Shadow (Defenders MC Book 1) (5 page)

10

Preach sat at his heavy wooden desk and listened as the roar of bikes grew quiet.  His family was home and within hours he'd had to split them apart again.  Shadow had always been something of a mystery to him even before the night he had received that letter that changed his life, but now the man was downright confusing.  He hadn’t raised a fuss about going on this run, but he’d made it clear he and Preach would have a conversation when he got home.  Preach knew what it would be about.  Women always got to men like them .  He thought back.

Angel had been two years old, Liz had been four.  He had been on a run and was looking forward to fucking a whore before he went home to his old lady and daughters.  He'd had the skinny little whore bent over his desk with her skirt around her waist when he'd seen the looping scrawl of his name on the plain white envelope.

Preach's stomach dropped even now after all these years.  He'd shoved the girl away and ripped the letter open, starved for the woman he could never have, the woman that demanded more than he could ever give.

Dear Michael,

If you are reading this it means that I could not escape the situation I have found myself in and that I need you to come get Marcus.  Its time you know, he is your son Michael.  I never told you because I knew you would never leave him with me and I couldn't lose him and you both.  He has been my whole world.  I knew I could never keep you and watching you go, never knowing would have killed me worse than letting you go the way I did.

Please don't punish Marcus for my sins.  He is a good boy and he knows who you are.  I have kept him as safe as I can, but I fear for him now.

Please Michael, protect our son.

                            My love eternally

                                                                      Lindsey

The words still haunted him.  How had he not known, maybe he had, but he had just let it go.  He had thought the kid was better off. 

He had gone crazy that night.  Demanded his brothers ride with him with no explanations given.  They rode through the night and all the next day.  He'd been so furious and scared even his brothers didn't try to talk to him.  Only one had approached, Ace.

“I guess she finally admitted it.”  Ace said quietly.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”  Preach had growled.

“We heading to Lindsey?  Mrs. know?”  Ace said, ignoring Preach’s temper.

“Fuck you.”

“You taking your boy back with you this time?”

Preach had turned on his friend, “how the fuck could you know that?”

Ace had laughed.  “Everybody knows.  Except you.  Fucking looks just like you.”

They had arrived at the run down trailer that evening and Preach knew it wasn't good.  The place looked sad.  He had called for Lindsey and she hadn't responded.

“Lindsey!  Answer me damn it!”

He'd flung open the door and the smell hit him in the face. 

“Marcus!”  He searched through the house, panicked until he opened her door.  There she lay.  Her beautiful red hair spread across her bed.  Skin as pale as moonlight, but her eyes were flat and lifeless.

“What the fuck Preach?”    

“Overdose.”

Preach let his tears flow.  Lindsey had been the love of his life.  Everyone had loved her, but her heart had always belonged to Preach. 

“No fucking way.  She never touched that shit.  What about the kid?”

Preach had caressed her bruised wrists.  She had been through hell.

“God knows.”  He wiped his nose on the back of his hand.

“You know we have to torch it.”

“No.”

“Preach.”

Preach turned on his friend.  “She gets buried!  She gets respect.  We get the fuck out and call it in.”

“Let me call a pick up and we will take her home.  Torch it after.”  Ace gripped Preach's shoulder.

Preach nodded.

His brothers searched for Marcus and found no sign of the boy.  If whoever had killed Lindsey had that boy Preach had to find him. 

He nodded to his brother to set the fire but called him off when he saw an opening in the underpinning of the trailer.  He just had a feeling…

“Hold on a minute.”

Preach had ripped open the old metal and shined a light into the dank space.  He saw a small huddle and eyes shining back at him.

“Marcus?  Marcus, it's Preacherman.  You remember me?”

He heard a whimper.

“Come on out Marcus.  I'm here to protect you.”

“Where is mama?”  The tiny voice was barely above a whisper.

“She's coming too Marcus.”  Preach had almost choked on those words.

“Where is she?”

“Come out and I'll tell you Marcus.  She sent a letter for me.  She asked me to come get you.”

“Tell me first.”

“She's dead Marcus.  I'm taking her back for a proper burial.”

Preach heard a long sigh and the boy made his way to the opening.  The boy was dirty and looked older than he was.  His face was solemn and his eyes were blank.

“Where will I be going?”

Preach wanted to shiver.  He had seen grown men that showed more emotion than this boy who had just lost his mother.  Like his emotions had been turned off.

“You are my son.”

“That never mattered to you before.”

The boy's black eyes probed him and Preach felt as if the boy saw into his soul.

“I didn't know Marcus.  Your mother sent a letter.  I came as soon as she told me.  You will go home with me.”

Marcus had only nodded and crawled back to his pile of blankets.  He came back with a back pack.

“Everything we had is in here.”

Preach nodded and took the pack. 

“I kept it safe for her.”

“You are a good son Marcus.”

Marcus turned and walked away from the old trailer as flames licked at the windows.  His whole life was gone and he showed no sign that it affected him.

Preach rubbed his face with both hands.  Shad hadn't changed much over the years.  He had earned his handle because of his disposition.  He was never in the middle of things, but he always got things done.  He was valuable to the club for his efficiency.  He could kill with no remorse and gain entrance into any place at any time. 

“Wasting his time with this shit.”  Ace spoke from his chair by the wall.

Preach knew he was wasting Shad's time with this run, but the sudden show of emotion concerned him.   The fact that it was triggered by Lacey concerned him more.  He feared that the claim Shad had laid all those years ago was not so childish after all and he honestly didn’t know how to feel about it.  Would this be the life Carson had wanted for his daughter and would he have approved?

“What the fuck else could I do?” 

