Now that I’d seen Hawk again, nothing could bring me down.
Diana called to check in, before Jeremiah fell asleep after dinner on the couch watching television. Despite my irritation, I didn’t make a big deal with her about sending Shadow. I’m pretty sure it was all Slade’s idea, and I know there’s no arguing with that man, so I let it go.
Shadow picked him up and put him in bed, and while he was sleeping, we reassembled the living room together. It took ten minutes just to fold the sheets back up. Once we had everything back in place, we fixed a couple of drinks, put on a Springsteen record and headed out to the porch swing.
It was another foggy night, this time much thicker than the last. The blanket of fog was impossible to see through and it wrapped around the cabin, barricading us into the glowing light from the cabin with its cozy embrace.
Everything was quiet tonight, except for the constant, incessant chirping of the crickets and the low drone of the Boss’s voice wafting out from inside. We sat down on the swing next to each other and I threw the blanket over our laps.
“It’s so still,” Shadow said. “Like the world just stopped.”
“Pretty much does out here,” I said.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it,” he replied. “When everyone’s around, there’s not a still moment, ever. This is much different than usual.”
I nodded, still high from the surge of happiness I’d felt earlier.
“Do you like being a God?” I asked him.
“I love it,” he nodded, firmly. In the muted light, he was incredibly handsome. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
“What was your life like before?”
“Full of bullshit. Meaningless bullshit,” he said. “Spent my time figuring out which deal was going to make the most money. The only way to make any real money included screwing someone over. Now, I don’t have to worry about any of that. I have security, stability and the work…well, you know. It means something.”
“Yes, it does,” I said. “I know that first hand.”
“I heard about all of that,” he said.
“You did?”
“Heard some of the guys talking about it one day,” he shrugged. “Slade thinks it’s all funny as hell. Not that you were kidnapped, of course. But the rest of it.”
I laughed out loud, nodding.
“It was fucking traumatic, but there’s no denying Slade’s performance was one to remember. You should have seen him,” I said. “Dancing around with a snake like he was just as insane as the guy who was holding us, shouting in tongues. He looked like a maniac. Of course, I had no idea who he was, so imagine my surprise when he ended up being the one to save us.”
We sat laughing together.
“I can totally imagine it,” Shadow said, his eyes lighting up with humor for the first time. He had little lines that popped up around the corners when he laughed. “He’s a good guy.”
“He sure is,” I said. “Diana’s crazy about him.”
“Yeah, Jeremiah, too,” he agreed.
“I’m glad they have each other,” I said.
“What about you, Evie? Who do you have?”
“Me?” I asked. “Just them. My dad died and my Mom and I aren’t really close. If it wasn’t for Slade and Diana, I’d be all alone in this world. Sure, I have a few close girlfriends, but I just know them from work.”
“That’s too bad,” he said. “Maybe someday you’ll meet someone special.”
“Maybe,” I said, Hawk’s eyes flashing in my mind. “What about you?”
“The Gods are my family now,” he said, his eyes darkening. “My family burned all the bridges to their place long ago. My old man’s a shitbag. Left the family when I was a little boy, not much older than Jeremiah, really. Mom was left holding the bag, trying to take care of four kids without being neglectful. She wasn’t very successful on that front. Living in extreme poverty didn’t help. My siblings all scattered to the wind when they were old enough to hustle on their own. I was the youngest. And they basically left me behind to fend for myself, only coming around when I had something they were interested in stealing from me. Like I said, burnt bridges.”
“Damn,” I said, my heart swelling with empathy for him. “That sounds rough.”
“I guess it was,” he shrugged. “Long time ago, though. You move on, you know?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “I know.”
“What happened today, Evie? Why the sudden change in attitude? I was convinced you were going to knife me in my sleep there for a while.”
I looked over at him, his beautiful green eyes staring back at me inquisitively.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just felt it was really unnecessary for you to be here. But I realize now that Slade wouldn’t have done anything else under the circumstances.”
“Thank you for that,” he said. “But what happened? Why did you change your mind? You’ve been smiling like a possum all day.”
I hesitated, biting my lip. Should I tell him? Could I trust him?
“If I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything to Slade?”
“Well, I can’t promise that,” he said. “Gotta be honest.”
“Right,” I shrugged. “Listen. I told Diana that Hawk wasn’t dangerous, but he didn’t believe me. But the thing is, I saw him again.”
“Again?”
“Yes. Today,” I answered, “when I went for my run. But like I said, he’s harmless. He was just mushroom hunting. We had a lovely time, actually.”
“So that’s why you couldn’t wipe the smile off your face this morning?”
“I guess,” I said. “He’s really charming. A very nice man.”
“A very nice trespasser, huh?”
“Does that really matter? It’s not like there’s not enough land for a few interlopers.”
“Well, yeah, I’m pretty sure it matters to the club.”
