CRASH: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series) (14 page)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

About
an hour later, they rolled into the clubhouse lot. There were several rows of
bikes parked out front. Cars were parked off to the side, near the dead-end
street. Crash pulled up at an empty spot in one of the rows and looked over his
shoulder at Shannon. She took this to be an indication she should climb off, so
she did so. Then he backed into a spot, dropped the kickstand and threw his leg
over the bike, climbing off.

Shannon
glanced around as she unfastened the strap of her helmet. She’d never been here
before, and she took a moment to take it all in. There were a few wooden picnic
tables off to the side of the door. Toward the back corner of the building, a
couple of grills were going, smoke rising up and the aroma of cooked meat
reaching her. Her stomach rumbled with hunger.

Crash
took her helmet out of her hand, and then led her over to the door. There were
several club members sitting at the picnic tables, but no one she remembered. She
noticed their eyes move over her, following her. Crash lifted his chin to them,
but he kept going, leading her by the hand inside.

The
sudden change from the bright sunlight to the dim interior had her eyes
struggling to adjust. She clung closely to Crash’s back. He moved straight
back, through a group standing around and past a couple of pool tables. It
seemed like everyone turned to look at her, even the guy making his shot at one
of the tables paused, his eyes following her. They moved on, Crash finally
stopping at a bar on the right. Glancing around, she saw Cole sitting on a barstool
with Angel sitting next to him, and Mack next to her. She also recognized the
other members that she’s already met. Red Dog, Wolf, and Green.

When
Angel saw her, she jumped off her barstool and came over, hugging her. She
whispered in her ear. “Every guy here is checking you out. Girl, you look hot.”
Then she pulled back and looked over at Crash. “Hey, sweetie. You should
introduce Shannon around. I’m sure the guys want to meet her.”

“Smartass,”
he responded.

Cole
grabbed Angel’s hand and yanked her to his side, putting an arm around her and
pulling her up against him. “Leave the man alone, babe.”

Crystal
was manning the bar along with a prospect. She waived at Shannon and headed
over to take her and Crash’s order. He got them both a beer, passing one to
her.

“Thank
you.” She took a sip. Turning back to Angel, she asked, “Where are your kids? I
thought this was supposed to be a family event.”

“Oh,
it is. Natalie is bringing them over. She should be here any minute.” Angel
took her hand and pulled her a few feet away from the guys, who closed ranks
and started talking amongst themselves. “How was the ride over?”

Shannon
glanced back at Crash. “Fine.”

“You
two okay? Things seem a little tense between you.”

She
shrugged. “Nothing I do is right.”

Angel
frowned, a questioning look on her face.

Shannon
elaborated. “He told me he knew I was going to cause trouble here today. What
does he think I’m going to do?”

Angel
smiled. “I don’t know, stand here and be beautiful?”

“Be
serious.”

“Darlin’,
I am being serious. He’s worried about his brothers hitting on you.”

She
blew out a breath. “Why would he even care?”

“Why
indeed?” Angel laughed and hooked an arm through Shannon’s. “Come on, you can
help me with the food in the kitchen.”

Twenty
minutes later, they had all the prepared bowls of potato salad, macaroni salad
and a ton of other dishes, unwrapped and carried out to the picnic tables,
along with paper plates and plastic forks. There were burgers, brats and
hotdogs hot off the grill.

Natalie
arrived with Cole and Angel’s children. Angel introduced Shannon to Natalie. “Shannon,
this is my Aunt Natalie. She lives with Cole and me, and she helps us with the
children. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Angel gave her aunt a hug.

Natalie
surprised her, by pulling her in for a big hug. Pulling back, she said,
“Shannon, dear. I’ve so wanted to meet you. I’m so glad you’re here today for
the BBQ.”

“Thank
you. I’m glad I’m here, too.”

Natalie
cupped Shannon’s face in her hand. “My Lord, you’re beautiful, honey. Those
boys are going to be tripping over themselves with you around.”

