Blade (Silver Shadows MC #1)

Chapter Fourteen

Beck

I sat in Rachel’s car, staring out the window, waiting for her. I was furious. What right did any of them have to get involved in my business?

You gave them the right when you called them to rescue you.

Rescue? I rescued my-freakin-self. I just needed a ride home after that jag-off left me there alone.

Rachel hopped in the car and stared at me.

“What?” I asked, refusing to look at her.

Putting the key in the ignition, she started the car and laughed.

“ What , she says. Like she didn’t just hand four big scary bikers their asses and walk away like the fucking queen she is.” Shaking her head, she pulled through the gate, heading toward town.

Despite my anger, I smiled. Rachel had always had a way of building me up when I thought I couldn’t possibly feel any lower than I was. As soon as I got home last night, I called her and told her what happened with Grant.

Not what happened after, though.

I left out the kiss I shared with Blade.

I wasn’t ready to share it with her, yet. Soon I would.

Regardless of the time spent apart, connecting with Rachel again felt like I never left. I was so thankful to have her in my life again. I knew I wouldn’t get through this without her.

Thankfully, Grams was asleep when I got home, and I snuck out without seeing her this morning. I wouldn’t be able to keep this from her, not with the giant bruise on my face. At least Grant was safe from her in the hospital. I was sure whatever Jack did to him was nothing compared to what could have happened if Grams had got ahold of him.

“So, where are we headed first?” Rachel asked.

“The hospital,” I announced calmly, not expecting her to object.

“Abso-fuckin-lutely not. Are you crazy? The guys would be furious.”

Finally, I looked over at her and admitted, “Rachel, I need to talk to him. I need to understand what is happening.”

“No way. Let the guys handle it,” she protested, pulling onto the highway.

We drove to the mall for some retail therapy.

“I can’t do that, Rachel. This is my mess.” Looking back out the window, I sighed. “I need to fix it.”

“Babe, you can’t fix anything. Guys like Grant don’t tell you why they are assholes. I’m not even sure they know why. I think it is hard-wired into them to be douchebags upon birth.” She gave me a quick glance before continuing, “Look, Declan is involved now, anyway. He will keep the guys from going overboard.”

“What the heck is going on there? The sheriff and the biker sounds like the plot of a reverse harem romance novel.”

I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it.

Stereotypes dictated cops and bikers were mortal enemies.

Yet, King hugged his brother before he left, so they must be close.

“When the guys started this chapter here, Declan followed. The old sheriff—emphasis on old—retired, with some encouragement , and Declan took over.”

“Wait, the town elected the brother of the MC president as sheriff?”

That was surprising. Even more surprising was that the town allowed the MC to set up camp here.

“Well, they didn’t exactly know they were brothers until after. Now Declan can keep them out of trouble, mostly, and the town sees the MC as a benefit. They own quite a few businesses in town. Shit, I wasn’t supposed to say anything about the sheriff helping. Please don’t tell Blade I said anything. Cash will kill me.”

“I won’t. You know I would never throw you under the bus. Besides, Blade and I don’t talk like that, anyway.”

Gazing out the window once more, I thought about that kiss.

Dream of me tonight.

And boy did I.

After the dream I had, I had almost completely forgotten about Grant. That was until I walked into the clubhouse to find the sheriff asking for a statement.

“…I was shocked to find out Grant was still alive.”

“Wait what? What are you saying?”

I hadn’t realized Rachel was still talking until she said something about Grant being left alive.

“Beck, you had to know that calling Jack would set the guys off. We had the conversation about safety and the prospects following us. They don’t want us in situations like that. If you’d had a prospect following you last night, Grant wouldn’t have been able to even touch you. Let alone attack you.”

I didn’t want to admit Rachel was right.

Instead, I stayed quiet while she continued.

“I was saying it was surprising they left him alive. Though that’s probably because it was Jack. He wouldn’t want to take that away from Blade.”

That got my attention, and I asked, “Take what away from Blade?”

“Vengeance.”

She said it so casually. Like it was a foregone conclusion.

As if it was obvious.

Like it was normal.

Nothing about my life after coming home had been normal.

Home.

This place hadn’t felt like home since I was fifteen and my world ended. It was said that home was where the heart was. Yet, my heart was buried six feet underground in the Diamond Creek cemetery.

No. I no longer had a home.

“We’re here. Let’s go do some damage on my old man’s credit card. That’ll teach him not to mouth off about me.” She laughed as she climbed out of the car.

I followed, but my mind wasn’t on shopping.

Rachel and I spent several hours at the mall, then traveled back to Diamond Creek for lunch. We could have eaten at the food court, but Rachel insisted I needed to try the sandwiches at The Coffee Shop.

