Blade (Silver Shadows MC #1)

Chapter Three

Beck

Oh my God, the nerve of him!

A few days ago, he couldn’t bear to sit at a table with me, and today he walked in like he owned the place and stood there leering at me.

UGH!

Seriously, what was wrong with him? I just needed to put some clothes on when something caught my attention.

What was that noise?

Walking over to the window, I looked out and saw him.

Was he mowing the lawn? Why was he mowing Grams’ lawn?

Dagnabbit!

How could he possibly be doing something nice? He was a jerk. He needed to stay a jerk.

Running down the stairs, I found Grams sitting at the table in the kitchen.

“Grams, what is he doing?”

“He’s mowing the lawn, dear.”

“Why?”

“He mows half the lawn every other week. This is the right-side week. If he doesn’t, it gets too high.”

I sighed heavily.

“Grams, I know why lawns get mowed. Why is he doing it?”

“He has been doing it for the last few years. It got to be too much for me, and King offered to help. Blade volunteered.”

“Who in the world is King?

“Kingston O’Rourke is the President of the club, honey. He’s the one in charge over there.”

I rubbed my hand across my forehead. I could feel a headache starting. Why did this conversation with my grandmother remind me so much like I was talking to my mother?

“Grams, we can talk about the MC across the road another time. I have plenty of questions about that. Right now, I am wondering why I am here if you have that biker club taking care of all the things you asked me to come back and help with?”

Grams set her coffee cup on the table.

“Beck, they help with the yard work. Would you want to be out there in the heat pushing that lawn mower around?”

“Well, no, but I don’t want him here.”

“Why?” Grams rested her chin in her hand, waiting for my answer. Problem was, I didn’t have one to give her. Chewing my thumbnail, I tried to come up with any reply that might appease her.

“I thought so.” Grams rose and placed her cup in the sink. “There is no good reason for Blade not to continue taking care of the lawn and a few other things he does to help.”

“He’s mean.”

“Nonsense. Blade is the sweetest boy I have ever known,” Grams said as she walked out of the room, ending the conversation.

Letting out a heavy breath, I retreated to my room. Trying not to look out my window as I ogled the now shirtless man with the sexy tattoos as he pushed the lawn mower.

Wait, sexy?

No, he was not sexy.

Jerks were not sexy.

I was simply watching to see when he finished so I could head out and let him know we no longer needed his help.

Blade stopped and looked up at my window.

I immediately stepped back, praying he didn’t see me staring. I decided to read until I heard the mower stop, then I would go down and talk to him. Instead, maybe I would jump in the shower while I waited.

Stepping out of the shower, I noticed the noise was gone.

How long was I in there?

Getting dressed quickly, I headed downstairs to relieve Blade and the club of their duties now that I was here.

However, when I got downstairs, Grams was reading a book in the living room and Blade was nowhere to be seen.

“Grams, where did Blade go? Is he done already?”

“He is done. He alternates each side of the yard. It is much too big to keep him tied up all day. Next week, he will come and do the other side.”

“I wanted to talk to him when he was done, to let him know we won’t be needing him or the club anymore. I can take care of stuff around here now, and what I can’t do, we can hire someone that can.”

“Beck, don’t be ridiculous. Why would we pay someone to do what someone else is offering to do for free?” Grams shook her head at me like I had just said the most insane thing in the world.

“So that there is no expectation on their part, Grams. What if they want something from you? What if they ask you to hold drugs here, or guns? You could get in a lot of trouble because you are indebted to them.”

Grams rolled her eyes at me. Setting her book in her lap, she gave me a look that clearly expressed her disappointment in me.

I sat on the sofa already feeling chastised and she hadn’t even said a word yet.

“Beck, I am so disappointed in you.”

See, I knew it.

I looked out the window, waiting for the lecture that I was sure I deserved. While I had heard a few stories of Grams’ younger, wilder days, Rachel didn’t have a wild bone in her body. I knew she wouldn’t be involved in anything illegal. Then again, I hadn’t seen Rachel in years. She was drastically different on the outside. She could be just as different on the inside.

Maybe I deserved the lecture after all.

“I can’t believe you would judge those men based on the fact they ride motorcycles. You know who you sound like?”

My shoulders sagged.

Yes, I knew who I sounded like.

My mother. She was the queen of judgement. She always judged my friends, especially my best friend. He was just a kid; he didn’t deserve her judgement.

Especially after he was gone.

Ten years ago

“Rebecca, I am sorry you lost your friend, but you have got to snap out of this. You will make more friends.”

“I don’t want more friends, Mom, I want Micah. He wasn’t just a friend; he was my best friend. My closest friend. The one person I could tell all my secrets to. He didn’t deserve to die.”

“No one deserves to die, well maybe his father did. I told you there was something bad going on in that home. When you live the life that man did, everyone else pays the price.”

I stared at my mother, dumbfounded. How could she honestly be so quick to condemn someone without really knowing anything other than speculation and gossip?

“I can’t believe you. You knew nothing about them.”

“Rebecca, honey, everyone knew about them. I never should have let you be friends with him to begin with.”

“No, what everyone knew was gossip. No one knew anything factual about them. You all just made up your minds based on prejudice because they lived in the nicest home and had a job you didn’t understand. All you do is judge people. Maybe you should look in a mirror once in a while.”

“Rebecca Lynn—” I didn’t hear the rest because I had run out the door. I had to get away from her before I said something I really meant, not something I would regret because she deserved it. There was already enough animosity between me and my mother. I didn’t need to pile on more.

