by Jamie Begley
“It was a beautiful ceremony.”
Startled at the soft, feminine voice, Grace looked up to see Lily standing in front of her.
Shade’s wife was gorgeous in a violet, tea-length dress that emphasized her eyes and black hair.
“Yes, it was,” she agreed, her attention switching to Ice who was talking to Jackal, Penni, and Shade across the room.
Lily turned her head to see what she was staring at, then turned back with a smile. “They look handsome all dressed up, don’t they?”
“Yes, they do.” Grace’s hand shook as she lifted her glass to her lips.
“Are…?” Lily began, then cut her question short, blushing.
“Are what?” Grace asked.
“Nothing. I was about to ask if you’re okay, but I didn’t want to be insensitive. I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone.”
Grace placed her hand on Lily’s arm, stopping her. “You couldn’t be insensitive if you tried. You were about to mention my mother, weren’t you?”
Lily nodded. “It has to be difficult to see your father getting remarried.”
“I miss my mother badly, but I’m glad Dad isn’t alone anymore. My mother and Dad had a very happy marriage. They were best friends. The thought of Dad not having that relationship was almost as bad as losing Mom.” Her lips curled in a smile. “T.A. will keep him on his toes.”
“Yes, she will.” Lily laughed with her. “She has a quality that a lot of people don’t have anymore. When she cares about you, she’ll stand by you until hell freezes over. She loves children. I wouldn’t know what I’d do without her at Christmastime. She always volunteers to wrap the children’s presents for the baskets I do for the needy our church puts together.”
Grace smiled, finally managing to relax with Lily’s friendly chatter that took her mind off the problems going on in her marriage. One of the best things about being friends with Penni was that she had been introduced to Lily. She had even accepted a couple of invitations when Penni came to visit Shade for just that reason.
Lily was warm-hearted, sweet, and would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need. She was the exact opposite of her husband. When she thought of Shade, warm-hearted and sweet did not come to mind.
“You don’t have to convince me. She has my dad laughing and smiling again. And she convinced him to take an acting role that he would have never taken unless she talked him into it.”
“I’m glad, too. I saw his movie. It’s really good.”
“I think so, too.” Grace watched proudly as her father and T.A. came into the room to cheers. She didn’t rush to their side, letting the rest of their friends go first.
Grace felt a pang in her chest at how happy they looked, remembering how happy she had been the day she and Ice married.
She felt Lily touch her arm. “Are you okay? You look like you’re about to cry.”
“I’m fine. I was remembering when Ice and I were married.”
“I remember when Shade and I were married. He gave me my dream wedding. I didn’t even know he planned it until the morning of the wedding.”
Shocked, Grace took her eyes off her father to stare at Lily. “You didn’t plan your own wedding?”
“No, Shade did. He knew that I wanted an outdoor wedding with snow, and a snowfall had come in the night before. It was beautiful. The next time you come for a visit, I’ll show you the video. He made my dreams come true. He still does.”
Lily was staring at Shade as they talked, and Grace noticed that Shade was watching her back. He had no idea what they were talking about, yet they were communicating in a way that only those truly in love could.
It brought another pang to her chest, this time much sharper and it didn’t go away.
Setting her champagne glass down, she reached for another. “Ice doesn’t want any part of my dreams.”
Lily turned to her in surprise. “That can’t be true. Ice loves you very much—”
“He used to. Right now, I don’t know how he feels.”
Grace couldn’t believe she was airing her laundry in front of Lily. She couldn’t even understand why, other than the fight they had this morning had been the worst, or Lily was just the type of person that she could talk to—one who wouldn’t make snap judgments.
“I understand.”
Grace frowned. “You do?”
Lily blushed at her own disclosure. “I think all women, whether they’re married or not, at one time or another have doubts if their partners love them the same way they did at the beginning of their relationship.”
“It’s evident that Shade does. Ice? I’m not so sure. We’ve been fighting a lot lately.” Grace finished her drink, mentally blaming the three glasses of champagne she had for revealing the state of her marriage.
Unable to stop herself, she divulged even more, like a dam had broken free within her, and the pain she had been holding in came spilling out.
“I want to have a baby, but I want Ice to find another job. I don’t like the person he works for now.”
“Are you worried about his job security if you have a baby?”
“Not that. I don’t like who he works for.”
“Does Ice like him?”
Grace frowned at her question. “I’ve never thought to ask.”
“If Ice likes him, that might be why he doesn’t want to quit. Why don’t you like his boss?”
“I can’t say.” Grace twisted her wedding ring on her finger, unable to meet Lily’s eyes.
“I see.”
Grace saw that Lily was also twisting the wedding rings on her own hand.
Lily started to say something then seemed to change her mind before deciding to say what she wanted.
“Ice and Shade seem to have similar personalities. I’ve noticed that when you two come for a visit with Penni.”
“I’ve noticed that, too,” Grace acknowledged.
“When I met Shade, I was terrified of him.”