I shrugged, looking away, wishing I hadn’t said a thing. I’d ruined our whole night. He was looking at me accusingly.
“I just don’t like it, Evie,” he said. “I have a bad feeling about this guy. Why just randomly trespass onto the club’s property like it’s not a big deal? Not just once, but twice?”
“Because to most people, it’s not.”
“I disagree,” he said. “He’s lucky he hasn’t been shot. That’s what happens to most people who tread onto other people’s property in rural fucking Oregon, Evie. They shoot first and ask questions later.”
“Well, I guess he’s just lucky.”
“Or stupid.”
“Enough!” I said, standing up and leaving him there alone. “He’s a nice guy, that’s all there is to it.”
I slammed the door on my way back in.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
SHADOW
I fucking knew it.
The asshole has been sniffing around again.
And any ground I’d gained with Evie was now gone, because she was pissed at me again. So be it. Let her stay mad.
She’ll be even more mad tomorrow when she realizes I’m not going to let her go off alone again.
All I needed was for this guy to show his face around here, and then I could have a little talk with him. How convenient was it that he only showed up when I wasn’t around?
After she went to bed, I grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the kitchen and stayed out on the porch, my gun close, my senses on high alert.
“Show your face, dude,” I said to the thick fog between me and the trees.
I stayed out there a long time, waiting, ready.
Of course, the only faces that appeared belonged to Oliver and Olivia, showing up for their nightly visit, blinking at me like they always do.
It felt as if they were waiting with me.
“You seen this guy?” I asked them. They stared back blankly at me and I shook my head. “Is he bad news?”
Nothing.
“You aren’t any help,” I said.
The whiskey warmed my gut, the only comfort I allowed myself.
All I could think about was Evie’s smile, though. As much as I wanted to not care if she was mad, it was bugging the hell out of me knowing she’d gone to sleep pissed off because I was being protective of her.
Shit, what was I supposed to do?
All I could do was hope she’d come to her senses by morning.
If she kept fighting with me, I’d have to go to extreme measures to get her to comply with my safety guidelines.
Nobody wants that.
Especially not me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
EVIE
When I came out of my room the next morning, Shadow was sitting in a chair in the kitchen, facing me.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting for you,” he said.
“Why? Where’s Jeremiah?”
“Still asleep,” he replied, standing up. “I see you have your workout gear on again. I can’t let you go out alone, Evie. I’m sorry.”
I stopped in front of him, my arms crossed, my jaw hanging in disbelief.
I scoffed, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
“Sorry, ma’am,” he shrugged. “Bosses orders.”
“You told Slade I went running alone?”
“No, ma’am, I did not,” he said. “I talked to him once I arrived to let him know everything was okay, but I haven’t talked to him since. But what I did do was vow to him that I’d take care of you, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get that job done.”
“This shit again?” I shouted.
“Evie, you’ll wake Jeremiah up if you keep shouting.”
He stood in front of me, his python-sized arms crossed over his chest as he blocked my way.
“This is ridiculous!” I protested.
“I’m sorry this is such an inconvenience,” he nodded. “I understand it’s frustrating. But I need to ask you not to leave the house alone again.”
“Shadow, give me a break, you’re taking this way too far.”
“You told me you saw the guy again. I feel like perhaps he’s stalking the property. He may be stalking you. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“He’s harmless, dammit!” I said, my voice rising in frustration.
“That may be. But it’s also possible he’s not harmless at all. As I said, I don’t want to take —.”
“— any chances, got it!” I said, turning on my heel and walking away.
“I made you breakfast,” he said, his voice soft behind me.
My stomach growled. I was planning on eating a few bites before I left anyway. I turned back with a scowl on my face. “Oh, yeah, like what?”
“Pancakes. Sausage. Eggs,” he shrugged.
“I thought I smelled that,” I said. “Fine, I’ll eat. That doesn’t mean I’m agreeing to your ridiculous request. And it doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you.”
“Duly noted, ma’am,” he nodded.
“And for fuck’s sake, Shadow, stop calling me ma’am, what is wrong with you?”
“I apologize, Evie,” he said, looking briefly contrite.
I sat down at the table and let him serve me. It felt good to be on the other end and have him take care of me.
I wasn’t really mad.
To be honest, I predicted he would try to stop me from leaving alone after our conversation last night, so I’m not surprised.
I know Slade would torture him if anything happened to either one of us, so I couldn’t really blame him for trying to do his job.
That didn’t mean I had to make it easy on him, though.
That didn’t mean I had to comply with his wishes, either.
If he thought he was going to keep me from seeing Hawk again, he was crazy.
We ate breakfast and made small talk about the weather. The fog had lifted with the warmth of the morning sun and it was once again clear and gorgeous outside.
“What are your plans for the day?” I asked. “Another fort?”
“Not sure,” he shrugged. “Jeremiah wants to show me his trail guide skills, he told me yesterday.”
