Shadow's Dilemma (Wild Kings MC: Dander Falls Book 4)

by Erin Osborne

  “You got it big guy,” she says, kissing me again before having me help her stand up.

  For the rest of the morning, we stay wrapped up on the couch while Dylan plays with his new toys. Before too long, we have to get up and start getting ready to go to Gage’s house. They started making it a tradition that we have a club party. The only ones that get presents are the kids though. We don’t get any other gifts for the adults because it’s about the kids. Today is about making them feel special and showing them the magic of the day.

  We’ve been at the party for about an hour. Everyone is stuffed on the tons of food that was prepared for the day. And that’s without all of the desserts sitting there waiting for us to eat. The kids are playing with the toys they got; sharing and playing together. They’re still small enough that they don’t know the difference between them and are willing to play together. I can’t wait to see them get older and change. Soon, they won’t play together, and they’ll be in different groups no matter where we are.

  “How are you doin’?” Gage asks, walking over to me with two beers in his hand.

  “I’m doin’ good. The only thing that would make it better is if Killian was here. He deserves to be a part of this and he doesn’t get that. Killian died saving my son and my soon-to-be sister-in-law,” I answer, nodding my head in thanks for the beer.

  “I know you miss him. Out of everyone here, you were the closest to him. It’s gonna take a little time to get over the pain of that loss. But, look what you got to look forward to; a brand-new baby comin’ in a few months and buildin’ a life with your son and girl,” Gage replies, letting me know that I’m not alone.

  “She’s havin’ twins, man. I just found out. That was one of her presents to me this mornin’. And, she’s agreed to marry me. Had the ring in the pocket of her rag,” I tell him, looking over at my girl.

  “Congratulations man! I’m so happy for you,” he says, pulling me in for a hug. “When you fillin’ everyone else in on the happy news?”

  “Whenever Renee wants to. I’m leavin’ it all up to her,” I answer, standing back and nodding my head in response.

  “We’re gonna rebuild the clubhouse. It’s gonna be bigger and better than before. I want it more kid-friendly. And, I’ve been thinkin’ about your suggestion. I think we need to build houses inside the fence. That way everyone is protected and there’s always someone there to help out. What do you think?” he asks, wanting my opinion on the matter.

  “Honestly, I think that’s a great idea. Then the proceeds from the sales can be pooled together to buy a large piece of property. Instead of buildin’ a clubhouse or somethin’ there, we could build several houses. The victims that we help can live in those houses inside a fence like we have at the clubhouse. There could be extra security measures and shit to ensure that no one gets in that doesn’t belong there,” I tell him.

  Gage stands there and looks at me for a few minutes, not saying a single word. Have I overstepped my boundaries? It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a while now and I thought it was a good idea. But, if the rest of the guys don’t then I’ll sit on it. Or maybe mention it to one of the other clubs.

  “Shadow, I want you to start researchin’ properties that we can buy. If we have to clean it, we will. Get me the numbers as soon as you get them. We’ll talk about it at the next meetin’,” he finally says, putting his hand on my shoulder before turning to go in search of Riley.

  “There you are big guy,” Renee says, walking up behind me and wrapping her arm around my waist. “You good?”

  “I’m good. Ready to get out of here soon. But it’s whenever you want to,” I say, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

  “Soon. I really want some of that pie. Or maybe some cheesecake. Or….” she says, trying to figure out what she wants to eat without being able to make up her mind.

  “How about we take a sampler home?” I ask, knowing that she’s going to send me out in the middle of the night for something sweet to eat.

  “Now that sounds like a great idea. Dylan is getting tired,” Renee says, looking over at our son who’s playing with Axle on the floor.

  “I’ll get your sampler and you get Dylan ready. We’ll say our goodbyes to everyone and head home. Sound like a plan?” I say, already getting ready to move toward the dessert table.