Grace thought back to when she met Ice. “I wasn’t afraid of him. More like wary of him.”
“That’s because you’re more confident and stronger than I was back then.”
“I can’t believe that. When I came to visit, you handled all your guest and their children like a pro.”
“I used to be afraid of my own shadow,” Lily said ruefully. “Becoming friends with Penni and falling in love with Shade gave me more self-assurance. He taught me how to be stronger and confident. It’s wonderful how people can affect your life.” Lily gave her a wide smile. “If not for her, I wouldn’t have met you.”
“I was just thinking earlier that being friends with you is one of the best things in my life.”
“Penni isn’t afraid of anything. I met her in college. She talked me into doing things that my own sister couldn’t have.” Lily laughed. “Not that Beth would have tried to talk me into pole dancing or going to sorority and frat parties. I used to freak out if people drank around me.”
About to reach for another glass of champagne, Grace jerked her hand back.
“It’s okay. Unless someone is drunk, it doesn’t bother me as badly.”
Lily might have said that, but Grace noticed she was the only one who didn’t have a glass in her hand.
Changing the topic from drinking, she teased Lily, “What did Shade teach you to be more confident and stronger?”
“That evil doesn’t always win.”
Grace swallowed hard, looking away from the secrets in Lily’s eyes. Only someone who had faced and conquered evil could understand. And like Lily, she had. She and two of her friends had been kidnapped when they had gone to New York with her parents. Her friends hadn’t made it out alive. It took a lot of years to come to terms that she had.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I should go congratulate your father and T.A.”
Grace could tell Lily wanted to get away from her memories.
“Lily…” Grace stopped her before she could move away. “Could I ask you a question?
”
She didn’t answer yes or no, waiting to hear the question first.
“I’m not… I’m not sure how to ask this.”
Lily smiled. “Just ask. If I can answer, I will.”
“Does…? How do you…?” Grace bit her lip. “Does Shade ever do anything he shouldn’t do? God, this is coming out all wrong. I don’t know what I’m trying to say. Just ignore me….”
Lily didn’t move away.
“Do you mean, does he cheat on me?” Her face went pale. “Has Penni told you something I don’t know?”
“God, no!” Grace frantically waved her hand. “That wasn’t what I was trying to ask. Oh my God! Never mind. That thought never occurred to me.”
“That’s a relief,” Lily said, giving a shaky laugh. “Then I don’t understand?”
“Can we just forget we had this conversation?” Grace was painfully aware she was making an idiot of herself. “I was just trying to ask how you deal with it when Shade does something you don’t like. It came out totally wrong.”
Understanding dawned on her face. “You’re asking me if Shade does something for The Last Riders that I don’t agree with?”
Grace started twisting her wedding ring again. “Basically. But it doesn’t have to be the club he’s doing things for. Just something you wished he wouldn’t do.”
Lily stayed silent. Grace could tell she was thinking over her reply.
“I shouldn’t have asked something so personal. I’m sorry. Ice and I had a terrible fight this morning, and I don’t want my dad and brother to know how bad things are getting between us. Instead, I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you.”
“You did not make a fool of yourself. Don’t say that.” Lily’s gentle smile relieved some of her tension. “I’ll try to answer your question as best I can with the details you’ve given me.
“I trust Shade. I love him based on how he treats me. I love him because I see what he does for not only me and our children but for others. The church store doesn’t make a dime. The Last Riders fund it. The majority of our clients would go to bed every night with an empty stomach if not for them. Shade is responsible for that. I’m not saying The Last Riders wouldn’t help without him talking them into it, but he’s gone beyond what I hoped to achieve.
“Every year, he picks out two students from the families and gives them a full-ride scholarship to the college of their choice. The only stipulation is that they have to come back here and work three years in their field of choice to give back to the community. He’s trying to save Treepoint from dying like the other towns surrounding us.
“Since the moment I met Shade, I realized he wasn’t a normal man. He has his own sense of right and wrong.
“One time, I was so angry that I accused him of thinking he was God. I was wrong. Shade doesn’t think he’s God, but he does believe that men and women are responsible for their own actions. If those actions lead them to hurting others, then he has no hesitation in using his abilities to even the playing field.
“He’s leveled the field not only for me but for some of the people in this room. My sister, Willa, Pastor Dean—” Lily broke herself off. “If I can trust that my husband did what he thought was best to save my life, then I have to trust that he does the same thing to save the lives of those I love, too. Sometimes those measures are extreme. Shade isn’t a gentleman. Sometimes those measures are harsh and have left marks on his soul. He doesn’t have my faith, yet a part of him believes that God will punish him for some of the things he’s done. That he’ll never be forgiven.”
Grace saw the heartbroken expression on Lily’s face as she exposed a part Shade’s character she never knew existed. If a man could be made of Kevlar, it was Shade.
“You don’t believe that, do you?”
Lily shook her head, her eyes still on Shade, almost as if she wasn’t standing beside her. “No, I don’t think he’ll be punished. I think Shade is one of the precious few that God chose to be one of His warriors.”