“He’s very knowledgeable,” I nodded. “You should let him.”
“Why don’t you come with us?”
I shook my head. “You two have fun, I’ll just hang around here.”
He looked at me, his smile fading.
“Evie.”
“What?”
“Do you think I’m that stupid?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my eyes wide.
“Why are you playing this game?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll spell it out for you.”
“Go right ahead,” I said, lifting my chin defiantly.
“You think you’re going to take off after I leave with Jeremiah,” he said, peering deep into my eyes. “It’s not happening. Just give it up.”
“I wasn’t going to do that,” I protested.
“I don’t believe you, unfortunately,” he said. “So, I can’t allow for us to be separated. Wherever I go, you go, too. And vice versa.”
“That’s insane! I’m a grown-ass woman, Shadow!”
“I am well aware of that fact, trust me!”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
He turned away, breaking his intense gaze. “Nothing.”
“I don’t have to do what you say.”
He turned back, his fiery green eyes crashing into mine. “Yes, you do.”
“Goddammit!” I said, throwing down my napkin and shooting to my feet. “I can’t stand you!”
I ran out of the room, leaving him alone at the table, while tears of frustration spilled down my cheeks.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
SHADOW
Jeremiah came out of his room, his eyes wide, his hair tousled from sleep.
“Why is Aunt Evie so angry?”
“Because women don’t like to be told what to do, son.”
“Oh,” he nodded, wisely. “Yeah, I knew that.”
I laughed, looking over at him. “You did?”
“Yeah, Daddy told me that a long time ago.”
“Wise guy, your dad.”
“He is,” he nodded, solemnly.
“Do you miss him, buddy?”
“A little,” he said. “But he’ll be home soon, right?”
“Yep, they’ll be back in just a few days.”
He shrugged. “I can make it.”
I looked over at him in admiration. He was steady as a rock.
Much steadier than I felt inside, that was for sure. Evie had me shaken. One minute she was nice to me, the next she was shouting and slamming doors like an angsty teen that was angry for being grounded.
And yet, I couldn’t help but be slightly turned on by that show of anger.
She was feisty.
It was sexy.
And twisted, so damned twisted.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” The little Slade in my head once again made an appearance, waving his fist at me to remind me of just how untouchable Evie was.
“So, what do you think? Another fort today?” I asked Jeremiah. I needed to distract myself. I needed to distract my body. And I also wanted to distract him from going out to explore the trails today, because I don’t want to fight with Evie again.
“Sounds good to me!”
“Great,” I said, with a small sigh of relief. “Why don’t you eat breakfast, while I workout for a few minutes, then we can get started. Sound good?”
“Okay!”
I made him a plate, then went outside and hit the dirt.
Pushups were the only thing I could do right now to give my body some sort of release.
A hell of a lot of pushups.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
EVIE
So, I’d made a scene. Again.
I didn’t care.
Yeah, I’d stomped out of the room, demanding how I was a ‘grown-ass woman’,
like I’d just turned eighteen or something.
Still, I didn’t care.
I know I’m here to watch over my nephew, but this was supposed to be a bit of a vacation for me, too. I’d imagined long, quiet walks alone in the woods, well, not alone, and not quiet, but okay, what I’d not imagined was that I’d have to be under lock and key and told what to do by the irritating Incredible Hulk out there.
I stood at my bedroom window, which just happened to provide the perfect view of Shadow, standing next to his bike and working out.
“Prick,” I muttered, taking a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Just when I was starting to like him — the tiniest bit, mind you — he rubs me the wrong way again.
Not that I want him rubbing me the right way, either.
He is absolutely, completely, totally not my type.
Just the thought of it makes me roll my eyes.
I mean, just look at him. First of all, he’s huge.
His arms are the size of small children. I never understood the appeal of men who purposefully worked to get that large. Always seemed to me that you would get to a certain point, and just…stop, for God’s sake. I mean, seriously, how do they even function?
Shadow has his back to me, so I brazenly watch his every movement. His Gods cut is draped over his bike behind him and he’s ripped off his t-shirt.
He’s not graceful, in any sense of the word. No, he stomps with every step and grunts and groans his way through the workout, his muscles flexing, his tattoo-slathered skin quickly beading with sweat as he falls to the ground and starts doing pushups.
My phone rings, and I quickly pull it from my back pocket and silence it, not wanting Shadow to look over and discover me watching him. It’s Diana, so I answer on the first ring, keeping my voice low as I stay by the window.
“Hello?” I answer, my eyes grazing over Shadow’s frame.
“Hey, sis, how are you?”
“I’m fine,” I say, rolling my eyes again, glad she can’t see the expression on my face. Of course, I’m totally lying, but I want her to have a good vacation. One of us should have some fun, at least.
Up and down, Shadow’s body pumps through the air, he must have done at least twenty-five pushups by now.
Gods of Chaos MC Box Set 4 Page 36