Blade (Silver Shadows MC #1)

Epilogue

Three months later

“You ready to go?”

I looked up from my list at Jack.

“Almost. I just have to finish this list.”

“Well, hurry up. We need to get back before Blade does. He’s gonna kick my ass when he finds out.”

I laughed at the ridiculousness that was Jack. It would thrill Blade to know Jack was watching over me. He might not let me out of his sight often, but knowing Jack was with me would temper the beast.

After my dad shot and killed my mother, both he and Micah had been relentless with watching over me. Even knowing both threats against me no longer existed, neither were willing to take a chance.

During the investigation, I discovered my dad had never filed a report against Grant for the first attack. He’d held off, waiting to see how the club would handle it.

That turned out to be a good move because, during the investigation of the shooting, no one mentioned Grant. The DA ruled it a justifiable homicide. The report filed as a greedy, jealous mother taking out her wrath on her estranged daughter. The motive being chalked up to her own mother, leaving her almost nothing in her will, as the catalyst for her psychotic break.

Grant disappeared without a trace. His secretary filed a missing person’s report when he missed work four consecutive days with no word. That case was still open. Eventually, it would become a cold case and tucked away in the basement with the other unsolved cases.

The guys think I don’t know what happened. That I believe they ran Grant out of town, never to return. Rachel, being the tiny woman she was, easily blended into the shadows and overheard Cash and Blade talking about what happened.

I had never asked Blade how he got his road name. According to what Rachel overheard, he got it because of his skills with, well… a blade. I didn’t need any of the details after that.

“OK, Jack, I’m ready.”

I grabbed my list and my purse and followed him outside.

“Keys,” he demanded, holding his hand out to me.

“What?”

“Keys. I’m driving,” he said, making grabby hands with his fingers.

“Do you even know where we’re going?” I asked, handing him the keys. I didn’t care if he drove, but I couldn’t just let him have his way right off the bat.

“Nope, but you can give me directions. Why do we have to go out of town, anyway?”

“Because with the amount of stuff I need to get, I want to go to Walmart. It’s cheaper,” I replied, shrugging my shoulder.

He stopped at the car, reaching for my door, but didn’t open it. He looked at me quizzically.

“You’re a fucking millionaire,” Jack stated in disbelief.

“That means I can’t be frugal?” I asked. “Besides, they have a few things I can’t find at Manny’s. I want Micah’s birthday to be special, and that means making his favorites.”

“Good thing you bought this monstrosity, then.”

Jack opened the door of my new Ford Expedition so I could climb in. Jogging around to the other side, he slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“Although, pretty sure the only thing Blade’s gonna want to eat is you.”

“You really are a jackass.”

Shaking my head, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I’d gotten used to the crass way these bikers talked, though they were careful around my dad and my uncle. They had decided that because they missed out on my childhood, they would forever treat me like a little girl.

My dad, I understood. My uncle, well, he’s just an asshole. An asshole with a big soft heart for me.

The drive to Walmart would take just under an hour, another disadvantage to living in a small town. Thankfully, the pros of a small town outweighed the cons. I really missed Diamond Creek when I moved away, but it had been necessary for my mental health.

When Grams called me to come back, I dreaded returning. I thought for sure the memories would tear apart what little strength I had left. Turned out it was the best decision I ever made.

Two months after the shooting, I had one thing left to do to put everything behind me.

Ryder, Rachel, Micah and I took a walk through the cemetery. I stared out the window, remembering that day.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Micah asked me, holding my hand in his.

“I am. You’re here with me. That headstone is just a rock now,” I said, leaning into his side.

“Why are we doing this, exactly?” Rachel, always the peacekeeper, never wanting to push people to do the uncomfortable things.

“Because Beck needs this. She needs to face her fear and come out on the other side,” Ryder proclaimed. “She hasn’t been here since the funeral. I came back a few times just to talk to this asshole before he rose from the dead. I know you did too, Rach.”

“Maybe,” Rachel said, shrugging her shoulder.

I leaned over, wrapping my arm around her as we found the headstone with Micah’s name on it.

“This was the second place I came, after seeing Grams, the first time I came back to town. It was surreal. I thought about having it torn out, but then, after seeing Becca happy, I left it. Figured it was better if I stayed dead.”

We stood there quietly before that piece of granite that had the biggest impact on who each of us had grown up to be. A rock that tore through a friendship but couldn’t tear it apart.

We had built something together that was only strengthened through death.

Walking into Walmart, we grabbed two shopping carts and, despite how Micah always wanted to split up, Jack stayed by my side, never letting me out of his sight. He took his role as best friend seriously.

That might be the only thing he took seriously.

We turned the corner into the bread aisle, our carts filled to almost overflowing, and saw a familiar face.

Samantha stiffened when she saw us.

The little girl with her smiling brightly.

I didn’t know Samantha had a child. She’d never mentioned it. Seeing the stunned look on Jack’s face, he didn’t know either. All three of us froze when the little girl, who looked to be about four years old, called out.

“Look, Mommy, Daddy’s here!”