Page 87 of Shadow's Surrender
Chapter Nineteen
Shadow sat inone of the chairs in front of his president’s desk, staring out the window while he waited for Banger to finish a conversation on the phone. Part of him wondered why he’d been summoned to his office, and he racked his brain trying to figure out if he fucked something up at the dispensary or Dream House the last time he’d worked at those businesses.
“I got a phone call yesterday evening,” Banger said as he slid his phone into the inner pocket of his cut. “Got any idea who it was from?” The president shifted in his chair, the springs squeaking as he tipped back.
“No,” Shadow said. “Why don’t you just tell me.”
“Pamela Mansfield. You know who she is, right?” Banger scowled. “Yeah, of course you do—you’re fucking her daughter.”
Anger streaked through Shadow, and he jumped to his feet with his hands clenched in fists, resting against his thighs. “My personal life isn’t club business,” he growled.
“It is when it fucks up a club project like the building on the west side of town.”
“Bullshit! That tight-ass bitch has been fighting the club for months—way before I met Scarlett.”
“Sit the fuck down,” Banger snapped, and Shadow sank back into the chair. “She called to propose a truce—we get our building without any more BS and you stop fucking her daughter.” The president shrugged. “Seems reasonable to me, especially since we’re losing thousands of dollars on this project being held up because of thattight ass.”
“I’m not gonna stop seeing Scarlett. I can’t believe you’d eventalkto that stuck-up rich bitch, let aloneagreewith her.” He smoldered with resentment.
“Get another chick—if you want a rich one, ask Eli—he’s marrying one. No reason to fuck the club over just ’cause this woman’s wetting your cock. Plenty of pussy around to do that. Hell, we got nine club girls willing to do that, and I hear we may be adding one or two more.”
“Scarlett’s not just another pussy.” His jaw tightened as he bit back the wordsyou asshole.
Banger leaned forward and the springs of his chair creaked loudly. “You got something going on with this citizen besides having a good time?”
Locking his gaze on his president’s, Shadow pumped his legs out in front of him. “Yeah.”
For a short pause the only sound in the room was their breathing, then a loud guffaw erupted from Banger, his mouth splitting into a wide grin.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re like Hawk—you like them rich women.” The president’s blue eyes crinkled at the edges like candy wrappers.
Shadow crossed his legs at the ankle. “So tell the bitch to go fuck herself. She’s been trying to break the two of us up since she found out about us.”
“I bet she has. I just never thought you’d go for a woman like—”
“Likewhat?” His body stiffened.
“Whoa … calm the fuck down. I was gonna sayher, meaning rich and high society. I know you’ve got a problem with rich folks. Just took me by surprise, that’s all. At first I didn’t even believe the bitch when she called, but Smokey told me you’d been having a fling with the daughter for a while.” Banger shook his head again. “I just can’t believe it.”
“Scarlett’s different from the others in that world. Anyway, you can’t judge a person by the social class they belong to. Look at Cara and Hawk.”
Banger held his hands up. “You don’t need to convince me of anything. You’re the one that’s gonna have to go through a minefield, what with her being the daughter of George Mansfield and all. I guess you must think she’s worth it.”
Worth it?Hell, Scarlett was the only woman who satisfied him in a way no other woman ever had or ever could. She was the blowtorch that had melted away the steel around his heart, then filled in all the dark places. She made him all kinds of crazy in the best damn way. But there was no way in hell he was going to tell Banger any of that.
“She is,” Shadow answered in a low voice.
Banger rubbed his hands over his face, then looked over at him. “You gonna have a problem if we gotta do some strong persuasion to get the old bitch off our backs?”
“Not at all—it’s club business.”
“Okay then, I’ll tell thisPamela tight-ass Mansfieldto go to hell.”
The corners of his mouth twitched as Shadow lifted his chin at the president.
“Hawk wanted to talk to you about that ledger you found at that woman’s house. I’ll text him to come in here ’cause I wanna hear what he has to say. We gotta find this fucker to give you peace of mind and let your mama rest.”
“Yeah.” Shadow’s chest tightened. “I’m closer than those damn badges ever were.”
