by Erin Osborne
Shadow’s Dilemma
By: Erin Osborne
Copyright 2018© Erin Osborne
All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for brief quotations used in book reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Photographer: Reggie Deanching at RPlusM Photography
Cover Model: Robert Kelly
Cover Design: Graphics by Shelly
Editor: Jenni Copeland Belanger and Kim Richards
Shadow’s Dilemma Blurb
James ‘Shadow’ Patrick
I’m finally a patched member of the Wild Kings MC. It’s what I’ve wanted for as long as I could remember. Pops found me when I was nothing more than a kid on the street begging for food. He changed my life and I’ll never regret meeting him. Now, I found the girl of my dreams but I messed up. I don’t know how to be there for Renee and her young son and be all about the club. Will I ever get the chance to change her mind? Can I save her before it’s too late?
Renee Jackson
I don’t give second chances. Ever. I thought I found the guy to be there for my son and I. Instead I got disappointed. Now there’s a threat against me and I don’t know where to turn. Can I see what’s been in front of me all along before it’s too late? Will the threat against me push him even farther away?
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to the readers. You took a chance on a new author a few years ago and have supported me ever since. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be doing something I love and getting stories out there. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!
I’d also like to dedicate this book to Kayce Kyle. You have become a friend and a part of my family. You have talked me through so much and listened when I wanted to give up. I can’t wait to see where the journey takes us both! It’s an honor to not only co-author the Alpha Demons MC with you, but to call you a friend.
Character List
Full Patch Members
Brock ‘Gage’ Wilson: President
Brent ‘Crash’ Evans: V. President
Dominic ‘Trojan’ Martin: SAA
Ethan ‘Steel’ Stone: Treasurer
Chris ‘Tech’ Stevens: Secretary/IT
James ‘Shadow’ Patrick
Old Ladies
Darcy Quinn: Crash and Trojan
Riley Adams: Gage
Harley Stone: Steel
Renee Jackson: Shadow
Prospects
Wayne Anderson
Mike Evans
Kitty Kat Lounge Dancers
Addison: Manager
Harley: Addison’s Assistant
Alyssa
Kaitlyn
Club Girls
Sally
Tina
Nessa – new
Ashley – new
Club Businesses
Kitty Kat Lounge – Strip Club
King’s Bar – Bar and Grill
King’s Ink – Tattoo Parlor
Country Corner – Diner
Note to the Readers
I would like to take a minute and thank you all for helping me put the stories of the Wild Kings MC out there. You have commented, shared, and sent messages since the very beginning. It’s been a crazy journey over the past two years. But, sadly, they are coming to an end with Shadow’s Dilemma. These characters have taken up space in my heart and it’s going to be sad to end the series. But, we’ll see them every now and then in the Phantom Bastards MC series.
I’m going to be doing things a little bit differently as I go into the new series. It’s going to be a little darker than the Wild Kings MC books. And, I’m going to be starting a group specifically for the series. We’ll get into that later on though.
Thank You,
Erin
Table of Contents
Shadow’s Dilemma
Copyright 2018© Erin Osborne
Shadow’s Dilemma Blurb
Dedication
Character List
Note to the Readers
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Shadow’s Dilemma Playlist
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Other Books
Prologue
Renee
IT’S BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE I WALKED out of the Wild Kings clubhouse and away from Shadow. In that time, I’ve made myself busy with work, getting promoted, and my son Dylan. He doesn’t understand why his friend Shadow doesn’t come back to play with him. So, I’ve tried to overcompensate and make sure that his days are filled with love and all the playtime a three-year-old could want. When his birthday rolled around a few weeks ago, Dylan spent the day with my sister Melissa and me. We had a small cake and he loved the few presents that we got him. But, he still runs to the window every single time the roaring engine of a motorcycle vibrates the windows of our small home.
Shadow tried calling repeatedly for the first few weeks after I left his party and the scene with a club girl staking her claim on the man that had been taking up time in our lives. He stopped by a few times too. I didn’t answer his calls and seriously considered changing my number with the amount of calls and messages he sent me. Instead, I just continued to ignore him. If my sister was here, she’d answer the door and tell him that I wasn’t here. When he questioned that my car was in the driveway, she continued to make excuses for me. Melissa has been protecting me for so long that it comes naturally to her and she’s seriously pissed on my behalf.
I’ve gone out of my way to avoid any place that the members of the Wild Kings might be. If I go to the store, I try to go first thing in the morning so that they’re still sleeping off their partying from the night before. The only place I haven’t been able to avoid them is the hospital. I was there when Harley and Steel came in for the birth of their son Cole. Once she knew I was working the maternity ward, Harley demanded that I was her nurse. So, I was in the room all day until Cole came into the world screaming. It was an amazing sight to witness the proud parents welcome their son with open arms and tears. One I wouldn’t trade anything in the world to help make happen on a daily basis.
