by Jamie Begley
“You’re just going to leave me with her?” he asked, somehow disappointed.
Rachel cocked her head at him. “Yes. You won’t hurt her.”
She left him alone with Lily, who was sitting on the floor in the corner of the bedroom with her forehead on her knees, her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth.
Shade leaned against the wall, evaluating the situation before making a move toward Lily. The red rubber band the counselor had given her was on her delicate wrist. Penni had told him the counselor had instructed Lily to snap it against herself when she became too frightened to deal with a situation. Penni had also told him that, at first, she would see Lily snapping it constantly, but it had begun tapering off to only a few times a day. He only wished Penni could get Lily to open up about what was causing the attacks, which she hadn’t been able to do so far.
“Lily?” Shade tried to soften his harsh voice. He had seen her that way a couple of times. Beth had told Razer that only time itself would draw her out of the self-induced trance Lily used as a defense mechanism. However, Beth either didn’t know or wouldn’t tell Razer the reason for the attacks in the first place.
Shade slowly walked toward Lily, hunching down in front of her rocking form. “Lily.” That time, his voice was more forceful, commanding her attention, and the rocking stopped.
Coming to a decision, Shade reached out, lifting her into his arms. It wasn’t the smartest choice, however, as he found himself with a wildcat in his arms. The unexpected fury of the woman had him forcing her against the wall to gain control of the nails going for his eyes. Pinning her there with his body, he didn’t try to grab her hands, merely blocking her moves.
“Lily, stop it now!” he said in a firm voice. “Aren’t you worried about Winter? She’s worried about you. She was crying she was so worried, Lily. Beth is probably scared out of her fucking mind.” Shade kept her pinned against the wall as he kept repeating Beth’s and Winter’s names.
Finally, he saw a light of reality break through her blank expression.
“Shade?” her voice whimpered.
“Yes, baby.”
As Lily sucked in deep breaths as if her chest was going to explode, her hand wiped at the tears on her face. “Is Winter safe?”
“Yes. Beth’s friends stopped and helped. Winter is waiting with Beth. They are both waiting to hear from us. You okay?” Shade asked, worried about the blood he had found on her clothes. His eyes searched her body, finding a scratch with drying blood on the underside of her forearm.
Lily nodded, still trying to catch her breath.
“Lily, breathe slowly,” Shade ordered in a hard voice.
Lily jumped, but her breaths gradually slowed and he took a step back, giving her some room.
“Can we go now?” Lily asked, her soft voice gaining strength.
“Yes.” Shade backed away more, allowing her to slide by him. Then he opened the bedroom door, letting Lily go ahead of him before following her outside.
Lily walked out the door and came to a sudden stop when she found the yard filled with The Last Riders.
When Beth jumped off Razer’s bike, running to her sister and nearly knocking her down, Shade placed his hand on Lily’s back, holding her steady.
“Are you all right?” Beth asked.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t help Winter. I shouldn’t have pan—”
“Don’t you dare apologize. You were smart enough to run. Winter said he shot at you twice. I would have run, too. Anyone would.”
Lily shook her head. “Even when Rachel found me, I couldn’t tell her what happened. Her brothers could have helped.”
Beth smiled softly at her sister. “Winter had plenty of help. Sex Piston and her crew showed up. They took a baseball bat to the bastard.”
“Really?” Lily asked as they walked toward Razer’s motorcycle.
“Yes.”
“Winter’s okay?”
“She’s on the back of Viper’s bike.”
Shade saw her finally relax, knowing Winter was safe.
Shade got on his own bike, starting it as he saw Knox sitting uncomfortably behind Rider. He owed the brother a favor for bringing his bike.
Once Viper also fired his engine, The Last Riders waited as one for their brother to leave. Razer’s new family was now their own.
Shade rode his bike up next to Lily.
“Lily.” He used the same tone of voice he had used with her inside.
Lily didn’t appear to want to be parted from Beth. He didn’t think she truly would feel safe until she was home.
