Shade

by Jamie Begley

  “The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office dropped the charges against you. Samantha had a genetic kidney disease; that was the cause of death.”

  “What?”

  “It’s true. Even if they find evidence of an argument between you, which they won’t,” Diamond added hastily, “they would have to do involuntary manslaughter, and that would be hard to prove unless someone actually saw you inflict the injury on Samantha.”

  “It’s over?” Knox asked, relief filling his voice.

  “Yes. I’m still going to try to find who attacked her because I don’t want that hanging over your head, but you’re free now.”

  Shade heard the shuffling of feet.

  “Want to go back to my apartment and celebrate? I don’t have any cases this afternoon.”

  Shade was about to leave when Sex Piston barged by him before he could stop her. On her way by, she tossed him a look, daring him to interfere. Shade stiffened, tempted to meet the bitch’s challenge, but he didn’t want Diamond to be able to testify against him after he strangled her sister.

  “Have you lost your fucking mind, Diamond?” Sex Piston snarled.

  “What are you doing here?” Diamond’s confusion was apparent at her sister’s sudden appearance.

  “I came to see why in the hell you haven’t returned any of Ma’s and Pop’s calls. Now I see why. You’re giving them shit while you’re screwing that fuckwad.”

  “Don’t talk about him like that, Sex Piston,” Diamond snapped angrily at her sister.

  “You’re taking up for him? You’ve been fucking him after throwing up your high and mighty morals to me for years. I don’t think so, bitch. You’re letting someone fuck you who I wouldn’t let touch me.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Why? You don’t want to hear what I got to say? Too fucking bad. I’ve put up with your shit for years.” She nodded in Knox’s direction. “If you’ve been fucking him, then you’ve done Rider, too.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “They’re the welcoming committee to The Last Riders. They double-team the women who are joining the club. He tell you how the women become members?”

  “Like Pop’s club; you become a member’s old lady or fuck buddy.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re that fucking stupid? None of those women belong to any of the members. They are members.”

  “How do they become members?”

  Knox remained silent at Diamond’s question.

  “There are eight original members. The women who want to join fuck six out of the eight. When they’ve accomplished that milestone, they go get themselves tatted with the date they got their final vote. Now, isn’t that too sweet?” Sex Piston said harshly.

  The bitch could have broken the news to her sister gently; instead, she had smacked her in the face with her knowledge of The Last Riders. Shade didn’t have to figure out it was Beth who had spilled the information, and Beth was going to earn a punishment for the mess before him.

  “You been to one of their Friday night parties?” Sex Piston asked.

  “What?”

  “It’s their weekly fuck-fest where they swap sex partners and decide if any new women are going to become members.” She nodded toward Knox. “I heard he has a regular smorgasbord every week.

  “If you didn’t make it to one of their Fridays, then he has no interest in you joining. You’re less than those women; you’re just a temporary fuck.”

  “Get out,” Diamond demanded.

  Sex Piston’s mouth closed with a snap. Throwing both of them dirty looks, she stormed from the office, slamming Diamond’s office door as she left.

  Shade backed away from the closed door and a furious Sex Piston.

  “You get your rocks off watching others, don’t you?”

  Shade narrowed his eyes on the woman. “Be careful, Sex Piston. I’m not Knox or Razer. I don’t give a fuck if you’re a woman.”

  For a brief second, fear flashed in her eyes before she lowered her lashes, giving a sharp nod then turning on her high heels and leaving.

  Shade also left, returning to the diner to give Viper and Razer the news about the charges being dropped.

  “I hope Knox took the news better than you,” Razer said, noticing his angry expression.

  Shade told Razer what he had overheard.

  Razer’s face went taut. “Beth and I both will both draw a punishment this week. Obviously, I didn’t make it clear enough not to talk about club business. I’ll apologize to Knox, too. He should have been the one to tell her when he was ready.” Razer began to get up.

  “Sit down,” Shade told him. “Wait until you get back to the clubhouse. Give him some time to think.”

