by Chiah Wilder
“Coors on tap,” Shadow said.
“Uh … I don’t know. Do you have mango margaritas?”
The waitress looked over her shoulder at the inside of the restaurant. “Nope—just the regular and strawberry.”
“I’ll take a strawberry one—frozen, please.”
“Be right back,” she said, then scurried away.
“This is a popular biker place,” he said.
“Is that why the waitress is showing off her assets in a big way?”
He laughed. “Yeah—the bigger the tits, the better the tip.”
There was another pocket of silence, only broken by the clink of glasses as another server put their drinks down on the table.
“Meghan’s busy with two large parties inside, so I’m helping out.” The cute brunette, who was also very well-endowed, smiled and took out a pad and pencil. “Do you know what you want?”
Shadow glanced at Scarlett. “Do you wanna share some nachos?”
The earnest expression on his face made her smile, and Scarlett nodded even though she had no appetite.
“Supreme or regular?” the waitress asked.
“Whatever you want,” Scarlett said when he looked over at her.
“Supreme.”
“Okay.” The brunette slipped the notepad into the pocket of the red apron she wore around her waist.
“It seems like the two of us and that other couple are the only ones crazy enough to be sitting out here in the heat,” Scarlett said as she watched the server hurry over to a table on the other side of the patio.
“Is it too hot for you? We can go inside,” Shadow said as he started to pushed the chair back.
“No … I love it out here. It’s quiet and beautifully serene. I can’t believe how many small out-of-the-way places you know of to stop in for some food and drinks.”
“It comes from years of exploring on my bike.”
Scarlett sucked in a deep breath, then let it out. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly.
“No … I just wanted to tell you.”
“Okay, but can I ask a couple of questions?” She shook her head. “Forget what I just said. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
Shadow tucked her hand in his and locked his eyes on hers. “It’s okay. You should ask me about anything, except club business. What do you wanna know?”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this … that it isn’t too painful?” She pressed her lips together.
“Yeah—go ahead.” He picked up the glass and took a gulp of beer.
“How old were you when your mother was killed?”
“Fifteen.” Another gulp of beer.
Playing with the small red straw that came with her drink, Scarlett dipped her head down and took a small sip. “Did you know the person who did it?”
A long pause, then she saw his jaw tighten and the veins in his left temple bulge. “It was her fuckin’ sugar daddy,” he gritted out.
“How horrible. I wonder if my parents knew him or if I know the name.”
“He’s from here, but that’s all I know about the sonofabitch. The damn badges never caught the fucker.”
In that instant, Scarlett understood the darkness that engulfed him. How terrible it must be to know the man who murdered your mother is still free and enjoying life.
“The asshole probably skipped town. I’ll find him—I won’t rest until I do.”
“You never met him.”
Shadow gripped his glass of beer, then brought it to his mouth. Looking over the rim at her, he said, “No—my mom wanted it that way. I should’ve tried to find out who the fucker was, but I respected her wishes. Fuck!” He slammed the glass back on the table without taking a drink.
“Here you go,” a tall and skinny man said as he placed a platter in the middle of the table. “And here are some extra napkins. Enjoy.”
“The nachos here are pretty good,” Shadow said as he unwrapped his cutlery.
“Nachos, wings, and barbecue are your favorites. Oh … and steak. I can’t forget that.” She smiled even though her heart was breaking for him.
“Steak … the way you grill it with those peppers and eggplant is way better than any restaurant.” He put a healthy portion of stuffed chips on a plate and gave it to her.
Looking down at it, her stomach churned. “I’ll have to pick up some steaks to grill for this weekend. Are you free on Sunday?”
He laughed. “I’m planning on spending the weekend with you, babe, so … yeah, I’m free.”
“I wish it were already Friday.” She leaned against him and he turned and brushed his lips across hers before he popped in a bite of food.
“I just want to tell you that I’m so sorry you had to grow up without your parents. I remember you told me your dad had died when you were young.”
“Yeah—some guy slit his throat in a bar fight, and it was the best news I ever got in my life.” He chewed for several seconds. “It may sound shocking, but the man was a useless piece of shit who treated my mom like utter dirt and got his kicks beating the shit outta her and me. Believe me—I didn’t shed any tears when he got wasted.”
Scarlett scraped most of the toppings off a chip, then picked it up and nibbled on it. “I’m not very hungry,” she said in response to his bemused look.
“You feeling okay?”
“Yes.” She put the half-eaten chip back on the plate and placed her hand on Shadow’s shoulder and gripped it. “Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about your mother. Losing your mom like that and not having justice for her death can really eat you alive, so I just want you to know I’m here for you if you ever want to talk.”
Shadow nodded and scooped up several more chips with his fork.
Resting back against the chair, Scarlett sipped her margarita as she watched Shadow eat. That first time she’d seen him at Brooke’s engagement party, her lust and rebellious streak drove her to him. It was only supposed to have been a hookup for that moment in time. Scarlett shook her head, a smile whispering across her lips. Shadow was the last man she ever thought she’d be in a relationship with, but he just swept her off her feet when she least expected it. He challenged the way she was raised, the rules of her world, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Scarlett loved him so completely, and she wanted to calm the storms inside him from his mangled past and hold and comfort the little boy in him that was still in so much pain after all these years.