“Renee, you home?” my sister calls out, bringing me out of my head and the thoughts of Shadow that are never far from the surface.
“In the kitchen,” I respond, standing up to finish cleaning before Dylan wakes up.
“What are you doing?” she asks, setting the bag of groceries on the counter and turning to face me.
“I’m cleaning so that I can take Dylan to the park when he wakes up. Why?” I ask, seeing the glint in Melissa’s eyes that means trouble for me.
“You have a date tonight,” she answer proudly. “The cute manager at the store ask
ed about you again and I told him that you’d be down to go to dinner tonight.”
“What the fuck Melissa?” I screech knowing that she’s only trying to look out for me.
“It’s been a year. You pushed Shadow away instead of letting him explain what happened. It’s long overdue for you to get back out there and give a guy a chance. Nathan is cute and he’s not a bad boy that you seem to invite into your life. Or that you want to attach yourself to. Just give it a chance,” she pleads with me, knowing that I never turn her down.
“Fine. I’ll finish cleaning, take my son to the park, and go out to dinner. You’re on babysitting duty tonight,” I tell her, letting the thought of going out on a date settle in.
There’s a reason, besides not being over Shadow and what could’ve been, that I don’t date anymore. For as long as I can remember, every single guy I’ve taken a chance on has cheated on me and then made me believe that it was my fault that they chose to be with someone else. No matter what happens, I’m always in the wrong apparently. This is why I don’t give anyone a second chance. If they’d rather be with someone else before they walk away from me, then I walk away first. Especially now that I have Dylan to worry about. I never introduce a man to him. Shadow was the exception to that rule and that didn’t turn out very good. So, I will never again make that mistake. I’ll continue to keep Dylan away from everyone and not let anyone through the walls that I’ve built back up around my broken heart.
Today has been a long day and I am now trying to get ready for the date that I’m supposed to be going on with Nathan. Since I have no clue where he’s taking me, I decide to dress casual in a nice sundress with a pair of wedge sandals. My blonde hair is growing out and I decide to leave it down to flow down past the middle of my back. I’ve never been a fan of wearing a ton of make-up so I brush on some mascara and put a touch of lip gloss across my full lips. As soon as I’m done getting ready, I take one final look in the mirror hanging on the back of my door. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve dressed up and I look pretty good. I’m not being conceited; it’s just different than wearing jeans or scrubs on a daily basis.
“Renee, Nathan is here,” Melissa calls up from the bottom of the stairs.
Her yelling up to me means that she let him in my house. Melissa knows that I don’t do that. I’m not sure where the hell her head is, but we’ll be having a talk about this as soon as I get back home. It’s not like I even want to go out with this guy. But, maybe she’s right and I need to start dating. That does not mean that I will let them inside when Dylan is here. Shit!
I grab my purse off the end of my bed and make sure my phone, keys, and money are in there before I leave the room. Walking down the stairs, I almost feel like I’m making my way to my execution. That’s how much I hate first dates and dating in general. It was easy with Shadow, there wasn’t ever anything hard about spending time with him. We talked, laughed, played with Dylan, and the sex was amazing. Shaking my head, I put thoughts of Shadow and our time together firmly in the past where it belongs. He won’t influence my decision about time spent with another guy.
“Hi Nathan,” I say as I reach the last step.
He’s looking in the living room at Dylan who’s playing on the floor with some blocks that I got him for his birthday. Dylan’s building a tower that he’s going to knock down and laugh hysterically as they tumble all around him. It’s messy, loud, and I love every second that I get to hear his laughter. The mess means nothing to me as long as he’s happy and not doing anything that could hurt himself. I can see the look of revulsion on Nathan’s face before his mask quickly slides back in place.
“Hey Renee. You look good,” Nathan says, looking at me from head to toe before meeting my gaze. His eyes heat and I see the look of lust that makes me cringe in response. I know exactly what Nathan wants and he’s not going to be getting it from me.
“Are you ready to go?” I ask, heading over to my son to tell him goodbye.
“Yeah,” Nathan responds, heading out the door and down the porch steps.
Melissa and I look at one another before I lean down and kiss Dylan on his cheek. He barely spares me a glance as his blocks tumble down before he was ready. This is when his laughter is the loudest. I’d rather stay here and let my sister go out on a date, but I stand up and make my way out of the house. Nathan is already sitting in his car, looking at his phone. Yep, this night isn’t starting out very good at all.
