Shadow Chapter
Shadow:
Jealousy hit me first, then pure blinding madness when I glanced up from the woman standing before me.
She was a hanger who had been at the club before.
When she came the first night months ago, I’d gotten a blow job from her.
Afterward, whenever she approached me, I waved her off.
Tonight, she was brazen and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I’d been telling her a second time that I wasn’t interested and to leave me alone when I caught sight of Ryder taking Cambria out of the common room.
They were headed down the hall to the crash rooms. That was what flipped me into a killing rage. The son of a bitch had known I wanted her. He agreed to let me make my move in my timeframe. Clearly, he was breaking his word.
Shoving past the hanger mid-sentence, I went after them.
I heard my name shouted, but I ignored whoever it was.
All I saw was the two of them together. He had his fucking arm around her.
I’d tear it off and beat him with it. I caught sight of them ahead of me as they walked into one of the empty bedrooms, and the door closed.
The click of the door was loud in my ears, like a gunshot.
I ran to the door. I didn’t bother to knock.
I twisted the handle and burst inside. Ryder had his back to me, standing in front of her.
Cambria was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking up at him.
“You motherfucker!” I roared.
Cambria gasped, and her eyes widened. Ryder’s turn toward me was halted by my fist taking him in the side of the jaw. He stumbled backward, and Cambria screamed.
“How fucking dare you!?” I yelled.
I drew back my arm to hit him again, but stopped because Cambria raced up to me and captured my arm.
“Shadow, what are you doing!?” she cried out.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ryder asked angrily.
“You know what’s wrong. You said you don’t feel the way I do. You promised to step back and let me handle this. You stabbed me in the back, brother,” I hissed.
The sound of multiple voices speaking over each other came from behind me.
I refused to look. Cambria abruptly let go of my arm and then darted over to Ryder.
Her hand came up to touch his face, near his bloody lip.
A menacing growl poured up the back of my throat.
I lunged toward them, planning to tear her away from him.
Instead, I was held in place by hard hands on both shoulders and arms.
“Let go of me,” I snarled.
“The rest of you, get out,” I heard Wrath order. Cambria was back to looking at me, stunned. The thunder of footsteps and the murmur of voices faded away. Then the door shut.
“We’re gonna let go of you. Don’t throw more punches,” Wrath warned. Slowly, the grips on me eased.
The next thing I knew, Rage, Wrath, and Smoke were standing on either side of Cambria and Ryder.
“Shadow, what in the world has gotten into you?” she asked.
“Cambria, I want you to leave the room,” I told her.
“I won’t. You need to tell me what possessed you to barge in here and attack your brother,” she countered.
“He knows why,” I replied.
“Honey, you should go hang out with the old ladies. Let us take care of this,” Rage instructed.
“Rage is right. Go. I’m fine, Cam,” Ryder told her.
A growl slipped out. He gave her a sweet smile.
“You all clearly know something that I don’t. I want to know what the hell is going on here? Are you drunk?” she asked me.
“No, I’m not drunk.”
“Then I don’t see why you’d attack him the way you did. He’s your brother and friend. You had no right to punch him, Shadow.” She defended him, which only intensified my anger and need to beat him and take her away.
“I have every right to hit him. He broke his word. I trusted him, and he lied,” I argued.
“How?” she asked, mystified.
If I answered her, I’d oust myself and my feelings for her.
And it was clear that if she came to a room like this with him, she was into him, not me.
Disappointment deepened my rage. I’d let myself start to believe that there was hope that Cambria would be mine.
I was a fucking fool. I should return to the common room and take that hanger up on her offer.
Reflexively, I took a step toward the door, even if I knew there was no damn way I’d do it.
“Shadow, you and Ryder need to resolve this. However, I believe that you and Cambria need to talk first. It’s time to tell her,” Wrath said.
He was staring so intently into my eyes, I knew what he was trying to communicate, but I was wary. I hated to look like a fool. Smoke and Rage were nodding their heads in agreement. My gaze landed on Ryder’s. He wasn’t happy, but the anger I expected to see wasn’t there.
“Shadow, you totally misunderstood this. I’ll tell you why, but I agree. This misunderstanding between us can wait until tomorrow. Right now, you need to talk to Cam.”
I disliked his shortening of her name. It made it feel like they had a closer relationship than friendship. Hell, I didn’t use the name I called her in my head.
“Cambria, I promise that you can be alone with Shadow to talk. He’s not a man to hurt you. It’s critical that the two of you talk. Would you prefer to do it here, or at one of your homes?” Wrath asked.
What if she was too afraid to be alone with me? I had attacked Ryder without warning. I knew I had worn a crazed expression when I did.
“I’m not concerned for my safety. I know that whatever caused this isn’t his usual behavior, which is why I questioned it. If you all believe I need to speak to him, then I’ll do it. I think for privacy’s sake, we should go to the guesthouse. When we’re done, he can return.”
There was a thinly veiled edge to that last part. Why the fuck would I return to the clubhouse? After she crushed me, I’d retire home and drink my ass off without witnesses.
“Alright then, why don’t you two go and get started? We’ll stay here with Ryder. We need him to help us sort this out,” Wrath said.
The silence stretched for a couple of beats before Cambria nodded.
However, before she came to me, she turned to Ryder and tugged on his arm.
He lowered his head to listen to whatever she whispered in his ear.
I had to fight not to go after him for it.
Illogical, I know, when she was the one initiating it, but that was how it impacted me.
He was murmuring back. It lasted two minutes and five seconds.
I knew because I timed it on the wall clock.
When they were finished, she slowly came to me.
I noted the wariness in her gaze. I held out my hand, but refused to get my hopes up that she’d take it.
I was shocked when she did. Holding it without crushing her fingers, I gave a chin lift to the others, then went to the door.
I took her down the hallway we were in and out the exit there.
It actually placed us closer to the guesthouse.
The walk was an uncomfortable one due to the silence and stiffness.
I tried to organize my thoughts. It was now or never with her.
God, I hoped for more time to win her heart.