Page 2 of Shadow

I snorted and rolled my eyes. “I’m just supposed to trust the word of two strangers sitting out here waiting for me like fucking creeps?”

Satan shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ve got people who have interests in our club that want to see you part of it. We’re giving you an option?—”

“The illusion of an option,” I corrected, making him scowl at being interrupted. “If you’ve got people who want to see me part of your bike riding shindig, I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“Bike riding shindig,” Trick snorted.

“Not really, no,” Satan answered, ignoring the man at his side. “You come with us now, or they’ll show up in a few days and force you. Ipromiseyou don’t want them forcing you.”

I gritted my teeth, looking around the lot. Suddenly, the inside of that fence topped with barbed wire seemed like a better option. Joining any kind of organization—like a motorcycle club—was a lifetime deal. Take that oath and the only way out was death.

“What’s it going to be?” Trick asked, arching a brow at me.

I had no fucking choice. Satan was right, Ididn’twant anyone forcing me. I had no idea whose attention I’d snagged while I was inside, but I wasn’t keen on finding out the hard way. Most people inside had been affiliated with some organization or another. Guessed it was better whoever was tracking me wanted me on their side rather than wanted to eliminate me… at least, not yet.

Silver linings and all that bullshit.

Because if I got out of prison just to find myself in a casket, my mother would bring me back from the dead just to kill me again herself. No fucking thank you.

“I’ll be there tomorrow morning,” I bit out.

“You don’t even know where you’re going,” Trick called after me as I began to walk off.

I scoffed. Did he think I was a fucking idiot or something?

“I’m sure it won’t be hard to find you.”

I had a feeling I was trading one prison for another type of prison, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter. I lived in a city full of criminals, most of whom answered to people with deep pockets and fingers dug into many pies.

I’d keep my cool for now and follow their lead. But eventually, I’d make sure they knew there was no bringing me to heel.

I was Malik fucking Carter. I bowed down tono one.

1

Malik

TWO YEARS LATER

Ipeered one eye open when someone loomed over me, blocking the sunlight from beating down on my face. It was cold outside, but the cooler temperature combined with the sunlight felt damn good, and I wastryingto enjoy it.

Couldn’t when some fucker was standing over me, though.

“What?” I snapped at Chet, also known as Trick. He knew I hated being disturbed when I was trying to get some alone time. Wasn’t much of that in a club though. Sure, I had a brotherhood to belong to now. And part of me would always be grateful that Chet and William, also known as Satan, had forced my hand, even if they were doing it under the orders of someone else.

That someone else being Rurik fucking Tarasov—the goddamn bane of my existence.

The Ghost Born MC had kept me out of trouble with the law. Sure, I still had a quick mouth and even quicker fists, but they had pull within law enforcement, and the Russians we were all tied up with had even more pull than we did.

If they didn’t, there was no doubt in my mind I’d be rotting in a prison cell for the rest of my life.

The man whose radar I’d been on while inside? Yeah, that was Rurik—the Bratva’s consigliere. I had no clue what his fascination with me was, but he was doing his damnest to sink his claws deep into me. And I was fighting like hell every step of the way.

“Rurik is on his way here. We’ve got a problem.”

I scowled. A problem. Fucking hell. Rurik Tarasov alone was a goddamn problem in my book. Sure, the rest of the guys got along with him. I mean, we all had to considering the Ghost Born MC and the Russian Bratva were so tightly tied together due to the Mother Charter’s president’s marriage to Amaliya, the Pakhan’s daughter.

But Rurik and I? We mixed about as well as oil and water did. He was the silent type. Was able to command an entire room with one fucking arch of his eyebrow. And he didn’t rise toanything. Like he thought he was better than all of us.

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