Sure, his dad seemed a little questionable, but I refused to judge a child’s character by the actions of their parents. If I did, I could only imagine what people would say about me.

“Listen, Grams, I know you like them, but what do you really know about them?”

“Rebecca Lynn Washington, I have known those young men for five years, since they started that club. I know that every one of them has come over here occasionally to either check on me, visit me, or help me with something I couldn’t do myself. Can you say the same?”

Jumping to my feet, I cried, “Grams, that’s not fair. You know how hard it was for me to be in this town. You know how hard it was for me to deal with those memories. I left because you encouraged me to go.”

My eyes stung with unshed tears.

“I told you if I left, if I got on with my life, I wouldn’t come back here. I wouldn’t be able to let those memories back in. You told me to go.”

“And how are you dealing with those memories now?”

A single tear rolled down my cheek.

“By ignoring them. By not letting myself think of him. I can’t. I’ve been back for almost a week, and I can’t bring myself to even go to the cemetery because I can’t let myself feel those things again. Grams, I won’t make it this time.”

Grams stood from her seat and walked over to me, wrapping her arms around me while I cried.

I couldn’t do this again. When would the pain stop?

It had been ten years, and yet I still couldn’t let him go.

I didn’t think I ever would.

Just then, I heard a horn honk.

Pulling away from Grams, I asked, “Who is that?”

“That would be Blade.”

“He came back? For what?”

“He takes me shopping on Saturdays.” Grams moved away to grab her purse.

“Grams, I am here now. I can take you shopping.”

“This is different, dear. I cook for the clubhouse on Saturdays and Blade takes me shopping for the food.”

I narrowed my eyes at Grams. “You cook for the clubhouse? Grams, that’s too much for you.”

“Nonsense, dear, I enjoy it, and the club girls help with everything.”

“The club girls? What are club girls?”

Grams was digging in her purse when Blade honked again.

I looked over at the door. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t even coming inside to help her to the car.

“The club girls are just what they sound like. Girls that hang around the club to, um, spend time with the guys.”

“Oh my God, Grams, they are there to sleep with them, aren’t they?” I pinched the bridge of my nose to ward off the headache I was certain was on the way.

Grams turned to look at me, shaking her head.

“Beck, are you slut shaming girls you have never met?”

“I’m sorry, Grams, I just, I don’t know… this is all a lot to process right now. The last few days have been a bit of a whirlwind being back. So much has changed, but so much is the same. It’s a lot.”

Grams handed me a list. “Here, take this with you. Get everything on the list and drop it off at the clubhouse when you are done. I will meet you there soon.”

“What?” Blade honked again, and my anger rose.

“I need you to go with Blade.”

“Grams, I can take you shopping. We don’t need Blade.”

“We do, honey. The club pays for the groceries.”

“But, Grams.”

Just then, Blade came crashing through the kitchen door.

“Grams, I asked you to be ready.”

I took him in. His height, his bulging biceps with a tight T-shirt stretched across his chiseled chest under his leather vest. The worn jeans that hung low on his hips. His dark hair was wet, making it look almost black. He must have gone home to shower.

“Blade, dear, I’m a little tired, so Beck will go with you. I need to take a nap and will meet you at the clubhouse later.”

“Grams, if you are too tired to cook tonight, I’m sure the club will understand. Isn’t that right, Blade?” I said, looking at Blade, imploring him to back me up.

Thankfully, he did.

“She’s right. If you’re too tired, we can just order some pizza. No one wants you overdoing it.”

He looked directly at Grams as if he were communicating with her without talking, and I wondered what they were saying to each other.

“Nonsense, both of you. I didn’t sleep well last night and just need a nap. Anyway, the girls do most of the work. I just boss them around.”

Blade looked at Grams like he didn’t quite believe her story, and I was wondering if there was something I was missing. Was she sick? Was this something that happened often? I should stay with her, and it sounded like Blade was thinking the same thing as I was.

“Grams, let me have the list. I will get what you need, and your granddaughter can stay here in case you need anything while you’re… napping .”

I narrowed my eyes at Blade.

Was that disbelief in his tone? What was going on here?

Putting a hand on his forearm—his very toned forearm—Grams smiled. “Blade, please take Beck with you.”

Stop it, Beck, you do not need to notice his toned anything.

Grams was determined to convince Blade to take me with him.

“I need her to get out of the house for a bit and grocery shopping will keep her mind busy, so she doesn’t think about all the reasons she doesn’t want to be here.”

“Hello, I’m standing right here. Don’t I get a say?”

“No,” they both answered at once, glancing at me.

“Grams, she should stay here in case you need something.”

“Blade, I will nap the entire time. There is nothing for her to do here, and she came home to help me out. This is how she can help me out.”

He growled.

He actually growled.

I crossed my arms and looked at him. “Did you just growl at my grandmother?”

“Yes.”

Well, at least he was honest.

Grams giggled. She giggled after this mountain of a man growled at her. Grams stood her ground, waiting for Blade.

I saw the moment he relented, and I dropped my jaw that this big scary biker just agreed to a five-foot nothing little old lady.

“Fine. I will take her shopping, and we will meet you at the clubhouse later.” He leaned in and I thought I heard him say, “We’ll talk about this later, old woman.”

But Grams just smiled at him and patted his cheek like she had won something, not afraid of him in the least.