Page 39 of Shine: Sins of the Father (Evil Dead MC: Second Generation #8)

Shine—

The next day we spend time visiting my mother and sister.

After lunch, I take Fiona’s hand and lead her into the living area and sit us on the couch.

She looks at me puzzled. “What is it?”

“I need to go talk to Daytona. If we want to make this plan of ours a reality, I’ve first got to get approval to transfer to the San Jose chapter. That’s got to come from Daytona and Cole.”

“What if they won’t give it?”

I rub my palms together, my elbows on my knees, thinking about the ramifications. I’ve thought long and hard about this since the moment Reckless told me I had a son.

“Shine?”

“I’ll give up my patch.”

Fiona swallows, her eyes big and concerned. “Oh, Shine. That’s not what I want for you. You love this club.”

“I do, but I have a family now. And I know the motto is Evil Dead first, last, and always, but if they can’t cut me some slack on a simple thing like this, how can I stay?”

Fiona wraps her arms around my shoulders, and I press my mouth to her bicep, my hand closing over it. She gives me strength in just this silent gesture. A strength I never had before. It’s the power of love.

I smile and press my forehead to hers. “We’re gonna make it, sweetness. I don’t have any doubt about it.”

Her grip tightens. “Me neither.”

Leaving her is hard in that moment, but I know I have to go.

She walks me to the door, and I cup the back of her neck and haul her mouth to mine for one final kiss.

“Lock the door.”

She nods, and I lift my chin to the prospect outside, smoking a cigarette.

“Take care of ‘em, prospect. That’s my whole life in there.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

Twenty minutes later, I roll up at my clubhouse. I pause, taking it in, knowing that one way or another my time here is finished.

I pause on the porch and turn to look at the horizon, remembering the night Reckless called to tell me to come out and look at the sky. The night my son was born.

My family is waiting, so I walk through the doors.

Lobo is at the bar and stands to greet me with a backslapping hug.

“I hear congratulations are in order, Papa.”

My face lights up. “Thanks, man. Daytona in his office?”

“Yeah. He and Trick are waiting for you.”

“Thanks.” I stride to the double doors and tap.

“Come in,” Daytona calls out, and I enter.

Approaching his desk, I stop.

“Have a seat.”

Last thing I feel like doing right now is sitting. I shift on my feet. “I’ll stand if you don’t mind.”

Daytona leans back in his chair and studies me. “Love’s a powerful thing, isn’t it? It can make a man do some crazy brave shit.”

I nod, trying to feel out where he’s going.

“I’ve already lost Reckless to San Jose. Now you?”

“I don’t want to drag Fiona from her family.”

“That’s the same thing Reckless said.” He sighs. “I get where you’re coming from, but you transferring leaves us two men down.” He points toward the bar. “And those fucking prospects have potential, but they’re not there yet. Not by a long shot.”

I nod, my mind already visualizing taking my cut off for the last time. Goddamn, it’s going to rip a piece of my soul away. But fucking hell, I’ll do it if it comes to that.

Daytona shakes a silent finger at me. “I see it in your eyes, brother. In your mind, you’re already gone.”

I nod, because it’s the truth, and I can’t hide it.

Daytona strokes his hand over his jaw. “Son-of-a-bitch. This sucks, Shine. You’ve been a part of this for so long.”

“I know. None of this is easy.”

He tilts his chair forward, leather creaking. “I can’t imagine having to choose between Cherry and this club. All right. I’ll talk to Cole. We’ll work something out. He’ll be lucky to have a good man like you, Shine. I mean that.”

Trick rises and gives me a backslap. “Gonna miss you around here, brother.”

“Hey, come visit. We’re not that far.”

Daytona comes to his feet and moves around the desk, clasping my hand in an arm wrestler’s grip, then pulling me in. “Take care of that new family. When are you leaving?”

“I’m trying to make plans to move my mother and sister with us. That’ll take some time, but right now, Fiona and the baby and I will head back tomorrow.”

“Anything we can do to help, you got it,” Daytona says.

“I know a moving company,” Trick offers. “I can line something up. Just give me the word.”

I nod. “Thanks, man. Hopefully, I can find them a place within the week. I think they’re both excited for the move.”

I say goodbye to all my brothers, then head to the safe house. Everything inside me relaxes, and it feels so good to have it all settled. Of course, it’s still got to be worked out with Cole, but I have no doubt Daytona will come through for me.

***

The next morning, Reckless gets a call from Cole as we’re getting ready to pull out, asking if we can swing by and check on the cabin for him.

It’s a longer route, but we decide to do it. I can use all the help I can get to find my way into Cole’s good graces. I need him to accept my transfer, and I know right now Wolf isn’t going to make that easy.

