by Chiah Wilder
“Like it’s any of your fuckin’ business,” Shadow answered as he crossed over to the bar.
“Definitely aiming for citizen pussy,” Blade said.
“No way would you give a shit how you smelled with the club girls,” Buffalo added before he downed a shot of Jack.
“There’s a reason you got your road name, dude. Just remember that.” Shadow took a deep drink of beer.
Rags, Helm, and Blade guffawed.
“He got you bad, bro,” Rags said, pointing at Buffalo, who perched on the stool glaring.
“I know I don’t wanna smell like shit for any chick—even the club girls,” Blade said as he leaned against the bar.
“Thanks, dude. I feel so much better now that I fuckin’ know that.” Buffalo slapped his hand on the counter and the prospect delivered another shot to him.
Helm and Rags busted out laughing and Shadow joined in with them. Glancing at the clock on the back wall, he guzzled the rest of his beer and took the keys out of the pocket of his black jeans.
“I’m outta here.” Shadow jerked his chin at his friends as he ambled away. Before he could open the door, Smokey burst through it, smudges of dirt and grease on his face and hands.
“What happened to you?” Shadow asked.
“My Harley crapped out on me. I tried fixing it but couldn’t get it to start, so I called Hawk, and it’s at his shop now. I need to think about getting a new one—I think my baby’s on her last lap.”
“That sucks, but you had a lot of good rides on that one,” Shadow replied.
“Yeah.” Smokey’s gaze skimmed over him and his nostrils twitched. “Why the fuck do you smell like you’re planning on getting laid?”
Shadow heard laughter behind him and his muscles tensed. “Why the fuck are you all sniffing me? Don’t you have any other shit to do to amuse you?” He pointed at the club women, who sat on the couch watching them in amusement. “They’re the ones you should be smelling.”
The men laughed harder and the club girls chuckled along with them.
“You’re going out with that Mansfield chick, aren’t you?” Smokey’s brows knitted. “I told you to stay away from her until we’re done with the damn job. Wet your dick with the club women.”
“Take your own advice—you seem to need a good fuck right now.” Shadow pushed past Smokey and stalked to his motorcycle.
When he arrived at Scarlett’s house, she was standing outside the large wrought iron gates, looking sexy as hell in skinny jeans and snug crop top. She waved at him and the sliver of silky, smooth skin her top revealed teased him as she hurried toward the curb, her luscious hips swaying.
“Hi,” she said, a smile inching across her lips. Her green eyes danced as they took him in so damn seductively. Scarlett reached out and stroked his jaw. “I like the scruff.”
The way her fingertips slid over his face made his cock jolt. All she had to do was touch him and his body was on fire.
Every damn time.
“Get over here,” he said, his voice low.
Scarlett looked over her shoulder then took a couple of steps toward him and started to climb on the back of the bike, but he grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her to him.
Her eyes twinkled and those sexy fingers tunneled a path into his hair. “Your hair’s messy from the ride,” she said. “We better get going.”
He pulled her in for a smoldering kiss. “You’re killing me, baby,” he rasped.
Pushing away, she glanced back at the gates and gripped his shoulder. “We need to leave.”
Shadow glanced down and saw red-painted toes peeping out from her high-heeled sandals and groaned. The scent of spiced vanilla curled around him, and the way she tucked herself against him with those sensuous hands dipping dangerously close to his dick had him shifting uncomfortably before starting the engine.
By the time they arrived at Steelers, Shadow wanted to drag her off behind the bushes like some damn caveman. Looking at Scarlett, feeling her against him, and just being with her made him burn. Ignoring his aching dick, he helped her off the bike and led her inside.
Steelers was a restaurant and a bar frequented by bikers and citizens alike. It was known for its hot-and-spicy wings, colossal nachos, and low-priced drinks. It was also an Insurgents’ favorite for family nights, which usually happened twice a month.
“Hi, Shadow.” The hostess smiled, then looked Scarlett up and down before reverting her gaze back to him. “Booth or table?”
“Booth’s good.” He clasped Scarlett’s hand and followed the hostess.
