Page 85 of Shadow's Surrender
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.
