"Clearly, that wasn't necessary," I fussed. "Besides, I'm very capable of taking care of myself."
He crossed his arms and gave me one of his disapproving looks. "I've always thought so, but now I'm having my doubts."
"Well, stop with the doubts." Trying my best not to let him get to me, I walked around the counter and grabbed a handful of books. "And for what it's worth, even though I don't know him all that well, I happen to think Shadow is a nice guy."
His eyes narrowed as he asked, "So, what you're saying is, you've got a thing for this guy?"
"No, Jason," I said with exasperation. "I don't have a thing for this guy. I just think you're judging him too harshly, especially since you don't even know him!"
"I don't have to know him, Alex. I saw that he was wearing his patch last night. I know what it represents. Satan's Fury practically runs this city, and the fact we're talking about a place like Memphis and all the gangs we have in it, that's saying something. Hell, everybody knows they're into some pretty bad shit, and there's not a soul around who isn't afraid of these guys!"
"Okay. I've heard enough." While I didn't want to admit it, a part of me knew he was right. I heard all the rumors about Satan's Fury, and like Jason said, they weren't exactly good men. They were known for their violence and mayhem, and I could only imagine what Jason would say if he knew I'd invited one of them over for dinner. Hoping to keep that tidbit a secret, I started to make myself busy by organizing the books on the shelves as I declared, "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Why? Because you know I'm right?" he replied sarcastically.
"Because I think you're being a jerk!"
"You sure are getting defensive about some guy you don't really know." He cocked his eyebrow. "You really must have a thing for him."
"Will you just stop already? You're going way overboard with all this."
"And why would you think I was going overboard?"
I turned to look at him and said, "I don't know, Jason. Why don't you tell me?"
"Because you're my best friend, and I'm worried about you!" He stepped towards me with a pained expression. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."
The sincerity in his voice tugged at me, making me feel guilty for being so dismissive. "Nothing is going to happen to me, Jason, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll be careful. Okay?"
"And you'll steer clear of this Shadow guy?"
I hated lying to him, but I knew he wouldn't let it go unless I said-"I'll do my best."
"That's all I'm asking." He grabbed the rest of the books off the counter and brought them over to me. "Is this the last of it?"
"Yeah. That's it for now."
"Good. You wanna go get a burger or something?"
"I can't. Debbie called in sick, so it's just me today."
"You really need to hire some more help around here."
I couldn't say that he was wrong. I was working overtime after losing one of my best employees, and my other cashier, Debbie, wasn't exactly the most reliable person on the planet. I needed the help, but I simply didn't want to go through the hassle or the expense of hiring another employee. Seeing as I didn't want to get into another debate with him, I nodded. "I know and I will, but for now, I need to get back to work."
"Yeah, I guess I better do the same," he groaned as he headed for the door. "I'll catch up with you later."
Once he was gone, I made myself busy around the store, which wasn't exactly difficult since I was there alone. After I dealt with the few customers who came strolling in, I checked the time and realized I only had a half hour until closing time. I was suddenly overcome with nerves and excitement, and I was eager to get upstairs so I could start preparing dinner. I rushed around the place, picking up trash and putting away stray books, and when I got to the back of the store, I was surprised to see that Shadow's coffee cup and book were still sitting on the side table. With everything that had happened outside, he must've forgotten to put his things away, so I went over and placed the cup in the trash. I reached for the book he'd been reading and stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed the title-Getting Past Your Past, a New York Times bestselling book on how to deal with PTSD. I was beyond stunned, and as I stood there staring at that cover, I couldn't help but wonder why he'd chosen that particular genre. Was it just a fluke, or did he really have a traumatic past that he was trying to deal with?
That thought lingered in my head as I finished closing the store and headed upstairs. I was lost in my own thoughts as I searched the refrigerator and cabinets, looking for all the ingredients I'd need for Hallie's lasagna recipe. It was one of my all-time favorites and something that wouldn't be hard to warm up if he was late getting there. After I had everything prepared, I straightened up the apartment and headed for the shower. That's when it hit me. As I stood there trying to decide what to wear, my nerves started to set in and I couldn't stop thinking about everything that Jason had said. Then, I thought about the book he'd been reading and the fact that I really didn't know anything about him, and I started to wonder if maybe Jason had been right about everything. But then, I remembered the way he looked at me in Newman's parking lot and again in the alley behind the bookstore. That look was filled with enough intensity to melt the clothes right off of my body, and I couldn't deny it. I liked it. I liked it a lot. I'd only read about moments like that in romance novels, but I never expected it to happen to me, and just thinking about it brought butterflies to my stomach. Maybe I was wrong when I told Jason that I didn't have a thing for Shadow. Maybe I was very, very wrong.
Shadow
When I got back to the clubhouse, I grabbed my recent purchase from the hardware store out of my saddlebag and headed to see Hoss. As I'd hoped, the minute I opened the door and saw him hanging there in the same position we'd left him, all my thoughts about Alex quickly disappeared. Just as it should be, my focus was solely on him and the information I needed him to divulge. I knew Gus and the rest of my brothers were counting on me, and there was no way I was going to let them down. When I stepped inside the room, the heat was so overwhelming that it was difficult to breathe, and the foul stench only made it worse. I looked over to Hoss and wasn't surprised to see that his clothes were soaked with sweat, and his wrists were bruised and bleeding from the long night of trying to keep himself upright. He was barely able to keep his eyes open as he swayed back, letting the chains pull taut as they kept him from falling. The guy was barely hanging on, and I hadn't even touched him.
I walked over to the corner of the room and grabbed an old wooden chair with a wicker seat. I placed it behind him, then walked over to the wall and loosened one of his restraints just enough for him to sit. With a pain-filled groan, he collapsed into the chair and his entire body went limp. I stepped over to him and snickered. "Morning, Hoss. You have a good night?"
His voice was weak and barely coherent, but he managed to reply, "Fuck you, asshole."
"I'll take that as a no." I opened a bottle of water and took a long drag before extending it out in front of his face. "You thirsty?"
Sweat trickled down from his brow as he pleaded, "Please!"
I shook the bottle above his head, and when he opened his mouth, I poured several drops over his tongue-just enough to make him desperate for more. "There's plenty more … You want it? All you have to do is tell me where I can find Jasper."
"Can't tell you that."
His eyes locked on the water bottle as I brought it up to my mouth and took another drink. "And why is that?"
"Cause if I talk, I'm as good as dead."
"What makes you think you're not already?" I motioned my hands around the room as I continued, "I mean, come on, man. From the looks of things, you're chances of getting out of here alive are pretty fucking slim."
"I'd rather take my chances here."
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely."
"I gotta say … that takes balls, Hoss." I walked over to the wall and pulled on the chain connected to his wrist, forcing him back into a standing position. "Not exactly smart, but it takes balls."
I spent the next several hours trying an assortment of strategies to get him to talk, but he refused. I wasn't surprised. Like me, he'd been trained to keep his mouth shut, but my patience was wearing thin. I had plans that I wanted to keep, so I decided it was time to take it to the next level. I had something special planned for him, something that might just make him reconsider his stance on keeping quiet. His eyes were damn near swollen shut and his entire body was covered in bruises and blood as he watched me remove my pocketknife from my back pocket. When I reached for the chair and started cutting out the wicker seating, he asked, "What are you doing?"