  “About what?”

  “If he gives a fuck,” Shade answered.

  Chapter 33

  Shade straddled the chair at the kitchen table next to Knox. The brother had never been a big talker, but since his fight with Diamond two months ago, he didn’t talk much at all. The conversation went quiet around the table when Beth’s cell phone rang. Her monosyllabic replies were short, and the call didn’t last a full minute. Then Beth sat, staring at her phone with a hurt expression on her face.

  “Who was that?” Razer asked.

  “Diamond Richards,” she said, glancing at Knox.

  “What did she want with Lily’s number?”

  Shade and Knox both stopped eating at Razer’s question.

  “I don’t know. She hung up before I could ask.”

  Razer and Beth kept eating until Razer couldn’t ignore the looks both Shade and Knox were throwing.

  “Maybe you should call and find out,” Razer suggested.

  Beth picked up her phone and called her sister while the men waited impatiently for several minutes until Beth hung up.

  “What did she want?” Knox asked before he could.

  “She wanted to know if there was a boy in her and Sam’s class who would freak a parent out if their daughter became involved with them.”

  “Was there?” Knox asked while all Shade could feel was relief that nothing was going on with Lily.

  “Yes.”

  “Who was it?”

  “Dustin Porter.”

  * * *

  Shade used hand movements to show the brothers which positions by the house he wanted them to take. They had left their bikes at the bottom of the hill and ran to the house, missing Tate, Greer, and Rachel entering by moments. Diamond was already inside with Dustin.

  He, Viper, and Knox, edged silently closer to the door. Once there, Shade put his finger to his lips then raised it to show he wanted the brothers to wait. Voices could be heard on the other side.

  Shade stared into a small window covered by a curtain, finding a small part which wasn’t covered and gave him a small glimpse of what was happening inside. He then raised a finger, showing someone inside had a weapon.

  “I’m not going to press charges,” Diamond was saying.

  Rachel was standing next to her while Tate and Greer stood by a table with Dustin.

  “I’ll pay for the damages,” Rachel burst out.

  “That’s not necessary,” Diamond said. “The couch was the only thing I had to throw out, and I like my new one.”

  As the other brothers stared at each other, Shade realized the Porters had been the ones responsible for Diamond’s office being trashed.

  “What are we going to do? She’s going to go to the sheriff,” Greer asked his brothers.

  “No, I’m not. We’re going to the sheriff together.” Diamond kept her voice firm. “Dustin will always be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life if he doesn’t. He’s going to face it and get it over with then start over.”

  “My brother isn’t going to jail,” Greer said angrily.

  “No, he’s not. Samantha died because of her kidneys, not the blow to her head. I can get the charge dropped to involuntary manslaughter. I’ll talk to Caleb to see if we can work out a deal.”

&nbs
p; “Listen to her, Greer,” Rachel said, going to her brother and trying to take the gun from him.

  “They’re not going to offer him a deal! They’ve been trying to lock one of us away for years, and all because of that slut, they’re going to get one of us!”

  “I told you not to call her that!” Dustin said.

  “You were always blind where that bitch was concerned! I told you to stay away from that stuck-up pussy, and did you listen to me? Hell no! Now look at the mess we’re in all because you had to have that slut!”

  Rachel attempted to take the shotgun away from Greer again before her brothers came to blows, and Diamond went forward to get Rachel back when the gun went off.

  Everyone froze in shock. Diamond took a breath of relief when she realized the shot went through the back of the sofa.

  “Thank God,” Rachel said.

  With that, Shade gave the signal, letting Knox crash open the door. As The Last Riders came into the room, Knox went straight to Diamond.

  “Are you okay?” Knox asked Diamond.

  She batted his hands away. “I’m fine. Why are you here?”

  “Beth called Lily to see what you wanted. Knowing your track record about going at things alone, I had a feeling you would come here,” Knox explained angrily.

