by Jamie Begley
“Let her go. If he starts shooting in a small room, any of those women could be hit by a bullet. If she could get his back to the door, then we can take him,” Shade said grimly.
Stud hesitated before agreeing.
Sex Piston went to the door alone and unlocked it. Then, holding it open, the men moved silently into the shop, hiding behind the counter, trying to keep their reflections from the mirrors.
At Shade’s nod, Sex Piston walked toward the back of the shop while Shade and Stud maneuvered themselves closer to her, trying to stay out of Joker’s line of vision.
Stud had a gun in his hand while Shade’s remained empty, but he wasn’t worried about it. He wanted his bare hands on the mother fucker, and with the deadly look in his eyes, he was every bit as frightening.
Joker jerked the pistol toward Sex Piston when he saw her in the doorway. Shade managed to see past her to where Crazy Bitch was kneeling on the floor, her lip bloodied and a bruise forming on her cheek. Killyama was holding Lily protectively, Lily’s hand a mangled mess. Joker must have found the cell phone lying on the floor. T.A. and Fat Louise were standing on opposite sides of the room.
The amazing thing to Shade was that none of Sex Piston’s crew were showing fear. Shade, during the time he had been in the military, had seen men break down under pressure, whereas those women were holding it together.
“Looks like you’ve been busy, Joker,” Sex Piston smarted off.
“Where’s Dale?” he asked, his eyes going to the doorway behind her.
“He said to tell you to go fuck yourself and took off,” she taunted the man.
“You’re lying!”
“No, I’m not. When we got outside, he took off.” Sex Piston shrugged, looking at one of the women in the room. “I always told you he was a pussy.”
Joker moved toward her, and Sex Piston tried to shift to the side so she could get his back to the door, but Joker was too lost in his anger. Reacting violently, he grabbed Sex Piston.
However, before he could do anything, Killyama was on him. She picked up one of the break chairs and crashed it down on the back of his head.
Stud and Shade were already running in, but they couldn’t get past Sex Piston fast enough and into the small room before Joker fired his gun.
As the women screamed, Shade had to force himself to go for Joker, despite his first instinct to rush to Lily.
He managed to grab the gun away from Joker. Turning it to point directly at him, Shade fired a bullet into the side of Joker’s abdomen. When he killed the fucker, it wasn’t going to be painless—Joker was going to suffer the terror Shade had felt trying to reach Lily.
“That will keep you busy,” Shade’s voice was cold.
Shade ran past Crazy Bitch who was getting to her feet while Lily shakily scooted closer to Fat Louise as T.A. rushed over to them. Fat Louise was lying on the floor with blood pouring from her leg. T.A. grabbed some towels from the shelf to try to stop the bleeding as Lily sank down next to her, taking Fat Louise’s hand with her good one. Her other hand fell uselessly to her lap as Bear and Pike came in the door.
“The state police are outside, and an ambulance is on the way,” Bear informed them.
Shade stood, letting Lily comfort the woman while fighting off the need to reach down and take her into his arms.
“You’re going to be okay,” Sex Piston told her friend.
Fat Louise nodded, trusting her friend’s judgment without question. Shade had never witnessed the depth of friendship the women shared. The Last Rider’s women were friends with each other and got along well, but those five women would die for each other.
The women finally moved away as the ambulance technicians came through the door. It was too cramped in the small room, so everyone was forced to move outside to the front of the shop as they worked on Fat Louise and checked on Lily, who was turning pale. The red rubber band on her broken wrist was a reminder that she might not be handling the situation as well as she seemed, and Shade wanted nothing more than to be with Lily.
He was about to go back to the room where she was being treated when two state troopers came into the shop. They had waited until the technicians had cleared out. If he made a fuss, he knew they would arrest him, and Shade didn’t want to be locked up behind bars when Lily needed him.
One approached Sex Piston, asking questions, while the other came to him. He told them the story from being on the call with Razer when Lily called to disarming Joker.