Yup, that’s the official name. Seriously, this town had no creativity.

We ordered coffees and sandwiches and grabbed a table by the window. When I noticed her staring intently at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Spill.”

“Spill what?”

Rachel just stared at me. I knew what she was asking. She knew Blade brought me home, and I hadn’t told her about it. We had been friends long enough that she knew I was holding something back. She always knew when I had a secret.

Twelve years ago

“I know you’re keeping something from me,” Rachel challenged.

“What?” I asked innocently.

Of course she knew, she always did.

“You may as well tell me. You know I’ll get it out of you,” she insisted.

She would too. Rachel was the queen of silent interrogation. She would make a great mom one day. All she had to do was look at you and wait.

It compelled you to tell her everything.

And I did.

Almost always.

Sighing, I gave in. “He kissed me.”

“WHAT?” Rachel all but jumped out of her seat.

“Will you hush! I don’t need the entire shop listening to our conversation.”

Brushing some imaginary crumbs from my lap, I tried to stall. I hadn’t completely come to terms with what happened myself.

If I didn’t understand, how could I explain it to someone else?

“Tell me everything. Starting with when he got there to pick you up.” Rachel leaned forward, her elbows on the table, hands holding her chin.

She looked ridiculous, and I chuckled.

“Well, at first, it shocked me. I was expecting Jack. When I stepped out into the light, he looked at me, then down at his bike. He just sat there for a minute. I would give anything to know what he was thinking at that moment. Of course, in my head he was saying I told you so .”

I shrugged, not wanting to admit that was what was going through my mind when I saw him.

“When he finally got off the bike. He walked over to me. I was so embarrassed I put my head down, looking at the ground. He gently used one finger and lifted my face. He said nothing and then walked away to grab his phone.”

Looking out the window, I remembered how I felt when he walked away, like I had lost him. But that was impossible because he was never mine to lose.

He saw the damaged me and I felt broken.

“I didn’t know who he called, but he told them Grant had hit me. Then he hung up and walked back over and helped me onto his bike and took me home. I haven’t been on a bike since we were kids.” I looked back at Rachel, fighting the tears. “Wrapping my arms around him, pressed up against his back…”

Closing my eyes, the first tear fell.

“I wasn’t thinking about him . I was in the moment with Blade. Feeling things I hadn’t felt in ten years, Rachel.”

My best friend reached across the table and held my hand. She gave me strength to release the guilt I was feeling.

“It’s ok, Beck.”

“I don’t understand it, Rach. We got back to the house, and I didn’t want to move. I felt safe. I haven’t felt safe since him . Ten years I have been going through the motions. I’ve tried to… I don’t even know what I have been trying to do. I never wanted to let him go, but now.”

“Now what?” Rachel gently prodded.

“I asked Blade to kiss me.” Rachel’s eyes widened at that. “He walked me to the door, asked me if I would be ok. He told me he didn’t want me to have nightmares.”

I wiped at the tears that streamed down my face.

“I asked him to kiss me so I would dream about him instead of having nightmares about Grant. At first, he said no. I understood, I did. He barely tolerates me.” Rachel leaned back with a snort.

“Believe me, he more than tolerates you.” Waving her hand at me, she said, “Continue.”

“I said goodnight. Thanked him for bringing me home and turned to go inside. Blade grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him and kissed me.”

I looked down at the table, feeling my cheeks heat.

“What? Why are you blushing?”

“Um,” biting the corner of my bottom lip, I looked up at my best friend. “Don’t be mad, ok?”

“Why would I be mad? What happened?”

“That was my second kiss.”

I waited for her to comprehend what I confided.

“With Blade? He kissed you before and you didn’t tell me?”

I couldn’t bear the hurt look on her face.

I closed my eyes again.

“No, my first kiss with Blade. My second kiss ever.” I opened one eye to peek at her.

“How is that possible? Do you not kiss guys when you have sex?”

“I, um, well, you see…” I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to get the words out.

“Beck, are you still a virgin?” Rachel whisper-yelled.

All I could do was nod, too embarrassed to say the words out loud.

“Wait, who was your first kiss?” Rachel narrowed her eyes, waiting for my answer.

“That’s why I don’t want you to get mad. It was the day he died. And then everything was just crazy, and I was so distraught.” I reached out and took Rachel’s hand. “It was after school. I don’t know what came over him, but it was so much like what happened last night. We were talking outside of the school. I turned to leave, and he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back and kissed me. It was so brief, but it was everything I had been waiting for. The way Blade kissed me was so similar that I started feeling guilty, but this time because I was thinking of someone else while Blade was kissing my socks off.”

