CHAPTER 39
STORM
I run a brush through my hair, hoping to tame it.
It doesn’t help. I consider shoving my head underneath the faucet, but I don’t want to ride with a wet head.
While the temperature is getting warmer, it still gets cold at night.
I check myself in the mirror one last time before I turn off the light.
Dimples is waiting, so I’d better get downstairs.
It’s only six, but halfway down the steps, I can hear music and voices coming from the clubhouse. Even though it’s Tuesday night, with the warmer weather, there’s more action. It’ll fill up with patches and their friends and family.
When I enter the clubhouse, Dimples is already at the bar chatting with Nails. I stop and have a few words with the patches, doing my president duties before I slip onto the stool beside Dimples.
I touch her scalp and run my fingers over the bump on her head. “It’s almost gone.”
“Would you stop it?” Dimples slaps my hand away. “I told you, I’m fine.” She turns to Nails. “Would you tell our president to keep her hands off me?”
Nails laughs. “Hell no. I’m not getting between the two of you. You’re on your own.”
“Traitor,” Dimples says with a smile and then asks me, “About ready to go?”
Nails moves her chair closer to Dimples and leans in. With all the noise, nobody will overhear, but I respect her discretion. “You sure you don’t want me to ride along?” Nails asks. I can tell by her expression that after what happened with Frost, she’s worried about Dimples and me riding alone.
“We’ll be fine,” I say. “Shadow asked me to bring Dimples.”
“She’s still not telling you what’s going on?” Dimples asks.
I shake my head.
Something’s not right, and I know it, but Shadow isn’t talking. I worry that something happened with her girls or Margot on Sunday since she was fine Saturday night. For two excruciating conversations on Sunday and Monday night, I tried to break through her wall—with no success.
This morning, my hopes soared when she called and said she’d switched to the morning shift today and wanted to meet me after work, but when she invited Dimples along, I knew something was up.
“Ya think the fight freaked her out?” Nails asks.
In the past two days, I’ve asked myself the same thing, but it’s only caused my head to hurt since I have no answers.
“I can’t see that,” Dimples says. “She was cool. When it happened and the next day. I can’t see her freaking out a week and a half later.”
I don’t wanna talk about this. I just wanna get there. “We should head out. I don’t want to be late.”
Dimples smiles and bats her eyes at Nails. “Of course, we can’t make Shadow wait.”
Nails laughs. “Never seen you so whipped, Pres.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I glare.
Nails just laughs and turns away.
By the time we pull into the bar, halfway between Cinder Ridge and Shadow’s, despite the cold, my palms are sweating. The ride should’ve cleared my head. It didn’t.
As we dismount, I spot Shadow’s red car. “Looks like she’s already here,” I say, motioning with my head.
Dimples turns up her nose. “Looks like it’s in worse shape than her bike was.”
I smile. “I’m trying to figure out how to convince her to let me take it to Black Briar.”
“Good luck with that.”
“It’ll have to crap out first.”
“By the looks of it, it won’t be long.”
I chuckle.
Dimples drapes her arm over my shoulders and looks down into my eyes. “I know you’re worried.”
“Me?” I give her a cocky grin. “Never.”
“You’re such a liar.” She squeezes me against her. “You like this girl. And we both know it, so don’t let your cockiness interfere.”
“In other words, beg?”
Dimples laughs. “If that’s what it takes. Seriously, you’ve been my ride or die for a long damn time. I know you. She’s special.”
“But we just met.” I’m trying to convince myself, not Dimples.
“It doesn’t matter.” Dimples chucks me under the chin. “I’ve never seen that look in your eyes.”
“The fuck.” I throw both my hands over my face and run them down my cheeks. “I’ve got it bad, don’t I?”
“Yep. And I think it’s sweet.”
“It’d be sweeter without the shit going on at the club.”
“No, it’s still sweet, and you can’t let Frost fuck that up.” Dimples slaps me on the back. “Come on. Let’s not keep her waiting.”
With it being a Tuesday night, the bar is nearly empty. I spot Shadow at a corner table with a beer already in front of her. Relaxed? Or does it mean she needs liquid courage?
She greets us with a smile and a hug, but her eyes betray her. I want to interrogate her. I don’t, knowing what Dimples would say: Give her space.
It’s difficult making small talk, but I sense she’s waiting for us to be served before she tells us why she invited us. Dimples carries the conversation since I spend much of the time analyzing Shadow’s every move, trying to decipher a hidden message in her words. I can’t.
After our beers arrive and we enjoy a few sips, Shadow’s demeanor changes. Her gaze darts around the room before it settles on me. “I suppose you’re curious why I asked you here.”
I manage an easy smile, though it doesn’t match my insides. “We’re curious.”
