“I have some buddies in independent clubs around the area up north who will keep me informed,” Rock said.
“I bet the assholes will be at the Steamboat Springs bike rally in the fall,” Cruiser said. “If they wanna start trouble, I’m all in for beating their asses. It’s been kinda boring around here anyway.”
The men laughed, some agreeing wholeheartedly with Cruiser.
“Get an old lady and a few kids and you won’t have time to be bored,” Hawk said, a smile tugging at his lips.
“That’s okay, bro, I’ll pass on that.” Cruiser laughed.
“If they start shit at the rally, we’ll kick their asses. It might be a good idea not to bring family to this one. I got a feeling shit may go down.” Banger looked pointedly at Jerry. “I don’t want any women or kids getting caught in the crossfire if things erupt.”
Jerry nodded and looked away.
“What’s going on with our real estate project in West Pinewood?” Helm asked.
Hawk’s eyes narrowed into slits as he shook his head. “That Mansfield bitch is still causing all sorts of unnecessary headaches. I’m tempted to shut her up for good,” he growled.
Smokey splayed his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Don’t do anything to the uptight bitch until I finish the damn project at her house. I gotta get my full pay.”
Hawk chuckled while nodding. “Just give me the word when you’re done, and I’ll make my move.” He glanced over at the club’s treasurer. “You’re up.” He plopped down on the chair, and Hubcap stood up and walked to the head of the table.
Placing his hands behind his head, Shadow stretched his legs in front of him. Just the mention of the Mansfields had him thinking of Scarlett. They both seemed to be avoiding each other ever since that night at Big Rocky’s Barbecue, but several times he’d caught a glimpse of her at the second-floor window before she quickly pulled out of sight behind her curtains. A smile ghosted across his lips as he recalled the few times when she hadn’t turned away and their eyes had locked: the sexual current that passed between them just sizzled. Shadow licked his lips and shifted in the chair. Damn. That woman gets me going like no other.
When he’d bumped into her at the back of the restaurant the week before, Shadow was happier than he cared to admit, and when she gave him attitude, he wanted nothing more than to pull her against him. Just the feel of her lips on his made him hard as fuck, but he also wanted to get to know her. He knew her body and how to make her scream until she was hoarse, but he didn’t know the person inside her very well. A night with Scarlett wrapped in his arms sounded pretty damn sweet, and waking up to her ass pressed snug against him would take it over the top.
Shadow glanced around the room to see if any of the members could read his pansy-ass thoughts, but no one looked his way, except for Smokey. Yeah … the dude knew Shadow had the hots for Scarlett in a bad way. He’d called him out on it several times but Shadow denied it, even though he knew Smokey didn’t believe his BS for one second.
The truth was that Shadow had tried to put her out of his mind. He’d gone out of his way not to see her, but the attraction was too great, and it was something he’d never experience with any other chick before. He was drawn to Scarlett, mesmerized and captivated by her, and he had no damn idea how to get her out of his system … even if he’d wanted to.
“You gonna stick around?” Bones asked as the gavel hit the wood block.
“Is church over?” Shadow asked.
“Yeah, where have you been?” Bones replied.
Before he could answer, Smokey moved in closer. “I’m guessing buried in that cute Mansfield chick’s pussy.”
“Who’s in who’s pussy?” Rags asked as he sidled up to Shadow.
Shadow threw Smokey a dirty look. “He’s just moving his lips.”
“You gonna go fuck someone now?” Rags scratched his head.
“He’s been doing it for the last half hour in his head.” Smokey chuckled.
Shadow gave him the finger then fell in behind the other members as they filed out of the meeting room. He heard Rags still trying to figure out who Shadow was going to bang when he walked into the hallway.
The main room was bustling with activity as the prospects tried to keep up with serving the members their drinks. Shadow leaned against the bar and avoided looking at Smokey when he sauntered over to the counter. Shadow wanted to drink a few cold ones and then hit the road on his bike. The temperatures had dipped down a few degrees, and he longed for a ride around the mountain roads.
The phone vibrated in his back pocket just as he finished his beer. Glancing at the screen, he frowned when he didn’t recognize the number.
“Yeah?”
“Hello, Shadow. Uh, this is Flo Karas. Remember me?”
The voice from his past startled him, hurling him to another time and place.
“Hello. Is this Shadow?” she asked, her voice sounding like she swallowed a handful of dirt.
He heard light crumpling noises, then a long inhale followed by an exhale. Her actions jarred loose an avalanche of memory: Flo sitting cross-legged on the faded couch in their trailer, firing up a cigarette with a lighter from her purse, and his mother smiling as she watched her friend.
“Shadow?”
The noise around him suddenly became deafening, and he cupped his hand over his other ear.
“Hang on a sec,” he said as he crossed the room.
Once outside, he crouched down on his haunches and picked up a handful of dry pine needles. Spreading his fingers, they slipped through them and fell back down to the ground. Down past the trees, the Colorado River flowed like a stream of glass, glinting under the sunlight. Larkspur, fireweed, and columbine flowers lined the water’s edge; the air was heavy with a honeyed scent, and the low-sounding hum of bees filled the hanging branches of pine trees.