Rachel pulled her hand back and placed her elbows on the table. This time holding her head in her hands with her eyes closed.

I knew she was trying to calm herself down. Knew she would be mad I never told her.

“Please don’t be mad, Rach. I was going to tell you, but then everything happened.”

Reaching over, she grabbed both my hands and looked at me. “No. Babe, I’m not mad at you. I’m so glad you had that moment. So, there has been no one since?”

“No. I’ve never had feelings for someone other than him . Not until Blade. I don’t know what to do, Rach. I don’t know how to let him go. Until I do, I can’t even think about anything happening with Blade. If he wants anything to happen, that is.”

“Ladies, today must be my lucky day.”

Rachel and I looked up and smiled as Ryder walked over to our table. “What the fuck happened to your face?”

“We’ll talk more later,” she whispered, before she turned to Ryder to explain. “She had dinner with Grant. Things went sideways. The guys dealt with it.”

“He still alive?” Ryder asked, and my mouth dropped open.

“ICU,” Rach simply replied.

“Good.” Ryder leaned down and kissed us both on the cheek.

“What are you doing?” Rachel asked Ryder.

“Just saying hello to my dearest friends.”

“You know what will happen—” Just then, Rachel’s phone rang, and she sneered at Ryder as she mouthed, asshole , before answering her phone. “Hi, babe.”

Ryder chuckled as Rachel rolled her eyes as we both heard Cash ranting and raving through the phone. “Hang on, babe. Here.” She grinned happily, handing her phone to Ryder as his laughter rang out.

“Hey Cash, how’s it going?”

I couldn’t hear Cash’s words, but I heard the anger in his voice.

“Man, we have had this conversation enough. She is like a sister to me. If I had wanted to go there, I would have a long time ago. You need to accept that I will kiss her cheek, just like I do my mother when I say hello.”

“What is going on, Rach?” I asked, confused.

“Ryder loves to piss off Cash. He knows Cash can’t touch him because I won’t let him.”

“How did Cash know?” Rachel pointed out the window at the prospect sitting on his bike. His phone to his ear.

“He can’t be talking to Cash if Cash is talking to Ryder.”

I looked back over at Rachel, who sat there with a smirk on her face.

“He isn’t. He texted Cash. It happens too often for him to call every time. He’s on the phone with Blade.”

“What?” I whipped my head back around, glaring at the prospect.

He noticed me and just shrugged his shoulders.

Now I was the one with my head in my hands, and my eyes closed. Ryder hung up and handed Rachel her phone.

“He’ll get over it. He always does.” Ryder shrugged as he waved his hand at the phone and smirked.

“What are we talking about, ladies?”

“Beck and I were just catching up on some old times,” my best friend and confidant said then asked, “Did you know Micah kissed Beck the day he died?”

I whipped my head up, looking between Rachel and Ryder.

“Rach, what the heck?”

Ryder’s eyes widened, looking over at me. “I did not know that,” Ryder confirmed, looking back at Rachel, as she nodded, then revealed, “And Blade kissed her last night.”

Before I could admonish Rachel again, a motorcycle pulling up at the curb drew my attention as I watched the rider swing his leg over his bike before walking over to the prospect.

Looking back through the front window at the three of us, he nodded to the prospect and walked back over to his bike, leaning on the seat with his legs stretched out and his arms crossed over his chest.

“I guess that’s my cue to leave. I’m going to step out and have a word with Blade. Ladies, we need to have dinner soon, just the three of us.” He winked at Rachel, causing her to laugh.

Ryder walked outside and stepped up to Blade, crossing his arms over his chest, mimicking the biker’s stance.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” I wondered out loud, watching the two men talk animatedly.

“I wouldn’t venture to guess, but we better get out there, fast,” Rachel said, grabbing her purse.

Blade stood from his bike and shoved Ryder.

Rushing out of the coffee shop, I hoped we could reach them before a fight broke out.

“You need to stop being an asshole.” I heard Ryder shout as we reached the sidewalk.

“Hey, Blade,” the prospect called out, and Blade turned his attention toward him.

Ryder used the distraction to punch Blade in the face.

“NO,” I yelled as Blade shoved Ryder against the front window.

Rachel grabbed my arm, keeping me from reaching them.

“Rach, I need to do something.”

“No, babe, let them work it out.”

Blade whispered something to Ryder. A moment later, Blade was backing up and letting him go.

Walking over to me, Blade leaned down and kissed my cheek.

“Take a ride with me, babe.”

I looked over at Ryder, and he nodded as if to say everything was fine.

I narrowed my eyes, letting Ryder know I would talk to him later. He smiled, and I knew he got the message as he turned and walked away as I looked back at Blade.

“Please?”