Part of the way through being questioned, Shade noticed Killyama was moving toward Sex Piston, but Shade stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the officer.
“I saw you putting yourself in front of Lily.” His hard face stared at the obnoxious woman. “Then you tried to take that bastard out before we could touch him. If you still want that ride with Rider, it’s yours.”
Killyama’s face broke into a vindictive smile. “I’ll take you up on that, Shade.”
Shaking his head, he turned back to the man questioning him.
The trooper had just finished questioning Shade when a stretcher with Lily on it was rolled out. He quickly followed them out the door, daring anyone to try to stop him. His hands clenched at his sides as he saw her face had become even paler.
There were two ambulances outside. The EMTs lifted Lily’s gurney into the back of the one not holding Joker, and Shade followed in.
“You can’t ride in here.” The EMT gave him a stern look, which he returned with one of his own.
“I’m family.” Shade took a seat on the bench next to Lily who was staring at him with wide eyes at his answer. After they put an emergency splint on Lily’s wrist, Shade reached out, gently touching it.
“You doing okay?”
“Yes.” Her lips trembled, and she began shaking. Her violet eyes darkened as they stared up at him. “I’m not acting like a baby this time; did you notice?”
“I noticed.” His voice was hoarse. He knew the signs of shock, and Lily was beginning to exhibit them.
“Get an IV in now!” Shade snapped at the EMT who was making notes on his pad.
The man jumped, laying the pad down then looking at her blood pressure.
Shade scooted off the bench to lean over her gurney. “Lily, did you get hurt anywhere else?”
“I bumped my head when I fell.”
Shade looked at her blood pressure. “Get the fucking IV in now, or I will.”
As the EMT reached into the cabinet, taking out the IV bag, his eyes met Shade’s, both of them aware of what was happening. A few seconds later, she slipped into unconsciousness.
Shade yelled out to the driver, who turned on the siren and picked up speed. The EMT worked on her while Shade backed out of the way.
The ambulance came to a stop at the emergency room entrance and Shade jumped out of the back, already getting Lily’s stretcher before the driver could get out to help.
“Go wait in the lobby. Someone will be out to talk to you soon.”
Shade tried to follow them inside the entrance, but two security guards blocked his path. Shade wanted them concentrating on Lily, not him, so he backed off until he heard Lily’s scream of pain outside the door. Shade lost it at the realization that she had come to, was in pain, and he wasn’t with her.
Shade tried to get inside where the patients were being treated, but the two guards held him back, threatening to place him under arrest. He just slammed the men together, knocking them on their asses.
“Shade.” Sex Piston tried to intervene, but when he turned angrily toward her, she hastily backed away.
She didn’t have to worry. Shade wasn’t going to touch her; he only wanted her to back off so he could bust down the door separating him from Lily.
The sliding doors opened behind them and Stud, Viper, and Razer entered, seeing him banging on the door with his booted heel.
Razer and Viper tore Shade away from the door while Stud helped the security guards to their feet. He wanted to knock them b
ack down again, but Stud moved them farther away.
Shade shook off Viper then rounded on Razer, throwing him up against the wall, his forearm pressed against Razer’s throat. “I’m fucking done. You hear me, Razer?”
Razer managed to nod against the pressure Shade was exerting against his throat.
“That woman in there could die, and I haven’t even been able to touch her yet, feel her against me, or even fucking kiss her, because I’ve let what little conscience I have left and my friendship with you stop me. No more. You deal with Beth however you want, but I’m done with everyone telling me to stay away from her. Do you fucking understand me?”
Again, Razer nodded.
Shade stepped back, moving away from both Viper and Razer, who stood watching while he fought for control. Running a shaking hand over his short-cropped hair, he finally managed to gather himself before turning back and catching sight of Sex Piston.
