Rain Shadow(21)

I leaned down to help Luke to his feet. His face was white. He was hunched over in agony and looked close to puking.

“You are a crazy old man, and I fucking hate you!” I screamed.

I braced for the pain as he lifted his hand to slap me, but Luke’s arm shot up and grabbed hold of my grandfather’s arm. Once again that strange mingling of rage and admiration crossed my grandfather’s face.

Luke straightened. He gritted his teeth against the pain and spoke through a clenched jaw. “She’s been under your protection all these years— now she’s under mine.”

Grandpa looked at him long and hard. Then he grinned and nodded. “Get some sleep, Son. We’ve got guns to move in the morning.”





Chapter 6

Luke

An abrupt knock startled me and I opened my eyes in the dark room. I’d slept for only a few short spurts of time. The night had been long especially since it had ended with Angel giving me only a light kiss on the mouth and going off to her own cabin. She’d given the excuse that the wild night and the wine had given her a headache, but I knew she was still upset with me.

No light crept through the crusty windows. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and cold night air filled the dingy room. There was no clock, and even after being awake most of the night¸ I had no idea what time it was. My head throbbed from the lump on its side. My back ached from Dreygon’s violent effort to save his pride, and my stomach was empty.

I opened the door. Jericho was on the porch. He tossed a sweatshirt at me.

“Thanks,” I said.

“We’re meeting at the gate in ten minutes.”

“Great. Will they be serving donuts and coffee?”

He smiled. “Should only take a few hours. Gracie will have breakfast going by the time we get back.”

“Good to hear.” I rubbed the knot on my head. “Long fucking night.”

“Yeah.” He looked at me. “If I had to lose her, I’m glad it was to someone like you.”

“Thanks, man,” I said, more than slightly surprised by his admission. “Sometimes I look for words to describe how I feel about her, and there aren’t any. They don’t exist. There’s nothing strong enough.”

“Yeah, Evie has that effect on people. Once she’s wrapped herself around your heart, there’s no letting go.” This was a guy who had to fight girls off, but he made no effort to hide his heartbreak. I felt bad for him. I couldn’t even imagine losing a girl like Angel.

Jericho left and I went in to wash up. The crow bar had done a number on my back and pulling a sweatshirt on over my head was torturous. Angel had been so disappointed in me, she hadn’t even offered an aspirin. I hated leaving the compound on whatever fucked up mission Dreygon had planned for us with her being pissed at me. Since I was going to be armed in the back of a truck hauling illegal guns, it seemed there was a distinct possibility that I might not make it back.

The brisk predawn air smacked me as I stepped outside, clearing my weary head and making everything hurt more. I had no idea what I was heading into or how much threat there would be to this shipment of wares, but I now had a front seat ticket to Dreygon’s illicit business affairs. Outlaw clubs were few and far apart. Most bike clubs formed from a sense of brotherhood, camaraderie amongst people who enjoyed the open, exhilarating life of riding. But the one percenters, as they were sometimes called, who thrived on being bad, were some of the most dangerous people around. And they were tough to stop. They stuck together like a brotherhood, and they had a network of connections that kept them in business, no matter what the business.

I glanced back at Angel’s cabin. It was dark. A large, gray box truck was parked inside the compound gates. I hadn’t seen it come in. Gunner peered out of the driver’s window. Dreygon was nowhere in sight, most likely still asleep in his cabin pretending as if none of this was happening. The loyalty of his crew amazed me. Even Gunner, who obviously despised the man, was sitting willing and ready in the seat of the truck ready to do Dreygon’s bidding.

Jericho stepped around the side of the truck. He had a gun in his hand. “You’ll be in back. There’s no real danger right now. The fun starts once we pick up the goods.”

I smiled at the notion of submachine guns being goods. He handed me the weapon. “How will I keep watch from the back of a box truck?”



“We’ll be switching this truck out when we get there. The other truck has some small windows to keep an eye on things.” Something had caught his eye behind me. I turned around.

She always looked way too innocent and too beautiful to be part of this world. She looked almost lost and a little lonely with her hands tucked in the pockets of her jeans and the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up over her head.