  “I didn’t need anyone’s help. The gun went off accidently,” Diamond snapped back.

  “Guns don’t fucking go off by accident if you’re not holding one,” Knox said, looking at Greer who was staring guiltily at his sister.

  “I’m sorry, Rachel,” Greer apologized to his sister.

  “I’ve told you that temper of yours is going to get someone killed,” Rachel told her brother.

  Shade wanted to beat the shit out of the three brothers for being stupid enough to fight over a weapon with women nearby. One of them could have been killed. However, from their pale faces, they already realized their mistake.

  “Diamond, take Rachel outside and wait for me,” Knox ordered, staring at Greer with deadly intent.

  “We’re not going anywhere.” Diamond refused to leave as The Last Riders spread throughout the room.

  Rider and Razer were by Dustin, Cash and Viper were next to Tate, and Greer had Train and Crash standing by him. Rachel was shaking, still standing next to Greer, while Shade stood by the door, making sure the Porter brothers didn’t make a run for it. He was always the last means of defense because no one got past him.

  “I didn’t ask.” Knox lifted her off her feet, turning toward the door.

  “Stop it, Knox. You don’t even know what’s going on. I’m Dustin’s lawyer, and I came out here to discuss his court case with him.”

  “Which one? The one where he sold pot to an undercover cop or for Sam’s death?” Knox mocked her.

  “Put me down!”

  Cash took Rachel’s arm, moving her away from Greer.

  “Don’t fucking touch her!” Greer yelled, moving forward, but Viper had him in a second, held immobile as Rachel struggled against Cash.

  “Stop it, and listen to me. He didn’t mean for the gun to go off. Rachel tried to take the gun from him. You know he wouldn’t hurt his sister. Knox, calm down and listen to me.” Diamond quit trying to struggle against him, letting her body go pliant. Turning against him until she was plastered against his front, she took his face in her hands, drawing his furious gaze back to hers. “They had no intention of hurting me.”

  Knox released her.

  “Let her go, Cash,” Viper ordered.

  Cash freed a still struggling Rachel who turned, planting her foot in his balls.

  Cash went immediately to his knees.

  “Don’t ever fucking touch me again.” She started for the downed man again.

  Shade laughed, moving forward to save the brother by blocking Cash.

  “I think he got the message, Rachel,” Shade told her.

  Rachel pulled her shirt down, which had ridden up her flat stomach, before planting her hands on her hips.

  “You’re going to buy me a new door, Knox.” She turned around and pointed her finger at Greer. “You’re going to get your ass out of bed in the morning and buy me a new couch.” Turning to Viper, she let him have it, too. “Next time you come to my house, fucking knock first.” She looked around at a smirking Shade to see Cash trying to get to his feet.

  Shade offered him a hand, but was met with an angry scowl.

  “You have a whole club of women to haul around, so don’t touch me again or the only thing you’re going to be able to touch them with are your damn fingers.”

  Taking a deep breath, she turned to Diamond. “Now, can you help Dustin or not?”

  “Yes,” Diamond said softly. “I’ll go with him to the sheriff’s office to make a statement. I’ll talk to the Commonwealth’s Attorney to try to work out a deal, but he knows he doesn’t have much of a case. I sent for the coroner’s report from Frankfort; Samantha Bedford was in bad shape. She needed a kidney transplant and wasn’t even aware she had a problem. I talked to her grandmother; it could have possibly been what killed her mother. It was a genetic condition the family was unaware of.”

  “Could my kid have it?” Dustin asked.

  Shade whistled silently to himself, realizing the kid they had been searching for was Dustin’s. Vincent Bedford wouldn’t have been happy when he found out Sam was pregnant by one of the Porters. They supplied practically the whole state with weed.

  “Possibly. Dustin, right now we have to deal with Samantha’s death. I’ll do what I can to see how I can get more help for you to find your child, okay?”

  “All right. I don’t have a choice, do I?” Dustin said unhappily.

