Free Shadow (Defenders MC Book 1) by Amanda Anderson

thinning hair stepped from the rundown metal building with a girl that couldn’t have been older than eighteen and that was being generous.  He looked around and started for the old van that sat out front.  Shadow tensed.  If he climbed in that van then Shadow would miss his chance.  The fucker always fucked the girls before he left with them and he always brought them to the woods, far enough away that no one would hear their whimpers.  The fucker was a sick bastard.  He enjoyed hurting them just enough not to leave a mark or threatening them with a knife.  He was supposed to take the girl to his club, but he liked the first taste.  Shad had watched him from a far three times.  This time he would gut the sick fuck.
    The man tied a dirty rag around the girl’s mouth and made her get on her knees.  He pulled up the grimy skirt she wore and looked at her as he unbuttoned his pants.  He never got the chance to touch her.  Shadow pulled a curved blade from it’s sheath and ran the razor sharp blade across the man’s bulging gut.  He let out a blood curdling scream as his guts spilled from the gaping wound.  Shad pushed him to the ground and stood over him.  He knew he looked like a monster, coated in the blood of this man’s brothers, but Shadow liked the looks he got.
    “You threatened my property.  No one threatens what’s mine.”
    The man whimpered in agony.
    “I want to know everything you know and then I might take pity and kill you.”
    The man was terrified and Shadow fed on it.  He let hate fill his eyes and smelled the sickening odor of urine scent the air.
    “You’re that kid.  The one that nobody found.  You burned up with your mama.  You’re that fucking ghost man.”
    Shadow felt his blood run cold.  “What about that kid?”
    “Dutch wanted his mama, but she was hung up on that cunt Preacherman who rides with the Defenders.  Dutch went after her and she wouldn’t leave with him.”
    Shadow was shaking with rage now.  He’d never known who had killed his mother and figured he never would.  Now this man was spilling secrets that would have been better off left alone.  Shadow felt something snap inside of him.
    “Dutch killed my mother.”
    “Yeah.  Wouldn’t let nobody have her either.  He locked the door and fucked her, but she wouldn’t leave.  He doped her and she still refused.  Just talked about her kid and how much she loved her man.  Dutch couldn’t take it and he killed her.  Couldn’t find the kid though.”
    Shadow screamed and launched himself at the man.  He hacked at him until there was nothing left but a bloody mess. He didn’t spare a thought for the girl as he walked back to his bike.  The devils had killed his mother and now they threatened Lacey.  They all had to die. 

17
    Lacey was not happy.  Preach had indeed denied them.  He would not bless their match until Shadow was told about the baby and she felt there was more that he wasn’t telling her. 
    Well hells bells, how could she tell him anything with him off and gone God knows where?  She had been to the doctor and took her vitamins every day.  She ate a healthy diet and exercised even when she didn’t feel like it.  Rider moved into her bedroom and they started living life as a couple whether Preach would allow them to be official or not.  The club knew they were together and that was enough. 
    Shadow had become just that.  She found out that he had gone nomad after hunting down the men responsible for killing Nana and no one heard from him.  She suspected Preach did, but he never spoke of it.  The rumor was that the Devils had lost almost half their numbers over a period of two weeks and all at Shadow’s hand and the numbers were still climbing. 
    The baby she carried would be the Devil’s most valuable prize and the thought terrified her.  Preach ordered around the clock guards, even when Rider was with her, but he would no longer meet her eyes.  She didn’t know if