“I guess you do come here a lot,” Scarlett said as she watched the young woman walk away.
Shadow leaned back against the dark green cushion. “The Insurgents have family nights here every month.”
“What does that mean—family nights?”
“Brothers and their old ladies, but single guys go too. Sometimes the members bring their kids, but mostly it’s for the adults. We normally have family cookouts at the club or at a park where we include the kids.”
Scarlett settled back in the booth and smiled at him. “That sounds real nice.”
“It is. I don’t always go, but when I do, it’s cool. I come here a lot with my buddies for lunch or a quick bite to eat. Next time I’ll take you to Burgers & Beer Joint—great selection of brewed beers and killer burgers.”
“I love that place! And you’re so right about the hamburgers—the best in town. I don’t really like beer, so I’ll have to take your word on that.”
“The club owns the place. They also own Big Rocky’s Barbecue.”
Her mouth dropped just a little and he wanted to lean over and slip his tongue inside.
“I didn’t know that. I guess I just figured your club owned the stereotypical strip bar—not restaurants.”
“We do own a strip bar—Dream House.” He winked at her. “But we got some other businesses too. We’re trying to build another strip mall that’ll have businesses and apartments above.”
“That sounds exciting. Where’s it going to be?”
Shadow nodded at the waitress, who put down a shot of whiskey and a bottle of beer in front of him and a mango margarita in front of Scarlett. He took a sip of whiskey. “West Pinewood near Jackson Boulevard. We bought the land from your dad.”
She lifted the glass to her mouth and with the tip of her tongue licked some of the sugar from the rim. Scarlett looked at him over her margarita.
“I didn’t know that. I wonder if that’s how he met Smokey.” She took a sip then ran that damn tempting tongue over her lips.
Shadow leaned over and took the glass from her hands. A startled look crossed her face and she glanced at the drink.
“Is there something wrong with it?” Panic deepened the soft lines in her forehead. “Did you see a bug? Oh yuck … gross.”
“There’s no bug.” He chuckled.
“What then?”
He slid his hand into her hair, the blonde strands tangled around his fingers as he cupped the back of her head and tugged her closer.
“This,” he said in a low voice.
Then he took hungry possession of her mouth, devouring it with deep, sweeping strokes of his tongue. She tasted like tequila and sweet fruit, and he couldn’t get enough of her. A low moan came through her lips and he swallowed it, loving the noises she made when he kissed her.
The waitress cleared her throat, and Scarlett pulled away and sank back into the booth’s cushion. Shadow winked at her, then looked up at the server.
The young woman smiled weakly. “Sorry to interrupt, but I got your nachos.” She put a heaping mound of tortilla chips and all the fixings in the middle of the table and then gave each of them a small plate. “Enjoy,” she said before scurrying away.
Scarlett’s eyes widened. “You weren’t exaggerating when you said they’re big.” She picked up her fork and pushed her dish toward the appetizer. “I’m going for it.”
Shadow laughed and scooped up a decent po
rtion and put it on his plate. “Good, huh?” he asked as he watched her eat.
“Super good. I can’t believe my friends and I have never been here. We go out to eat a lot, so I’m surprised we missed this place. I’ll have to tell them about it.” She popped another chip in her mouth. “I still can’t believe your club bought the land from my dad. That’s cool. How’s the building going?”
“We’ve run into a few snags, but nothing we can’t conquer.” For a split second, Shadow contemplated telling her that her bitch mom was causing all sorts of fucking problems, but he decided against it, not wanting to upset her or cause any more of a rift between the two of them.
“Can I ask you a question?” she said, breaking into his musings.
He glanced up. “You don’t have to ask me for permission. If you wanna know something, just ask me, babe. I’ll try and answer the best I can, but if your questions are about club business, then you’re not gonna get shit outta me.” Shadow poured some salsa over his nachos.
Nodding, she wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “Okay. Is Shadow your real name? I know you guys have road names, so I was wondering if it’s yours.”
