Shade

by Jamie Begley

  Friday, he waited in the truck. She had learned by then that there was no hiding from him.

  After she climbed into the truck without him having to even get out, he put it in gear then drove away from the campus. She was still giving him the silent treatment, but she was about to break her stubborn silence in a few seconds.

  He didn’t slow down as he neared the hotel, going straight past it on the road which would take them to Treepoint.

  “I don’t want to go home for the weekend. I have a test Monday.”

  “Your books are in your backpack. You can study at home.”

  She sat with her arms crossed in front of her chest, fuming all the way to Treepoint. Shade could put up with her anger, though. At least she wasn’t being as lifeless as a fucking doll.

  When he came to a stop in front of her house, Lily’s hand immediately flew to the door handle. Sliding out of the truck, she gave him a hateful glance.

  “Enjoy your Friday night!” Slamming the door, she walked toward the house, her ass bouncing angrily up the walkway.

  Shade jerked the truck door open and quietly came up behind the furious woman. When she unlocked the door, he propelled her forward with a hand on her arm before shutting the door behind them.

  “What are you doing?” Lily tried to jerk away from him, dropping her backpack on the floor.

  “Doing something I’ve warned you repeatedly about,” Shade said grimly, jerking her to the couch where he took a seat then yanked her over his lap.

  “What?”

  Shade firmly smacked her ass.

  She tried to throw herself off his lap, but he placed a hand on her back, preventing her from getting away from her punishment. Then she kicked her legs, which earned her another smack across her bottom and caused her dress to slide up her thighs.

  “You can’t do this!” Lily screamed at him.

  “Watch me.”

  His hand swatted her butt several more times until Lily stopped struggling and lay limply across his thighs, defeated. When he was done, he lifted her to sit next to him on the couch, gripping her jaw in his hand.

  “Do not ever talk to me that way again. Do not slam doors to show your anger and throw me a fucking look like the one you did, or I will smack your ass with no dress and panties in the way. Do you understand me?” he demanded firmly.

  Lily tried to turn her face away, her lashes hiding her eyes. “I understand.”

  “How do you fucking address me?”

  “I understand, Sir.”

  As his hand released her jaw, Shade got to his feet, going out the door without another word. He wasn’t angry with her, but he wasn’t going to allow her to treat him disrespectfully, either. She could be as angry as she wanted, hit him, or throw something at him, but to be deliberately hateful when he knew she didn’t have it in her was another matter.

  He climbed back into the truck, wanting to go back inside and hold her. It didn’t sit well with him to punish her and then not stay. However, Lily needed to return to normalcy, and she wouldn’t be able to do that with him there.

  Sighing, he pulled out of the driveway then went to the club for the first time in two weeks. It was a Friday night, and the members were probably already partying. The last thing he wanted to see when he walked in the door was the brothers getting laid and drunk, the very thing which had caused his mess in the first place.

  “Fucking fantastic.”

  Chapter 48

  Shade irritably answered his cell phone. “Yeah?”

  “Where are you?” He recognized that particular tone in Lucky’s voice.

  “I’m at the factory, getting caught up with paperwork. Why?”

  “Someone just tried to deliberately run Lily down with a car.”

  “Where?” he asked sharply.

  “On the main road. She was crossing to get to her street, and it was parked in front of the hardware store. It sped out, only missing her by a few inches.”

  Shade was already locking the door to the factory. Once it was secure, he strode toward his bike. “You don’t know who it was?”

  “Never seen the car before, and the license plate had tape covering it.”

  “Shit.” Shade started the motor.

  “Where’s she at now?”

  “Home. I watched her go inside. Shade, I don’t like the vibe I’m getting,” Lucky warned.

  “Understood.”

  No one had better instincts than Lucky. If he said it wasn’t an accident, Shade believed him. Who could possibly want to hurt her, though?

  A few minutes later, he looked around the area where Lucky had said he had seen the car parked. He walked to the hardware store and seeing the emergency number on the glass in front, Shade called the owner, checking to see if he had seen anything. Whoever had been in the car hadn’t taken into account that, in small towns, people looked for things to talk about. The car hadn’t gone unnoticed; he had a description.

  He decided to check on Lily before going to have a talk with Knox. He rode his bike the short distance to her house, looking up and down the street for anyone who could be keeping watch from the front. He would check the back before he left. When he didn’t see any signs, Shade knocked on the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “Shade.”

  She flung the door open. “Next time, come to the front door first. You scared me half to death.”

  “What are you talking about?” Shade asked, coming through the doorway.

  “Weren’t you just at the back door?”

  Someone had tried to break in when she was awake. Whoever it was, they weren’t afraid, and the chilling thought made him angry. They weren’t out to hurt or frighten Lily; they were out to kill her.

  “Stay here.” Shade went to the back door, opening it and going out.

  He looked around the backyard, careful to stay off the grass, not wanting to accidently step on their tracks. He was a good tracker, but he didn’t want to take any chances with Lily’s safety. When he didn’t see anyone, he took his cell phone out of his pocket, calling Cash and quickly explaining what had happened and to get his ass to Lily’s house. Then Shade disconnected the call, looking around one final time before going back inside.

