Shadow Chapter 9
Last night was out of this world for me. I’d never experienced sex like that. Sure, I enjoyed it and got off plenty, but it hadn’t seemed to consume my entire body or make me want to do things like drop to my knees and ask her to marry me. Or plead with her to have my babies.
I had let her rest and doze for about an hour before I had to have her again.
She was just as unbelievable as she had been the first time.
After that round, where I got to worship her tits, and she sucked my cock, man, that had been sublime, we found the strength to shower, then fall into bed.
I pulled her against me and spooned her. I wanted her close.
This morning, when we woke up, we talked more about ourselves, and then it was time to face the day.
That had been a couple of hours ago. It was eleven a.m. It was time to talk to Ryder.
Surely, if he’d partied harder last night, he was awake enough and alone to talk.
He wasn’t one to allow a woman to sleep next to him after sex was over.
I wasn’t looking forward to talking to him. Cambria had wanted to come with me, but I told her this was between my brother and me. She relented. I promised I’d come back after I was done and we’d spend the rest of the day together.
Ryder most likely was at his house, so I headed there first. His home sat right behind Wrath’s.
It was on the opposite side from mine, and it was up two spots closer to the clubhouse.
I took a deep breath before I knocked briskly on his door.
I wasn’t just walking in like I usually would’ve.
As I waited, I tried to compose what I would say. Before I got far, the door was opened.
Ryder was clearly just waking up. His hair stood up, and he had only a pair of gray shorts on. His jaw was covered in scruff and a faint bruise. I winced. He appeared sleepy. He scratched his chest as he looked at me.
“What’s with the pounding? Since when do you not just come in?” Those were the first words out of his mouth.
“True, but after last night, I thought it was better that I check to see if I’m welcome.”
He rolled his eyes and stepped aside. He waved his arm. “Get in here, asshole.”
I took no offense to his calling me an asshole. I had been and more. The fact that he didn’t greet me with a punch to the face was a good sign. I hoped. I entered. He gestured for me to follow him after closing the door. I did. We ended up at the kitchen counter.
“What can I get you? I have coffee, water, or I have Coke and beer,” he offered.
It was too early for beer, even if I felt one might help, and I’d had my coffee for the day. “Water will do. Thanks.”
He grabbed a bottle of water, then went to the coffee maker and poured coffee into a mug that was already there.
He brought me the water, then kept walking into his family room.
I followed and took a seat in one of the chairs.
He sat in the other one. I took a swallow of water to start my words rolling, but Ryder beat me to it.
“I see that you’ve calmed the fuck down since last night.
Good. You were out of line and a dick, Shadow.
Something you generally aren’t. What the hell?
Did you and Cambria talk and get things straightened out?
What did she tell you was happening between us?
” He fired his remarks and questions at me.
“We did talk. As for why she was in that room with you, she didn’t give me any details, only to assure me my assumption was wrong.
The simple truth is, I thought you were taking her to one of the rooms to have sex with her.
I was enraged that you broke your word. You promised to leave her alone.
I look over, and you’re taking her down the hall and disappearing into a room. I lost it,” I confessed.
“Yeah, lost it is a mild term. You busted in there and hit me without allowing us to explain a damn thing. I can overlook the punch. What pisses me off is that you thought my word wasn’t worth a damn.
I’m your brother. You’re supposed to trust me and vice versa.
My job is to protect my club from outside and inside trouble. ”
Underneath his terse words, I noted a hint of hurt. I sighed. “Ryder, I do trust you. It was an emotional response. My fucking brain clicked offline. It’s Cambria. I reacted out of fear. I saw my chance to be with her slipping away. In that moment, you weren’t my brother. You were my rival.”
He shook his head, then took a sip of his coffee before he responded.
“Christ, if that’s what happens when you find an old lady, maybe I’ll stay single. Goddamn, Wrath and Rage are bad, but I thought it was because of their personalities. But to have quiet Shadow turn into some crazy man. Shit, is this what falling for a woman does to you?”
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, yeah, it seems to be along those lines.
However, Cambria has assured me there’s no reason for it.
I promised her I’d work on not reacting without thinking or asking.
She’s not happy with me. She wanted to be here, but I told her we needed to do this alone. She wants to see if you’re alright.”
A grin appeared on his face. “So, she wants to take care of me. Wonder if she’ll kiss me to make it better?”
A low growl came out, but I cut it off halfway. Ryder laughed as he leaned back in his chair.
“Shit, you are touchy. Okay, note to self, don’t joke about Cam with Shadow for a while.”
“Ryder, I am sorry for attacking you. I’ll work on it,” I assured him.
“You’d better, because she’s a stunning woman. You’ll always have men who admire her, even if it’s only with their eyes. You can’t beat the male population into the ground.”
I had to chuckle. He was right.
“So, you have no idea what she went to the room with me for? Let me fill you in. Then I would like some details on how the conversation with her went. So last night, I caught her scanning the common room. When I caught her attention, I knew something was bothering her. She denied it, but you know me, I had to dig. Her eyes were shiny. I thought she’d cry.
So I took her down there for privacy so she would tell me what was wrong.
Before I got her to say, you came exploding through the door.
That’s it. Did she say why she was upset? ”
“I know what upset her and made her want to leave the clubhouse. It was that hanger who cornered me and refused to take no for an answer. I explained that I wasn’t available and asked her never to approach me again.
She wouldn’t listen. I tried to be nice to her and explain again.
She stubbornly resisted the truth. When I saw you with Cambria, I left her standing there.
I have no idea whose bed she got into last night or whose cock she sucked, but it wasn’t mine. I desire one woman.”
“Man, you’re further gone than before. Please tell me you told Cam how you see her. Does she know you’re in love with her?”
“She knows I want only her, that I swear to be faithful, and that I want long-term, forever, not a passing fuck buddy. As for being in love with her, those words weren’t spoken, but hinted at.
I hit her with so much, I was afraid to blurt that out, too.
She informed me she was feeling the same way, and she wants me. ”
“Did anything else happen after your talk?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me and leered.
I chuckled. “Like I’m telling you anything about what else went down.”
“Ah ha, that means there is something to report. Spill. You don’t have to give me all the details. Just tell me if you claimed her?”
“Yes, I claimed her. I’ll be asking in church for approval to make her my old lady. A ring can wait, but I want my property cut on her ASAP.”
“Way to go. I’m happy for you.”
I knew he meant it.
“You know that there will still be the club to talk to about you punching me. I can’t stop that.
You hit an officer, which they don’t like.
Not that it’s good to hit any of your brothers, but it seems to add a layer when the one you hit is an officer.
As the injured party, I believe I get final decision rights. ”
He was right. I would have to be held accountable and whatever punishment they deemed appropriate. However, that would wait until after this whole thing was resolved and she was made safe.
“I know, and I’ll face up to it. I did it. The reasons aren’t an excuse. But I lost my head, plain and simple. If you want, take a swing at me. Fair is fair. I don’t want this to affect us as brothers. I was an idiot.”
He sat there considering what I said, then he shook his head. “Nah, I can’t do it. I don’t want Cam pissed at me for marking up her man. She’d probably go online and erase me or something. I know you can do it, and I bet she can, too.”
“I don’t know if I can erase you, but I can fuck up your life, but you don’t need to worry about that. Are we good?”
He leaned forward with his hand out. I did the same, and we shook.
“We’re good,” he said.
After that, we relaxed and chatted about Keno’s reaction to his patching in and the fact that I’d been able to get Cambria to be mine. He and I then talked about cleaning up the mess made in her life so we could get on with our lives together. I wanted that more than anything.