Shadow, page 8
What was she thinking, making something like this? Maybe her subconscious mind wanted her to remember what she had lost. Amber briefly touched her flat stomach, then she decided to tuck the ugly blanket away.
“Are you visiting relatives?” It was the first real question Mary asked her. The bus was pulling into the station.
“Taking a vacation actually,” Amber replied. Lies usually didn’t come smoothly to her. I learned from the best, she thought sardonically. As a criminal defense lawyer, David had a knack for convincing juries his very guilty clients were guilt-free. Nothing innocent about them or David.
“Vacations are good. A nice and bright young woman like you must be weighed down by a busy job in the city. Here in Redemption, we take things real slow.”
“Actually, I made this decision on a whim. I haven’t had the chance to make a booking. You mentioned you owned an inn?” Amber asked, recalling Mary’s introduction.
The big smile Mary flashed her seemed genuine. Her father, back when he was alive, always said she had good instincts about people. Amber had been terribly wrong about David, but she had a good feeling about Mary.
“Right this way, dear. We’ve just been newly renovated. I’m on my way right there,” Mary said as they got off the bus.
Amber shouldered her heavy pack, grunting softly at the weight. “It’s okay, I can make my way there. What was the name again? I can use Google Maps for directions.”
“Nonsense. It’s a short walk there. I can show you some of the town’s sights,” Mary said.
How could Amber say no? She’d worked out a plan during the bus ride. Once she reached Redemption, she’d go to a café and search for a place to stay. Staying at Mary’s inn would save her loads of research time. She only hoped the inn was as nice as Mary described.
They left the bus stop and emerged onto Redemption’s Main Street. Charming two-story shops lined either side of her. Mary seemed to know a good number of locals because they were stopped a couple of times. Amber couldn’t imagine living in a place like this. Back before she moved in with David and lived in her own apartment, she barely knew her neighbors. She noticed some of the locals giving her curious stares. Mary introduced her as a friend, and they warmed up to her a little.
“Sorry for the delay,” Mary said.
“This town seems charming,” she murmured.
“It does, doesn’t it? You just have to watch out for the bikers.” Mary stopped in front of a charming, two-story cottage-style home that had been converted into an inn.
Amber’s mouth went dry. Did Mary just make a joke? “Bikers?” she pressed.
“The Fallen Saints MC. They own this town.”
Amber stared at her. Mary had sounded so matter-of-fact, like a town controlled by a bunch of rough bikers was a perfectly acceptable thing. Mary walked her to the reception area.
“What about the local authorities?” she asked.
Mary paused, as if she regretted saying anything at all. “Some folks here would say the MC taking control of the town is the best thing that ever happened to Redemption. Before they came along, Redemption was riddled with gangs and drug dealers.”
“But you believe otherwise?” she asked.
“Those who stay in power, abuse that power. Please, just forget what I’ve told you. Enjoy the town as much as you can. Candy here will tell you all about the activities you can sign up for while you’re here,” Mary said.
“One room?” the twenty-something brunette manning the reception desk asked her.
After receiving her key, Amber went to the second floor, where her room was located. Candy had given her a room with a fantastic view. Dropping her backpack by the bed, Amber walked to the opened window facing the rest of the town. She started to wonder if coming here was a bad idea after all. It had taken her weeks to gather her courage to leave David. Then she made the awful decision of coming to a place governed by controlling and ruthless men just like David.
Despite the generously sized room and all the opened windows—Amber counted three total—she began to feel a little claustrophobic. The walls seemed to close down on her, and she needed to get some air. She planned on taking it easy today. Soak in the bath, stay in, order room service, and eat dinner on the bed in her bathrobe. Those plans went out the window right this instant. What Amber needed was a drink or two. God. She could practically taste the cold beer in her mouth.
She hadn’t been able to drink for months.
Amber settled for a quick shower. She felt refreshed afterward. The urge to go out and let her hair down was still there. After she moved in with David, he seldom let her out of the apartment. It didn’t help that as a freelance graphic designer, Amber worked from home. For the past year, she felt like a prisoner. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted.
She left her room and asked Candy where the closest bar was.
“O’Riley’s,” Candy answered. “It’s just two streets down from here. I overheard Mrs. Thompson warning you about the bikers. They’re not as bad as she makes them out to be.”
“Really?” Amber doubted it. She wanted to avoid a run-in with any of these bikers tonight. Have a drink, a couple of dances, and some dinner. That was all she wanted. Then she’d head back to her room and try not to think about what she was going to do next. Amber had planned on staying here for a week, but maybe that wasn’t a wise idea.
“Yeah, she’s still a little bitter because one of her nephews got into a car accident with one of the Fallen Saints MC members,” Candy told her.
Amber would be a little angry if she was in Mary’s position, too. She thanked Candy and headed to O’Riley’s. Before David, she had a few girlfriends she went out for drinks with. That ended when the controlling bastard decided he wanted her all to himself. He didn’t allow her to meet anyone. It was only later Amber realized David had slowly but surely isolated her from everyone she once knew.
“I can do this,” she whispered to herself. Amber took deep breaths. She waded through the crowd and somehow managed to find an empty seat at the bar. She ordered a local beer. The cool amber liquid tasted heavenly on her tongue.
“Never seen you in these parts before, sweetheart,” slurred a voice.
A portly man wearing a dirty cowboy hat occupied the seat next to her. Her skin crawled when he looked her up and down. He took his hat off, revealing a balding patch of hair. He flashed her a mouthful of cigarette-stained teeth.
“Daryl McGibson,” he said, offering her a hand, which she didn’t shake. Amber took a sip of her beer. “You a tourist?”
“Amber,” she said. “Yeah, I’m just passing by.”
“Another drink for the pretty lady!” Daryl yelled to the bartender.
“You don’t have to do that,” Amber said quickly. “Sorry, but I just want to be alone tonight. I just came from a bad breakup.”
Another lie. David wouldn’t let her go. She wondered what he was doing now. It was only 8:00 in New York. Was he working late in the office? Or was he already roaring drunk with his colleagues at his favorite sports bar?
Maybe she would luck out, and David would choose to hook up with some random woman at the bar. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he brought another woman to their apartment. It always seemed strange to her that David seemed to think it was completely fine that he cheated on her all the time and yet refused to let her have a little bit of freedom.
“Then I’ll keep you company,” Daryl said. “Tell me about yourself.”
This wasn’t good. She had forgotten how to say no, to stand up for herself. Living with a monster like David for months had beaten all the fight out of her. She noticed her hand on her glass bottle beginning to tremble. What was she thinking? After leaving the nightmare that was her life, did she think she could just forget about the past and start anew?
End of sample chapter
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Winter Sloane, Shadow
