Shades (Evil Dead MC 3)

“Well, girly, did you really think you could run from us? You think we couldn’t find you? There’s no place on this earth DKs can’t find you.”

“I’m sorry I ran, but I didn’t kill him. I swear.”

Rat and Reno exchanged a look that seemed to read to her as half surprise and half confusion. What was that about? What weren’t they telling her?

“Please, you have to believe me.”

“I ain’t gotta do shit, little girl,” Rat snarled.

“If you didn’t do it, why’d you run?” Reno asked, his eyes narrowing on her. There was just enough of a thread of something in the way he asked the question that had her clutching to a shred of hope that maybe, just maybe some part of him was giving her just the shadow of a doubt that what she said might be true.

“I went out to get us coffee. When I came back I found him. That dagger sticking out of his chest.”

Rat leaned down in her face. “Yeah, the dagger he bought you.”

She trembled at the look in his eyes. “Yes, I know it was my dagger, but I didn’t stab him. I swear it’s the truth.”

“Then why’d you run?” Reno asked again. She could hear it in his voice. He was cutting through all the other bullshit side issues. He didn’t give a fuck whose dagger it was. He knew the important, pivotal issue was why she ran. She’d bet that whether he believed her or not all hinged on that one answer.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t believe me. It was my dagger, like you just pointed out. I was standing there with not just the proverbial, but actual blood on my hands. I knew you’d think I did it. It’s obvious you still do.”

Reno’s brows rose. “Because you ran. You and the bag were both gone.”

Rat must have had enough, because he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back. Then he growled down at her, “You think you can steal from the club? Stab a brother?”

She was so scared, she could barely find the voice to whisper, “I’m the one that called 911. I swear I didn’t kill him.”

Rat released his grip on her hair, shoving her head violently. “Yammer. Yammer. Yammer. She sounds like a broken record.” He looked over at Reno. “See if you can get anything out of her.”

Reno met his look and nodded his head once.

The door slammed behind Rat, and then Skylar was alone with Reno. She stared up at him, and her heart dropped to her stomach. Oh, God. What was he going to do?

He straightened from the wall and moved to stand over her. She had to tilt her head up a long way to meet his cold eyes. She knew he was trying to intimidate her, and it was working. God, was it working.

“I don’t like doin’ this. So I’m gonna go easy on you at first ‘cause hurtin’ women ain’t my thing. But make no mistake, Cupcake, I will get answers from you.”

“Reno, please—” Her eyes fell to his hands as he pulled his rings off. He flexed his hand once, and fear shot through her as her brain scrambled for any words that would make him believe her.

“Please, Reno, I’m telling the truth. Rusty had a lot to drink that night. When he came home, he practically passed out the minute he hit the bed. He was still out like a light when I woke up. So I went out to get us coffee. Starbucks. His favorite. I was trying to do something nice for him. When I came back, he’d already been stabbed, and the bag was already gone.”

“So, you want to stick with that story?”

“It’s not a story. The club has enemies don’t they? Someone must have known about that bag and whatever was in it.”

“Like you don’t know.”

“I don’t know.”

“Right.”

“It’s true.”

“I think more likely it’s true that, yeah, he passed out, and then you went lookin’ in that bag and decided to take the money and run.”

“Reno, do I look stupid to you?”

He didn’t say anything, just narrowed his eyes at her.