“Thank
you, I think.”

Angel
introduced Shannon to her children, pointing them out. “The little blonde boy
running to daddy is TJ.” Shannon swiveled her head to see an adorable boy that
looked a lot like his father, run into Cole’s legs. Cole ruffled the boy’s
hair, smiling down at him.

“And
the little girl over there in Crash’s arms is Melissa,” Angel pointed to where
Crash stood.

Shannon
looked over. Crash had an adorable little girl in his arms, her blonde curls
bouncing. He was touching the big plastic bead necklace around her neck. She
was looking down at it and obviously telling him all about it. Something in the
picture they made struck Shannon. He was being so sweet to the little girl,
hanging on her every word and making her feel like he had all the time in the
world for her.

“Those
two have had a special relationship since the day we moved in with Cole. She
loves her Uncle Crash,” Angel mused over Shannon’s shoulder.

Shannon
turned back to her. “Yes, it’s obvious he loves her, too.”

“And
this little munchkin is Brayden, our newest.” Angel picked up a toddler, who
was clinging to her legs.

“Oh,
he’s adorable. Hi there, little guy.” The boy had blonde curls and big blue
eyes like his father. “You two certainly do make beautiful babies.”

“Why,
thank you, Shannon. Come on, help me dish out the food.”

They
spent an hour sitting at the tables, enjoying the food and the company. Cole
came and sat with Angel and the kids. Mack joined Natalie, and Crash sat next
to Shannon. The food was delicious, and the company was fun.

After
the food, the guys got up and played a game of catch with the kids. Several of
the other members also had children there, and soon they had a rousing game of
kickball going, while the girls sat and talked. Brayden was now asleep in a
stroller.

Angel
introduced Shannon to Red Dog’s ol’ lady, Mary, who was a little petite thing
of oriental descent with long silky hair that hung to her waist. She was quite
a contrast to the tall, bulky man with the red hair and beard who looked more
like a Viking warrior. She also had the most elaborate and beautiful tattoo of
a dragon that took up her whole back and was plainly visible under the halter top
and low-cut jeans she wore. Angel pointed out a little boy that appeared to be
around the same age as TJ, maybe a year older and informed her that that was
Red Dog and Mary’s son, Billy.

Shannon
was also introduced to a girl named Misty that Wolf had brought with him. She
was a beautiful girl with strawberry-blonde curls that fell to just above her
shoulders and breasts that looked bought and paid for. Angel whispered to
Shannon that she was rumored to be one of Sonny’s girls and was Wolf’s latest
‘flavor-of-the-month’. “They never last long with that man. He goes through
them like candy.”

“They
probably all do,” Shannon surmised sarcastically.

“Not
like Wolf. That man’s just got a way about him. He could charm the skin off a
snake.”

Shannon
followed Angel’s gaze to where Wolf stood. She had to admit, he was an
attractive man, with a killer smile. But he wasn’t Crash. She looked away. Now
where had that thought come from?

“But
they never seem to hold his attention for long. I haven’t figured him out yet.”
Angel’s eyes strayed among the men in the game, landing on Green. “Then there’s
Green. Heard you had a little run in with him the other day.”

Shannon’s
brows went up as she turned to Angel. “How’d you hear about that?”

Angel
smiled. “Word gets around. Red Dog told Mary, and Mary told me. Believe me,
those boys can gossip worse than we women.”

“Hmm.
I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

“Except
for you. They’ve kept your existence pretty much under wraps.”

“How
did Mack find out?”

Angel
rolled her eyes. “That was probably my fault.”

“You?
You told him?”

“No,
but I told Natalie, and she accidently let it slip out when her and Mack were
having an argument.”

“Oh.”
Shannon looked over at Natalie who was sitting at another table with Mack. They
were cozied up against one another, so whatever the argument was, they’d made
up. Natalie caught Shannon’s eye and gave her a two-finger wave.

