nodded. “They told me I had till the end of the summer to find a place.”

“Christ, you’ve had a tough road. Amazes me how sweet and shy you seem to me.” Hearing her story and everything she’d been through touched something inside of him, something he’d never felt before.

“Starting over a bunch of times will do that, I guess.” She smiled, her eyes connecting with his. “But don’t let it fool you, I can be tough when I’m backed into a corner.”

He grinned and picked up her hand. Bringing it to his mouth, he brushed her fingers with a kiss. “The kitten turns into a tigress, huh?”

“Exactly.”

“So, when the summer’s up, you got a plan, tiger-girl?” he asked softly and watched her bite her lip.

“Not yet. But I’ll get one.”

“Can’t you stay with your friend, Letty?”

She looked away, tugging her hand free. “I don’t really want to talk about this, okay?”

He reached up and brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “Okay, sweetheart. You tired?”

She nodded. “You?”

He smiled at her, admitting wearily, “I’m beat.” Then he pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, “Go to sleep, darlin’.” He dropped to his back and within minutes they were both asleep.

The next morning he dropped her off down the street from her house.

Skylar stepped off the bike. Shades stayed seated, his booted feet holding up the bike, the motor still rumbling. He watched as she pulled off the helmet he’d lent her and handed it back to him.

“Thanks for the ride and for last night.”

Taking the helmet, he set it between his legs and pushed his sunglasses up on his head. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

“Will I see you again?”

“Club keeps me pretty busy.” They stared at each other for a moment, and then he added, “You comin’ to the BBQ next weekend?”

She smiled. “Maybe.”

He nodded. “Then maybe I’ll see you then.”

“Well, thanks again.” She started to back away, but he reached out, his finger hooking in one of her belt loops, stopping her. Her eyes came to his and got big as he pulled her towards him. Her hands landed on his chest, and he leaned in for a kiss, his mouth coming down on hers. Softly at first, and then she opened to him, and he deepened the kiss, delving in for a taste. When he lifted his head, her eyes were on his mouth, a look of wonder on her face, and he couldn’t stop the grin that pulled at the corner of his mouth. What she said next surprised him.

“Your beard is soft,” she murmured as if she hadn’t expected that.

His grin deepened. “I see you’ve been wonderin’.”

She smiled back, admitting, “Yeah, I guess I have.”

He took her hand and brought it to his face, sliding her palm to his jaw, letting her touch him and feel the soft close-cut beard that ran along it. Shades’ hand slid to cup her nape and his eyes sank into the blue depths of hers as she followed the movement of her hand as it stroked his face.

Goddamn, he could get lost in those eyes.

And then all thought slid from his head as her thumb moved to brush gently over his mouth. Without conscious thought, he found his mouth parting and his teeth capturing the pad of her thumb in a soft nip.

Her eyes lifted to his, and he heard the quick intake of her breath. In that moment, when her eyes locked with his, he felt like a mule had just kicked him in the chest. Something zinged between them. He didn’t know what it was, but he’d never experienced it with any other woman. It was like that soul-mate shit he’d heard people talk about. Shit he’d never believed in.

Until now. Until right this moment.

Something was happening between them, and it was freaking the shit out of him. He dropped his hand from her neck, breaking the spell, and she stepped back, somehow sensing the sudden change in him.

“I, um, guess I should go,” she whispered, embarrassed now.

“Yeah, okay.” He nodded.

“Thanks, again, Shades.”

He winked at her. “See ya ‘round, Sky.” As he watched, a smile formed on her face, and he knew she liked the way he’d shortened her name. Pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes and buckling the helmet on, he twisted the throttle, roaring away from the curb. Looking in his side mirror, he saw her standing where he’d left her, watching him ride away, and he smiled.

They saw each other over several parties that summer, and Skylar always made a point of coming over and talking with him. They’d talk and laugh. He could always get her laughing. And when she did, her face lit up. Fucking lit up. Absolutely fucking beautiful.

Usually, they were under the watchful eyes of his brothers, but occasionally, late at night, when it got dark and his brothers got drunk, they would find themselves alone for a few minutes. Sometimes he’d steal a kiss, but he wanted more. Much more. And he was finding that it was becoming more and more difficult to keep his hands off her. In fact, abiding by the hands-off orders he’d been given where she was concerned was becoming damn near impossible.

He found himself thinking about her often, even when he hadn’t seen her for days or weeks.

He was completely captivated by her, he could admit it. Fuck, he hadn’t felt this way about a chick ever. But he knew he needed to rein his feelings in and leave her alone. Nothing was going to come of this, nothing
could
ever come of this, no matter how bad he wanted her.

And that was exactly what he told himself every week, until the next time she’d show up, and all his good intentions would go right out the fucking window.

