Chapter Twenty - Five
Shadow
I watch her settle beneath the sheets. She looks so small and vulnerable. Battered, bruised and bone tired.
I’ve seen bodies in worse condition. I’ve made bodies look worse. But seeing her like that, it fucking wrecks something in me.
I wait until her breathing evens out before I move. Quiet steps, slow. I gather the tray, the bottles, the mirror she dropped on the bed, and I set it face down on the counter. I stare at it for a second then slam my fist down on it once. Glass cracks under my knuckles, but I don’t feel a thing.
I turn off the light and step into the hallway, where Kasey is leaning against the wall, She gives me a look. “She had to see eventually,” she says. “To accept what’s happened.”
I drag a hand through my hair. “Yeah, I know.”
“She’s a mess,” she says gently. “But I think with time, you two will make it. You both gotta learn to trust again.”
I don’t answer because she’s right. Because I hate that she’s right.
I head downstairs. The clubhouse is quieter now, with the lights low, and laughter turned to background noise, like the brother’s sense I need the calm.
Axel is at the bar, counting cash. He doesn’t look up as he asks, “You sorted her?”
“Yeah,” I say, my voice thick and heavy.
He glances up then, eyes sharpening. “And Colin?”
I don’t blink. “Handled.” Of course, my brothers brought the shithead back to the basement so I could end him. They knew I’d need that, and they were right. Every hit brought me a step closer to calm. Until I saw her again, looking sad and broken. Fuck. It’s eating me alive.
He nods. “You told her about the claim?”
I shake my head. “She’s unsettled. Skittish.”
“It’s gotta be done soon, brother, you know that.”
I grab a bottle of water, not whiskey. I don’t want to lose myself tonight. Not when she’s upstairs needing me. “I know, Pres,” I say simply.
On the way back upstairs, I stop outside my door. Just for a breath, because there’s a heaviness in my chest, something like fear. Not for her safety, but for what happens next. Our future.
I open the door. She’s curled on her side, small hands fisted under her cheek like she fought sleep and lost. A towel is still half-wrapped around her hair.
I move quietly, lying down behind her, close but not crowding. I don’t touch her. It needs to be on her terms.
Barely above a breath, I speak the truth I’ve been choking on since the night she left. “Don’t ever think needing me makes you weak. From now on, I’m always going to be here, Rem, just waiting for you to need me.”
Her breathing stutters like she heard me even in her sleep. Then she settles again.
I watched her the entire night, like I was terrified to take my eyes off her. I saw every breath, every shift. I checked for a grimace whenever she moved so I’d know if she was feeling pain, if she needed me. She didn’t wake. Not once.
By seven, I’m downstairs, coffee in hand, washed and ready for church. Axel sent the message late last night, and somehow, I know this will affect me.
Church is full, brothers all curious as to why church has been called so early today.
Axel leans back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest. He studies me as I take a seat. No one speaks, and he lets the silence drag out long enough for every man in the room to wake up fully and listen. Finally, he clears his throat. “Remi’s back.”
A few eyes dart my way, but I remain fixed on the Pres. “You all heard what Shadow said the other day in the club. And, yeah, she stole, but we’ve gotten to the bottom of it now and she was desperate. So, I don’t want anyone giving her grief cos we all know what it feels like to be desperate.”
He pins me with his gaze. “And I’m gonna make this really simple, Shadow.”
I sit forward, hands clasped on the table. “Go on.”
“You need to claim her now. Publicly. Officially. No confusion and no bullshit drama. Everyone needs to be clear on Remi’s place in this club.”
I give a stiff nod, knowing she’s going to fight me on this.
“Hell’s Avengers are joining us for a run tonight. It’s the perfect opportunity,” he continues. “Stand up in front of every man and lay claim out loud. No hesitation.”
I exhale slow through my nose. “Does it need to be so . . . public?”
“It’s the only way, brother. I’ve no doubt she’s still got shit hiding in her closet.
And that’s gonna resurface at some point, so you need eyes on you when you make this announcement, so it gets heard by all the right people.
It’ll spread far and wide, protecting her.
You want her to stick around, then lay claim cos I ain’t bending the rules for you anymore. ”
Grizz sits forward. “I just wanna say, brother. I watched you those days she was gone. I watched you stop being you. I watched you damn near break. You couldn’t breathe without her. It doesn’t sound like you gotta a choice to me.”
Ripper nods. “Same.”
I let my eyes drop to the table for one slow second, then I look Axel dead in the eye.
