A Lighter Shade of Blue (Kings of Chaos 2)

“When I figure out the jumbled mess that are my thoughts, I’ll let you know. Anyone in your life?” I question, switching the subject.

“No. I’ve been on a few dates, but there’s no spark. It’s like they have the personality of a wet dishcloth. Yuck.”

I snicker. “You’re a baby, anyways. You have plenty of time.”

“I don’t know, twenty-five is pretty long in the tooth.”

I can’t contain the laughter that wells up and bubbles out. “You are so crazy, you know that?”

“I may have been told that a time or two,” she says, handing me another sailboat. “What’s he like?”

“Shadow? He’s not what you’d expect. I know he looks gruff, mean, and rude. But he’s caring, protective, and…well, sweet when he wants to be.”

“He know you refer to him as sweet?” she asks.

“Please, he’d be thrilled,” I say waving my hand flippantly.

“Interesting. Whatever he’s doing, I know it’s working for you. That’s all I care about.”

“That’s because you rock. It’s Friday. What are you up to for the weekend?” I ask.

“Sofa city with a pint of ice cream.”

“Seriously?” I arch an eyebrow. The girl is normally a social butterfly.

“Hey, I like a little me time every now and then,” she replies.

“Nothing wrong with that,” I agree.

“What about you?”

“No clue. I think there’s a party happening this weekend. Shadow has to work late, so we might catch the tail end of it. Ruthie and I have plans to do dinner and a movie this weekend. Her job’s been insane, and I’ve missed her.”

“You and him are amazing together. No lie, you could pull off your own show.”

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult,” I muse.

“Trust me, it’s a good thing.” Jennifer nods.

We continue to pimp our room and chat back and forth. It’s always nice to get an in service day and step away from the hands-on. The switch is almost therapeutic for me right now. My mind has been plagued with questions, and things with Shadow are growing more serious by the second. He’s got me in his bed at night, and I’m watching more and more of my things appear in his bedroom. I’m happy. However, the nagging doubts, insecurities, and unanswered questions are eating me alive from the inside out. We’ve kept things under wraps so far, per my request, but I know he’s getting tired of it.

My father would tell me to shit or get off the pot. I find myself longing for some one-on-one with my old man. With things going on in the club, I’ve barely seen him. Club business isn’t shared with us, but we can tell when they’re circling the wagons. The hours have gotten longer, security is heightened, and women are being told to watch for strangers or people we know asking too many questions. After the upset with Fuse, the last thing we need is another internal affair. The fact is, rats happen more than people want to admit.

Not everyone can hold up under pressure, and from time to time, the cops lean on us. They’re like sharks in the water. Once they scent

blood, they’ll go in for the kill. I wonder why we’re suddenly on their radar. Usually, they keep to themselves and we do the same. I can’t help but wonder who upset the balance. Maybe someone new has a hard-on for a big take down. Clearly, they didn’t do their homework. We aren’t sloppy, stupid, or without one hell of a lawyer.

I leave work a few hours earlier than usual, but I’m drained nonetheless. I sit outside and grin when the familiar Harley roars its way up the road and enters the parking lot. He’s always right on time. It’s a trait I admire. He’s not a man who shirks his responsibility like some of the brothers.

He pulls up to the curb. “Hey, beautiful. How was your day?”

“Long.” Grinning, I hand him my purse.

After securing it in his saddlebag, he winks at me. “Let’s see what I can do to help you relax at home.”

I step onto the foot peg, swing my leg over, and climb on behind him. “I can think of a few things,” I say into his ear as I wrap my arms around his waist, and squeeze him with my thighs.

“Don’t get me riled up, babe. I don’t want you to lose your job and me to go back to the pen for indecent exposure.”