by Jamie Begley
“No, Henry will take care of it.”
“All right then. It was nice meeting you, Lily’s father.” She moved toward the door.
“Are you a friend of Lily’s?”
“I like to think I am, yes.”
“Her husband?”
“Yes.”
“How close?”
Evie openly gaped at him. What was he trying to ask? “I have known Lily since she was a senior in high school, and I met Shade when we were in high school and served in the military together. So, I guess we’re pretty good friends.”
“I was just wondering since you stepped in for Beth today.”
“Oh, I used to work with Beth a few years ago before the factory opened. I help out whenever she needs an extra hand.”
“I see. It was nice meeting you.”
Evie nodded her head, feeling as if he was dismissing her. She opened her mouth to say something then snapped it closed, remembering her friendship with Lily and Beth. She really didn’t want to make them angry by calling Lily’s father an arrogant asshole, but he was definitely riding the line of being just that with his attitude.
Evie went out the door, leaving it open, aware that Henry was following behind her. She walked to the front door, about to open it, but Henry reached out and opened it for her.
“He can be a little abrasive.”
Evie heard the humorous edge to his voice; it probably wasn’t the first time he had witnessed his boss pissing someone off. “No shit.”
“He grows on you.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Evie went out the door and to her car, sliding in. She had begun looking forward to a vacation with Penni this morning after Shade had asked her to investigate King’s businesses; now, she wasn’t so sure. She had a feeling it wasn’t going to be as simple as she had thought it would be. He sure as fuck didn’t share his daughter’s sweet personality.
* * *
“I think you made her angry.”
King finished buttoning his shirt before giving Henry his attention. He lay back against the headboard of the bed. “I intended to. I wanted to see her reaction when I mentioned Shade.”
He reached into his nightstand, pulling out a thick sheathe of papers then laying them across his lap as he continued reading the facts Jackal had been able to gather on The Last Riders. He wondered how much of it Beth and Lily were aware of.
“It’s more of a sex club than a motorcycle club.” King’s hand tightened on one of the papers as he read.
Henry remained silent; his friend and bodyguard always knew when to keep his mouth shut, sensing his moods.
How could they become involved with such a group? He couldn’t imagine Lily participating in the club’s activities with her background, so he had to assume she was clueless.
“Lily and Beth both live in houses behind the club.”
“Beth went back and forth between the club and her home before her house was built,” King said. “Lily only moved into the clubhouse when the man Digger contracted to kill her botched up.”
“Yes.”
King continued reading. “Seems Evie is a little more than a nurse; she’s a nurse practioner in the club, she was the first woman who became a member.”
“So… she?”
“Participates in all the club’s activities. She’s over the women.” King lifted another paper, his face turning grimmer as he read. “We were right about Shade.”
“How bad?”
“He’s an assassin for the military. He also contracts out to other groups.” A whistle left his lips. “He commands a pretty hefty fee to perform. How sure is Jackal about some of these hits?”
“Jackal doesn’t make mistakes.”
“I wish he had this time.” King looked down at the paper in his hand. Lily’s husband was a lethal bastard. His hits had a varied background and some he had heard of, some he hadn’t. The ones he had were no loss; he would have killed them for free given the opportunity. It still made his gut clench that Lily was married to a man who could kill so effortlessly.
“Did you see his psych report? Jackal said he had to pay extra for that piece of information,” Henry noted.
King picked up the report. “Make sure he’s compensated.”
“Already taken care of.” Henry was efficient, managing to keep all his businesses under his watchful eyes.
King read Shade’s psych report. When he finished, he knew there was no way he could allow the man to remain married to Lily. He read through the remaining papers, finding out all the relevant information he needed to know about the remaining members.
“They’re a deadly group of men; each has his own particular skill.”
“It won’t be easy taking them on.”
“When have I ever been afraid of a challenge?” King eyed Henry.
“She won’t thank you for it. She’s in love with him.”
“There’s no way Shade’s in love with her. I’d be surprised if he even bled. The psychiatrist who did that psych doesn’t even think he’s fucking human.”
“According to women, he’s human.” King stared at his friend coldly, letting him know he didn’t appreciate his humor.
“He has to be hiding that from Lily. There is no way she would let him dominate her; she was too traumatized as a child.”
This time, Henry remained wisely silent.
King sighed, throwing the papers to his side.
“What are you going to do?”
“What in the fuck do you think I’m going to do?”
Chapter 3
Evie went back to the clubhouse. Once inside, she decided not to take her nap; instead she pitched in to help Bliss and Raci cook dinner.
“So, what was he like?” Bliss asked.
Evie didn’t have to ask whom she was referring to. “He’s younger than I thought he would be, and kind of sexy.” Both women stared at her. Evie grinned, raising her hands in the air. “Well, he is.”
“I’ve got to see this guy,” Jewell said.
“Who?” Beth asked, coming into the kitchen.
The women went silent.
