She stared up at him, fire in her eyes now. “I don’t have to listen to this.”
He took a deep breath, and blew it out, some of the frustration he felt having been released into the crumbling drywall. His voice softened. “You always were a stubborn little thing.”
“Maybe I’ve had to be.”
His eyes took in her face. Fuck. Up close she was even more beautiful, and he felt the pull of attraction he’d always felt for her. It all came rushing back. His eyes moved over her face, down her neck to the cleavage exposed by the scoop of her white tank, and then he saw the chain and beads peeking out from under her hair and disappearing into that cleavage. And he knew right away what they were. Even before he found his hand lifting to pull it slowly out of her shirt.
Her hand flashed up to grab his wrist, but it was too late. The cross of his rosary was swinging from his clenched hand. The rosary she’d taken from him the last time he’d seen her. No, not taken. Stolen. Along with about a grand i
n cash he’d had stashed in his drawer.
“You taking this,” he held it aloft, “gutted me more than the cash you stole,” he bit out, his eyes boring into hers. At least she had the decency to look guilty.
A shadow fell across them, and Shades looked up to see Cole standing two feet away.
“You okay, Skylar?”
“This isn’t any of your concern, ol’ man,” Shades snarled.
“Back off, Brother, before I put you through the fucking wall,” Cole warned with deadly quiet.
Shades shoved off of Skylar, turning to Cole. “I don’t have to fucking back off. This is my Goddamn clubhouse, and I ain’t a fucking prospect anymore, Brother.” He said the last word as if Cole was no brother to him.
Cole’s eyes snapped to Skylar, and he ordered, “Get back outside to your ol’ man.”
Skylar gave Cole a confused look, but then hurried to comply, scurrying out from between Shades and the wall to dart past Cole. Shades swore he heard her whisper a soft thanks as she passed Cole and disappeared.
“She’s not yours anymore,” Cole bit out.
“Yeah, you made sure of that, didn’t you?” Shades glared at Cole, and then stalked off.
CHAPTER FOUR
Skylar crawled into bed. She stared at the ceiling, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. How could a day that started out so good, end up so bad? She’d been so excited to see Letty again after so long, and then Crash and Cole, too.
But the last place she’d expected to end up today was the Evil Dead clubhouse. Letty had been right about one thing, if she’d have mentioned that was the plan, Skylar never would have shown up. But with Crash, Cole and Letty all staring her down, and then Crash immediately dragging her off toward his bike, it really hadn’t given her a chance to come up with a way out.
She’d prayed all the way over there that she wouldn’t run into Shades, hoping maybe he wasn’t connected with the club anymore or had moved on. Or at least that he wouldn’t really recognize her or remember her. No such luck.
Story of her life.
And he had the nerve to think he could demand answers about where she’d been. Like he’d cared. After the way he’d ended things with her, she didn’t owe him shit. Well, maybe that money, and she really should give him the rosary back.
She found her hand lifting to the necklace, her fingers absently moving over the beads. It comforted her, like it always had over the last ten years. Whenever things got bad, she’d touch it and remember that one special summer she’d had with Shades.
Until it had all gone to hell.
Ten years ago—
Skylar snuggled up to Shades as he settled back against his headboard.
“Swear to Christ, you’re gonna wear me out, babe.”
She smiled and slugged him playfully in the ribs. “You have the gall to complain after that bout of really good sex we just had?”
“Really, really good sex,” he corrected with a grin and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He pulled her closer, until her head was tucked up under his chin, her forehead pressed against his throat.
Skylar wrapped her arm around him. “I wish we didn’t have to sneak around.”