“Did I lose you?” Flo coughed, a raspy, raw sound.
“I’m here. It’s just been a fuckin’ long time.”
“I didn’t even know you were in town. I thought you’d left years ago.”
Shadow stood up and walked closer to the river, then, he bent down and picked up a flat, smooth stone, leaned forward, and skimmed it across the water. The rock bounced on top of the water in two or three spots, causing little splashes before it sank.
“Why’re you calling after all this time?” He picked up a handful of pebbles then tossed them into the river, one by one.
“I meant to call you after everything calmed down, but I thought you’d left. No one knew where you went.”
Shadow narrowed his eyes. “Who the hell is no one?”
Flo coughed again. “The cops.”
“Is that how you got my number?”
“Yes, Detective McCue gave it to me. He seems like such a nice man. He said they’re still investigating the death of your mother.”
Shadow made a mental note to tear the damn badge a new asshole for giving out his number. Shadow had two phones: one for the club and very close friends, and the other for his business and acquaintances. He decided who got his number, not some fuckin’ badge.
“So where did you end up staying after that night?” She stumbled on the words.
“Eli’s parents took me in. You knew him.”
“The clean-cut kid that never really fit with you? How’s he doing?”
“Getting married.”
“That’s nice. What about you? Are you married?”
“Let’s cut through the bullshit. Whaddaya want?”
The clink of metal brought back a memory of Flo’s arms moving about and her many bangles jangling against each other while she told his mom a story about some guy at Satin Dolls. The story had made his mother laugh so hard that tears were streaming down her cheeks. A sliver of sadness stabbed his gut and brought him back to the present.
“I’m waiting,” he grunted.
“Okay. I wanted to talk to you about Carmen’s murder.”
Blood froze in his veins. His pul
se pounded in his ears. The pebbles in his hand fell to the ground.
“You still with me?”
Suddenly, his mouth felt like it was filled with sawdust. “Yeah,” he croaked.
“I know some things about that night,” she whispered.
After nearly fifteen years, Flo had come forward to tell him this now? Fifteen years of fuckin’ hell. Fury-filled hatred coursed through him along with sadness and a slew of other emotions he had yet to comprehend.
“Why the fuck didn’t you go to the police? What fuckin’ game are you playing here?” He kicked the ground with his boots.
“I guess I shouldn’t have called you,” she said. “It’s just that things are getting … well … they’re getting out of control. I thought you should know some things in case anything ever happens to me.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Who’s the bastard who murdered my mom?” He clenched his fist and swung at the air. “Tell me.”
“Not on the phone. Can you come to my place?”
“When?”
“In two hours. I live at the Belvedere Condos on Larkspur Lane—1569 Larkspur Lane—to be exact. I’m on the top floor.” Flo cleared her throat. “I have to go.”
“Are you home now?” Shadow didn’t want her to hang up—he didn’t want to break the connection to his mother.
“I have to go,” she whispered. “I’ll see you in two hours.”
The phone went dead, and he just stared at the dark screen trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Does Flo know who killed Ma? Why the fuck would she have waited so long to contact me? The whole thing gave him an uneasy feeling. Why wouldn’t his mom’s friend have gone to the police with the information? Maybe she’s being threatened by the killer. Shadow shook his head. That doesn’t explain the upscale address she just gave me. He stared at the flowing river trying to make sense of the strange and unexpected call. Or maybe she’s got her own sugar daddy, but why call me then? She sounded anxious and … scared. Then it hit him: maybe she’d seen something that night and had been blackmailing the killer all these years.
“That could explain how she can afford to live in such a rich part of town. I don’t know what the fuck to think, but I’m sure Flo’s running scared—something’s spooked her and that’s why she called me.” He jammed his phone in the back pocket of his jeans and wiped his damp hands on the denim fabric. Why the hell didn’t she just tell me what she wanted on the phone? If she does know something about Ma’s murder, how could she have kept this from me? “Fuck!” He spat on the ground then turned around and made his way to the clubhouse.
* * *
Shadow circled around the area several times until he finally found a parking space a couple blocks from the Belvedere. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he walked toward the building. It had been fifteen years since Shadow had last stomped through his old neighborhood. The area spurred memories that he preferred to keep buried deep inside him. When he passed by the Lanai Towers on the other side of the street, he was transported back to the night he’d pled with Detective McCue to let him go inside the building to see his mother, fearing and somehow knowing, she was the murdered victim the neighbors were whispering about.
Shadow stopped on the sidewalk and stared at the building. So much time had gone by, but the pain was still there, the recollection still raw. His mind pulled at the memory like a festered splinter. Fifteen years of gut-wrenching misery stemmed from that one fucking night. Anger rippled through Shadow so fiercely that his whole body shook. If it takes me until the day I die, I’ll find justice for you, Ma. Flo says she’s got something to tell me, and when I find out who cut your life short, I’ll strangle him with my fuckin’ bare hands!
The sound of a honking car broke into Shadow’s thoughts; he dragged his gaze away and opened the glass door to Flo’s building. The marble lobby smelled like the beach: briny and fresh. A man in his thirties, wearing a security uniform, looked up from behind the carved cherry-wood counter.