  It takes a while, but we finally managed to get out of Gage’s house. Dylan falls asleep before we even leave the driveway. Pulling into the compound, I try so hard not to look at where the clubhouse used to be. But, everyday there’s a few more pictures and other things left out in memory of Killian. I’m not sure who all is putting them there because no one can get inside the gates. Mike did say they found some stuff outside the gates and brought them in. It’s amazing to know that he touched so many lives. Renee has left flowers, a balloon, and a few other little things that reminded her of him. She goes over there every now and then, but I don’t go with her.

  “Did you have a good day?” I ask as we get out of the SUV and make our way inside.

  “The best. The only thing that would’ve been better is having Melissa here. But she’s working on some big contract so she can get a promotion. We’ll see her in a few weeks though,” she says, stifling a yawn.

  “Go on to bed while I get Dylan settled. I doubt he’ll wake up at all,” I tell her, swatting her on the ass as she passes me in the front hall.

  I put Dylan to bed and then do a walkthrough of the house to make sure that everything is locked up tight. When I get into the bedroom, I see that Renee is already passed out. She didn’t even take her shoes off before lying down across the bottom of the bed. So, I walk over and pull the blankets down so that I can put her to bed. Sliding her shoes off, I move her up so that I can pull the blankets up over her.

  Knowing that I have a little bit of time before she wakes up hungry, I take a quick shower. It gives me time to think about everything going on and things that I have to do. Getting out, I dry off and throw on a pair of sweats before climbing into bed. Renee curls up around me and lays her head on my chest. Even in her sleep, she seeks me out. As soon as she touches me, a quiet peace settles over me and I find myself falling asleep. A deep sleep filled with thoughts of the future of my growing family.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Shadow

  THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN CRAZY. Wedding plans have taken over everything and Renee is even busier than before. If she’s not working, then she’s off doing something to get ready for the wedding. There’s been dresses, food, cake, and everything in between that she’s had to make decisions about. I’ve tried to be there every step of the way, but I’ve been gone a lot too.

  Instead of having a bridal shower, the girls threw a baby shower for us. Renee said she didn’t want things for herself, or us, with twins on the way. Now we have everything to take care of about ten kids. Who the hell knew babies needed so much shit? There are clothes, blankets, bath stuff, diapers, wipes, ointments, and everything else I never knew we’d need. Yeah, I’ve been around babies before, but never had one in the house. It’s definitely a learning experience that I won’t soon forget.

  Rage and the Wild Kings showed up to help us rebuild the clubhouse. The Phantom Bastards showed up too. So, we’re further along than I thought we’d be by now. Plus, I’ve been looking at properties for the program and I think I finally found the perfect place. It’s not far from the clubhouse and there’s a lot of land. We can build more houses and put in some playgrounds or something for the kids. We’ll be discussing that at the next meeting. Then, those houses will be added to my ever-growing list of things to do.

  Today, I’m not focusing on anything but getting married to Renee. She’s banished me from the house so that she can get ready. So, I’m on my way to Crash and Trojan’s house. We’re all meeting there. As I make the short drive, my mind wanders to the girl I’m marrying. Renee has changed my life in the best way possible. She’s about to be not only my best friend and lover
, she’ll be my wife. I’m nervous, excited, and happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Who knew that a young kid living on the streets could end up having so much good in his life?

  When I pull up to their house, Crash and Trojan are standing outside, helping Darcy and Harley put the last items that need to go to the clubhouse property for the wedding. Renee looked at so many venues for the wedding and nothing made her happy. She decided that even with all the construction and everything going on, she wanted the wedding there. It’s where we live and where our family is. I’m not going to deny her what she wants so I completely agreed with her suggestion.

  Everyone except for Renee has been working their asses off to get everything set up for the wedding. She’s ready to pop and our babies are due any day now, so I’ve been trying to make her rest and take it easy as much as possible. She even went on maternity leave early because work was starting to bother her. Renee would never admit it to anyone, but I could see the pain on her face when she got home. If I wasn’t home, she was still uncomfortable and in pain when I would walk through the door.