“Road names. I’m impressed, baby. You’ve been doing some homework.” He winked at her and she blushed, and damn if that wasn’t the cutest thing he’d ever seen. She’s just too fuckin’ irresistible.
“I’ve read up a bit on the whole biker thingy. Some of the clubs are real bad—like the Hells Angels and Mongols.”
“Yeah … well, we’re not exactly choirboys. I’ll just leave it at that. And my real name is Steve, but I’ve been using the moniker Shadow since I was a teen.”
“Where did you get the name from?”
“My mom used to call me her shadow.” A quizzical expression spread across her face. He took a deep breath then exhaled. “I’d try and be around all the time when my fuckin’ dad would use my mom as a punching bag.” He shrugged, his gaze darting away from her sympathetic one. “I liked the name, so I started using it.” He picked up the bottle of beer and took a long gulp.
“Did your mom start calling you that too?”
“Yep. So are you gonna order something more?” A lame question, but he didn’t want her to start asking questions about his mother or his sonofabitch father. He didn’t need those memories to come out. Not tonight.
As if understanding, Scarlett didn’t miss a beat. “I’m thinking to order a cheese enchilada. Are they good?”
“Totally Americanized, but they’re decent. In my opinion, the best Mexican restaurant in town is El Tecolote. That place rules.”
A huge grin broke over her lips. “That’s my favorite place for Mexican food. I go there all the time.”
“Me too. I’m surprised we never ran into each other.”
“We probably did, but we didn’t know each other so …” She brought the margarita to her mouth.
Shadow watched as her lips hugged the glass. Get a fuckin’ grip. I’m acting like a damn lovesick pussy. Shit … this woman just gets to me. Real bad. She put the glass down and did that shit with her tongue skimming over her lips again. Dammit.
“Believe me, darlin’, I would’ve noticed you if I’d seen you at El Tecolote,” he said.
She locked her gaze on his. “I’d have noticed you too,” she whispered, leaning forward.
“Fuck, baby.”
Their mouths met in the middle, crushing and twisting together. She parted her lips and he slipped his tongue inside, probing and teasing then entwining with hers in a passionate dance.
“Scarlett, what the fuck are you doing?” A man’s voice cut through their desire.
She broke away and looked up, and Shadow watched her flushed face quickly drain of color. He snapped his eyes to the guy and recognized him as the asshole who he’d thrown out of Dream House for disrespecting Honeysuckle. Behind him was the dude Shadow had found in the parking lot that night with the hooker. Shadow smirked and rested back on the cushion.
Disgust crept across the preppy-looking guy’s face as he glared at Shadow and then at Scarlett. “This”—he waved his hand at Shadow—“is why you’ve been avoiding me? So you’re slumming it now?”
Anger rose in Shadow like a tide, but he sat still, eyes narrowed, smirk still front and center.
“Warren, please go away.”
“I’m sure your dad doesn’t know about this. And your mom? What the hell’s the matter with you? You’re supposed to pay the help, not fuck them.” Warren gripped the table and pushed it, making the glasses and plates rattle.
Shadow slid out of the booth. “The lady told you to go away, but you’re still here. Now I’m telling you to get the fuck outta here.”
“Let’s go,” Warren’s friend said from behind him.
“Listen to Jonah, Warren,” Scarlett said.
“I’m not going anywhere until I find out what the fuck’s going on.”
She picked up a glass of water and Shadow noticed her hand trembling, which fueled the anger inside him even more.
He bumped against Warren. Hard. Then he threw him a death glare. “If you can’t figure it out, then you’re dumber than I thought you were, asshole. I’m not telling you to get out again.”
“Please go—you’re causing a scene. We’ll talk later,” Scarlett said softly.
“Talk about what? That you’re fucking a lowlife biker? Scum of the earth? Talk about falling so low that—”
Anger came boiling up out of Shadow, burning hot and white, and his fist landed on the side of Warren’s jaw with so much force that it knocked the jerk to the ground. Without any hesitation, Shadow was on top of him, pummeling the asshole with both fists, in the face, the chest, the belly while the downed man tried to fend off the blows.
