“His name’s 12Gauge, darlin’.”
She frowned. “12Gauge?”
He grinned. “He’s good with a shotgun, babe. A 12 gauge shotgun.”
“Oh.” He watched her pretty pink mouth form a perfect circle and all kinds of thoughts crossed his mind. Lifting his chin toward his prospect, he raised a brow at her, his message clear. She’d yet to do as he’d bid her. He released her hand and grinned as she turned, moving off to do his bidding. Just like he knew she would.
Ghost shook his head as Shades lifted his beer to his mouth. “You’re something else, Brother.”
Shades eyes were on Skylar. “Why do you say that?”
“I’ve watched you pull this bit a hundred times. I’m just amazed it works for you.”
“Can’t let ‘em think you want ‘em too bad. Got a let ‘em think you could take it or leave it. Make ‘em earn it.”
“You’re so full of shit. Especially when I know and you know that the girl you really want is standing right over there.” He lifted his chin towards Skylar.
“You’re full of shit.”
“Am I? What’s the problem? She ain’t givin’ you the time of day?”
“She’s with a brother. She’s not supposed to be giving me the time of day, now is she?”
“Point taken.”
Shades eyes followed Ashley as she moved off toward the food, but they soon lost interest and returned to Skylar.
She’d taken his money. Stolen his mother’s rosary. And now she was with one of his brothers, rubbing it in his damn face, and he had to stand here and take it.
Fucking hell.
Shades had tried satisfying the emptiness losing Skylar left with booze, pussy and the club. He’d turned his frustration at having to give her up into a determination to climb the ranks of the club, but he hadn’t counted on the fact that the pull he’d felt toward Skylar had only laid dormant in him all these years. Or that all it would take to reignite it was just one look at her. And he sure as hell hadn’t counted on her showing up on the back of a brother’s bike.
Since Skylar, he’d hardened. He’d tried replacing her, tried filling the emptiness he felt with a long line of pussy. Tried sating the need she’d left him with by leaving a string of broken hearts and devastation in his wake. He never looked back at any of those women. Not once in all these years. They knew the score. He was always upfront. He never made them any promises, but he always left them satisfied. He made sure of that.
Shades drained his cup, his eyes never leaving the couple across the yard.
Butcher must have asked Skylar to give them some privacy, because Shades saw him jerk his chin toward the food tent. Crash dipped his head to her ear, whispered something, and then she stood and walked off.
Shades’ eyes tracked her as she walked up to one of the food tables and began chatting with Birdie and Cookie, two ol’ ladies that were in their mid-forties. He saw the two women smile and greet her warmly, making her feel welcome, like they did with all out of town brothers and their ol’ ladies.
From clear across the lot he could see the anything-but-welcoming glances that the younger women—Brandy, Desiree and Darla—were giving her. Shades knew enough about women to know the look of them when they were sizing up their competition.
****
Skylar had moved to the food tent when Butcher had indicated he wanted to talk with the men alone. Crash had told her to stay close and within his sight before he’d squeezed her hand and let her go. She’d greeted the two older women, Birdie and Cookie, remembering them from the old days. But now she looked across the tables at the other three women standing nearby. They were younger and new. They’d probably still been in junior high when she’d used to come up to the club. The looks they were giving her told her they were sizing her up as competition. Even though everyone knew she’d ridden in with Crash.
She took a drink of her beer and finished it off.
Birdie noticed and smiled. “If you’re headed over for another one, doll, could you bring me back one?”
“Sure, Birdie.” Skylar smiled at her and headed over to the keg with her empty red cup.
There were a couple full-patched members standing around it. Two of the big men, who had their backs to her, moved off. When they stepped out of the way she stopped short seeing Shades standing with the nozzle in his hand filling his own cup. His eyes lifted to hers, and they just looked at each other as his cup slowly filled.
Skylar broke eye contact, and to cover her nervousness she reached over to the stack of red plastic cups and pulled one off the top for Birdie. About that time, Shades finished filling his own cup and held the nozzle aloft over her cup. With a nod from her, he began filling it.
“You a two-fisted drinker these days?” he asked, a quirk of a grin pulling at his mouth.