  “No. I’m sorry, you don’t. Samantha made several bad decisions, but I do think she cared about you, Dustin, and if she did, she would have seen your child was taken care of. You have to hold on to that hope.”

  Dustin nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “Wait a minute, who planted the jewelry in my bedroom?” Knox asked.

  The Porters stopped, looking at each other.

  Greer faced Knox. “I paid Tara and Stacy to plant it for me. I gave them a month’s supply of pot for doing it and then to tell me which room was yours. Then I called the state police.”

  Shade nodded evilly. He had the perfect punishment in mind for the twins.

  “Who are Tara and Stacy?” Diamond asked, confused.

  “They’re twins who are hangers-on. They come to the clubhouse every Friday,” Viper explained, not able to look her in the eyes.

  Diamond walked toward the door, keeping her face averted from Knox and The Last Riders.

  The Porters started to follow her until Knox took a step forward and punched Greer in the face. Tate managed to catch his brother before he fell to the floor, and then Tate started to move toward Knox, but Viper’s words stopped him.

  “If it wasn’t for Diamond and Rachel, we would have had a different outcome tonight. Don’t press your luck. Get your asses to the car before I change my mind and don’t care if they see us get even.”

  The Porters didn’t hesitate, going out to the front yard which was also full of The Last Riders.

  Diamond went to her car, ignoring Knox, while Shade and Viper went to stand next to him.

  “I’ll meet you at the sheriff’s office,” she told the Porters.

  She looked toward Viper, who silently acknowledged her thanks with a nod of his head. With that, Diamond got in her car and drove down the mountain road.

  “Looks like Dustin’s in a shit-load of trouble,” Shade commented.

  “Diamond will get him out of it. She’s good at her job,” Knox said, still staring at where Diamond’s car had disappeared.

  “She took it pretty good with the Porters shooting at her. She didn’t get hysterical. Seems to me she would be easy to talk to, being a lawyer.” Shade looked down at his boots.

  Knox’s mouth twitched. “You trying to give me advice?”

  Shade starte
d walking. “I don’t offer advice—that’s for pussies. I give suggestions.”

  Chapter 34

  Shade closed his bedroom door following Raci and Jewell down the hallway and up the steps to the kitchen. He had only bothered to pull on his jeans, and his hair was still wet from the shower he had taken with the women. He didn’t have to worry about appearances since Winter and Beth were both in bed with their husbands at this time of night. Jewell and Raci were only wearing T-shirts with nothing on underneath, both flushed with red faces. He had worked up an appetite.

  Jewell opened the door, and they went into the kitchen to see Diamond and Knox sitting at the table with Cash and Evie. Diamond had paused with the sandwich in her hand, her eyes following them. His eyes met her open-mouthed stare as he closed the door behind him.

  The silence in the room was tangible as the two women went toward the refrigerator to make their own snacks while Shade walked to the liquor sitting on the counter. He grabbed one of the bottles then went to the cabinet to get a glass, coming to take a seat across from Diamond who had managed to take a bite of her sandwich.

  His gaze went to Diamond and Knox.

  He should have known she was still there at the club, although anyone not a member was supposed to be out by two. He had called Viper the night before on his cell phone when he had heard the commotion upstairs, but he had been busy with another job Viper had given him. His president had told him Diamond had showed up with Sex Piston and her bitches to make up with Knox. Then he had told him Stud had showed up for Sex Piston and her crew which hadn’t wanted to leave. It had sounded like a clusterfuck to Shade. He didn’t know why Diamond hadn’t just given Knox a blowjob. That was all she had needed to do to achieve the reconciliation she had wanted, and been less aggravating to the whole club.

  Shade liked his business kept private. He didn’t want loose lips damaging a relationship with Lily before he could begin one.

  “You going to need my vote?” Shade asked, his gaze on Knox.

  Knox stared back. “Yes.”

  “Then handle it,” he said, getting up from the table and taking the whiskey and glass with him.

  Looking back at Evie, he asked, “Coming?”