“Don’t
be mad at her. It all worked out,” Angel pleaded in her ear.

Shannon
waved back and turned to look at Angel. “Oh, I’m not. You’re right, it all
worked out. I’m not sure why they wanted to keep it such a secret anyway.”

Crystal
came and sat on Shannon’s other side, having turned bartending duties over to a
couple of prospects. “What are we talking about, girls?”

Angel
leaned around Shannon and replied, “Just filling Shannon in on all the guys.”

Crystal
snorted, lifting a bottle of beer to her mouth. “Stay away from most of ‘em
would be my advice.”

Angel
rolled her eyes. “Crystal’s so cynical because she’s been around so long.”

Crystal
lowered the beer, her brows raised, “You trying to say I’ve been around?”

“I
think you’ve lost your heart to more than one of these guys, honey. And if they
can’t see what a gem you are, then screw them.” Angel leaned back and explained
to Shannon. “She’s had her heart broken by one of these guys in the past, but
she won’t tell me which one.”

“That’s
right. You’ll never get it out of me, because I’m not talking about it. Ever
again. So, can we drop it?”

Angel
smiled conspiratorially at Shannon. “I’ll get it out of her one day.”

“Fat
chance,” Crystal put in and leaned back against the picnic table, her legs out,
crossed at the ankles.

Shannon
looked down at her boots, changing the subject. “I just love those boots. They
look so cool on you.”

Crystal
looked over at her, a grateful look in her eyes for changing the subject.
“Well, thanks, hon. They are pretty killer, aren’t they?”

Shannon
smiled at her, glad she could help her escape Angel’s scrutiny. Shannon knew
what it was like to have things in your past that you didn’t want to talk
about. Looking over at Angel, she knew Angel knew it, too.

Angel
looked back at her with an innocent look. “What? I kid. She knows I love her.”

Crystal
looked around Shannon. “Then maybe you’d stop bringing it up.”

“Okay.
Okay. You’re off the hook.” Her attention swung to Shannon, a big grin on her
face. “Now let’s talk about you and Crash.”

Crystal
leaned back, raising the beer to her mouth and warned, “Oh, brother. Watch out,
Shan, apparently you’re her next victim.”

Just
then the kids ran up and the guys behind them. Billy went straight to Mary. TJ
threw himself in his mom’s arms, and Crash walked up with Melissa riding
piggy-back. She looked all tuckered out.

“Mom,
can Billy spend the night with us?” TJ pleaded. “Please?”

Natalie
walked over and suggested, “I think that’d be a fine idea, TJ.” Then she turned
to Angel. “I can take the kids back home with me.”

“Are
you sure?” Angel asked.

“Sure.”
She turned to TJ. “You and Billy can play video games.”

His
arms went straight up in the air. “Yay!”

“But
you have to ask Billy’s mom if it’s okay.” He immediately raced over to Billy
and Mary, shouting, “My mom and Aunt Natalie said okay.”

Natalie
looked up at Melissa, who was perched up on Crash’s back, her head resting on
his shoulder. “And you and I can make popcorn and watch a princess movie. How
about that?”

Melissa
smiled and nodded, holding out her arms to Natalie.

Crash
passed her over, and then reached out and rubbed her back. “You have fun, sweet
pea.”

Angel
moved off to help Natalie load the kids up in her big SUV, and Crash looked
down at Shannon. “I need a drink, come on.” He reached down, took her hand and
pulled her to her feet.

Shannon
gave an ‘I-guess-I’m-going-inside-now’ look at Crystal, who smiled back at her
and said, “Have fun.”

Crash
led her inside, his hand clamped on hers. They went straight to the bar, where
Crash parked her on a barstool and then surprised her by asking her what she
wanted, rather than just handing her a beer. “What’ll you have, Princess?”

“Umm.”
Her eyes scanned the bottles behind the bar. “What have you got?”

Crash
grinned. “How about I surprise you? Or aren’t you that adventurous?”