One such night he was again ordered to stand gate duty. It was late, and everyone was starting to migrate inside as a light drizzle was starting up. Skylar had been sitting with a group at a picnic table under a tree in the yard. Shades, like he always did when she came around, was unconsciously keeping tabs on where she was.

He watched as some of the other girls she’d been sitting with made their way inside, complaining about the stray raindrops. He heard Skylar call after them that she would be along in a minute, after she sent a text.

And then they were alone, just the two of them left in the yard in the dark of night. He stood at the gate, his eyes on her as she sat in the dark shadows under the tree. The only light in the yard came from a dim bulb near the back door and the remains of burning embers in the fire pit.

Shades took a hit off his cigarette, the glow probably the only thing she could see by the darkened gate. But she was looking his way. He knew it. He could feel it. And then he watched as her shadowy form stood and walked toward him.

As she approached, he tossed his cigarette, the glowing tip arcing as it flew into the alley. When she reached him, Shades barely let her get out a breathy greeting before he grabbed her by the hand, pulled her around the gate and pushed her back up against the outside of the six-foot wooden fence as his mouth came down on hers.

When he finally broke the kiss, she stared up at him breathlessly. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I had to,” he replied, delving in for another one. When that kiss ended he looked down at her and confessed, “I watched you earlier, when you were dancing.” She’d been one of a group of girls that had started dancing when some good music came on the stereo that was piped into the yard. He’d been hypnotized by the way she’d moved to the music. “Were you gettin’ your ‘feel good’ on?”

“I was having fun,” she admitted.

“You were doin’ more than that, honey. You were driving me crazy. Me and every guy here.”

She grinned, her white teeth flashing in the moonlight. “Is that so?”

“You know it’s so. You can definitely move, girl.” He leaned in close again, nuzzling her neck. “You smell good, too.”

“So do you.”

He pulled back. “I do?”

She nodded, her hands running up the front of his cut. “Leather and wood-smoke and…you.”

He moved in closer again, promising, “One of these nights, girl. One of these nights, I swear.”

“What, Shades? What do you swear?”

“You and me, we’re gonna find out just how hot this flame burns.” He kissed her again, but broke off again, warning, “Your girls will be looking for you soon.” He studied her mouth. “Fuck, what I wouldn’t give for just a few more minutes with you.”

The creaking sound of the back screen door opening carried to them. Shades released her, ordering in a whisper, “Don’t move.” He stepped around the open gate.

“Hey, Prospect, you seen Skylar?” Cole called out from the back steps.

“Nope. I think she left a while ago.”

“Okay. You can go ahead lock up the gate and go home. You look beat.”

“Thanks.”

After Cole went back inside, Shades moved back over to Skylar, boxing her in against the wooden fence again.

“I just lied to a brother over you. Fuck, baby, what you do to me.”

“Shades-”

He cut her off with a kiss, moving in against her until their bodies were touching. His long fingers threaded into her hair holding her immobile as his mouth plundered deep. Eventually, they both had to come up for air. He broke off, his forehead pressing against hers, his breath sawing in and out.

“I saw you up at that shaved-ice place on Route 31 last week. You were standing out front when we all rode by.”

Her voice came out with a breathy quality that told him the kiss had affected her as much as it did him. “I saw you, too. Everyone did. There were a dozen of you, and we could hear those rumbling pipes coming a mile away.”

“I rode past there three times this week. Just hoping to see you there again. Just hoping to catch a glimpse of you,” he confessed, studying her reaction. “You know why I’m telling you this?”

She shook her head.

“Because you need to know where I’m at.”

“And where is that?”

“Right on the edge, sweetheart. You’ve got me starvin’ for it. Do you understand?”

She looked up at him and nodded.

He brushed his thumb across her cheekbone. “There’s something in the way you look at me. In the way you’re lookin’ at me
now
that tells me you feel it, too. So, you gotta tell me, Sky, are we on the same page here?”

“Yes, Shades. I feel it, too.”

“Little girl, getting messed up with you is the last fucking thing I need to be doing-” he broke off, shaking his head.

Skylar’s hand came up and closed around the wrist of one of the hands that was still cradling her head. “Shades, I think about you all the time, every minute.”

“Fuck, don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

“Christ, if I had any sense, I’d send you right back through that gate.” He bit his lip, shaking his head again. “But I can’t. I fucking can’t, Sky. So, you need to tell me no. Right now. Right fucking now, Sky.”

She just looked up at him, refusing to do as he asked.

“You’re still standing here.”

“Yes.”

“I’m starting to sense a stubborn streak in you.”

Her chin came up. “Is that so bad?”

“Skylar, you know it’s wrong—the things I’m gonna ask you to do if you stay.”

“Ask me.”

He stared down at her, his breathing heavy. “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“Does it matter?”

She stared up at him.

“
Does it
, Sky?”

“No.”

“Then come home with me. Back to my shop. Back to my bed.”