Page 64 of Shadow

“Hope is helping Joy get settled in one of the rooms upstairs.”

I nodded.

“Look, I know your hands are full, so maybe I should move back to my apartment. I’m sure the police have finished with it now.”

“You can’t,” I muttered, reaching for her. Taking my hand, I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her waist as I laid my head against her stomach. “I need you here.”

“Shadow, I can’t just stay here. My job is in Lawton. I have an apartment, things, obligations I can’t ignore.”

“I get that babe, but please,” I muttered. “You can’t leave me here alone with them.”

I knew I was being a baby about this, but my angel was my sanity. I needed her close. Without her around, I knew I would lose my shit, or worse.

Joan chuckled. “They aren’t that bad.”

“No. They are worse.”

Pulling out of my embrace, she sat next to me on the bed. “About last night.”

Looking at her, I frowned. “What about it?”

“I don’t know. I was hoping you could explain it to me.”

“What’s to explain? You’re mine. I claimed you.”

Joan sat up straight and looked me dead in the eye. “Claimed me? Like a dog or piece of property?”

“Um…that’s not what I meant,” I gulped, shaking my head fast.

Her eyes narrowed. “Then explain it to me.”

“I can think clearly when I’m around you. You keep the voices at bay.”

“Well, that’s…hell, I don’t know what that is. Look Shadow, I know you have issues. We all do, but I can’t put my life on hold because you can’t handle whatever is going on in your head. I have my own problems. The biggest one you are supposed to be helping me with.”

“I am!” I blurted. “I’m doing everything I can.”

“Maybe I should just let the police find him. You seem to have a lot on your plate right now.”

“No,” I quickly said, reaching for her hands. “I can do this. I can find him. I know I can. Please don’t give up on me yet.”

“I’m not giving up on you, Shadow.”

“Then what are you saying?”

Joan sighed. “I don’t know. This is a lot for me too, you know. I’ve never felt what I feel for you. It’s scary. Everything has happened so fast and I don’t want to mess it up.”

“You won’t,” I sighed. “I won’t let you. Besides, if anyone’s gonna fuck it up, it will be me. I’m the one who’s a mess.”

“Alright Shadow. I’ll stay until my father is behind bars again. In the meantime, I need my car and a few items from my apartment. Plus, I need to stop by work and catch up on emails and such.”

“Okay. I need to swing by the Diamondback compound, anyway. I’m sure at least one of my sisters will need or want to go with.”

Joan smirked. “Oh, you can count on that.”

After dropping Joan off at her apartment and making sure everything was good, I waited until she got in her car and drove off to the radio station before heading to the clubhouse.

Pulling in front of the clubhouse, I turned off the engine and clearly said, “Listen up because I’m only going to say this once. This club is nothing like the Golden Skulls. These men are not your friends. They are not potential boyfriends. You are to stay the fuck away from them. I mean it. None of you talk to any of the brothers. You will sit on the sofa and say nothing. Look at nothing. Pretend you are at the movies. I don’t care what the hell you do but stay the fuck away from the club brothers. Do you understand?”

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