  There are just a few finishing touches that need to be done and it looks like the girls are in control of it. Skylar, Bailey, and the rest of the girls are helping finish everything up. Kim and Gwen are in charge of keeping my girl resting as much as possible. Darcy will go over in a little while to do her hair and then they’ll help get her dressed. I asked her plenty of times if she wanted to do this now and she was adamant that we got married before the babies were born. So, I asked her doctor a million questions to make sure that it was going to be okay. She assured us that everything would be fine as long as Renee rested when she was tired and didn’t overdo it.

  “You ready to do this?” Crash asks, coming up to break me out of my thoughts.

  “Yeah. Been ready for the this since the day I asked her,” I answer, walking inside to take a quick shower and get ready. The wedding is in about an hour and a half.

  “We just need to shower, and we’ll be ready. It won’t take us long to get dressed. The rest of the guys are goin’ to meet us there,” Trojan says, walking inside with me so I can shower and get dressed.

  Renee didn’t want me to dress up in a tux. As far as she was concerned, we both needed to be comfortable. So, she told me to get a new pair of jeans and a button-down shirt to wear under my cut. She knows that my cut is a part of who I am and wouldn’t dream of asking me not to wear it. Or any of the other guys in the wedding. While I haven’t seen her dress, I do know that it’s simple and very light. With the hot weather, she can’t get comfortable. I can’t wait to see her.

  It’s finally time to get married. The guys and I got to the compound and I couldn’t believe my eyes. There are folding chairs covered in cloth lining both sides of the aisle. A blue runner lays on the ground where Renee will walk down. An arbor is sitting at the end of the aisle covered in lilies of different colors. I’m not even sure how some of them managed to get the color they are. Before the runner starts, hooks are placed along the rest of the path holding jars of flowers. I love it and I hope that Renee does too.

  I’m standing up, waiting for her to make her way to me. I can’t stop fidgeting while we all wait. “You need to settle down, son,” Pops says, leaning in close to me so that no one else can overhear him.

  “I’m just worried about her,” I respond, knowing that my fear is irrational. “What if somethin’ happens to her?”

  “Nothin’ will happen. We’re all here and you can make sure she relaxes as soon as you’re married,” he says, reassuring me that nothing will go wrong today.

  Before I can respond, I hear the music starting up to tell me that she’s going to be here in a matter of minutes. I watch as Darcy, Riley, Melissa, and Harley make their way toward us. Kim follows them down the aisle before the music changes and I get my first glimpse of Renee.

  She’s wearing a simple white dress with spaghetti straps. The dress flows over her rounded belly and falls down to just above her knees. Her hair is falling down around her shoulders with curls flowing down the length. Renee isn’t really wearing any make-up; she never does. Still, there’s a glow to her face. As soon as she sees me, she smiles wide and I can tell that she wants to run down the aisle to me. But her pregnancy and Dylan holding her hand prevent her from doing that.

  Soon, she’s reaching out to take my hand as Dylan goes to sit down with Alice and Skylar. Slim is marrying us and when he asks who gives her away, Gage stands up next to Pops before saying that they do. Renee already has tears shimmering in her eyes as she turns to face me. I want to lean down and kiss them away, but I’ll wait.

  Slim goes through the ceremony as I stare at my girl, getting lost in her eyes. Finally, he announces that it’s time for us to say our vows. We’ve chosen to come up with our own, so he tells me that I can go first.

  “Doc, we haven’t had an easy time of things. We lost a year together because neither one of us knew that we had somethin’ worth fightin’ for. Now, I’d gladly give up my life to know that you and our children are safe and happy. I’ll love you, support you, and do whatever I can to help you walk through this journey together. You are my best friend, my lover, and soon, my wife. I love you more than you know, and I’ll be there until the end,” I say, squeezing her hand lightly and resisting the urge to kiss her.

  “Shadow, I didn’t think I would ever find what I was looking for. Then you walked into my life and blew every expectation out of the water. You showed me that there are good people in the world that are worth taking a chance on. I’ll support you, love you, and make sure that we’re as happy as we can be until the day that I die. I’m excited to start this next chapter in our lives and can’t wait to see where it takes us,” she says, a lone tear slipping down her cheek that I reach up and catch with my finger.

