Shadow (Defenders MC Book 1) (9 page)

20

Lacey woke late the next day.  She wanted to hide under the covers all day, but she knew she needed to get up and sort out the mess that her life had become.  Coming back here had been a mistake.  There was nothing for her here.  She would put in her notice with the DA’s office and move away.  That was the best thing to do.

She showered and dressed in the clothes Mrs. had left for her.  She didn’t bother with makeup or fixing her hair because she didn’t give a damn what these people thought of her. 

There were a few of the brothers in the clubhouse when she made her way slowly down the stairs and they looked up when she stepped into the room.  She recognized Lawless and he gave her his normal glare.  The other men were strangers to her so they ogled her more than was acceptable.  She made no comment and didn’t give Lawless the satisfaction of a response.  She walked directly to Preach’s office and knocked.

“Yeah come in.”

She stepped into the office and closed the door.

Preach looked her over and nodded to the chair in front of his desk as he wrapped up a call.

“Yeah, I’ll call you back.  My daughter just stepped in and there are things we need to discuss.”

Lacey’s eyes widened.

“How are you this morning Lacey girl?”

“I’m better today I think.  I need to go home.”

He nodded and for a minute Lacey thought he was agreeing.

“I know you want that, but I can’t let you right now.  It isn’t safe Lacey and your house needs some work.  We are seeing to that.”

“What happened?  Where are Jack and Tucker?”  The two prospects that had been watching her house were gone and Lacey felt terrible that she hadn’t asked until now.

“Dead.  We will bury them tomorrow.  You got real lucky Lace.  The men who were waiting for you must’ve thought you went with Rider.”  

Lacey had sat there on the steps while men had waited just inside.  She had sat there while Jack and Tucker lay inside dead or dying.  She had come so close.  Preach nodded and continued.

“Shad found out a lot while he was gone.  The devil’s killed Lindsey too Lacey, Shad’s mama.  They killed her because of me.”

Lacey saw the anguish in his face and knew Shadow feared the same thing would happen to her.

“You aren’t the only one being brought in to keep you safe.  Liz is pitching a big fit about it too.  I want my girls home where I can keep them safe until we can get this taken care of.  The Devils are evil bastards.  They target our loved ones if they can and now they know you are one.  They found Rider’s shit at your place.  I don’t think they know who you are yet.  God help us if they make that connection.  They just looked into you because you were close to us.”

He ran his hand down his face as if to wipe off the pain he felt. 

“I want you to know that we didn’t get your message until after Rider went back to your house and found it torn to shit and you gone.  Rider went nuts Lacey.  No one was there.  They must have left when you drove away.  Maybe tried to follow you.  When Moose came in and played the message Shad was already tracking you.  He was at the hotel five minutes after you checked in.  The others got there shortly after.  Rider wanted to be the one to talk to you, but Shadow beat him to it and he has rights where you are concerned that outweigh Rider’s.”

“What rights?”  Lacey butted in, but Preach kept talking.

“Rider was scared shitless over this.  Whatever happens between you two is up to you, but he came back Lacey and that should mean something.  He only came here to tell me to shove my approval up my ass that he wasn’t giving you up.  He loves you Lacey girl.”

Lacey sat stunned, thinking over what Preach had said.  Did it make a difference?  If Rider still wanted to try then yes it made a huge difference.

Preach sat back and Lacey knew she would not like his next words.

“Here’s the thing.  Shadow loves you too in his own way.  He claimed you Lacey girl.  He claimed you the night your parents were killed and several times after that.  I convinced him to wait until the time was right to make it public, but his claim on you is valid.  If you agree to marry Rider then neither of you will be allowed to be around the club.  You will still be my daughter, but you will be a citizen and so will Rider.  You need to think that over.  We are all he has known for four years.  He will have to give it up for you, but are you willing to let him?  Are you willing to ask him to give up his family, his job, his whole life to live with you?”

Lacey knew she wasn’t.  “Why can’t we go back to the way it was before?”