I get in the sleek, expensive car and fasten my belt. Nathan puts the car in gear and squeals his tires in his haste to get away from my house. I am practically plastered against the seat as he takes the corners way too fast and barely stops at the stop signs. At one point, I thought he was going to run an old lady over as she was crossing the road. Nathan was actually pissed that she wasn’t moving faster. This is definitely not the guy for me to be with. I don’t need a dinner to figure that out.
Within minutes we’re pulling into the parking lot of the Country Corner. I know that this little homestyle diner is one of the Wild Kings businesses and it’s somewhere that I’ve avoided at all costs. Before I can suggest going somewhere different, Nathan is out of the car and walking toward the door. He can’t even wait for me to catch up to him. So, I get out of the car and take a deep breath to help me calm down. As I glance across the parking lot, my gaze comes to rest on several bikes parked at the opposite end of the parking lot. Sitting in the second row is a bike I know all too well. Shadow is here. Fuck my life!
Walking into the quaint diner, I look around until I see my date at a table in the back corner. He’s already looking at a menu and doesn’t notice that I’m not even at the table with him. There’s two tables next to ours before the guys from the Wild Kings take up three booths. Darcy, Riley, and Harley are mixed in with them and they wave to me as I stand just inside the door to the diner.
As my eyes land on Shadow, my heart feels like it stops beating and my breath catches in my chest. So much has changed about him since I last saw him. His dark hair is longer while his eyes still display the mix of emotions running through them before he looks away from me. Shadow’s already hard body looks to be bigger than the last time I saw him, but he’s not bulky with the added muscle.
“What took you so long?” Nathan questions as I sit down and place my purse on the table next to me.
“Why are you in such a rush?” I counter, picking up my menu in an attempt to ignore him and the lingering gaze I feel on me. Shadow is looking at me and I don’t need to see him to know it’s true.
Before I can stick my foot in my mouth anymore, a waitress comes over to take our order. I order a burger, fries, and a chocolate shake while Nathan orders a salad and a glass of tea. He’s looking at me like I’m the scum that he stepped on when he realizes that I’m not going to be following his lead and eating a salad for dinner. I’ve never been that girl and I’m not going to start now. I can’t be bothered by his response to my appetite.
“So, you have a son?” he asks, sticking his nose up in the air.
“I do. It’s not like you’ve never seen him with me before,” I say, stating the obvious.
“I didn’t realize he was yours. I thought you were babysitting or something,” he says, folding his hands in his lap.
“Look, Nathan, I don’t think this was a good idea. I think I’m going to change my order to go and leave. You enjoy your night and I’ll see you around,” I tell him, knowing that I can’t pretend to want to be here with him.
“What are you talking about? I’ve not done anything wrong. You’re too sensitive or something,” Nathan says, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind about not wanting to be out with him.
“Look, you almost killed an old lady on the way here. After looking at my son like he was an inconvenience. You’ve turned your nose up at the fact that I have a child and an appetite. I’m not going to apologize for who I am or who is in my life. My son is my entire world and I can’t be with someone that can’t respect th
at,” I tell him, grabbing my purse and standing up to leave.
“I think it has more to do with the fact that you’re nothing more than a biker whore,” Nathan says, finally losing his cool and letting his carefully placed mask slip out of place.
There’s no point in responding to him. As I walk to the counter, I hear a commotion coming from the direction of the tables behind me. I’m not even going to turn around and look to see what’s going on. I’ve had enough tonight and I’m ready to go home and settle in with my son and sister. This was a mistake that I won’t be making again.
Grabbing my takeout container after paying for my dinner, I head out the door to make the walk home. It’s not far and I need to calm down before I see Dylan. I’m not going to be in a horrible mood when I’m around him because of a guy and a date that I never should have been on in the first place. Melissa will know tonight that I don’t ever want to be set up on a date again. I’m happy with my life and I don’t need a guy to make me happier. At least that’s what I tell myself on a daily basis.
“Renee, wait up,” I hear a female voice call out to me before I reach the end of the parking lot.
Turning my head, I see Harley heading my way. Thankfully she’s alone so I stop walking and wait for her to catch up. “Look, I don’t know what’s been going on with Shadow and you. I don’t want to know. What I do want is to make sure that you get home okay after that douche canoe in there acted like an ass. Let me drive you home,” she says, putting an arm around my shoulders and pulling me around to walk toward her SUV.
“Thank you,” I say, accepting the ride and her not wanting to talk about Shadow.
“You’re welcome honey. You know, you don’t have to cut us all out because you don’t want to see Shadow. We had to hear from Kim that you got a promotion at work and were thinking of moving. We’re all here for you no matter what. Please remember that.”
“I will,” I say, sinking into the seat as we leave the Country Corner for the short ride to my house.