“What?”
“A vest. He give you a leather vest. One that said ‘Property of Rusty’ on the back.
“No. Of course not.” He looked at her like he didn’t know her. “I’m telling the truth, Shades.”
“And the rest? The money and killing him?”
“I didn’t do it, Shades. I swear it. How can you even ask me that?”
“How can I ask you that? You seriously askin’ me that, knowin’ you took a grand from me on your way out?”
She bowed her head at the reminder. “I did that. I admit it. But I didn’t do this. I didn’t steal from them. And I didn’t kill a man. I could never do that.”
“Not even in self-defense?”
“What?”
“He hit you? He hurt you?”
“What? No. He was good to me. It wasn’t like that.”
“Then how was it exactly?”
“I woke up that morning. He was still asleep. He’d partied the night before and passed out when he came in. I went out to get us coffee at Starbucks. He was fine when I left. When I came back, I found him lying in the bed. Stabbed. The bag was gone.”
“The bag?”
“He kept it with him all the time. I never looked inside, but I’m sure, the way he kept it close, that it always had something of value in it. I’m not stupid. He was in an MC. Had to be either drugs or money. Payments, extortion, something.”
Shades and Ghost exchanged a look.
“Then what happened?” Shades pressed.
“I felt for a pulse. I couldn’t find one, and he was so cold, but I called 911 anyway. Before they could arrive, his brothers showed up, and I panicked. After all, it was my dagger sticking out of their brother’s chest. If they’d walked in and found me standing there with his blood on me…they’d have killed me. Pulled out a gun and shot me dead right there on the spot. No questions asked. I knew that. So I ran out the back.”
“They see you?”
She nodded. “Yes. One of them ran out the back door and saw me driving off. He fired off a couple of shots at me, but I got away.”
“So he’s dead, by your dagger, the money’s gone and they see you fleeing the scene. Could this situation be more fucked?”
“We need to talk to Butcher,” Ghost informed him of something he probably already knew.
“We finally found each other again, and now my hooking up with you has just brought a shit storm down on my club,” Shades growled.
“I’m sorry, Shades. I never meant to be the cause of any trouble for you.”
“Fuck.”
She paced to the window, peering through the one inch gap in the curtain. She could see the group of men in their leather cuts standing at the back gate. Their bikes parked in a line in the alley beyond.
“Get away from the window, Skylar.”
She stepped away and turned to study Shades, wondering what he was thinking, what he would do now.
His eyes bore into hers, as if he was trying to read her as well.
“Are you going to turn me over to them?” she asked in a whisper, fearing his response. If he or his President thought the Devil Kings had some claim on her, they’d feel obligated to give her up to them. She was sure their President wanted no part of her dragging their MC into the middle of this mess. Would they just drag her down there and hand her over? Would Shades allow it? Would he have any choice or say in the matter? What if it was out of his hands?