  Slim says a few more words before pronouncing us man and wife. I’m already leaning in to kiss my wife as he tells me that I can. Our friends and family holler and clap before too long and I break the kiss before things go too far. Renee smiles up at me and I can’t help the smile that covers my face.

  We walk back down the aisle followed by the wedding party. Since we can’t go to the clubhouse for the party, I walk my wife over to the huge tent that’s been set up. She needs to sit in the shade and get off of her feet. Even if it wasn’t very long, I don’t want her standing again until it’s time for our first dance.

  “Thank you, husband,” she says, taking my hand to help her sit down.

  “You’re welcome, wife. Do you need anythin’?” I ask, sitting down next to her as everyone else files in.

  “Not right now. I’ll be ready to eat soon though,” she says, placing her hand on my thigh.

  Renee

  I can’t believe that I’m married to Shadow. Today is like a fairytale come true. I have the man I love by my side, our friends and family surround us, and Dylan is playing with his friends. Everyone has been by to talk to us so that I don’t have to get up. Kim and Melissa even made sure that I had food and plenty of water to drink for the last few hours.

  “I’m getting tired,” I say, looking at Shadow. “Can we have our dance and cake now?”

  “Anythin’ you want baby girl,” he says, nodding to the DJ that was hired for today.

  Shadow helps me up and leads me to the dance floor as Yours by Russell Dickerson begins to play. He slowly sways back and forth with me as I lay my head on his shoulder. Everything and everyone around us disappears as I’m in the arms of the man I love. Yeah, we’re gonna have hiccups along the way. The only romances that don’t are the ones you read about in books or see on movies. But, as long as we have one another’s back then we’ll be just fine.

  “I love you baby,” Shadow says as the song comes to an end and we make our way over to the table holding the cake Skylar made for us.

  “I love you to. So much,” I tell him, wrapping my arm around his waist as we get to the amazing cake sitting before us.

  We cut the cake,
and each take a small piece to feed one another. I let the mischievous grin take over my features as I plan on smashing the cake in his face and smearing it. Shadow gets the same look on his face. I’m totally fucked if he decides that it’s time to smash come cake on my face. But I won’t be mad since I’m planning on doing the same exact thing.

  “You get me, I’ll get you back,” he says, the sinister smile lighting up his entire face.

  Once we each have the piece of cake in our hands, we face one another and smile. Instead of putting the cake in my husband’s mouth, I turn it, so the frosting is pointed toward him. It hits him in the nose and I rub it around as much of his handsome face as I can. At the same time, he does the same thing. Expecting it, I turn my face, so it lands solidly on my cheek before getting smeared up on my forehead and across to the other side. It’s so bad that frosting and cake go up my nose.

  “I’m getting really tired,” I tell him once we have our faces cleaned off.

  “Okay. We can go home. Melissa still takin’ Dylan overnight?” he asks, grabbing my hand and walking me toward everyone so we can say our goodbyes.

  “Yeah. They’re staying with Darcy tonight. She’s heading back home tomorrow night,” I tell him.

  It takes longer than expected, but we’ve finally managed to escape the reception. As soon as we walk through the door of the house, I turn around and wrap my arms around Shadow.

  “I thought you were tired, Doc?” he asks, walking me up to the bedroom.

  “I am tired. But I want my husband,” I answer, knowing that he’ll give in to me.

  “Don’t wanna hurt you,” he says, turning me around to unzip the back of my dress.

  “You won’t. Please,” I beg him, shivering as he kisses his way down my back as the zipper gets lower.

  Once the dress is unzipped, I slowly pull the straps off my shoulders to reveal the lingerie I’ve been wearing all day. It’s white lace, trimmed in dark blue. Since I couldn’t wear anything but flip flops on my feet, there’s not much else for my man to take off me. But the panties and bra stay on until he starts getting naked.