Evie decided she might as well tell. “I was just telling them that King was younger than I thought and not bad looking, either.”
“Yes, he is attractive.” Beth didn’t seem to be disturbed by everyone talking about her cousin. “How did it go at his house today?”
“Pretty well, considering I think he was fishing for information on Shade.”
“I thought he might. He asked me a few questions about Shade, too. I think that’s pretty understandable.”
“Why? It’s not like he raised her,” Raci butted in.
“No, but he did keep an eye out for her.” Evie could see Beth was going to defend her cousin, so she changed the subject to getting dinner done. One by one, the men came in from the factory, filling their plates. Evie fixed her own plate and then took a seat at the table. She was tired and didn’t really pay much attention to the conversation going on around her, so when she was finished, she got up from the table.
“Evie, I forgot to ask, would you mind taking care of King again tomorrow? This one patient I have has me behind on all my others, and Ton has the flu. I wanted to stop by his house and check on him tomorrow.”
“Sure, I don’t mind. Should I take him lunch? He didn’t seem happy that I came without it today.”
Beth blushed. “I’ve been fixing him a plate at lunch and taking it. If it’s not too big a hassle, would you mind?”
“That’s fine. I think it put him in a bad mood.”
“That’s his normal personality.”
“Then I’d hate to actually see him in a bad mood.”
“Hell, Evie, what man can stay in a bad mood with you around?” Train came up behind her, putting his hand on her ass.
“Plenty,” Evie said, moving away from his touch; she was too tired to mess around tonight.
She stacked her dirty dishes then went upstairs to her room, getting ready for b
ed. She turned out her light then locked the door. It had been a while since she had locked the men out, but she needed a good night’s sleep. She was getting older; the all-nighters were becoming fewer and fewer.
She didn’t know if it was because she was getting bored, but she had told Shade the truth—she was looking forward to a vacation. Working at the factory all day and partying all night was becoming old. She had begun thinking lately of going back to work with Beth or the hospital. The time in Queen City would give her time to make her mind up.
Evie rolled over onto her stomach, thinking about Lily and the expression on King’s face. She had a feeling King wasn’t happy with Lily’s marriage. She hoped the man kept his thoughts to himself; Shade wouldn’t be happy with his interference.
Evie shivered under the covers. She hated the thought of the two men not getting along. King and Shade both were used to getting their own way, and while King might be used to dealing with the seedier side of life, she was sure he had never dealt with someone of Shade’s caliber. If he took Shade on, it was a battle he wouldn’t win, and he would very likely end up out of Lily’s life forever.
* * *
The next day, Henry opened the door before she could knock. She flashed him a smile as she stepped into the house, handing him the plate of food Beth had made for him.
“You’ll need to reheat that before giving it to him.”
“Okay.” He walked her down the hallway, knocking on the door before opening it for her and closing it behind her.
As she entered, she saw King was sitting at a chair by the window.
“Hello. How are you doing today?” Evie asked brightly, her chirpy voice making her wince at herself.
“Fine.” His mocking gaze had her smile disappearing. “Do you want me to move to the bed?”
“No. I can do it where you are.” Evie set her satchel on the desk, opening it to put her gloves on. When she turned around, King hadn’t unbuttoned his shirt. “You can unbutton your shirt.”
He unbuttoned his shirt, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. Evie waited patiently, not letting him embarrass her. When he finished, she jerked the tape off.
“Ouch.”
“Sorry.” That would teach the bastard. She didn’t know what he was up to, but she wasn’t a young girl or dependent on him for a payday; she didn’t have to tolerate his behavior.
She threw away her dirty gloves and the bandages, going to her satchel for fresh ones. She then cleaned his wound and placed a fresh bandage on. When she finished, she took his temperature.
“You’re healing well. No temperature.” Evie closed her satchel.
Henry came in the door then, carrying the food. Placing it down on the desk, he brought a small table to place in front of King then set the food down in front of him.
“Thanks for bringing me lunch,” King said to Evie before he began eating.
Evie shrugged. “It was no big deal; we always have plenty. The men all have big appetites.” Evie winced at her poor choice of words.
Evie stood still, waiting silently for him to make an ugly comment.
“Anything wrong?”
“Does he always wait on you like that?”
“Henry?” His violet eyes stared back at her cynically.
“Yes. You got a problem getting off your ass and doing stuff for yourself?”
“No, I went for a walk and tired myself out. Henry had to help me back to the bedroom.”
Fuck. She should have kept her mouth closed; it was no business of hers whether Henry wiped King’s ass for him.
“Sorry, I should have minded my own business. You should have told me you weren’t feeling well. I would have checked you over better.” She set her satchel back down, starting to open it.
“I’m fine. I just overdid it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” His lips twitched.
Evie closed her satchel again. “You only need to be walking around your house. It’s too soon to be doing much more than that.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Evie nodded her head, picking up her satchel again.