  “Someone was out there. They must have taken off when they heard my bike pull in the driveway.”

  Lily sank down on the couch. “Should I call Knox?”

  “I will.” Shade took out his cell phone and made the call.

  “Shade,” Knox answered his personal cell.

  “I need you at Lily’s house. Someone tried to get in using the back door.”

  “Shit. Did you call Cash?”

  “Done.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

  Shade hung up. “He’s on his way.”

  “Who would try to break in the house?” Lily asked.

  “I don’t know, but I plan to find out.”

  It didn’t take long for Knox to arrive. Minutes later, Cash knocked on the door, as well, coming inside to listen silently as Lily told them how she had been fixing herself something to eat when she felt someone watching and decided to lock the door.

  “Are you sure you saw the handle move?” Knox questioned.

  “Yes. At least, I think so. Maybe I was just tense. I don’t know.” Lily brushed her hair away from her eyes.

  “What happened to your hand?” Shade asked sharply, seeing the road rash. He wanted Cash and Knox to hear the story Lucky had told him.

  “I fell this afternoon when I was coming home from the church.”

  “How?” Knox asked.

  “I was crossing the street, and a car was speeding. Pastor Dean pushed me out of the way, and I fell and skinned my hands and knees.” Lily shrugged.

  Shade didn’t tell her Lucky had called him, not wanting to frighten her further.

  The men stared at each other in silence before Cash went out the back door.

  “Where’s he going?” Lily asked.

  “To check thi
ngs out,” Knox told her. “I’m going to make a report then look around myself before going back to the station. I’ll call Razer and let Beth and him know what’s going on.”

  “Okay,” Lily said.

  “Shade?” Knox turned to him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave her alone.”

  “I’ll stay until they get home,” Shade agreed, already having made that plan.

  “Sounds good. Later.” Knox went out the door.

  “Do you think they’ll be able to find anything?”

  “Probably not, but Cash is good. If there’s anything to be found, he’ll find it.”

  Lily nodded before going into the kitchen where she began putting food away. She then started to eat a cold, grilled cheese when she saw him about to argue with her for not eating. Afterward, she placed the dirty dishes in the sink, leaning against it wearily.

  “Go to bed. You look exhausted.”

  Lily turned to the steps, snapping out, “Don’t you get tired of ordering me around?”

  “No.”

  Lily began to make another comment when he raised his brow and crossed his arms against his chest, waiting.

  “I can’t believe I ever thought you were a gentleman.”

  Shade burst out laughing. “I’m no gentleman.”

  “No shit.” Lily clapped her hand over her mouth. “You’ve driven me to cussing.”

  “Lily, cussing isn’t going to be the worst thing I teach you.” Oh, yeah, he was going to teach her plenty.

  Shade couldn’t help laughing some more when she immediately ran upstairs at his comment. She must have read the lust-filled fantasies going through his mind.

  * * *

  Shade had finished his breakfast by the time Lily came in the diner with Diamond, Winter, Viper, Evie, Razer, and Beth. She took the seat farthest away from him, facing the door while the others crowded around the table.

  Watching Lily, Shade thought her attitude toward Beth seemed slightly cool. It was going to take a while for that relationship to heal.

  The harried waitress refilled his cup then took the orders for the rest of the table while Shade surveyed the room around him. The restaurant was packed, and several tables were filled with faces he had never seen in town before. When his gaze drifted over where Rachel was sitting with her brothers, her nephew, and Holly, she nodded at him and he returned it. Then Lucky came into the restaurant and joined them, bringing his focus back to his table.

  Lily and Diamond were talking, and he could see the women becoming good friends. Despite Diamond being older, she was sensitive to other women’s feelings, something Shade hadn’t seen that often in the opposite sex.

  As Lily listened to what Diamond was saying, their eyes met momentarily until she tore her gaze away to stare off somewhere in the restaurant. Shade shifted his attention to the table with a small family. He studied them, trying to see why Lily was focusing on them.

  There was a little girl with dark brown hair sitting with her mother and father as the waitress set their plates in front of them.

  “You want to go for a ride after lunch? I want to go to Jamestown. I’m thinking of asking Stud to build a bike for me,” Rider said.

  “I wouldn’t mind the ride,” Shade agreed.

  Lily was talking to Evie as Shade listened to Rider describe his perfect motorcycle. Shade didn’t want to know how many bikes the brother had. He kept them stored in the back of the factory and would change the bike he was riding as often as he did the women he fucked. He had one Shade had debated buying from him, but he had his broken in the way he liked, so he didn’t feel the need for a change.

  “Lily?” Evie said loudly.

  Shade frowned, looking at Lily to see she had gone as pale as a ghost and was staring in terror at the table he had seen her watching before.

  “Diamond. Please call Knox.” Lily’s hoarse voice had everyone sitting at the table going silent as her hand went to the rubber band on her wrist, snapping it repeatedly.

  As Diamond called Knox, asking him to come to the diner as fast as he could, Shade scooted his chair out from underneath the table. Razer tensed, beginning to rise, and Beth moved her chair closer to Lily’s side. Whatever was going on in Lily’s head was leading to a panic attack.