The sudden blaring over the intercom calling a code had his eyes going wild again. Shade took a step toward the closed door when Sex Piston blocked his path, grabbing his shirt in a tight grip.
“You need to get your shit under control,” she said between gritted teeth. “Beth will come in that door any minute. Lily will not be happy to have her sister upset any more than she already is. So calm your ass down.”
Shade found himself listening to her. She was right; Lily would want him to protect Beth the way Razer protected Lily. The brother’s face was filled with anguish, yet Razer was keeping his shit together.
Shade took a steadying breath, focusing on Sex Piston and not the code blaring through the hospital and the running of feet.
“I see what you see in her. She comes across as this frail-as-shit wimp until you look in her eyes. She’s strong, Shade. Strong enough to survive whatever Hell that’s been given to her. She will pull out of this. She will never forgive you if you hurt anyone she cares about.”
“You can’t be sure she’ll be all right!” he said harshly as he watched through the windows of the ER’s doors as several hospital staff ran into the room Lily was in.
“Yes, I can.” She lifted her shirt at the hem, baring her tattoos to his gaze. Her finger touched the two butterfly tats, drawing his gaze to her side. “I was stabbed twice when I was in the seventh grade, Shade. I coded twice. I’m standing before you now, telling you that beautiful girl is not going to die.” No doubt was in her gaze.
When Shade calmed as he leaned back against the wall for support, Sex Piston gave him a sharp nod. “You cool now?”
“Yeah, I’m cool,” Shade said with his eyes on the doorway, but he made no more attempts to go inside.
The sliding doors opened again and Killyama, Crazy Bitch, and T.A. came in. Shade had forgotten that Fat Louise had also been hurt until he saw the women.
“We don’t know anything yet. Did you call her mother?”
“Yes, she said to call her when we know something.”
Shade was disgusted that the woman’s mother wouldn’t be coming to the hospital.
The sliding glass doors opened again as Beth along with The Last Riders’ women and brothers came into the waiting room. Diamond and Knox entered last. He must have been on duty because he was wearing his uniform.
Beth went directly to Razer. “How is she?”
“She coded a few minutes ago. We don’t know what’s happening inside.”
Beth crumbled, almost falling to the floor before she was caught against Razer and held tightly against his body. She sobbed as she pressed her face against his chest.
They eventually took the chairs in the lobby, filling the room with The Last Riders and The Blue Horsemen.
For two hours, Shade sat in a chair with his eyes on the door, willing Lily to live, until a tired doctor came out to talk to them. Shade rose to his feet, unsure whether he wouldn’t crumble like Beth had if it was bad news.
“Lily is going to be okay, but it was close. She had an epidural hematoma. We relieved the pressure, and she’s stable for now. If she had been a minute farther away from the hospital, she wouldn’t have made it.” The doctor ran a hand over his face, exhaustion apparent. “Her hand is broken in two places. We’ve stabilized it for now, and we’ll put a cast on it in the morning.” His words let everyone know she was still in critical condition.
“How about Fa—” Crazy Bitch cleared her throat. “What about Louise?”
“She’s in surgery to remove the bullet, but it did little damage.” The doctor turned to go back into the room. “Only two family members can go in to see Miss Cornett before she’s moved to the ICU. Make it quick. She isn’t conscious, but I’m sure you’re anxious to see her.” With that, the doctor went back into the emergency room.
Beth went to the door the doctor had already gone through, opening it before turning back. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she held out her hand toward Shade. Disbelieving, he took a step forward, grasping her hand. They went into the E.R. together, the door closing and leaving a stunned silence behind them.
The emergency room was busy as a nurse led them down a long hallway. Shade let Beth go first as he followed her into the room. His first sight of Lily had him leaning on the wall for strength as Beth burst into tears, going to her sister’s side.
Shade’s eyes watered at seeing her still form lying on the bed. He took a faltering step forward, reaching down to graze her pale cheek with his knuckles.