Shadow bends and pulls an envelope from under the table. She opens it, takes out what looks to be pictures, and fans them in the center of the table.
I lean over and stare, but I don’t pick up the photos. It’s as if I do, it’ll make them real.
Dimples doesn’t have the same reservations and snatches a handful. “For fuck’s sake, what is this?”
Before I can say anything, Dimples rifles through more and tosses them down. She looks up at Shadow and says, “Is this blackmail?”
Shadow’s face falls. “God, no. Did you…I mean…what did—”
Dimples shakes her head. “I’m trying to figure it out.”
“I am, too,” Shadow says.
I still haven’t spoken, but their back and forth is hammering at my brain. I place my hands on the sides of my head. “Would you two just stop?”
I must have said it louder than I realized because people from several tables over turn and stare.
I take a calming breath and put my hand on top of Shadow’s. “Will you tell us what’s going on?”
“I don’t know what’s happening.” Tears well in Shadow’s eyes. “Wiz—”
Dimples interrupts. “Wiz gave you these?”
Shadow nods and blinks back tears.
In a calm voice I don’t feel, I say, “Let’s let Shadow tell her story. Without interruption.” I squeeze Shadow’s hand. “Go ahead.”
My fists clench under the table as Shadow spills the story of her meeting with Wiz. When she finishes, there is so much anger raging inside me I sit silently, afraid of what might spew from my mouth.
Shadow looks at me with concern. I want to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything will be okay, but can I?
I feel Dimples’ gaze on me. She’s waiting for me to speak—to take charge. The responsibility weighs heavy on me. I’ve brought all of this on Shadow and the club.
I meet Shadow’s gaze. “I am so sorry. This is all my fault.”
Shadow’s brow furrows. “How so?”
“She’s got a god complex,” Dimples says and rolls her eyes. “How is this your fault?”
“Shadow never should have been there. I should have said no.”
“Oh, my bad. I thought I’m an adult. Responsible for my own decisions.” Shadow’s voice drips with sarcasm. “I guess Margot was right about me all along.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I shoot Shadow a look before I turn my glare on Dimples. “If I had Frost in line, this shit never would have happened. It’s a failure of leadership.”
Dimples glances at Shadow. “See, I told you. God complex. World hunger is her fault, too.”
Anger bubbles inside of me. I imagine smashing beer bottles. My jaw locks. “Why are you two busting my balls?”
“Because we’re a team.” Dimples puts her hand on top of Shadow’s. “United.”
“That’s right.” Shadow turns her hand over and clasps Dimples’.
I want to believe it. I shake my head. “There ain’t nothing you two can do about Frost.” I jab my thumb into my chest. “That’s all on me. I just haveta rip her fucking patch off her cut.”
“Tempting, but you can’t do that.” Dimples picks up the photos and tosses them in the air, letting them rain onto the table. “You have no proof. Accusing your VP without proof is the fastest way to lose respect from the patches.”
“Fuck that.” I put my hand on the pictures and shove them toward Dimples. “Who else would’ve done it?”
Shadow picks up the picture of Dimples bleeding. “Frost was outside when these were taken.”
“Of course she was. Her cronies snapped them, so she can feign innocence.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t allow surveillance,” Dimples says. “So there’s no proof.”
She’s right. To protect the identities of our clients, we have no cameras inside or outside of the Velvet Rose Lodge. While it creates a security risk, it ensures confidentiality, which our players insist on. “It had to be somebody with her.”
“Obviously,” Dimples says. “But as a leader, you can’t go around throwing accusations. You need proof, or it’s gonna look like you’re carrying out a vendetta and protecting your girlfriend.”
“I am.”
“That’s sweet,” Shadow says. “But it’s too late for that.”
My heart drops to my stomach as her words rattle in my brain. It’s too late. Of course it is. If Wiz calls a tribunal, there’s only one way this will play out. Shadow will have to denounce any connection with the Thorns and me.
“Hey.” Dimples brushes my hair back. “You just lost all the color in your face. You okay?”
A movie of me flipping the table and trashing the bar flickers in my head. It’s been forever since such destructive thoughts took over my mind.
“Whoa.” Dimples grabs my arm. “I haven’t seen that look in your eyes in forever. Bring it down a notch, Storm.”
Dimples’ touch and hearing my name brings me out of the darkness. When I glance at Shadow, there’s fear in her eyes, and it nearly breaks me.
I drop my head into my hands and dig my fingers into my scalp. “Give me a minute.”
They stare, but I don’t care. Aces taught me this. When I look up, the fog has cleared.
The fear in Shadow’s eyes is now mixed with concern.
“Ya calm now?” Dimples asks.