Shadow:Satan's Fury: Memphis Chapter(21)

"No fucking idea, but I'm about to find out."

"You want me to go with you?"

"Not an option, brother. Gus needs you here."

We both watched as Alex made her way into the store, and it was clear from her stunned expression that she wasn't expecting her guest. "Looks like you need to get over there."

"Yeah, let me see what's going on, and then I'll be back."

His eyes narrowed as he said, "Maybe it's nothing, but you don't need to go alone. You've got no idea what you're walking into over there."

"I can handle it." I started towards the door and grabbed my phone to quickly search for the link that Riggs had sent, and once I could see her clearly on the screen, I headed out to my bike. By the time I made it out to the parking lot, I could tell she was in trouble. Relieved to see that Gunner was out by his truck, I yelled "Give me the keys and get in" without giving him an explanation.

After tossing me his keys, he asked, "What's going on?"

"Now, Gunner!" I started the engine, and once he was inside the truck, I handed him the phone. "Keep your eyes on the screen and let me know what the fuck is going."

Doing as I asked, he looked down at my phone, and while I was heading through the gate, he gasped, "Holy shit!"

"What's happening?"

"Who is this chick?"

Unable to control my emotions, I growled, "Just tell me what the fuck is happening, Gunner!"                       
       
           



       

"From what I can tell, he's mouthing off about something, but she's acting cool. Doesn't look like she's bothered by what he's saying."

"How do you know that?"

"Cause she's smiling at him." He snickered. "Oh, shit. He must've said the wrong damn thing, cause she just Kung Fu'd his ass!"

I couldn't make sense out of what Gunner was saying. As hard as I tried, it just didn't make sense. Thinking I must've misunderstood, I asked, "She did what?"

"Dude, this chick is a badass! She just ninja chopped this motherfucker right in the damn balls, and now, the guy his holding his crotch and it looks like he's about to puke!" He was smiling ear to ear as he said, "Wow. I think I'm in love."

"Shut the fuck up, Gunner."

"Sorry, brother." The color drained from his face as he explained, "I just got carried away. I was all caught up in the moment and wasn't thinking."

Ignoring his explanation, I pushed, "What's happening now?"

"She just knocked this asshole off his feet, but he's trying to get up  …  Oh, damn."

"What?"

"Douchebag has a gun, Shadow." My heart started to pound so hard I thought it would come right through my chest when he added, "He's got it pointed straight at her."

Even though I was already gunning it, I pressed my foot against the accelerator as I raced towards the bookstore. "Keep talking, Gunner."

"He's talking to her, but I got no idea what he's saying." He paused for a moment, then said, "She's walking towards him. She's walking slow, and I can see her mouth moving. She's talking to him. Fuck. I wish I knew what the hell she was saying!"

"You and me both."

"Dude. She just keeps getting closer to this guy. What the hell does she think she's doing?" After a brief second, his eyes widened as he announced, "Damn it all to hell. She just plowed him in the side of the leg. Like, holy shit man. I'm pretty sure she just broke his fucking knee."

"Good. What about the fucking gun?"'

"I don't see it  …  Wait! She's got it." I could see the surprised look in his eyes when he turned towards me and asked, "Who the hell is this chick, Shadow?"

"I'm beginning to wonder that myself."

"She's a friend of yours, right?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I know every fucking thing about her."

"Hell, don't worry about it, brother. All women have their secrets. She just happens to have more than most." He looked back at my phone and said, "Damn. She's gone."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Hold on  …  How do you get to the other cameras?"

"Fuck. I don't know. Riggs didn't tell me."

As soon as I pulled up to the curb in front of the store, we both jumped out of the truck and rushed towards the door. When we walked in, we found the guy on the camera sprawled out on the floor, and he wasn't moving. Gunner nudged him with his foot as he asked, "Damn. Did she kill him?"

"Don't fucking care. I just want to know where the hell she is," I snapped as I headed towards the back staircase. "Keep an eye on him. If he moves, end him."

"You got it."

I'd gotten halfway up the stairs when Alex came barreling out of her apartment with two large boxes in her hands. Totally unaware that I was even standing there, she started down the stairs, but stopped cold when she almost ran into me. "Dammit, Shadow. You scared the living hell out of me."

"Where are you going?"

"It doesn't matter." She tried to inch past me, but I blocked her from passing. "Look, Shadow. I don't have time for this. Please move. I've gotta go."

"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on." I could see the wheels turning in her head as she considered her next move. When I saw a spark of determination flicker in her eye, I warned, "Don't even think about it."

She cocked her eyebrow as she asked, "Think about what?"

"Pulling that kickboxing shit with me." Realizing I knew about what had occurred with her unwanted guest, her eyes dropped to the floor. I reached out and took the boxes from her hands. "Just tell me who that guy is and why he's after you."

Her eyes locked on mine as she answered, "I've got some bad people after me, Shadow. That's really all I can tell you. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm leaving town, and you'll probably never see me again."                       
       
           



       

That thought didn't settle too well with me, and I found myself sounding more harsh than I intended when I replied, "You're wrong. It does matter-and you're sure as hell not leaving. Not like this. Not because of them."

"You don't understand," she cried.

"I understand more than you think." I lowered the boxes down on the step as I asked her, "Do you want to leave here?"

"Of course not, but I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice, Alex. You could've chosen to go with that man tonight, but you didn't. You decided to fight, and that's what you have to do now. But this time, you don't have to do it alone. I'm here, so let me help you. Whatever this thing is, let me help you fight it."





Alex





It was at that moment that I realized why I had been drawn to Shadow in the first place. Subconsciously, I knew he could handle anything that came his way, even my father and that he would protect anyone he cared for. As soon as I told him that I was in trouble, he didn't hesitate. He didn't weigh his options or consider the risk before offering to help me. I knew Shadow meant it when he said he would be there to help me fight. I could see it in the way he looked at me, spoke to me, and as much as I wanted to believe that he could, he didn't know my father, not the way I did. If I tried to stay, it would only be a matter of time before my father would find me, and once he had, he'd come after me. It was inevitable, and if I let Shadow get involved, there was a chance that he could get caught in the crossfire. I couldn't let that happen. If something happened to him, I would never be able to forgive myself, so whether I liked it or not, leaving town was my only option.

"I can't let you do that"-I knelt down and picked up one of the boxes, then I tried to get past him-"but just so we're clear, I'm not just going to give up and accept my fate. I won't be going back there without a fight."

As I made my way around him, he asked, "Go back where, Alex?"

"Just leave it, Shadow. It's none of your concern."

He reached for my elbow and pulled me towards him as he argued his point. "If you're involved, then it is my concern."

"Why? Because you've had coffee in my store a couple of times or because we slept together?"

Fire flashed through his eyes as he replied, "You've got no fucking idea, do you?"

"How would I know what's going on in that head of yours, Shadow? You never talk to me. Hell, I don't even know your real name."

"Mason. My real name is Mason, and for future reference, if you want to know something, then all you have to do is ask."

"Well, thanks for the heads up, but it's too late now."

"If something is important to you, it's never too late."

"What exactly are you proposing here?"

"Come to the clubhouse. Let me and my brothers protect you from the people who are after you."

"I can't ask you to do that. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to them."