Preach let out a breath.

“Because he has claimed you to every man he has killed since your grandma was killed.  I don’t even know if he realizes it.  I didn’t know until yesterday. You saw how he was.  He came in covered in blood and ranting about killing men who threatened what was his.  He told me things that I will lose sleep over.  You are his whole life Lacey and I’m not sure he even realizes it.  Fucked up thing is he won’t stop even if you do choose Rider.  He will still look after you.  He will still see you as his and so will the club.  Rider will be betraying his brother and the whole damn club.”

Lacey felt her heart break.  Shadow was so broken.  She had seen him as he could be only for a little while before the man had disappeared.  Now she wondered if she would ever see the man she had thought she could love again.

“Is he broken Preach?”

“I don’t know Lacey girl.”

Sadness clung to Preach like Lacey had never seen and it broke her heart.

“I think I need to talk to Rider before I decide for sure, but I think it would be best if I left.  I could just move away and get out of your hair.”

Preach’s expression changed in an instant.  He was the leader of the Defenders and took no shit.

“Don’t feel sorry for yourself Lacey.  You never have so don’t start that shit now.  Figure out your shit but don’t you dare run from it.  This is your home and whether you like it or not we are your family.  Make your choices and have the guts to stand up for it.” 

He took a deep breath.  “I tried to let you go.  I treated you like any other woman and it ate at me.  Lastnight when I heard your voice crying and saying I didn’t claim you, it just about tore me up inside.  I did you wrong Lacey and I hope you can forgive me.  I tried so it would be easier to let you go, same thing Shad is doing and the same thing you just mentioned.  Its damned foolish.  To have you turn to Moose when you were in danger and not me, well that’s not something I want to feel again.  You are my daughter as much as Liz and Angel and you will never have to question it again.”  The muscles in his jaw jumped.  “That’s a promise baby girl.”

Lacey choked.  She stood and walked around Preach’s desk and let him pull her in for a hug.  He had been straight with her and she was glad, but there was more going on than she had imagined.  She wanted to talk to Rider.

“I don’t know what to do.  Won’t you just tell me what to do?”

He sighed.  “I can’t do this for you Lil Darlin’.  I wish I could.  I wish I could make it all better for you, but I can’t do that this time.”

“Does everybody know?”

“Yeah Lacey.  I had to make sure they all knew so you are protected.  You are considered Shad’s old lady princess and there’s nothing that can change that.”

“Where will I stay?”  She felt the walls closing in on her.  She knew she didn’t love Rider the way she should and she knew she couldn’t love a man as cold as Shadow, but Marcus…

“Shadow has a house not far from mine.  Always said it was for you.  Its nice.  He has never lived there, but he has spent some time there when he needs to get away.  Your stuff was taken up there last night.”

“I assume Rider isn’t allowed.”

“That is between you and Shad.”

Lacey nodded.

“I’m scared and so tired.”

“This thing ends real soon Lacey girl.  Shad wants to make it safe for you to live the life you want and he is willing to give up his humanity for it.  Are you willing to let him?”

21

Lacey walked out of the office feeling deflated.  She stepped into the dimly lit clubhouse and felt stifled.  She turned to the door and was stopped when a curvy redhead stepped out of Shadow’s bedroom and made her way down the stairs.  The woman smiled as she stepped in front of Lacey.

“So, you are the screwed up little bitch that trapped Shad.  Well I hope you know it won’t matter a damn that he claimed you.  I still get to fuck him anytime I want.  You know how many times I’ve fucked your man Bitch?”

Lacey laughed.  “Once, just like all the other whores.  None of you trashy bitches can handle him more than that.”

Lacey had no idea where that had come from, but this woman stank of cheap perfume and stale beer and that made Lacey want to puke on her to improve the smell.  The whore stepped back but didn’t lose her smirk.

“Oh you haven’t heard then?  I’ve warmed him up every night since he got back.”