“I don’t think that Ice could be classified as one as God’s warriors.” Grace looked at her own husband, startled to see he was observing her the same way Shade was watching Lily. He must have noticed that she had been staring at Shade. His frown showed he wasn’t happy.
At her comment, Lily switched her attention back to her. “Ice was for me. He was responsible for me being able to restore a part of my life that I thought was gone forever. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met you.”
Taken aback, her gaze returned Lily’s.
“It’s true, Grace. A true warrior doesn’t always walk the path of righteousness. They follow the path that their conscience leads them to take. I believe we will all end our journey at the same destination; we just have different ways to get there.”
A movement out of the corner of her eye had Grace nodding toward to Willa. “I think Willa needs you.”
“I better go see what she wants.” Lily gave her a quick squeeze of her hand before taking a step toward Willa.
“Thank you, Lily.”
“I didn’t do anything to deserve your thanks. I was returning a kindness that Ice gifted me with. He wouldn’t have been able to achieve it by following a straight and narrow path, but the one I will forever be grateful that he made his way through….”
A bundle of energy threw herself into Lily’s arms as she was talking. Laughing, she bent down, picking up the little girl into her arms. Her black hair fell to her shoulders. Grace was struck by how similar their features were.
“Mama won’t let me have another piece of cake.” The childish hand patted Lily’s hair.
“What am I supposed to do about that?”
“Make Daddy make her.” The child gazed up at Lily adorably.
Grace swallowed hard as Lily stared down at the little girl in her arms with just as much adoration.
“How about if I ask Evie if you can have another small piece?”
“Yes, please.”
The resemblance between Lily and the little girl was too close for them not to be relatives. They shared not only the same hair color, but the purple eyes that were unusual enough that she looked like a miniature version of Lily. She would have to ask Ice what the relationship was between them.
Thinking about Ice had her wanting to talk to him. Maneuvering around several of the guests, it took several minutes to realize that he wasn’t there. He had left.
CHAPTER 3
“Want another beer?”
“No.” Ice took another drink of his mostly full beer. The bar had only seven customers in it. Three men and a woman were sitting at the side of the bar, spaced out so they could enjoy their beers alone.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day had never been high on his list of priorities, even before he was married.
Thinking about the state of his marriage had him taking another drink. It was hot as piss. Beer had never been his favorite liquor to consume. He preferred his alcohol to have a bite. Like most of the women he fucked before he fell in love with Grace, once you had the real thing, nothing quenched the thirst for what you really wanted.
Reaching for his beer, he saw the screen on his cell phone light up on the bar top. Disregarding the message from Grace, he reached for his wallet, taking out a ten.
“Give me another beer.” He laid down the ten on the counter.
The bartender brought him a cold beer, setting it down in front of him then lifting a wondering brow when he took the still full one away.
Ice took a sip of the cold beer. It didn’t go down any easier than the hot one after he saw Grace texted him again.
The crack of shrill screech had the same effect as nails against a chalkboard. The woman sitting with the men shrieked when the one sitting closest to her must have done something that she hadn’t liked.
Beer bottles and glasses clanked together as the table was jostled underneath. Ice could see the glare from the woman’s eyes when she pulled a hand out from under the table, slamming it down on the table. “
Cut it out!”
The lone woman in the bar had all the men glancing toward the table, including him.
Ice could understand their interest. Amber-colored hair and finely arched eyebrows were her best features. Not that he could see distinguishing features from where he was sitting. She wasn’t too thin or too plump. She didn’t seem the type of woman who could garner the attention she was getting from the three men, yet she had all three regarding her closely. But then, she was the only woman in the bar.
The one who attempted to get a handful of her pussy had been rebuffed, and the other two men were giving warning signs that they weren’t going to tolerate the woman’s snatch being grabbed by the lone one who was roaring his head off in laughter, as if he expected the other two to egg him on.
Ice shook his head. The dimwitted one didn’t realize the other two were getting angry while the woman did her best to scoot her chair away from the table, but she was blocked in by the wall.
Taking another swig of his beer, he kept his eye on the building tension at the table.
He was setting his beer back down on the bar top when the phone rang behind the bar, and the bartender went to answer it not far from where he was sitting.
“Hello?”
Ice listened with only half an ear as his gaze remained on the four across the room.
“Hey, Lily. What can I do for you?”
Hearing Lily’s name coming out of the bartender’s mouth had Ice’s sharp gaze shooting to the man who was standing just a couple inches from him. Lily was the name of The Last Riders’ enforcer’s wife.
“It’s not really busy. It’s pretty slow right now. I don’t expect it to get busy until later tonight.”
The music played in the background as the bartender listened to whatever Lily was saying.
“No, I can’t do that.” He looked at the phone like it had turned into a snake while he was listening. “Wait. How much money we talking about?”
The phone had turned into a pot of gold from the expression on the bartender’s face.
“Give me an hour, and it’ll be yours.” He hung up then yelled out, “Last call!”