“Razer, could you call and ask Mick if he would drive my SUV here?” Beth asked.
“Get on, Lily. I’m taking you home.” Shade’s firm voice had Lily moving reluctantly toward him.
Beth paused.
“Get on, Beth. She’s safe with Shade.” Razer and Shade’s eyes met as Lily climbed on behind Shade, holding his sides with her legs, her trembling hands taking his helmet.
As soon as it was on, Shade throttled his engine, and Viper pulled out in the lead with the others following down the winding road. Shade saw Beth turn around, checking to make sure Lily was okay. Beth had a long way to go with learning to trust him with Lily, but Shade had seen that night what Razer had been trying to tell him. It wasn’t about what anyone wanted to do for Lily; it would always be about what was best for her, and Shade could live with that.
Chapter 24
Shade was sprawled in one of the chairs at Rosie’s, enjoying a lap dance from the stripper Knox had hired for Razer’s bachelor party. He was wearing blue jeans and had pulled off his T-shirt in the hot bar.
She seductively ran her hands down his naked chest, grinding her pussy down onto his cock which was about to burst his zipper. “God, please. Shade, please.” Chastity’s face was a tortured mask of desire.
“What you want, bitch?”
“Your cock. Please, Shade,” she whimpered.
“Where you want it?”
“My pussy.”
“Can’t give it to you now.” Shade wasn’t about to fuck the woman with Winter at the front of the bar. “If you come back to the clubhouse, I’ll give it to you all night.” Shade bragged, half-drunk and horny.
The woman nodded frantically.
“Go give my brothers their dances. If you want to give them anything else, you can give them your mouth. Save your pussy for me.” If the dances hadn’t already been paid for, Shade would have dragged her to his bike already.
The woman shakily moved off Shade, heading toward Knox who was eagerly waiting his turn. She tugged off the flimsy, pink robe she was wearing, pressing her bare breasts against Knox’s chest as she went to work, grinding on him.
Shade half-stumbled toward the bar to get another bottle of whiskey. The counter was a large circle so Shade stood at the back part, hidden from view by the massive wooden shelves that held the liquor bottles.
Bliss was standing next to Train, who had become tired of waiting for the stripper and had removed Bliss’s top. “I heard you promise Chastity your cock.”
“You think I don’t have enough for the both of you?” As his fingers cupped her tit, tugging roughly at her nipple, Bliss moaned, pushing her hips toward his.
“I know you do. It just depends on whether you want to give it to me. Train has me too horny already, and I don’t want to beg for what you might not give me.” Bliss pouted.
“When have I ever not satisfied your greedy pussy?” Shade tilted his head until he could see around the wooden shelf and saw Winter arguing with Viper at a table where they sat with Razer.
Shade took a seat as Chastity came over to them, like she had somehow heard her name mentioned.
With his lap dance abruptly over, Knox shot him a middle finger, and Shade grinned back.
Bliss hadn’t bothered with panties, and her shaved pussy beckoned his drunken mind as she sat down in his lap, straddling him. “Please, you always wait until we beg.”
Cash, who was standing at the bar, slammed his beer down onto the counter, drawing his attention before walking hurriedly toward him.
“Lily’s here.”
It onl took that one word to have Shade out the chair, practically knocking Bliss into Train, who managed to catch her as she gave a small scream.
“Damn, Shade, be careful.”
He tried to shake off the fog surrounding his mind, when he noticed the wall of brothers between him and Lily, giving him precious seconds to get out of the precarious position.
“Sorry,” Shade apologized to the two. “What in the fuck is Lily doing here?”
“I don’t know,” Train said, giving him a hard shove. Usually, Shade would have returned it, but he let Train get away with it that time, figuring he deserved it.
Shade moved closer to the brothers who hid him from view as he tried to listen in on the conversation at Razer’s table. He was barely able to catch a glimpse of her between Knox’s back and Cash’s shoulder.
She was sitting at Razer’s table, flicking that fucking red rubber band.
Shade motioned for Mick to turn the music down.