  “Lily, what’s wrong?” Beth asked.

  When Lily didn’t answer, he stood up and walked toward her. Then Shade looked at the table Lily wouldn’t take her eyes from.

  The little girl’s lips trembled when her mother’s hand disappeared under the table. Her obvious pain had Lily moving to the end of her seat, about to rise, when the girl’s father spoke sharply to the mother. He then reached out to soothe the little girl.

  Shade’s gaze went back to Lily when he heard her scream of pain. She was bent over, gripping her head.

  “Lily!” Beth yelled her name.

  Lily didn’t try to reach for Beth like she usually did; she pulled away, rising blindly from her chair before trying to run from the restaurant. Shade caught her around the waist, but in her panic, she fought him, catching him off-guard. She managed to get loose from him as she screamed in agony before falling to the floor, writhing in torment.

  Shade dropped down on the floor next to her.

  “Lily! Baby, what’s wrong?”

  “Help me! Help me!” Lily screamed.

  Shade gripped her hand tightly in his as the people in the diner began crowding around.

  Shade thought quickly.

  “Rachel!” he yelled, and then he turned to Razer. “Get them back!”

  Razer and The Last Riders made the crowd move back while Rachel elbowed her way through the crowd, dropping down and pulling Lily’s head onto her lap.

  “Everyone shut up!” Rachel yelled, and the diner went silent.

  Knox rushed in, crouching down next to him. “I called an ambulance. It’s on the way.”

  Lily tried to roll away from the agony consuming her, but Shade held her hand tighter.

  “Help me!”

  Rachel placed both her hands on Lily’s shoulders, and the next moments became the most surreal of Shade’s life, causing goose bumps to rise all over his body as he heard Lily talk to a voice which never responded.

  “Help me shut the door!” Lily screamed.

  Rachel closed her eyes.

  “Everything. Help me. She can’t get out,” Lily sobbed.

  Rachel raised one hand, pushing at something no one but she and Lily could see.

  After a few minutes, Lily said, “I have to lock it.”

  Rachel’s face ticked.

  “I can’t remember what’s behind that door,” Lily sobbed.

  A pause.

  “Not ever,” Lily replied to the unspoken voice, curling into a ball.

  Rachel soothed her hands over Lily’s face and Lily relaxed, her breathing returning to normal, her body going limp. She finally passed out, her mind seeking the only peace it could find.

  “Shade, the ambulance is here.”

  He was forced to watch helplessly as the EMTs loaded Lily onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. He was about to climb inside when he turned back to Knox.

  “I don’t know what set Lily off in there, but something bad did, Knox. She was staring at the family with a young, dark-haired girl when it happened.”

  “I’ll talk to them,” Knox promised. “Go with her, brother. I’ll find out what happened.”

  Shade gripped Knox’s hand before jumping in beside Lily, taking her hand as the EMT slammed the door shut.

  Shade didn’t give a damn what Knox found out. The only reason he had asked for it to be checked out was he had a feeling that whatever it was would be important to Lily, and that was reason enough.

  * * *

  Shade opened his bedroom door, coming to a stop when he saw Lily was awake and standing in the middle of his bedroom.

  “Where am I?” Lily asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

  After she had been hurt back in the summer, he had purchase
d a whole new bed. None of the women had lain in the bed Lily was sitting on.

  “My room,” Shade replied, coming in and shutting the door, carrying a tray.

  Walking across the room, he set the tray on the coffee table. “Come and eat.”

  Lily got up from the bed, going to a chair next to the coffee table and looking down at the tray of food.

  “How did…? Why am I here?” She looked at him.

  “What do you remember?” Shade asked patiently.

  Lily sat down on the chair, her eyes on the tray of food. “I was at the church helping Rachel.”

  Lily licked her lips. Reaching forward, she took the bottled water and opened it, taking a long drink.

  Fuck. Her mind had erased the car almost hitting her, the attempted break-in, and the diner. Her mind had completely wiped out anything which could hurt her.

  Shade didn’t say anything as Lily set the bottled water back down on the tray, keeping her eyes on him.

  “Lily, you had an episode at the diner after church on Sunday. That was two days ago,” Shade explained gently, wanting to be as truthful as possible.

  “An episode?”

  “You became hysterical.”

  “Oh, God. Where’s Beth? Why am I here instead of my bedroom?” Lily asked, looking around the room as if Beth would magically appear.

  “You had to be sedated, Lily. The doctor felt it was best that someone kept an eye on you. Since Beth works, we agreed this was the best place for you now.” Of course, Shade had to persuade Razer with various threats to his safety to get Beth to agree.

  “Where are my clothes?” Lily asked. “I want to get dressed.”

  “Eat first. Your clothes are in the closet and drawers. I’ll show you when you finish.”

  Lily picked up an apple slice from the plate, chewing on it. Swallowing the bite, she then said, “I need to get back to school after I’m dressed. Would you—”

  “Lily, you’re going to be staying here for a while.” Shade tried to break the decision he had already made to her gently.