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Cole gave a sad smile. “I know, Butcher. Sad you gotta go through this. Can’t see walking in that door,” he nodded toward the house referring to Bulldog. “And him not being there.”
Crash added, “Between my granddad and that man, they’re the ones that taught me what it means to be a man.”
Butcher nodded and agreed, “He’s gonna leave a big hole.”
****
“Oh my God, I can’t believe he’s still here.” Skylar whispered to Letty, her eyes connecting with Shades across the yard.
“Who?” Letty asked as she picked up the nozzle of the keg and put it to a red plastic cup.
“Shades.” Skylar nodded back to the man by the fire, whose aviator sunglasses were aimed their way.
Letty glanced back over her shoulder. “Oh yeah. I remember him.”
“Let’s go inside. I want to get away from him.”
Letty tossed the nozzle in frustration. “Sure. This keg is empty anyway.” Then she looked up and took in Skylar’s eyes, something clicking. “Wait! You mean you and him…and you never told me?”
Skylar looked away, and Letty suddenly put it all together. “Is that why you ran? It is, isn’t it?”
Skylar nodded.
“All that time, I thought it was something I’d done or that the Fullers had kicked you out.”
Skylar grabbed her by the arm and hustled her toward the back door of the clubhouse. “Come on.”
****
Shades used the excuse of needing another beer and moved off toward the clubhouse, intent on finding Skylar and cornering her while she was separated from Crash. He’d kept track of her out of the corner of his eye, and he knew the two girls had gone inside the clubhouse.
He went through the door and into the big open room, pushing his sunglasses up on his head. There was a bar against the back wall, and he spotted the two girls standing at the far left end of it. There was a hallway just to the left and around the corner from where she stood. That suited his purposes perfectly. Walking up behind Skylar, he surprised her by grabbing her upper arm. Turning to her friend, he snapped, “Excuse us a minute. The lady and I have some unfinished business.”
Then he pulled a shocked Skylar around the corner, into the hall and pushed her up against the wall.
“Remember me, sweetheart?” She stared up at him, and he could tell she was scared to death.
“Y-yes, of course I remember you, Shades.”
Letty stuck her head around the corner. “You okay, Skylar.”
Shades turned his head long enough to snap, “She’s fine. Go back to the bar.” His gaze returned to Skylar to see her turn her head and whisper, “It’s all right, Letty.”
Letty gave another look at Shades, and he took a threatening step towards her, one arm still holding Skylar to the wall. Letty was a fucking guest here in his clubhouse, and he didn’t care whose fucking sister she was, no one questioned a club member in their own fucking clubhouse. He was about ready to growl at her again, when she backed down and went back to the bar.
His attention returned to Skylar, but now his blood was up even more than it had been. “Didn’t expect to see you walkin’ back into my life today.”
“I’m not ‘walking back into your life’, Shades.”
“Where the fuck have you been all this time?”
“That’s none of your business anymore, is it?”
“Maybe I’m makin’ it my business.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes, and he pressed, “You with him now?” When she refused to reply, he shook her. “Answer me, Goddamn it. Are you his ol’ lady?”
She glared up at him. “I’m not yours. That’s all you need to know.”
He punched a hole in the wall near her head and let out a roar of aggravation. Her body jumped in reaction. He knew the music and boisterous laughter that always accompanied these hell-raising wakes would drown out the sound of their argument. And he was proven right when no one came to investigate.