“Lily,” he whispered, “I love you.” That was why he had fought so hard to see her. He hadn’t wanted that beautiful woman to leave the world without knowing she was taking a piece of him with her.
Shade didn’t know how Knox had borne it when his first wife had died. In that moment, he felt Knox was a stronger man than him.
When Beth moved away from the bed, leaving them alone, Shade memorized Lily’s face with her dark lashes lying against the paleness of her cheeks. She had a bandage on the side of her head near her temple. Her new haircut had hidden it from view when the EMT had checked her out, and she hadn’t wanted to come across as a baby, so she hadn’t complained. His words had almost gotten her killed.
“Don’t, Shade. None of this was your fault.”
Shade looked at Beth, startled that she seemed to have read his mind.
“I’ve known you for some time, Shade, and you take responsibility for everything—the club, the men, the women.”
“I called her a baby when she cut herself at Diamond’s office. She didn’t tell us she had hit her head because of that.”
Beth gave a wry smile. “Lily’s matured a lot these last few weeks. She’s stronger. She’s learning to stand on her own. It’s why I sent her off to college. It’s likely she was more worried for Fat Louise than herself.”
“Beth, I’m in love with her.”
“I heard.”
Shade stared at her in confusion. “You’re not worried?”
“About you?”
As he nodded, Beth came to stand by his side, touching his arm. “Razer told me you helped save her.”
“Stud was also there.”
“You were there when it was over, too. You rode in the ambulance, and you didn’t want to leave her side even when security tried to stop you.”
“Razer told you everything, didn’t he?” He wasn’t only referring to the events of tonight.
“Yes. He told me months ago, Shade.”
“You going to ask me to wait some more?”
Beth shook her head. “Why would I do that? I’ve been praying for you since she was a little girl. What’s taken you so long?”
Chapter 38
“Shh … baby, you’re going to be fine.”
Shade stood in the corner with Razer standing tensely by his side. He knew Razer had come to care a great deal for his sister-in-law.
Both of them were watching with grim expressions as Lily tried again to get out of the hospital bed. Beth prevented her with a soothing voice, murmuring words over and over again that neither men could hear ove
r Lily’s cries. The trauma combined with the pain and medication had left her disoriented.
Every cry and whimper, which passed her lips, increased his resolve to take his vengeance out on the two men who were responsible for her injuries. Shade had every faith the judicial system would release them on parole, and he would be waiting for them, just like the biker who had dared to touch her and the deputy from Treepoint. Both had disappeared just as Joker and Dale would.
Lily finally slipped into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning on the hospital bed while Beth continued sitting by her side, holding her hand.
Shade stepped forward. “You should both go and get some sleep. I’ll stay until you get back.”
“I’m not leaving her,” Beth protested.
“Go and get a couple hours’ rest at Sex Piston’s parents’ house; it’s just a few blocks away. I’ll call as soon as she wakes.”
It was another hour before exhaustion had Beth leaving reluctantly with Razer.
After they left, Shade sat down in the chair by Lily’s bed.
After the night before, when Lily had coded, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know he had reached his limit. He was done waiting. He had sworn that, if Lily survived, she would be his. No more waiting, no more fucking around. He planned to get Lily the way he would have taken on one of his missions in the SEALS. It was why, behind closed doors, he was known as the deadliest sniper in the US armed forces with over two-hundred twenty-six confirmed kills. Those were only the ones they knew about, not the privately contracted ones by the government he still carried out when the price or the reason was motivating enough. He had been given the nickname Shade because of his ability to blend into the shadows, hitting his targets with cold-blooded precision others considered impossible.
Part of what made him so successful in taking out his target was learning everything about them, knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Especially their weaknesses.
To gain Lily’s trust, he had to find out her weakness. He had always known she and her sister had secrets they hid from everyone, refusing to talk about Lily’s past. No woman had as many anxieties and fears as Lily without a reason. To reach her, he would have to overcome those fears.
