Shade

by Jamie Begley

  Shade felt her climax rippling through her pussy. Looking down at her ass again, he let himself thrust one final time, burying his cock to the hilt and coming inside of her with such intensity that it took several seconds to get his breath back. Knox hadn’t fared much better, his hand shaking when he reached up to wipe the sweat off his forehead. The men smiled at each other as they unlocked the handcuffs.

  Shade pulled off Lily’s blindfold, kissing her on her parted lips as her eyes opened to stare dazedly up at him. He gazed back at her, not ashamed to let her see how much he loved her for trusting him enough to try something which was completely out of her comfort zone.

  Her hand gently touched his cheek. “How do you keep your face so cleanly shaven?” Only Lily would ask something so mundane after her first experience of group sex.

  “I shave a couple of times a day,” he answered, lifting her up into his arms.

  “Why so often?” she asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

  “Because you like to touch my face.” Shade carried her into the shower before setting her down.

  “Why don’t you do that for me? “ Diamond asked Knox.

  Lily looked up with wide eyes when she heard Knox behind him. Shade deliberately blocked her view of Knox so the only thing she could see was the brother’s back and head.

  Lily tried to make an escape out of the shower, her face an amazing shade of red, but he turned the water on, handing her the soap.

  Lily quickly washed then hurried out of the shower. Shade let her, staying right behind her as she practically ran back into the bedroom. Grinning as he dressed, he watched Lily throw her own clothes on, trying to get dressed before Knox and Diamond returned.

  He was putting on his boots before she finally calmed down and realized they were giving her time to dress. Diamond wouldn’t be any more anxious to get dressed in front of him than Lily was Knox.

  “Thirsty?” Shade asked when she finished dressing.

  * * *

  Lily’s eyes were closed when Shade slid under the covers, pulling them over their bodies. When he tugged her to him, she rolled over, burying her face in his neck as she lay against his chest.

  “Shade…” Lily began.

  “Knox will always be a brother, but being Sheriff, he has to keep a low profile. Diamond is a lawyer. She’s a good one. She’s going to move up.

  “I like to play; Knox likes to play. We all know how to keep our mouths shut. That’s why Viper and Razer talked club business in front of you. You kept Georgia’s secret even though that bitch trashed you all over town. The only time you talked was to protect someone else and to save Georgia’s life after she almost killed you.

  “I think Diamond’s an attractive woman, but I don’t want to fuck her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Yes,” Lily whispered.

  “If you want to play sometimes with them and only them, we can. You don’t, we won’t. It’s your call.” Shade yawned, putting his arm behind his head. “I thought you and Diamond would get along since you’re not close friends, but you can become friends. You’re both kind of … sweet,” he said tactfully.

  Lily lifted her head. “That wasn’t what you were going to say.” She glared down at him. “I don’t know if you or Winter is the most devious.”

  “I am, but she thinks she is,” Shade said smugly.

  “Heaven help the person you two gang up on; they wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  Chapter 68

  Shade was sitting at his desk when the first call came.

  “You have something of mine, and I want it back.”

  “And would this be Ice or Jackal?” Shade replied.

  “You know?”

  “I know something is going down, and you know what it is. And you’re going to tell us what we need to know, or you’re going to have one less brother under your command.”

  “We need to meet.”

  Shade gave him the address.

  “Bring my brother.”

  Ice could demand all he wanted; however, he wasn’t getting anything until he produced the information Shade needed.

  “You’ll see Eightball when I decide you get him back.” Shade emphasized Eightball’s name to let Ice know they were aware it was as fake as shit, and it had been a stupid fuckup to get caught by.

  “Oh, you’ll bring him, and I’ll bring that pretty little sister of yours.”

  Shade didn’t lose control of his temper. He had fucked up himself; he should have expected the move.

  “I’ll bring him.” Shade had no choice other than to relent.

  “Now that’s more like it. We’ll be there in an hour.” The line disconnected.

  Shade got up from behind his desk, opening his door. “Jewell, take over. Rider, Train, you’re with me.”

  They were halfway across the parking lot when the second call came in. Shade paused to answer it.

  “Later, Lucky. I’m busy—”

  “Shade, it’s Lily. She’s gone. I was on my way to my office when someone knocked me out. When I came to … she was gone. I called Knox; he’s on his way over.”

  Shade disconnected the call.