“She’s mine.” It comes out low, steady. No tremor. No hesitation.
Axel’s mouth tips just enough to show approval. “Good. Then you’ll say it again tonight, loud enough for every bastard in that room to hear.”
I stand, and the chair legs scrape the floor. “It won’t be a problem.”
Then I leave to find her. I take the stairs two at a time, expecting to see her where I left her.
Curled under the blankets, breathing steady, safe.
But the bed is empty. The bathroom is empty too.
The closet door is open, and a wet towel is discarded on the floor.
My pulse spikes. I check the hallway, then the rooms on either side. No Remi.
My boots hit the stairs hard on the way down. She wouldn’t have left. She’s got nowhere to go. And surely, she wouldn’t get far in her condition.
My jaw is already clenched when I hit the kitchen doorway, sagging in relief when I see her. She’s sitting at the breakfast bar with Kasey, a plate in front of her. Hands wrapped around a mug like she’s trying to warm herself from the inside out.
She looks small, but she looks present, awake. There’s even a smile tugging at her lips as Kasey says something to her. Relief hits me so hard, it turns into something rough. I step forward. “Why weren’t you in bed?” It comes out sharper than I mean it and Remi flinches.
Kasey stands, already bristling. “She’s fine. I got her something to eat. She woke up shaky, and I didn’t think you’d want her passing out alone upstairs.”
“This isn’t your responsibility,” I snap.
Kasey’s brows go up. “No one said it was. I was helping out.”
“It’s my place to look after her.” I hear my tone. I hate it once it’s out, but I don’t pull it back.
Remi immediately folds in on herself. “I’m sorry,” she blurts.
“I should’ve waited. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to make anything worse.
I just . . . I got hungry. I should have asked you.
I’m sorry. I’ll go back upstairs. I’ll get out of the way.
” She pushes her chair back so fast, it scrapes loud across the floor.
Kasey looks at me like she wants to break the nearest mug over my head. “Fix your tone,” she murmurs low before squeezing Remi’s arm and walking out.
Silence settles heavy between us. Remi won’t look at me. She stands there shaking, her hands twisting together like she is waiting for a punishment.
I sigh, releasing the tension I felt, and take a careful step towards her. I gently take her hands in mine and dip down to catch her eye. I offer a smile. “Sorry, Rem. It was my fault and I shouldn’t have been abrupt. I panicked when I saw you were gone. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I should’ve waited.”
“No, you did right. This is your home now, and you can move freely around it.” I take a breath and then decide on honesty. “I was scared,” I admit. “When I saw you weren’t there, I thought you’d ran. I thought I’d lost you again. I overreacted.”
She lifts her eyes. “I thought I was supposed to stay out of the way.”
“You stay where you feel safe,” I say. “Even if that’s not with me in that second.” She exhales, long and shaky. “Kasey did right. You did right. I was the one who messed up.” She blinks, and I reach out, brushing her cheek gently, avoiding the bruise. “Come here,” I murmur.
She steps into me without thinking, resting her forehead against my chest. I wrap my arms around her, steady and certain.
“We’re gonna get it right, Remi. We’ve just gotta get used to one another.” When she doesn’t speak, I tip her head back slightly to look her in the eyes. “I never planned to be in this situation.” She continues to look at me, her eyes questioning. I groan, “I’m getting this all wrong.”
“You mean saving me?”
I smile, brushing her hair from her face. “I mean claiming an old lady.” Her brow furrows, and I rub my thumb over it. “Axel is pushing it to happen.”
She steps back. “Why?”
“Protection,” I say simply. She gives a slow nod, her brow still knitted together like I’ve just announced I’m sending her back into hell. “Today,” I add, “in front of the club.”
“Right,” she almost whispers.
“I’d like us to go and get you an outfit.” I rake my eyes over my shirt that hangs loosely on her thin frame. “Cos as much as I love seeing you in my shit, I can’t let my brothers see you like that.”
She glances down. “Shopping didn’t really work out for us before,” she mutters. “And I don’t think I’m ready to go out.”
I wince. “Of course. I should’ve thought about that. Okay, leave it with me. I’ll sort something.”
Within the hour, I have the main room set out with different outfits. Lexi smiles, her hands on her hips. “You owe me for this,” she says.
I kiss her on the cheek before rushing upstairs to find Remi.
She’s lying on the bed staring at the ceiling when I burst in. “I have a surprise,” I announce, grinning as she pushes to sit up. I grab her hand. “Come on.”