Page 43 of Power of Shadow

That’s right, just mention Shadow in my presence. Boom, I’m done for.

But I’m not about to admit this isn’t the first time I’ve smiled recently. It happened when I saw a stranger at the club, and then Shadow did the same thing to me.

Either I’m softening up or I’m sick.

So, I warn my friend, “Eli, you’re really going to get punched in the face if you don’t shut up.”

“And make all these poor ladies unhappy? You can’t do that to them.” His feigned horror doesn’t impress me. “But maybe you could loosen up a little and get that stick out of your ass. If you want, I can bring any of the girls over here in a second. God knows why, but every one of them would drool and crawl over here just to please you.”

It’s funny, but I refuse. “That’s not an option. I don’t want any of those girls.”

“It doesn’t have to be any of them. I have a whole folder on my phone bursting at the seams with girls’ phone numbers. A good head will help you relax a little.”

“You already tried to help Theo relax once. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“He didn’t complain.” Eli’s eyes wander to Theo. “Did you complain?”

Theo settles more comfortably in his seat. He pulls a joint out of his pocket, lights it, and takes a deep drag. “If you cut out the part where one of those girls turned out to be a shemale I had to beat the shit out of, then yeah, you’re right, I have nothing to complain about.”

“It was just once, and how was I supposed to know she had a dick between her legs? She didn’t look like one,” our brother protests, reaching for his glass again. “No, it’s fine. I won’t be saving your asses anymore.”

“And thank God for that,” Theo gasps.

My thoughts return to Shadow. Again.

It’s like an endless cycle. I force my thoughts to go in a different direction, but no matter how hard I try to focus on something else, my thoughts always come back to her.

And I didn’t even see her face.

Still, I knew she was hot. Like a hunter sensing his prey, I could feel it.

“Go to hell with your crap. But I’ve found a lead on Shadow. Someone has to be getting her these contracts. Someone has to be her link to the underground, to her employers. Whoever it is, they’re her face.”

Eli’s right. If she’s not physically present anywhere, someone has to do it for her. That someone has to have their feet firmly on the ground, extensive contacts, and trust in the criminal world.

“Who is this person?”

A huge smile spreads across Eli’s face. Instead of getting straight to the point, he’s telling me bullshit about some girls? Is he testing me? What is he playing at?

I breathe faster with every second as my anger grows.

“I advise you to talk,” Theo says, watching me closely.

“All right. I found out not only his name but also this.” Eli pulls a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, opens it and throws it on the table in front of us.

It’s a photo of a man. Judging by his leather jacket with patches, he belongs to some motorcycle club or gang. He has a scar on his cheek from a sharp object and is smiling wryly. In one hand, he holds a lit cigarette. With his other arm, he holds a woman close to him, her back turned to the camera. The woman’s face hides in his chest. She’s much shorter than he is, reaching only to his shoulders. Her hair is hidden under a baseball cap. No distinguishing features.

“Who is he?” I ask.

“That’s Alexander Connelly. President of the largest club on the West Coast, the Black Thorns. The most influential club. His file is thicker than the damn Bible, but somehow he’s never been convicted. You already have copies in your email inboxes.”

Alexander Connelly. Doesn’t ring a bell. “If he’s so influential, why don’t we know anything about him?”

“He’s still too small a player for us. We don’t move in the same circles, and we don’t get in each other’s way.”

“I think we do a little,” Theo comments as usual. “How did you get to him?”

“I called one of the informants,” Eli replies.