Chapter 7 #2
Venom heads toward the door. "When you get your house in order, Phantom, we'll talk. Until then, you've got forty-eight hours to decide: return the money, give us the man who killed Bronco, or give us Grace… but it looks like that might be a little difficult now."
"None of those are happening," I say, finding my voice.
Venom pauses, looks at me. "You don't have a say in this, enforcer. Not anymore."
They start to leave, but Flint hangs back.
He approaches me, and every instinct I have screams danger.
"She's beautiful, your little vet," he says, his voice low enough that only I can hear. "I watched her work all week. Soft hands. Gentle with animals. Bet she's gentle with you too."
My control snaps.
I'm across the space in a heartbeat, hands around his throat, slamming him against the wall hard enough to crack plaster.
"You stay away from her," I snarl in his face.
Flint's crew reaches for weapons. My brothers do the same. A complete standoff.
But I don't care. All I can see is Flint's smug face, all I can think about is him watching Grace, following her, thinking about her.
"Shadow!" Phantom's voice cuts through the rage. "Stand down!"
I don't move. My hands tighten.
"That's an order, enforcer!"
The word enforcer hits me like cold water.
I release Flint, step back.
He staggers, coughing, but he's grinning.
"Forty-eight hours," he rasps. "Then we come collect what we're owed. And enforcer?" His eyes meet mine. "We're taking her. One way or another."
The Copperhead Kings file out, and I stand there breathing hard, watching them go.
I just showed my hand. Showed my weakness. Gave them exactly what they needed to know.
Grace is my vulnerability, and they're going to exploit it.
The sound of the clubhouse door closing is like a gunshot.
Then it's just us. The Shotgun Saints. Brothers.
And Phantom, who's looking at me like he doesn't recognize me anymore.
"My office," he says, his voice deadly calm. "Now."
I've been in Phantom's office a hundred times. A thousand. For club business, for assignments, for strategy sessions.
But never like this.
Never with him looking at me like I'm a traitor.
He closes the door, and for a long moment, we just stand there.
Me at attention, him behind his desk, the space between us filled with nine years of loyalty that I just set on fire.
"How long?" His voice is quiet. Controlled. Dangerous.
"A bit, Prez. The number doesn’t matter.."
"And you didn't think to tell me?"
"I was going to. After the threat was handled."
Phantom laughs, bitter and sharp. "Bullshit. You were hiding it. Lying to my face every time I asked you to protect her."
I can't deny it. "Yes."
"Does she know?" His eyes bore into me. "Does Grace know you're... what, using her?"
My voice goes hard. "I'm not using her. I love her."
"Love." The word is poison on his tongue. "You love her. You've known her for years, watched her grow up, and suddenly now you love her?"
"Not suddenly." I meet his eyes. "For a long time. I just finally acted on it."
"She's been through hell!" Phantom slams his hand on the desk. "She doesn't know what she wants! She's vulnerable, traumatized—"
"She knows exactly what she wants." My voice is steel. "And she wants me. Why else would we be together?"
"Because you took advantage—"
"I didn't take advantage of anything. She chose this. Chose me."
Phantom moves around the desk, gets in my face. "You know what happened to her. What Bronco did. And you thought it was okay to—"
"I was there." The words come out before I can stop them. "Did you forget that? That night, I helped Shiver console her, kept my word that I’d watch over her."
Phantom freezes. "What?"
He definitely forgot, and it’s too late to take it back now.
I keep my voice steady. "I heard the gunshot. Found Shiver standing over Bronco's body. Grace upstairs, traumatized. Shiver told me what happened. What Bronco did to her."
Phantom's staring at me like I'm a stranger. "You knew. All this time, you knew."
"Yes."
"And you kept it from me."
"Grace asked me to. It wasn't my secret to tell."
His voice breaks. "She told you before she told me."
I have nothing to say to that.
It's true, and it cuts him deeper than anything else.
Phantom sinks into his chair, and for the first time since I've known him, he looks old. Defeated.
"I trusted you," he says quietly. "With everything. With the club's security. With her safety. And you... you betrayed that trust."
"I protected her. For years, I've protected her."
"By lying to me?"
"By keeping a promise." I lean forward. "Grace didn't want you to know. Didn't want you carrying that guilt. So yes, I lied. I kept the secret. Because that's what she needed."
"And now?" Phantom looks up. "Now you're fucking her because that's what she needs?"
"No." My voice is calm. Final. "Now I'm with her because I love her. Because she loves me. Because we chose each other."
Phantom stands, and his expression goes cold. "You're done. As enforcer. As a member of this club. You're out."
I expected this. Prepared for it.
"I understand."
