Leather & Love. A True Biker Romance.

Chapter 12.

Shannon’s POV.

I’m sitting at the bar in the clubhouse. The twins are with Bear and Katie. I needed some time to come to terms with all of this. I have had no time to process what is happening.

My phone rings and I growl, seeing an unfamiliar number again. f*****g Dan. I decline the call and I receive a text.

I pick up the phone and unlock it and see a message from Terry. The man from the flight and I smile slightly.

Terry: Hey Shan, just thought I would check in. Hope you and Chance are ok and no one is being mean to you guys? If you need anything, I’m here.

I smile at the message and the kindness of a man I got to know for a few hours on the flight here. So I message back.

Me: Hey Terry, I would say I’m ok but I’m not, not really, but I will be. Hope you are ok and you managed to get your divorce sorted. Same to you. I’m here if you need anything.

I press send and place the phone back down and reach for my wineglass and bring it to my lips and take a sip.

“Shan.” I turn my head and see one of the brothers who grew up here with my father sitting beside me and I smile at him. Arthur ‘Beard’ Taittinger taught me how to play softball when I was little. He used to coach the little league in town and helps out with the teenagers, keeping them out of trouble. He runs a place where they can go and meet with friends in a safe place away from gangs and drugs.

“Hey Beard.” I say as I sip my wine, and one of the prospects places a coffee in front of him and he thanks him and we sit in silence for a while.

“I’m sorry about your ol man and brother. They were good men.” He says and I nod my head thinking back to what I was told today by the sheriff. To not get involved and that my father and brother knew where I was and they knew everything about my life.

“Yeah, they were. Tell me, Beard, did the club have any enemies?” I ask him and he looks at me.

“We have plenty, especially with the work we do. The Bondsman work brings trouble, especially if we refuse to agree to get people out of lockup. Or we have to hunt those down who run. We have shut down meth labs on the outskirts of town and stopped gangs from running the streets.” He says and I nod my head.

“So it could have been anyone who did this then.” I summarise and he nods his head.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it was anyone from the outside.” He says, shocking me and I lift my head and meet his eyes. I lean closer to him and whisper.

“You think it was someone from within the club?” I ask him because if he says yes, then it is treason, and that means no one is safe.

“We should talk somewhere more private.” He says and stands from his seat, grabs his coffee and I drain my glass and place it on the bar and follow him to the office at the back. My father’s office. I push open the door and smile at the memories I have from being in this room while dad worked.

I would sit on the sofa in the corner and play with my toys or draw pictures for him and the brothers. The desk is the same. The chair is the same. Everything is the same. I can smell my father’s cologne as it lingers in the room.

I walk around the desk, my fingertips brushing against it and I pull the chair back and sit in the comfortable cool leather. I’m lost in my head as I pull open the drawers on the desk and find the picture of my mom, me and Shane. I gulp down the knot in my throat.

Then I find paperwork, and my name catches my attention. I lift it out and see the deeds. The deeds to the clubhouse, the land, the house, the club itself, all the businesses under the Shadow Reapers MC. My father left it all to … me.

“So you found it? Your father got in touch with a lawyer a year ago, when he started having suspicions.” Beard says as he shuts the door and sits in front of the desk as I look at the paperwork in my hand. My father’s last will and testament. I look at the lawyer’s name and make a mental note to contact them.

“It says that if anything happens to him or Shane, that everything — the club, the clubhouse, the land, all of it — belongs to me. He made me … President.” I say, dropping the papers on the desk, and place my head in my hands.

Never in the history of the MC has a woman been made president. I don’t know what to do. I was meant to attend a damn funeral, take the kids back home and get on with my life. Now, as I read my father’s words and his wishes. I don’t think that will happen. I could hand it all over to Chase but then I would be going against the wishes of my father. I would be disappointing him.

“Tell me what you know.” I say to Beard as I fold the papers and put them in my pocket.

“Things were starting to happen around town. More and more tweakers were coming into town. But we got them out. Then brothers started talking about getting into the drug game. Your father shot it down. We don’t deal drugs. Sure, some brothers dabble in it but we don’t deal it. That is one of the things we have always stuck by — that we don’t get involved in, as well as trafficking or harming women or kids. But then brothers were turning up glassy eyed and aggressive. So, your father banished them after searching their rooms and finding drugs. Too much for it to be personal use. So he had their cuts, and they were kicked out. That was a year ago.” He says and I listen.

“So you think it could be one of the brothers my dad banished?” I ask him and he nods his head.

“Yeah, Ruby was sleeping with one of them. She was caught by your brother. She even tried to get Bloodhound in her bed but Lily kicked her ass for trying.” He says and I scoff. Ruby was and always will be a slut.

“What did Hunter have to say about that? Knowing his ol lady was f*****g around behind his back?” I ask, and Beard chuckles, shaking his head.

“He didn’t care. He said if someone else is stupid enough to go there, that is on them.” Beard says and I laugh, shaking my head.

“So, do you think Ruby has anything to do with their deaths?” I come right out and say it. Because all signs are pointing at her and these disgraced brothers.

“She isn’t smart enough. I mean, a smart woman wouldn’t invite a brother into her bed with her husband sleeping next to her.” I cringe at that, dirty w***e.

“And Hunter did nothing?” I ask and Beard shakes his head.

“No, as far as I know, he told them to have fun and left the house and came here. He wasn’t rising to her and her bullshit. She was trying to make him jealous, and it never worked. That boy f****d up with you and he has never forgiven himself for that. I do know something, though it is cringe-worthy.” He says and I raise an eyebrow at his use of the lingo the kids use.

“Look at you getting down with the kids.” I say with a chuckle and he smiles, running his hand through his beard.

“Those tykes get under your skin, anyway apparently Ruby was fuming and ranting in the clubhouse after her latest failed jealously attempt, and she mentioned your name.” He says, and that piques my curiosity.

“Why did that w***e have my name on her lips?” I ask him and he chuckles.

“You’re going to be disgusted and pissed. Apparently Ruby told one of the brother’s she was messing around with that the last time Hunter slept with her was about two years ago, he was calling your name and when he came to the next morning he told her, he didn’t love her and if he could, he would kill her. That she doesn’t compare to you in any way. She then vowed to get revenge.” Beard says and I look at him, then I hear a squeal and laughter coming from the bar. Chance is back.

“Then she has a motive. She was humiliated and wanted revenge on me. I would hedge a bet and say that Ruby was or is in contact with the brothers who were kicked out and they planned this together.” I say as I stand from behind the desk and walk to the door with Beard behind me.

“What are you going to do about your father’s will?” Now, that is a question. What do I do? Do I stay and take over or do I turn everything over to someone else?