“Razer, you know I love my sister.”
“I know that you two are very close.” Razer’s eyes were watching Lily’s hands.
“We are. Our parents adopted me, but Beth and I are as close as if we shared the same parents. We tell each other everything,” Lily confessed, not noticing that Razer was becoming tenser. “When you and Beth broke up, she came to my dorm and shared with me how badly she was hurt.”
Shade tried to edge closer, but the wall of bikers wouldn’t move.
“Move, Knox. I’m going to ask her to dance.”
Knox just rolled his eyes, which pissed Shade off. Why shouldn’t he ask Lily to dance? It sure as fuck would take her mind off the red rubber band he was going to rip off her fucking wrist.
“You’re fucking drunk off your ass, Shade. Back off.”
While Train snorted at Knox’s words, Shade saw Lily’s eyes had gone to Bliss, who was dancing with Rider. They weren’t dancing as erotically as they usually would be, but Bliss couldn’t hide the sexy outfit she was wearing, her shirt back on at that point.
“I don’t want to see her hurt that way again,” Lily said miserably.
Razer suddenly leaned across the table, his hand covering her wrist. Everyone could see the bright red flesh of her skin from torturing it with that rubber band.
“Lil’ sis, you’re breaking my heart. Please stop.”
Lily’s hand became still under his.
He nodded toward Winter. “You trust her?”
Lily turned her head to observe Winter before turning back to Razer. “Yes.”
“Do you trust her enough that she would tell Beth if I’m stepping out on her?”
“Yes.”
“She’s attached to my hip the rest of the night. When she leaves, I leave.”
“Okay.” Lily smiled at Razer in relief.
Damn it to Hell, she is fucking beautiful, Shade thought.
“I am marrying Beth because I love her, which means I’m not going to do stupid shit to hurt her again. Beth has learned to trust me, and I want you to, also.” He moved his hand, touching the rubber band. “You don’t need this anymore to keep from being afraid, lil’ sis.” Razer leaned farther across the table. “I swear on my life, I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”
Lily gave him a heartwarming smile before getting up from the table and hugging him. Razer hugged her back, and that was when Shade tried to lunge between the brothers, but they knocked him back. Razer quickly set her away from him by several inches.
“Now, let’s get you out of here. You have another year before you can legally be in a bar,” Razer joked. “Mick made an exception for Beth’s bridal shower, but he might get pissed off if we start making a habit of it.”
Lily laughed. “He can’t get in trouble. I turned twenty-one on my last birthday. I thought Beth told you. Everyone just thinks I’m a year younger because Mom and Dad were so concerned I was behind in school when they adopted me.”
Hearing that sobered him right up and immediately he was filled with a murderous rage. Beth had lied about Lily’s age, and he knew instinctively that Razer had known, despite pretending he hadn’t.
He was done fucking around. He used his boot to kick the back of Cash’s knee, forcing him to drop out of his way. Then he started toward Lily, only to find Train blocking him.
“Shade…” Train warned.
Shade saw Razer hustling Lily toward the door, realizing she was getting away from him.
She was twenty-one; he didn’t have to wait for her any longer. He didn’t have to go home and fuck two faceless women when the one he really wanted was finally within his reach.
He went berserk when he saw Lily about to go through the doorway.
Evie and Dawn screamed when he picked up a chair and threw it at the bikers standing in front of him.
“Move!”
The brothers stayed where they were, so Shade quit being nice. He grabbed Crash by the T-shirt, using him as a battering ram as he took out four of the brothers.
“Shade, she’s gone. Stop!” Viper’s order fell on deaf ears as Shade reached for the beer bottles sitting at the counter, using them as missiles to clear a path.
“Fuck!” Rider ducked, the beer dousing him as the bottle nearly hit him, breaking the glass mirror at the bar.
“Shade, I’m going to kick your ass!” Mick came toward him, but Viper pushed him out of the way as a beer bottle struck him in the chest.
Angrily, Viper charged toward Shade, punching him on the jaw.
