Page 99 of Shadow's Surrender
Shadow:See u tonight. Love you, woman.
Scarlett:I love you too. And by the way, I took the pics b4 I went to work this am. xxxxx…
Shadow put the phone down on the table, then he picked out the cashews in the bowl and tossed a few into his mouth.
“You done sexting?” Smokey said.
He jerked his head back. “Fuck off.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s what you wanna do.” Smokey chortled. “So where should we eat tonight? Axe, Chas, Wheelie, and Cruiser want Mexican so we can go to Rosarita’s in Crystal Grove, or we can get some thick steaks at Choppers in Estes Valley.”
“Choppers is my vote,” Shadow said, glad that the conversation was steering him away from the pictures Scarlett had sent him. But the minute he thought about them, his dick stirred again. He just had to focus on the road, his brothers, and the food.Simple. But I can’t wait to unpeel that sexy outfit from Scarlett’s body, piece by piece. Aw shit … there I go again.
“Okay, Choppers it is.” Smokey wiped his hands on his jeans. “You ready to rock ’n roll, or do you need a moment, bro?” His gaze fixed on Shadow’s crotch.
“Shut the fuck up.” Shadow jumped up from his chair. “Let’s get going. I’m itching to get on the open road.”
Smokey nodded, then pointed at Helm. “He was supposed to go with us, but I guarantee he’ll be in the same spot when we get back.”
Shadow laughed as he dug out the keys to his Harley from his pocket. He threw the cans of beer in the recycle bin, then walked down the steps onto the lawn, the soles of his boots crunching over patches of brown, dying grass.
“This damn heat’s killing everything,” Smokey said as he came up beside Shadow.
Up ahead, he saw the other riders waiting by their bikes under the large oak tree at the far end of the parking lot, and he picked up his pace, each footstep scattering small rocks and gravel across the asphalt. Smokey and Shadow bumped fists with the other brothers, then went over to their Harleys and jumped on.
The motorcycles roared out of the lot, kicking up dust and shattering the late afternoon stillness. Shadow was in the middle of the line next to Wheelie, and the warm summer air rushing around him felt damn good. And as he passed sheep grazing in fields on the left and a group of horseback riders following a trail along the river on the right, all thoughts vanished from his brain. Shadow relaxed as he became one with the ride, peace and a feeling of invincibility descending upon him.Thatis what he and his brothers lived for.
* * *
The traffic lightsuspended on a span wire across Main Street changed from yellow to red, and he braked then stopped. Shadow ran his gaze up and down the deserted rows of storefronts and businesses, and he glanced at the time on his phone: 11:49 p.m. There were no pedestrians; the only signs of life were a truck and a few cars. Tall metal streetlights spaced evenly on both sides of the road threw pools of yellow onto the sidewalks. On weeknights, Main Street was empty after ten o’clock, even during tourist season.
All the action was centered a few blocks over on Spruce and Maple, where bars, nightclubs, and restaurants lined each side of the roads.
The light turned green and Shadow rode until darkened buildings gave way to rows of houses with large front lawns. Lights from windows and porches cast yellow streaks over shrubs and trellises. A canopy of stars brightened the dark, moonless night.
When Shadow turned on Scarlett’s street, a surge of excitement rushed through him. He couldn’t wait to hold her soft body close to him and kiss her deeply. Shadow had texted her when he left the clubhouse to tell her he was on his way so she had time to slip into that sexy teddy that had been on his mind since Scarlett had texted him the picture of her wearing it. All through dinner at Choppers, he kept sneaking peeks at it. If it were up to him, Shadow would’ve hauled ass back to Pinewood Springs three hours before, but when they got back to the clubhouse, there were several members from one of the Insurgents’ chapter clubs there. It would’ve been disrespectful to the visiting brothers if he didn’t stick around, so he did until he couldn’t stand being away from Scarlett for one more minute.
Most of the windows in the apartment buildings were dark, and the street had an eerie stillness about it. Stopping at a light, Shadow caught the flicker of a shadow in the corner of his eye and turned to see … nothing there. He rubbed a hand over his eyes.I could’ve sworn I saw someone. Shit … I stared at the damn computer too long today doing inventory.
Shadow pulled through the intersection, then he saw it again—a wisp of brightness that faded away all at once. He slowed down.What the fuck?The night breeze sighed and the trees whispered. Shaking his head, he shifted gears and picked up his speed when he caught a flutter of swift movement off to his right side behind the cluster of shrubs. Shadow hesitated, sensing something, but it was too late. He saw a figure dash out of the trees toward him. Shadow revved higher, but his peripheral vision picked up something flying in the air, and he turned his bike sharply, trying to avoid the object from hitting him.Clang!The sound of metal slamming against metal vibrated through him.
“Fuck!” he cried as he was bucked off his motorcycle. Shadow slammed into the side of the road and tumbled a few times. “Shit!” Streaks of pure adrenaline pushed him up on his feet, running and looking for his bike. The Harley was still rolling, and before Shadow could reach it, it crashed into a parked car, then fell on its side. Pain reverberated through his back, hands, and left arm as he ran over to his downed motorcycle.
A couple in a minivan pulled over, exited their vehicle and hurried to him.
“Are you all right?” The fine lines in the man’s face deepened with concern.
“Yeah—I just need to find the fucker who did this,” Shadow growled.
“We saw the guys come out from behind the tree and throw something at your bike,” the woman who was with the older man said.
“Did you get a good look at their faces?” Shadow asked as he looked down at his shredded gloves. Blood oozed from between the tears.
When she shook her head, gray curls brushed across her forehead. “Not really. It was too dark. We’ll call an ambulance for you.”
“I don’t need one.” Shadow glared at the torn sleeve of his leather jacket. His left arm felt like molten lava had been poured onto it. He slipped the jacket off and surveyed the road rash.That’s gonna be sore for a while.He could see patches of gravel imbedded in his skin.When I find the fuckers who did this, I’m gonna make them pay.Fury burned through him as he walked back to the area where he wiped out.
“My wife’s right—you should go to the hospital.” The man called out after him.