“Lily, Beth, and their husbands are coming for dinner Friday. Would you like to come?” Hell, no, Evie thought, about to turn down the invitation. “I thought it would make Razer and Shade more comfortable to have another acquaintance here.”
Evie thought quickly. If King said something to piss off Shade, it might be better to have someone else here to help pull him off King. Not that she would be much help, but at least he wouldn’t punch her like he would Razer for interfering.
“Yes, thank you. I’d like that.”
“Good. I thought it could give everyone something to do on a Friday night. It’s not like this town has a lot to keep you busy. What does everyone do to keep themselves occupied?”
Evie swallowed. Somehow, he knew. Like a snake about to strike, he was waiting for her reaction. Evie’s face went impassive. “We go to the movies.”
“I’m glad to provide a better option this week.”
“I’ll see you Friday then. Make sure you tell Beth if you’re not feeling better tomorrow.” Evie turned, leaving the room before he could say anything else. She almost ran into Henry as she got to the front door. The man was determined to beat her to the fucking door.
“Later, Henry.”
“Goodbye, Evie.”
Evie released the breath she had been holding. Going to her car, she threw her satchel into the backseat, pulling out her cell phone before she put her key in the ignition. Finding Shade’s number, she hit dial.
“We need to talk.”
* * *
King looked up from his plate when the door opened again. “Well?”
“The phone was in her hand before she backed out of the driveway.
“Good.”
“King...?”
“What?”
“Be careful. This guy doesn’t mess around. The two responsible for Lily getting hurt were found at the bottom of a mountain not far from here. They crashed their bikes and went headfirst over the guardrail. It took a helicopter to get their bodies out.”
“He doesn’t fuck around, does he?” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.
“No, he doesn’t.”
“I’ll be careful. I don’t plan on being stupid.”
“Making him aware you know what’s going on at the club might not be smart.”
“It’s merely gossip I could have found at the local diner. Besides, I know exactly how I’m going to bring Shade down.”
“How?”
“Evie. I’ll find out everything I need to bring down the club from her.”
“You think you can get her to betray her club?”
King didn’t say anything, giving his friend a confident smile.
“She might be able to resist your charms.”
“When has any woman turned me down? Plus, she’s a whore. She fucks all the men in The Last Riders and most of the women. Why would she turn me down?”
Henry didn’t say anything, taking the dirty dishes and moving the small table back against the wall.
“Henry?”
“I don’t think she’s going to be as easy to fool into ratting out her friends. All those reports you’ve been reading show how loyal they are to each other, so I don’t see her breaking so easily.”
“Did I say it was going to be easy? I think she’ll fight her attraction to me, but she’ll cave and tell me everything I need to know once I have her in my bed. I don’t know which I’m going to enjoy more: fucking her or getting Shade out of Lily’s life.”
Chapter 4
“That was all he said?” Shade’s enigmatic gaze rested on her, waiting for her response.
“Yes, I think he knows about the club.”
“Perhaps. It wouldn’t be difficult with Kaley telling everyone in town.”
“You think that’s all?”
“No, I think he’s checked us out. I’m sure he has the resources to find ou
t what he wants.”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“No, Lily knows the truth about the club. He’s not going to tell her anything I haven’t.”
“You’ve told her everything?” Evie was shocked, her heart beating rapidly at his statement.
“Not everything, no. Just the parts King can use against me. The rest about my jobs with the military, no.”
“Did you tell her about me?” Evie licked her dry lips.
“No.”
“Thank you. So, what are you going to do?”
“Nothing. I’m going to let him make his move.”
“You don’t think he can come between you and Lily?” she asked hesitantly.
“No. I’m really not worried about some bullshit he thinks he's going to pull out of the closet. If he does, Lily and I will deal with it.”
“Cool. I could just picture you beating the shit out of him with Lily watching. That’s why I accepted his dinner invitation.”
“When I deal with King, Lily won’t be around. I can deal with him, man to man, whatever he pulls. It’s the garbage that could get Lily killed that concerns me.”
“When is Penni going back to Queen City?”
“The week after next. The same week Lily and I leave for Alaska. I told her last night.”
“Is she excited?”
“That’s putting it mildly.” A smile lit his face briefly. It never failed to stun Evie when she saw that look on his face. Shade had loved Lily since he had seen her as a senior in high school; however, he had waited until she had finished college before marrying her.
“You finished for the day?”
“Yeah, I just have to lock up.” When they walked out of the office, Evie stood by his side as he locked the factory door before going up to the clubhouse together. Dinner was already starting when she turned to go upstairs. Shade paused.
“You're not going to eat?”
“No, I’m not hungry. I’m going to have an early night. See you in the morning.”
“Night.”
Evie went upstairs to her room, taking a shower before she lay down on her bed to watch television. She heard Raci and Jewell in the bedroom next door with Cash. A knock came at her door, which she ignored before whomever it was went away.