"And you stay away from Grace. Completely. No contact."
My jaw sets. "Can't do that."
Phantom's eyes flash. "That wasn't a request. That was an order."
"I don't take orders from you anymore." I keep my voice level. "I love her. I'm not giving her up. Not for you. Not for the club. Not for anyone."
"Then you're choosing her over your brothers."
"If I have to."
The silence is deafening.
Finally, Phantom speaks, his voice like gravel. "Get out. Before I have you thrown out."
I head for the door, but his voice stops me.
"She deserves better than you."
I turn back, meet his eyes one last time. "Maybe. But she chose me anyway."
I walk out of the office, out of the clubhouse, and I know I just lost everything.
My position. My club. My brothers. The family I've had for years.
But I meant what I said, I’m not giving up Grace.
Outside, the night air is cold on my skin. I pull out my phone with shaking hands and call her.
She answers on the first ring. "Shadow? Are you okay? Banshee said—"
"I'm fine." My voice is rougher than I intended. "But we have a problem."
"Flint called me. He knows about us."
"Yeah. He told everyone. Including your father, and I told them I married you."
Her sharp intake of breath cuts through the line. "Wait. What? Oh my fucking God."
"I'm coming to get you. We need to talk."
"Yeah, I’d say."
"I'll explain when I get there. Just... pack a bag. Essentials only for you and Charlie. We might need to leave for a while."
"Leave? Shadow, what—"
"Just trust me."
"I do." Her voice is quiet. Certain. "I trust you."
Those words hit me harder than Phantom's fury, harder than losing my patch, harder than anything.
"I love you, Grace. Everything's going to be okay."
Silence on the line. Then, softly: "I love you too."
I close my eyes. "Say it again."
"I love you, Shadow."
Finally. After everything, she said it back.
"Hold that thought. I'll be there in ten minutes."
I hang up and swing onto my bike.
The engine roars to life, and I tear out of the parking lot without looking back.
My phone buzzes.
Text from Rogue:
Copperhead Kings just put out a call. $50K bounty to anyone who delivers Grace to them. You've got bounty hunters incoming.
My blood runs cold.
It's not just the Copperhead Kings anymore.
It's every mercenary and lowlife in Texas looking for an easy payday.
I push the bike faster, racing toward Grace's cabin.
Another text.
This one from Banshee:
Brother, whatever you need. I'm with you.
At least I haven't lost everyone.
I pull up to Grace's cabin ten minutes later, the porch light on, Charlie barking inside.
Grace is in the doorway with a bag over her shoulder, Banshee beside her, and Dakota too.
I dismount, cross to her in three strides, and pull her into my arms.
"We have to go," I say into her hair. "Now."
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe. Somewhere they can't find you."
Banshee steps forward. "I'm coming with you."
I look at him—at my brother, at the road captain who's choosing to stand with me instead of staying loyal to Phantom.
"You sure? This means going against the Prez."
Banshee grins, but there's steel in his eyes. "Shadow, you've had my back for years. Time I returned the favor. Besides—" he looks at Grace "—can't let you two face this alone."
I clasp his shoulder. "Thank you, brother."
Dakota looks around, eyebrows up. “Listen, I appreciate y’all, but I have a whole rodeo career, so Imma stay here. Okay?”
Grace laughs, actually laughs at her sister. “I don’t blame you in the slightest. I love you, sis.”
“Love you too, weirdo.” Dakota slaps her sister on the back and walks off. “Shadow, toss me the keys, ey?”
It’s not like we can take my bike with Charlie coming along, so I throw them to Dakota. “There better not be a scratch on her when I come back, kid.”
Dakota winks at me and takes my bike.
"Where we going?" Banshee asks.
Good question. Somewhere off the grid. Somewhere Copperhead Kings won't think to look. Somewhere—
My phone rings. Unknown number.
I answer. "Yeah?"
"Shadow." The voice is familiar, rough, carrying a hint of a drawl I haven't heard in years. "Heard you got trouble."
My heart stops. "Shiver?"
"Rogue called me. Told me what's going down. Told me about the bounty on my sister." A pause. "Come here, to Vegas. Even if it’s just for a week."
Grace's head snaps up, eyes wide. "Is that—"
I nod, hand the phone to her.
"Shiver?" Her voice cracks. "Oh my God."
I can't hear his side of the conversation, but I watch tears stream down Grace's face.
"Yes," she's saying. "Yes, I'm okay. Shadow's here. He's—yes. Yes, I know. I love you too."
She hands the phone back to me, wiping her eyes.
"Shadow," Shiver says. "Keep her safe until you get here. We can come up with a plan once you’re here, but regardless, we'll handle the Copperhead Kings."