The late afternoon sun filtered through the thin fabric of the overhead umbrella and danced on her skin. As Shadow put his knife and fork on the empty platter, the clink of utensils startled Scarlett from her musings.
“You’re a million miles away, baby,” he said, crumpling his napkin into a ball.
“Just enjoying being with you.”
Shadow leaned over and snaked an arm around her shoulders, then pulled her against him. “We’re good together.”
It was a simple statement filled with so much meaning. She cocked her head and looked up at him. “We are.”
Cupping her chin with his hand, he bent down and kissed her.
Scarlett wanted to tell him that she loved him with a fire that could never be extinguished, but she held back, afraid to break the intimate thread connecting them at that moment.
The skinny guy came back and cleared off the table, and Shadow broke away from her as he took out his wallet and placed a couple of bills on the table.
“I’ll be right back with your change,” the server said.
“I’m good.” The legs of Shadow’s chair squeaked against the wooden floor as he pushed away from the table.
“Thanks, man.” The waiter balanced the dishes and glasses on the tray in his right hand and walked away.
“I wonder if he’ll split the tip with the other two.”
“He will ’cause he knows they’ll beat the shit outta him if he doesn’t.” Shadow chuckled and placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the noisy restaurant
.
“Are you going to stay the night?” she asked when they stopped in front of his motorcycle.
“Yeah.” He took out his sunglasses and put them on. “The sun at this time of day’s brutal when you’re riding to the west.”
Nodding, she slid her hand into her pocket and pulled out a pair of Christian Dior shades. As she put them on, Shadow stepped closer then leaned in, his nose against her hair, his lips touching the shell of her ear.
“I love you, woman,” he whispered.
Heat flushed to her face as a million butterflies exploded inside her. She wanted to break out in song and dance around the parking lot. Hearing him say those three words took her by surprise in the best possible way. Knowing they loved each other meant that no matter how complicated everything was, no matter how tough their journey ahead might be, they were in it together. Together! She melted inside and a warm throb rose through her.
“I love you so much.” She buried her face in his neck, then kissed him hard.
“Scarlett,” he growled, gripping the sides of her face with his strong fingers. “Fuck, darlin’.”
Then, she tipped her head back, and Shadow claimed her mouth, swallowing her small moans. The kiss was possessive, passionate, and full of love, and they clung to each other, fused together as one.
When he finally broke away, Scarlett had to hold on to his arm for fear of falling: he was her rock in a sometimes swaying world.
He tweaked her nose, then swung his leg over the bike and started the engine before she climbed on behind him. He made a smooth half circle then sped out of the lot. As they rode along the silvery river, happiness filled every inch of her, and she held him tight and pressed close against his warm body.
Chapter Nineteen
Shadow sat in one of the chairs in front of his president’s desk, staring out the window while he waited for Banger to finish a conversation on the phone. Part of him wondered why he’d been summoned to his office, and he racked his brain trying to figure out if he fucked something up at the dispensary or Dream House the last time he’d worked at those businesses.
“I got a phone call yesterday evening,” Banger said as he slid his phone into the inner pocket of his cut. “Got any idea who it was from?” The president shifted in his chair, the springs squeaking as he tipped back.
“No,” Shadow said. “Why don’t you just tell me.”
“Pamela Mansfield. You know who she is, right?” Banger scowled. “Yeah, of course you do—you’re fucking her daughter.”
Anger streaked through Shadow, and he jumped to his feet with his hands clenched in fists, resting against his thighs. “My personal life isn’t club business,” he growled.
“It is when it fucks up a club project like the building on the west side of town.”
“Bullshit! That tight-ass bitch has been fighting the club for months—way before I met Scarlett.”
“Sit the fuck down,” Banger snapped, and Shadow sank back into the chair. “She called to propose a truce—we get our building without any more BS and you stop fucking her daughter.” The president shrugged. “Seems reasonable to me, especially since we’re losing thousands of dollars on this project being held up because of that tight ass.”
“I’m not gonna stop seeing Scarlett. I can’t believe you’d even talk to that stuck-up rich bitch, let alone agree with her.” He smoldered with resentment.
“Get another chick—if you want a rich one, ask Eli—he’s marrying one. No reason to fuck the club over just ’cause this woman’s wetting your cock. Plenty of pussy around to do that. Hell, we got nine club girls willing to do that, and I hear we may be adding one or two more.”
“Scarlett’s not just another pussy.” His jaw tightened as he bit back the words you asshole.
Banger leaned forward and the springs of his chair creaked loudly. “You got something going on with this citizen besides having a good time?”
Locking his gaze on his president’s, Shadow pumped his legs out in front of him. “Yeah.”
For a short pause the only sound in the room was their breathing, then a loud guffaw erupted from Banger, his mouth splitting into a wide grin.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re like Hawk—you like them rich women.” The president’s blue eyes crinkled at the edges like candy wrappers.