At 3pm we stop for gas. We’re about an hour away, and I know Fiona is exhausted from traveling, and Dylan has had enough of being in the car.

Reckless and Cody pull in at the pump next to us and top off their tanks.

I finish pumping and turn to hang the nozzle back up. Reckless wanders over to me.

“You see all that fire damage from last year?” I ask.

“Yeah, it’s really something. This area looks untouched, though.” He motions me to the back of the vehicle and keeps his voice low. “Did you notice that truck behind us? It’s been on our tail since we turned onto this road. He pulled in at the gas station across the street.”

I glance over. “Where?” In my head, I’m looking for the last known vehicle Donnie Ray was seen in, but I don’t see a burgundy sedan.

“The little black Nissan with the camper on the back.”

I focus on it but can’t see the driver because of the glare. Whoever it is, he’s not getting out of his vehicle to pump any gas. “He’s just sitting there.”

“Yeah, like he’s waiting for us to pull out.”

I scan the area. I could walk over there and confront him now, but he could pull out and I’d lose him. Then I wouldn’t know where he was.

“You think it’s your guy?” Reckless asks.

“I don’t know. Let’s head down the road and see what he does. Keep your eyes on him, and don’t let him try to pass us.”

“You got it.”

“If he stays on our tail, let me get Fiona and the baby to the safety of the cabin, then you take off after him.”

Reckless nods and returns to his bike. He talks to Cody for a minute, then the two of them pull out behind me.

I’ve got one eye on the rearview the rest of the trip. That truck does indeed pull out and follow us.

Fiona notices me checking behind us and leans forward. “Shine, what is it?”

“There’s a truck that's been following us. Could be nothing, just some guy headed in the same general direction, but it could be Donnie Ray.”

She cranes to look behind us, shifting in her seat, and I see the worry on her face.

“I’m going to get you and Dylan to the cabin, and Reckless and Cody are going to take off after him.”

Ten minutes later, I’m turning onto the gravel drive. Reckless and Cody stop at the top, and when the truck passes by, they pull out behind him.

“Fiona, leave everything except the diaper bag in the car. I’m going to grab Dylan and get you both inside. We need to move quickly. Ready?”

She’s already unbuckling Dylan when I throw the car in park and jump out. I yank open the rear door and swoop the baby into my arms, and Fiona scrambles out with the diaper bag.

I get them both inside. “Lock the doors, Fiona.”

I wait until I hear her throw the bolt before I step away, straining to hear the motorcycles fading in the distance.

It’s quiet for a few minutes, and the suspense is killing me.

I pace and drag a hand through my hair, startled when distant gunfire carries to me.

Four shots. Then four more. They echo across the quiet lake.

I return to the cabin, because I know Fiona must be scared out of her mind.

“What was that? I heard shots.”

“I think it’s Reckless and Cody.” We both stare at each other. I’ve got the door open enough to hear more, but there’s nothing.

“Please don’t go out there,” Fiona whispers.

“I’m not going to leave you. Not a chance.”

Finally, after another tense five minutes, my phone goes off.

RECKLESS: He bailed out of his truck and took to the woods. We tried to follow. Think one of us hit him. We can’t find him.

ME: Flatten all of his tires and get back here.

RECKLESS: Will do.

Two minutes later, I hear their Harleys approaching, and they turn in the drive.

I meet them outside.

Reckless dismounts with a rifle across his lap.

“Found this in the back of his truck. Cody’s got another one. What do you want to do?” Reckless asks.

“We’re sitting ducks here. He could come and flatten the tires on the rental car, and then we’re stuck. I’d go after the son-of-a-bitch and hunt him down if it was just us, but I’m not putting Fiona and Dylan at risk.”

“Okay. We goin’ back where his truck is or backtracking around the lake the other way?”

I glance across the lake. “It’d add an hour or more to our trip.”

“Yeah, but we also don’t know what firepower he has left. We took what we saw in the vehicle.”

“Did you see anything when he bailed?”

“He may have had something strapped to his back. It was hard to tell. He disappeared into the trees so quickly.”

“But you think you hit him?” I ask.

“I thought I heard a sound like he fell after the shot, but there was more rustling, and I’m pretty sure he kept going.”

My brain is spinning, considering options.

“Maybe Cody takes the vehicle and gets Fiona and Dylan out of here, going the long way, and you and I stay and finish this fucker off once and for all,” I suggest.

Reckless nods. “Sounds like a plan.”

I glance at the cabin. “Fiona’s not gonna like it. I promised her I wouldn’t leave her.”

“Then you take the vehicle, get your family to safety. Cody and I can deal with this motherfucker.”