Shade used the side of his hand to strike Viper’s shoulder, grinning in satisfaction at his groan of pain. Leaning over, he used his shoulders in a maneuver he had learned when he was in high school, flipping Viper over his back. He was finally managing to get closer to the door.
“Hold him back!” Viper yelled furiously from the floor. “I’ll kick anyone’s ass who lets him through.”
“Mother fucker, move out of my way.” Shade shoved Knox and Train into a table, their combined weight causing it to give out and break into pieces.
“Shade!” The door opened, and Razer came back inside.
Lily was gone.
Before anyone could stop him, he had Razer by the throat. “You fucking liar! You kept throwing her age up to me, and the whole time, you knew she was twenty-one instead of twenty!” Shade snarled.
“I didn’t, Shade. I swear.” Razer slammed his arms down, breaking the hold on him. “Brother, I’m telling the truth—”
“I told you not to call me brother!” Shade pummeled Razer in the stomach.
Knox came up behind him, pinning his arms to the side, and he slammed his head back. Knox quickly released him.
Before Shade could attack Razer again, Viper, Train, and Razer came at him, pinning him up against the wall.
“Listen to me!” Razer yelled. “I’m telling you Beth didn’t tell me, but it doesn’t make a difference, Shade. Did you not see her snapping that fucking rubber band? How’s she going to deal with a crazy mother fucker like you? Let him go,” Razer ordered.
Shade shrugged their hands away, storming toward the door.
“What are you going to do, Shade? Fuck her up even more?” Razer yelled at his back. “You don’t give a shit about Lily.”
Shade turned around, rushing at Razer until he was the one pinned against the wall, his arm across Razer’s throat.
“Don’t ever say that again. I’ll make you disappear before Beth can marry you.”
“It’s the truth, Shade. If you cared about Lily, you would see she’s incapable of a relationship right now. You can deny it all you want, but in that cold heart of yours, you have to know it’s the truth.”
Shade wanted to strangle Razer to shut him up; instead, he released h
im, stepping back using deep breaths to regain his control.
“You don’t know what it’s like,” Shade confessed. “Can you imagine if Beth didn’t ever give you the time of day, if she jumped every time you came near her, if you could see she was screaming for help in her eyes and no one was listening to her? I see that in Lily. She’s not getting better; she’s getting worse. And I’m standing back, watching her fade away more inside herself every time I get to see her.”
“I don’t know what to say, Shade. I really don’t.”
“There’s nothing to say.” Shade ran his hand wearily over his closely cropped hair.
“The most important thing to Lily and Beth is that she finishes college. She dreams about becoming a social worker. Let her finish school, and I won’t stand in your way. I’ll make sure you can be around her, slowly get her used to you being a part of her life. You don’t want to become another nightmare she has to live with, do you?”
“No.”
“I’ll help, but we have to do it my way. Can you do that?” Razer asked.
“I have no choice, do I?”
“No, brother, you don’t.”
Shade wanted to yell at Razer not to call him brother, but stopped when he saw the torn expression on Razer’s face.
He was trying to protect Lily for Beth. Shade couldn’t fault the brother for his loyalty. It was the one feeling he understood.
Shade left the bar, ignoring Winter who hastily stepped back from the door, went to his bike and took off toward town. He passed the street Lily lived on, keeping to the speed limit until he reached the county line. There, he opened his bike up, full throttle. He needed to put some distance between him and Lily until he could think again, until he could breathe again.
Chapter 25
Shade stood at Razer’s side as he spoke his vows to Beth. The wedding was in the backyard of the church. Tables had been set up on the other side of the yard, away from where the ceremony was being performed.
While everyone’s eyes were on the happy couple, his were on Lily. Her gaze briefly met his before dropping to the bouquet she was holding, the faint trembling of her hands betraying her calm facade. Shade turned his head, pretending to watch Lucky perform the wedding. He bet Beth’s father was rolling over in his grave at the man who had taken his position over in the church.