Page 15 of Shadow's Heart
“Listen to me very carefully. It’s not your fault; it’s hers. The blame lies solely on her shoulders. I didn’t for one minute blame you, and I never will. You didn’t have any idea she’d do something like this, Alex. Please stop blaming yourself.”
As I speak, his eyes fill with tears that begin streaming down his face when he can’t hold them back anymore. Using the pads of my thumbs, I bring my hand to his face and try to wipe them away, but they’re falling too fast for my actions to really make any difference. He’s breaking my heart right now. I want to wrap him in my arms and make everything better. I want to take away all his pain.
“You wonder why I fucking wanted him gone!” Megan’s angry shout breaks the moment between us. As if I already didn’t have a reason to dislike the woman after what she had me put through, she just has to make her presence known and ruin my moment with Shadow. It’s not very often I feel hatred towards people, but I can admit I really fucking hate Megan right now.
With my moment with Shadow now shattered, I turn my attention to the person behind the hell I just went through. The person behind the pain Shadow is currently in. It never once passed through my mind that Megan was the one who lied to Rex. Why would it? I knew she didn’t like me, sure, but fuck ifI ever believed she’d do something so fucking horrific just to try and get me out of Shadow’s life.
Her hysterical crying has stopped now, which I’m very grateful for. At least I don’t have that annoying sound making my head hurt worse. She’s now red-faced with anger, and if looks could kill. Well, I’d be a goner. Shadow turns around to face her, even though he looks like he’d rather do anything else. He does grab one of my hands in the process of facing her, holding on tight.
“What the fuck are you on about now?” He asks as he faces off with her.
“Oh, I don’t know Alex.” She spits his name like it’s venom on her tongue. “How many times have I asked to call you that instead of your goddamn road name? Every time you told me no, that you only answer to Shadow.”
“Let me stop you there, Megan.” Wrath interrupts. “He doesn’t answer to Alex for anyone but Wreck. I’m his twin, and even I don’t call him by his name, but you don’t see me going off trying to get his best friend killed, do you?”
“I’m his girlfriend!” She screams, and despite everything going on, I have to hold back my laugh. How the hell can she think her being his girlfriend means more than Wrath being not only Shadow’s brother but his freaking twin? The woman seriously doesn’t make any sense to me.
“Not any fucking more.” Shadow states, his voice devoid of all emotion. I squeeze his hand in support. His mind must be a fucking minefield right now. He hasn’t had the time to process everything he’s found out. It’s all still new and raw.
Her eyes blaze with fury at his words, but before she can speak, there’s a knock on the door. The two men, whose names I still don’t know, open the door, and an older woman enters dressed in a black pants suit with combat boots.
“You’ve really done it this time, haven’t you, Megan?” She says, eyeing Megan distastefully. Clearly, this woman knows Megan, and there’s no love lost between them.
“M-M-Mrs Knightlye.” Megan stutters while looking absolutely terrified. She certainly changed her tune with this woman’s arrival. I wonder who she is. Actually, I’m not overly bothered by who she is; I’m just quite enjoying the reaction she’s gotten from Megan. I’ve never seen her so subdued before.
“Mama, I didn’t realize you were in town.” Jake says as he walks towards Mrs Knightlye and kisses her cheek. Well, at least I know who she is other than her name and why she’s here.
“Well, once Seth and Austin called and told me about Rex, I got the first flight out.” She says, patting his cheek, before turning to look at the rest of us. “Now, Shadow. Wreck. I understand you must both want Megan here to pay for what she’s done, and I’m hoping you’ll allow me the honors. I’ve waited a very long time for this day.”
I take in the woman before me, and I can tell by how she holds herself she’s not someone to take lightly. Plus, there’s the fact Megan is clearly terrified of her, and for me, that’s certainly a positive. She must have her own reasons for wanting a chance to teach Megan a lesson. Who am I to take that away from her? It’s certainly one less thing for us to deal with. Shadow glances at me wanting to know what I think, and I give him a small nod. I’m fine with Mrs Knightlye dealing with Megan. I just want her the fuck out of mine and Shadow’s lives, and handing her over to Mrs Knightlye achieves that in the fastest way I can think of.
“Go for it. If I never see her again, it’ll be too fucking soon.” Shadow answers, but doesn’t once look at the woman he was in a relationship with only minutes ago. He’s lost all care for her after finding out what she’s done, and I get it. If I were the one in his position, I’d feel exactly the same. There’s no one more important to me than him, and I know he feels the same way.She seriously messed up when she tried to get rid of me. She’s lost the most amazing man I know.
I watch Mrs Knightlye, her eyes gleaming with barely restrained excitement. “Thank you, dear. Now, Seth, Austin, please escort Megan to my team. They’re waiting at the end of the corridor.”
“Sure thing, Mom.” They both reply totally in sync. Well, that answers the question as to who they are. They must be Jake’s other brother’s. There’s a serious Knightlye family reunion going on right now.
I don’t even feel one bit of remorse for what’s about to happen to Megan. She deserves whatever is planned for her. She lied to Rex and almost caused him to kill me. Then there’s the betrayal towards Shadow; he doesn’t deserve any of this. She messed with the wrong fucking people. That’s for sure.
“Don’t do this, Shadow.” Megan starts to beg, but it’s no use. Shadow turns his back to not only her but the rest of the room too and focuses his attention on me. He’s clearly done with her; now he knows she’s going to pay for her actions. Actually, I think he might just be done with everyone who isn’t me right now.
I can’t help but watch as Megan tries but fails to get away from the two men tasked with escorting her away. I have absolutely no sympathy for her when they forcibly remove her from the room with Mrs Knightlye following behind. We can all hear Megan shouting for help once she’s out of my room, but I doubt she’ll receive any.
Turning my full attention to Shadow, my heart breaks for him. He looks so fucking broken and lost right now. Despite the fact I’m the one lying in a hospital bed injured, he looks worse than I feel. I have zero doubts that the past few days haven’t been easy on him, and then you add in finding out his now ex-girlfriend was behind it all. Yeah, no wonder he looks like that.
The sound of the door opening again draws my attention, and I see Wrath, Flame, and Jake leaving quietly. I’m thankful for their forethought; I need some one-on-one time with Shadow now that all the drama seems to be over.
Chapter Nineteen
Shadow
Iknow everyone’s left us alone, and I’m glad. I’m annoyed that the first thing that Wreck had to deal with when he woke up was all this shit, but I’m glad everything has been exposed and that Megan is gone. I’m sure Mrs Knightlye will show her the error of her ways. Not only has Megan messed with us but Rex too, and Mrs Knightlye certainly doesn’t seem like the woman to allow that to slide. She seems like one vengeful Mama Bear.
Enough about all that, though; it’s over and done with. I need to focus on Wreck and whatever he needs. He’s got to be in a fuckload of pain right now; he needs checking over by his doctor now that he’s awake, and I need to just be in the moment with him, letting the fact he’s really back settle in my soul.
“How are you doing?” He asks, drawing me from my thoughts.
“Isn’t it me who should be asking you that?” I ask with a raised brow.