“Let him alone.  Let them figure it out for themselves.  Shouldn’t have made him stay away from her.  He always felt like he wasn’t good enough.”

“What the fuck Ace?  You been watching Dr. Phil?”

“Fuck you Preach.  You know I’m right.  Those two are made for each other, knew it the night her folks were killed.  You remember the way he acted?  He hadn’t given two shits about anything until that little slip of a girl and he ain’t give a shit about anything since.”

Preach closed his eyes and shook his head, maybe Ace was right.

11

Lindsey woke alone, but she found her phone lying on a letter from Marcus. 

Good morning.  I shouldn't be gone more than a few days.  I put my number in your phone.  Call me.  I hope I have proven that you can trust me, always.

                            Marcus

Lindsey smiled as she read the words again.  How could Marcus be the same man that had scared her so much?  He seemed so broken.

She climbed from his bed and wondered what she should do.  Everyone would assume she'd slept with him, it wouldn't matter how she was dressed, but she wanted to look decent for her walk of shame and she would not hang her head about it.  She called Angel.

“Hey honey bunch!  How did it go last night?”         

“Hey Angel.  I need a favor.”

Lacey explained what had happened the night before.

“That lil shit touch you?”

“No Angel.  He was a gentleman.”

“You sure you are talking about Shadow?  My brother Shadow?”

“Yes.  He was really sweet.  I fainted and he kept me safe, but now I'm looking at the walk of shame.”

“Say no more!  I will bring you some duds and bitch at anyone who gives you shit.”

“You are a life saver!!  I love you Angel.  How can I ever repay you?”

“Feed me!”

Angel sounded ravenous and Lacey giggled out loud.  “You got it!  Get over here and we will go out!”

“I warn you!  I eat a lot now days.”

Lacey hung up and decided to shower before Angel arrived.  She tried not to think of the other women who had showered in this shower and she really didn't want to think of how many had slept in the bed.

Angel was in Shadow's room when Lacey got out of the shower.  She dressed and they made their way down the stairs soon after.  Eyes followed the women as they walked across the floor.

“She must be a sicko too,” she heard a girl whisper loudly.       

Lacey turned to see the same skinny girl that had been with Shadow the night before.  The woman was looking at her and talking with other women.

“Did you hear her?”

“That's right bitch.  I'm talking about you.”  The girl stepped forward.

“Back up slut.  You don't get to talk to her.”  Angel bristled.

“I talk to who I please.”  She ran her eyes over both women.

Angel slapped the girl with more force than she looked capable of.  The woman drew back to slap her back and every brother in the place stood and pulled guns.

Angel smiled.  “Do it bitch and you will be in the fucking ground before you're cold.  I am the prez's daughter and Ink's old lady.  You just signed your death warrant.”

The girl paled and backed up.  “You aren't wearing a cut.  I didn't know.”

“Now you do.”  Angel smiled and threw her arm around Lacey.  This is my sister.”

“So that sick fuck screwed his sister?”  The whore whispered in horror.

Angel punched the girl squarely in the face.  The sleazy tramp sprawled across the floor as Angel let her eyes scan the room until she found Ink.

“Gone!  I don't give a fuck where or how but this bitch is gone.”

Ink nodded and two prospects stepped up and grabbed the whore. 

“Will they hurt her?  They can't hurt her.  No, don't tell me, I can't know.”  Lacey put her hands over her ears and Angel laughed.

“Who cares?  Feed me!”

Ink stepped up and whispered something to his wife and kissed her before he led them out to the car.

The girls spent the day eating and shopping and catching up on the club gossip.

Angel informed her that the brothers would not kill the worthless tramp, but they would make sure she knew she was not welcome at the club.  If she had hit Angel, she would be dead.

What kind of crazy mess had she gotten herself into?  From now on she would
not
stay at the clubhouse after dark.

Angel dropped her off at her place that afternoon.  Lacey decided to take a long bath.  She had searched her house for cameras.  She had found those around most of the house, but she had found nothing in her bathroom or bedroom.  She wasn't foolish enough to believe there were none however.  She even talked as she undressed, somehow it made her feel less violated.

She sank into the warm water and sighed.  She picked up her phone and dialed his number.  It went to voicemail so she left a message.

“Hey Marcus.  I know you are probably busy, but I was just wanting to see how you are so...”

Her phone rang and she smiled when she saw Shadow's picture.  He had taken one of him kissing her as she slept.  He looked as if he were contented and Lacey loved it.

“Hello?”

“You know I can’t look at you and talk too?”

“You rat!  You did put cameras in my room!”

Lacey heard the closest thing she had ever heard to a chuckle from Shadow.

“Did you really think I wouldn't?”

“Well, you are my brother.”

“Fuck that.  You are not my sister Lacey, you never have been.”  His voice was deadly serious.

“I know.”

“So...how about that bath...”  She could hear the mischief in his voice.

“Where is the camera?”

“Will you take it out?”

His deep voice ran over her skin and made her want to rub against him.  She couldn’t help the huskiness of her voice when she spoke again. 

“Not if you convince me not to.”

“I plan to work on that.  I gotta go babe.  Stay safe and feel free to take a long time drying off and walkin around naked.”

Lacey laughed.  “Ok. Bye Marcus.”

“Bye Lacey.”

Lacey couldn’t stop smiling.  Marcus was so different from the man she had always known as Shadow.  He was a man instead of a ghost and she found that she liked him.  She felt like a teenager with her first boyfriend.  She giggled at the thought, but couldn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach at the thought of Marcus’ deep voice.  She finished her bath and dressed slowly.  She felt hope bubbling in her and it was a feeling she wasn’t familiar with.  She liked it.