Shades (Evil Dead MC 3)

Shades and Rusty stared at each other. Then Rusty’s gaze dropped to hers. “Take care of yourself, Skylar.” His eyes returned to Shades, and he lifted his chin. “Get out of here. Don’t fuckin’ show your face in Georgia again.”

Shades didn’t waste a moment. He turned, his hold on her tight. He stood there waiting for the circle of Devil Kings to step back out of his way, letting them pass. Then together they started walking toward the door, her arms wrapped tight around his waist.

“Are you okay?” she whispered noticing the way he limped, his movements stiff, and she wondered if they’d broken his ribs.

“Yeah, babe. Just keep walking.”

One of the DKs opened the door for them and whistled to the two at the chain link gate. They unlocked it and stood back as Shades and Skylar shuffled across the compound and out the gate.

Skylar tugged on Shades’ cut. “Baby, look.”

His eyes lifted. There, lining the street were about thirty members of the Evil Dead, guns drawn. He tried to smile through the pain. “Nothing like having your brothers show up with lots of guns.”

Ghost was running toward them. When he reached them, he looped Shades arm around his shoulders, taking his weight as Shades almost collapsed.

“Motherfuckers busted my ribs,” Shades hissed.

“You’re fucking lucky that’s all they did, you crazy son-of-a-bitch.”

Skylar was suddenly surrounded by Shades’ brothers. They were all there, Butcher, Boot, Slick, Hammer, Griz, Heavy, Spider, JJ, Gator and a bunch of others that Shades would later tell her were his brothers from the Gulf Coast Chapter. And then another pack of bikes were pulling up and suddenly Blood was there in front of her.

“You okay, Princess?” he asked, taking her face in his hands, his eyes running over her.

“I’m fine. What are you doing here?” And then he was shoved to the side, and her father had her in a tight bear hug.

“Jesus Christ, girl. You nearly gave me heart failure.”

Undertaker was here? Stunned, her arms clutched at him. “Daddy?”

“Baby.”

She heard Blood growl at Shades. “You walked in there alone, dumbass?”

She smiled into her father’s shoulder. He had. He’d walked in there alone. For her.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

The long line of bikes pulled through the gates of the Birmingham clubhouse, followed by Slick driving the big blue Buick that carried Shades and Skylar in the backseat.

They climbed out of the car and moved inside the clubhouse. When Skylar saw how uncomfortable Shades was, she insisted he sit down on a couch against the wall. He slumped down in it, but pulled her down next to him.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” she murmured.

He tried to smile. “If you ain’t goin’, I ain’t goin’.”

“I’m fine. I told you that.”

His eyes moved over her face, and his hand lifted to gently cup her cheek. “You don’t look fine.”

“They just slapped me. That’s all.”

Undertaker came over and squatted down in front of Skylar. “Baby, are you okay?”

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

He shook his head. “You should have stayed in Slidell. I should never have let you leave.”

“It was my fault,” Shades admitted.