Page 1 of Shadow

Chapter One

Shadow’s mind wandered as he fell into a deep sleep. Vivid recollections of Trish danced before his eyes like ghosts from the past.

In the dream, she was with him again, nestled closely behind him on his Harley, her arms wrapped securely around his waist. The roar of the engine echoed in his ears as they cruised down the open road, the wind whipping through their hair.

Trish’s laughter rang out, a familiar sound that warmed his soul, her long golden locks trailing like ribbons in the wind.

In this dream, Shadow could almost feel her presence beside him, her warmth seeping into his bones. He could almost smell the faint scent of her perfume, a delicate floral fragrance that always lingered in the air whenever she was near. He itched to reach out and caress her hair, to feel the soft strands between his fingertips once more.

They had shared countless moments like this, moments of pure bliss and freedom, where the worries of the world seemed to fade away.

They would go on spontaneous road trips, and plan their future together in hushed tones as they watched the sun dip below the horizon. He was planning on asking her to be his old lady, the night Trish died.

Shadow saw her standing on the side of the road, nursing a smoke, while he struggled to fix a broken tire. In the distance, a black sedan approached, its windows tinted and bulletproof.

The dream unfolded in agonizing slow motion as Shadow watched in horror, his heart pounding in his chest. The window of the sedan slid down with a sinister creak, revealing the menacing glint of a shotgun barrel. Time seemed to stand still as Shadow screamed for Trish to run, to escape the impending danger. But her fate was already sealed.

The stillness shattered into chaos as gunfire erupted and Trish’s form crumpled to the ground. Trish didn’t get up again. Shadow’s heart shattered into a million pieces that day.

The dream faded into darkness, leaving Shadow gasping for breath as he jolted awake, his body drenched in a cold sweat.

Shadow realized one of his MC brothers had been speaking to him. He blinked away the remnants of sleep, his mind still foggy from the nightmare that had gripped him moments ago.

He sat up in the back of Rooster’s pickup truck, the rough metal surface cool against his skin. Most nights, he would’ve been on his Harley, but tonight was different. Tonight, he was paired off with Rooster, tasked with driving the truck that would soon be loaded with stolen merchandise from the Blood Reapers MC, their rivals.

“Shadow, we’re almost there,” Rooster said.

“I’m awake,” he said.

Shadow rubbed his eyes. The memory of Trish’s laughter still echoed in his mind, a painful reminder of the love he had lost five years ago.

Even now, he couldn’t forget the ache of her absence, but as a member of the Death Seekers, Shadow knew he couldn’t afford to dwell on the past.

He had a duty to his brothers, a responsibility to see this job through to the end.

With a deep breath, he pushed aside the memories that threatened to overwhelm him, focusing instead on the task at hand.

The rest of the MC depended on him, and his crew worked like a well-oiled machine.

Shadow leaned out the window, squinting into the night to catch a glimpse of the motorcycles trailing behind them in a loose V formation.

Their headlights sliced through the darkness, casting long shadows on the deserted streets as they followed in the wake of the truck.

Ahead of them, the road seemed to stretched out endlessly into the desert, but Shadow knew they’d soon reach a lightly guarded compound that served as a storage facility for the Blood Reapers.

The Blood Reapers were a new group that had recently moved into the area. Unlike the Death Seekers, who traded solely in weapons, the Reapers dealt in a variety of goods—drugs, weapons, and even rumors of human trafficking.

It was one line the Death Seekers refused to cross but that wasn’t the reason Breaker, their prez, sent them here.

Three days ago, the Reapers had made a grave mistake. They made a hit on one of the Death Seekers’ storehouses, believing they could get away with it. They would soon learn that messing with the Death Seekers had consequences.

As soon as the compound came into view, a surge of adrenaline coursed through Shadow’s veins, electrifying every nerve in his body.

Without hesitation, the bikers behind him roared forward. In a swift and coordinated attack, they descended upon the compound. The guards at the entrance stood no chance against the onslaught. Before they could even reach for their weapons or sound the alarm, they were gunned down.

Rooster and Shadow arrived next, crashing the truck through the barbed-wire gate with bone-jarring force. Metal screeched and twisted as they forced their way into the compound.

Behind them, the rest of their crew followed suit, surging forward with guns and knives drawn.

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