Shadow crossed his legs at the ankle. “So tell the bitch to go fuck herself. She’s been trying to break the two of us up since she found out about us.”
“I bet she has. I just never thought you’d go for a woman like—”
“Like what?” His body stiffened.
“Whoa … calm the fuck down. I was gonna say her, meaning rich and high society. I know you’ve got a problem with rich folks. Just took me by surprise, that’s all. At first I didn’t even believe the bitch when she called, but Smokey told me you’d been having a fling with the daughter for a while.” Banger shook his head again. “I just can’t believe it.”
“Scarlett’s different from the others in that world. Anyway, you can’t judge a person by the social class they belong to. Look at Cara and Hawk.”
Banger held his hands up. “You don’t need to convince me of anything. You’re the one that’s gonna have to go through a minefield, what with her being the daughter of George Mansfield and all. I guess you must think she’s worth it.”
Worth it? Hell, Scarlett was the only woman who satisfied him in a way no other woman ever had or ever could. She was the blowtorch that had melted away the steel around his heart, then filled in all the dark places. She made him all kinds of crazy in the best damn way. But there was no way in hell he was going to tell Banger any of that.
“She is,” Shadow answered in a low voice.
Banger rubbed his hands over his face, then looked over at him. “You gonna have a problem if we gotta do some strong persuasion to get the old bitch off our backs?”
“Not at all—it’s club business.”
“Okay then, I’ll tell this Pamela tight-ass Mansfield to go to hell.”
The corners of his mouth twitched as Shadow lifted his chin at the president.
“Hawk wanted to talk to you about that ledger you found at that woman’s house. I’ll text him to come in here ’cause I wanna hear what he has to say. We gotta find this fucker to give you peace of mind and let your mama rest.”
“Yeah.” Shadow’s chest tightened. “I’m closer than those damn badges ever were.”
There was a rap on the door and then it swung open, and Hawk pumped his fist in the air at Banger and Shadow.
“Turns out that lover boy here has the hots for Miss Mansfield, so I’m gonna tell her bitch mom to fuck off,” Banger said.
Hawk’s brows raised slightly as he looked at Shadow. “No shit. You got a bumpy road ahead of you, dude. Cara’s dad has done some legal stuff for George Mansfield. She told me that Mansfield likes to play dirty—so watch your back.”
“Yeah. So what did you find out about Flo and all those deposits?”
“It was what you thought—she was blackmailing someone. I pulled the records on her condo, and she purchased it fourteen years ago.”
“A year after my mom’s murder,” he said under his breath.
“It was a cash purchase. She’d been getting greedier over the last two years, asking for more and more—at least that’s what the ledger shows. The deposits were made by her into three different bank accounts—two in town and one in Denver. The bad news is that there’s no notes or anything about who was giving her the money, but I’d say the person or persons paying her every month lived in town. Sometimes there was more than one deposit a month, especially in the last two years. She had to have been meeting up with the killer to get the money. I checked with the post office, and your mom’s friend never had a PO box.”
“It’s not believable that the killer would’ve sent all that money to her by mail,” Shadow said. “Maybe the money was wired to her and she picked it up.”
“Not for the kind of money she was getting. It started out at about five grand a month, but your friend kept raising it each year, right up until this past year when forty grand was her monthly take,” Hawk said as he took out three joints from the pocket of his cut. “Her greed got her killed.”
Shadow took the joint from the vice president and held it between his thumb and index finger. “Flo must’ve gotten the vibe that the killer was sick of paying her demands. She was definitely running scared. She should’ve told me who killed my mom that day on the phone. After living off my mom’s death, she fuckin’ owed that to me.” He placed the joint between his lips and lit it.
“I’m still trying to figure it out, bro. I’ll keep digging to see if I can find a loose strand. The killer was a very rich man—he’s paid a fortune to your mom’s friend over all these years—well over several million bucks,” Hawk said.
“Did anyone besides this Flo woman know you were meeting up with her?” Banger asked after he blew out a stream of smoke.
“I don’t think so, but the killer may have gotten it out of her before he offed her.” Shadow inhaled deeply, held it for a second, then exhaled, watching the smoke rise toward the ceiling.
“Be extra vigilant,” Hawk said. “I know this fucker’s still in Pinewood Springs. I just feel it, you know?”
“I do too—I always have. Every time Scarlett talks about her upcoming fundraiser and all the donors, I can’t help wondering, Is this guy the one, or is it that one? … It’s driving me fuckin’ nuts.” He slammed his fist on his thigh.
“I don’t blame you, but you gotta stay focused and put up a barrier between your emotions and finding this bastard, otherwise you’ll jeopardize your safety,” Banger said.
“I know, but sometimes it’s damn hard.” Shadow stubbed out the joint. “Thanks, dude,” he said to Hawk as he pushed up from the chair. “I owe you. Next time we go out for chow, it’s on me.”
“Sounds good, bro.” Hawk bumped fists with him.
“We done here?” he asked Banger and the president nodded. Shadow lifted his chin then walked out of the room.