“May I help you?” he asked.
“I’m here to see Florence Karas,” Shadow said. The simulated ocean scent made his eyes water.
The man’s fingers flew over a keyboard, then he looked at the screen.
“Mr. Steve Basson?” the security officer inquired without looking up.
“Yeah.”
The man held out his hand. “I’ll need to see some identification.”
Shadow slid his driver’s license over to him and glanced around the lobby while the guy jotted down his information. There was no way Flo, who used to be broke all the time, came into money the legal way. Maybe she won the lottery. Shadow quirked his lips. No fuckin’ way.
“Ms. Karas is on the top floor, first door to the right.” He handed back Shadow’s driver’s license.
Shadow slipped it back into his wallet as he ambled toward the elevators. Soon he was in front of Flo’s door, ringing the bell. No answer. He rang it again. Still nothing. Putting his ear to the door, he waited to hear some sounds coming from inside the condo. Nothing. He pulled back, blew out a breath, and looked at the time on his cell phone screen: 4:02. Where the hell are you? He rang the doorbell once more, then pounded on the door. Silence.
“This shit blows,” he muttered under his breath as he took a bump key from his wallet. Shadow put on his riding gloves, turned the knob, and in less than thirty seconds, he was standing in Flo’s foyer. The condo was pristine—nothing out of place—with lavish furnishings and a killer view. He crossed the room and stood in front of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his eyes focused on the Lanai Towers across the street.
Flo used to come often to visit, and his mother would make her famous vodka cocktails. The two women would talk and laugh for hours until they were both sloshed, then his mom would insist Flo crash in the guest room.
“You’re so lucky to have found a man to give you all this. One day I’m gonna be living like a queen. Mark my words, Carmen … Someday we’re gonna be neighbors.”Flo’s raspy voice echoed through his brain as he watched people come in and out of the building he used to live in with his mother—the place where his mother could finally relax and just be happy.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he turned away from the window. “You’re living here now, and Ma is six fuckin’ feet under. Where the hell are you, Flo?”
He walked from room to room, but she wasn’t there. It was as quiet as a tomb in the condo. Figuring she was late, Shadow sank down on one of the couches facing away from the Lanai Towers, and stared out at the Rocky Mountains as he waited for his mother’s friend to arrive. The seconds turned into minutes and he called her phone several times, but Flo never picked up.
His mom’s friend had called him out of the blue and told him to meet her at four o’clock. It was now close to five and Flo wasn’t answering her phone when she’d been downright insistent that she had to see him. Irritation niggled at the back of his brain. Something wasn’t right.
Shadow pushed up from the couch and walked into the largest of the bedrooms and began to rifle through the drawers, careful to put everything back the way he found it. He went into a huge walk-in closet and looked around, still unsure of what he was searching for, until he came across a burgundy portfolio hidden behind several shoeboxes in the corner of the closet. He gripped it tightly, then walked into the bedroom.
There were pages filled with numbers, showing thousands of dollars in deposits each month for years on end, bolstering his presumption that Flo had been blackmailing the killer. His anger grew with each page he turned as he realized his mother’s friend had kept justice from being served just so she could enjoy a rich lifestyle.
“Your dear friend made money off your murder, Ma,” he whispered as his eyes scanned years of deposits.
Shadow closed the book and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. He hung around for another fifteen minutes after calling Flo a few more times, and then he left. While he waited at the elevator, he t
ook off his gloves and shoved them inside the pocket of his cut.
He stepped inside and kicked the door as it closed. Leaning back against the rail, he slowly blew out his breath in an effort to control his frustration. If he didn’t keep it in check, he’d destroy the inside of the car.
The elevator whirred softly before stopping on the sixth floor. Shadow clenched his teeth and stayed pressed into the back corner, eyes downward. The doors opened and the scent of spiced vanilla filled the car. He saw the passenger’s legs first: long, tanned, and toned sexy legs wearing heels. His eyes steadily traveled upward toward a sweet, rounded ass and glossy blonde hair that skimmed … Damn.
He took a few steps closer to her and could see his and Scarlett’s reflection in the polished brass doors of the elevator. Their eyes met for a split second, then she spun around and faced him with a stunned look.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Reaching out, he stroked her cheek then caught a strand of her hair between his fingers and lightly tugged it. “I had an appointment with someone.” He ran his gaze over her body, then fixed it on her face. “What about you?”
“I’m checking out apartments.” She stepped back.
“I’ll be damned—the princess is stepping down from her ivory tower.” He chuckled.
A line appeared between her brows. “Don’t call me that—I don’t like it at all.”
Shadow drew her to him and nuzzled her neck. “I was just joking, darlin’.” He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip. “You look beautiful.”
Scarlett looped an arm around his neck and pressed her mouth to his, kissing him tenderly. “Thank you,” she muttered against his lips.
He yanked her closer to him, then kissed her hungrily as if he’d been starving for her his whole life. Their tongues tangled, their bodies ground against each other, and his hands squeezed her perfect ass. Scarlett was the only thing that could push the dark memories away and calm the burning hatred that was always there bubbling away under the surface.
Shadow’s Surrender Page 12