Lacey recognized her then.  She had been one of the women standing with Shad at the top of the stairs yesterday, had it only been yesterday?  Lacey just shrugged as if she didn’t care.

“And you will always be just another whore.  Second best is still just the first loser, but I guess some can’t really hope for more than another woman’s left overs.”

Lacey smiled brightly and walked past the tramp.

“You stupid bitch!”

Lacey felt her head snatched back when the woman grabbed her hair and she would have fallen if she hadn’t been caught in a pair of solid arms.

She looked up to find Mike, a prospect, holding her steady as Lawless stood over the whore who was now bleeding on the floor.

“You just signed your death warrant bitch.”

He pulled a long blade from his belt and grinned like he had just won a prize.

“I guess I could take care of you.  Do it humane like.  Shad won’t.  You touched his woman.  You told her lies.  You could have hurt his kid.”

Lawless made a clicking noise with his tongue as he shook his head, but he still looked like a kid at the carnival who had just won the biggest prize on the wall.

“I could carve you up and it will still hurt less than what he will do to you with his bare hands.  You heard of all those Devils bein’ found in pieces…”  He nodded.  “They did less than you did just now…”  He grinned brightly and sheathed his blade.  “But I don’t have the time.”

The woman looked like she would faint.  She looked to Lacey with big eyes, but Lacey wasn’t impressed.  Preach stepped out of his office and surveyed the scene.

“Law?”

“Bitch was fucking with Lacey.  Put her hands on her.”

Preach nodded, looking at Lawless with pride and pulled his phone from his belt.

“Shad, you got shit to deal with in the clubhouse.”

He switched off and looked at the whore.

“Not real smart are ya?”

Lacey was fuming.  The whore hadn’t been lying though.  She had seen her touching Shad yesterday and she had just stepped out of his bedroom.  Shadow burst through the door with Ink and Moose following behind.  Shad narrowed his eyes at Lawless, but the man just grinned and pointed to the whore who still sat on the floor.

“Trash needs takin’ out there brother.  I think I may like your old lady.  Got spunk.”

Even Shad looked surprised.  Lawless didn’t like anybody, especially the law.

The whore pulled herself to her feel and slid up to Shadow.

“Shad, baby, he hit me.  You won’t let him get away with that will you baby?”  She purred.

Shadow didn’t push her away, instead he let his eyes find Lacey who was visibly pissed.

“You ok Lacey?”

“Just fine.”

Shadow nodded.  He leaned down and whispered something in the whore’s ear that made her giggle and shoot Lacey a spiteful glare before she bounced out of the room.  Then Shadow stepped in front of Lacey.  No one spoke as he looked down at her.  Lacey fought the tears that clogged her throat.  He had just made it very clear to everyone in the room that the whore mattered more than she did and she wanted to scream.

“We will talk about this when I get home.  It’s not what you think.” 

Shad reached out to touch her and Lacey slapped him before she could think twice.  Her palm stung almost as much as her heart.

“You don’t get to touch me.”

Shad’s face darkened.  “I told you before not to do that.  Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“As far as you’re concerned I’m the fucking Queen of England!”

“Well we ain’t in fucking England!”  He said as he crushed his lips against hers.

Lacey kept her lips closed until he bit her and then she’d had it.  She was done being told what to do.  She was done feeling powerless in her own life.  She raised her knee with all the force she could muster and hit him square in the balls.  Shad fell to the floor in a heap, gasping for breath and every man in the room groaned.

“Then consider me the queen of fucking everything!”

She felt strong and she felt free.  She looked at Lawless and found him wearing a huge grin.

“Told ya, she’s got spunk.” 

She walked out the front door and climbed into her car.  The trashy little slut was straddling Shad’s bike and grinning.  Lacey wanted to run over her.  She knew she couldn’t leave the compound but she didn’t have to stay and watch Shad ride away with that piece of trash wrapped around him like a second skin.  She drove up the dusty road that lead to Mrs. and to the comfort she knew she would find there.