“Stop, Shadow. Stop!” Scarlett yelled. Then a gut-wrenching sob hit his ears, and he suddenly halted.
Shadow jumped up and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm, then slid back into the booth. Max, the manager, came over to the table and glanced over at Warren, who was slowly rising to his feet, then to Shadow.
“You got this taken care of?” he asked.
Shadow lifted his chin. “Yeah.”
Max nodded, then turned to Warren and Jonah. “Go on to your table … or get out.”
Warren wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He jerked his head toward Shadow. “This animal attacked me and you’re going to throw me out?”
Max shook his head. “Only if you keep bothering my customers. Lori got you a table, so go to it.” He crossed his body-builder arms in front of his broad chest.
“I wouldn’t stay another second in this dump.” Warren looked at Jonah. “Let’s go to the club. I’ve got to take a shower to get rid of the stench of the common class.” He stepped back then glared at Scarlett. “I’m not done with you—you’re not going to make a fool of me.”
“You already beat her to that, asswipe,” Shadow growled as he started to stand up from the table.
“You’ll find out,” he said to Scarlett, his words dripping in disgust. He stalked away, and he and Jonah stormed out of Steelers.
“For having to put up with that, I’ll send you a round of drinks,” Max said as he sauntered away.
For a long while Scarlett stared out the window, not even casting a glance at him. Shadow fought the impulse to get up and sit next to her and wrap her in his arms. Instead, he simply watched her for several minutes, then reached over and covered her hand with his. After he laced their fingers together, she gave him a brief sidelong gaze but went back to staring out into the distance.
“I lost my head, but the jerk had it coming to him by the way he was disrespecting you.” His voice came out gruffer than he’d intended.
“Is that the way you handle conflict—just punch your way through it?” Scarlett didn’t look at him.
“If it’s necessary, then … yeah. I don’t go around smashing anyone who pisses me off, but he was outta line. I warned
him … He knew the consequences.”
“This is the first time I’ve witness a fight. I’ve seen them in movies, but I’ve never seen one up close. It was … disturbing.”
Shit! Why the hell did that fucker have to show up? “Fighting’s been a part of my life since I can remember. I gotta admit that I don’t understand where you’re coming from, but I’m gonna try.”
A small smile flitted across those soft lips he loved to kiss. Scarlett swiveled in place and met his eyes. “My background never included physical violence. I was never spanked as a child, and my dad would never dream of raising a hand to my mother. Fistfights and such are just not part of my world, so I’m not used to it and”—she stared at him for a second, then averted her gaze downward to her plate—“I don’t want to be.” She grew silent, fidgeting with her fork.
Sighing, Shadow pressed his lips together and leaned back in the booth. “I get what you’re saying—we come from different backgrounds. Yours was calm and civilized, and mine was a damn minefield most of the time.” He tipped his head and downed the rest of his beer. “My old man loved beating on me and my mom, and when I was old enough to fight back, I used my fists to get my way or to have people listen to me. As alien as it is to you, it’s common to me. It’s just how I grew up. We didn’t live in pretty neighborhoods until my mom got mixed up with some rich fucker. He’s the one who moved us to the Lanai Towers. Yeah … we were bought and paid for.” Bile rose up in the back of his throat and he swallowed it down.
Squeezing his fingers lightly, Scarlett looked up at him, those beautiful eyes laced with sympathy and concern. Not anything he wanted or needed.
“Who was your mother’s … boyfriend?”
“You mean sugar daddy, right? I mean, that’s what he was—an older man who lavished his younger woman with an expensive apartment and a healthy stipend. There’s no doubt he was married, and my mom believed his ‘getting a divorced bullshit.’ I even warned her to be careful so her wouldn’t break her heart.”
“It sounds like she was really in love with him,” she said, her voice soft.
“She liked him—appreciated what he did for us … but love? Nah. She sold herself for the only person she loved unconditionally—me.” Shadow turned away and looked at the jagged mountain peaks, wishing he could jump on his bike and ride hard and fast into nothingness.