  “Shade?”

  He looked at Rider. “We’ll talk in the house. Gather all the brothers and meet me in the kitchen.”

  They ran up the flight of steps. Shade found Viper in the kitchen. It took very little time to have the brothers gathered in the kitchen and the television room. The door stood open toward the living room so all the members could hear.

  Shade quickly explained about the meet with Ice and that Lily was missing from the church.

  Viper took control. “Razer, call Beth. Tell her to get here and stay here. Train, call the brothers in Ohio, tell them to haul ass here, then call Stud and tell him the same thing. I’m calling in my marker. We’ll meet the Predators, we find out what they know, and then we’ll find out how to find Lily.

  “We have to shut the town down so whoever has Lily can’t get away. We have to have someone who knows every way in and out of town. Call Knox and tell him to call the Porters for help. There’s no place in town or the mountains they don’t know. Everyone’s got five minutes to get dressed and packed for war. We’ll meet at our bikes. Move.”

  Shade went to his house and came back carrying a canvas bag. When he got to the parking lot, everyone was getting on their bikes. He threw his bag into Rider’s back seat with Nickel. Unzipping it, he took out his .50 caliber Desert Eagle, shoving it in the back of his jeans. Then he reached in, taking out several magazines and putting them in his jacket pocket, zipping it back up. Slamming the truck door, he went to his bike, climbing on. Only then did Shade cut on his motor, ready to ride.

  The brothers were all moving their bikes behind Viper and Cash at the beginning of the parking lot.

  Viper’s voice sounded strong and clear over the roar of the bikes. “Last Riders, we ride!”

  A few minutes later, The Last Riders were pulling into the parking lot of Rosie’s bar where the Predators were already waiting.

  Viper and Cash pulled to the front while Shade rode his bike to the other side of Viper. The three waited.

  Ice and Max rode their bikes forward, and the men faced each other down.

  “Where’s Rip?” Ice’s cold eyes searched the riders behind them.

  “You mean Eightball?” Viper asked sarcastically. He pointed to the mountain ridge to their left. Two men moved to the edge, one held with a gun to his head.

  “Are you going to tell us why you planted a traitor in our club and what the fuck it’s got to do with Lily? Or is your brother going to take a leap of faith?” Viper finished, turning back to Ice.

  Ice gave a whistle, and two bikes at the back of the lot moved. Penni stood with a gun to her head. The terrified look on her face made Shade want his rifle; however, he knew the men wanted their brother as much as he wanted his sister.

  “Ice, man, this wasn’t part of the plan.” Two men toward the back got off their bik
es, walking forward.

  Shade remembered the one with the goatee from the diner. The second one was recognizable to anyone who could turn a television set on.

  “I told you I would let you talk, Colton. You got ten minutes before I do my own fucking talking.”

  The one named Colton walked a step closer to Viper before the large man next to Ice put an arm in his way, stopping him.

  “My name is Colton; this is Kaden. Our wives were friends with Lily when she was a little girl. A man named Digger runs a sex ring; he kidnaps young women then sells them as slaves. Digger is in a power struggle with a man named King. Last year, my wife was kidnapped and held hostage by Digger to gain information to destroy King.”

  “What did she know?” Shade asked.

  “That King had a daughter, Callie. Your wife, Lily. It was only when Penni started working for us that we discovered Callie was still alive. Unfortunately, so did Digger.”

  “That must be who’s been trying to kill her,” Shade said thoughtfully.

  Shade saw the men pause and look at each other. “We weren’t aware someone had tried to kill her yet. We didn’t know until Friday, when Digger escaped, that he was aware of Callie. They found information that he had taken a hit out on Callie.

  “Our wives have been tortured by this information. They love Callie and want to be reunited with her, but didn’t attempt to do so because they didn’t want to lead Digger to her. Ice was doing me a favor by trying to put a man in to keep an eye on Callie, and to be honest, make sure she was happy. That’s important to them.

  “If you bring Callie here, she can confirm that she knows them. She was just eight, but she should have been old enough that she would recognize one of them. We have them waiting. When you bring Callie, I’ll send for our wives to be brought in.”

  “What’re your wives’ names?” Shade questioned.

  “Sawyer and Vida. Are you willing to bring Callie?” Colton asked.

  “There’s a problem with that. She’s missing,” Shade said, carefully watching their reaction.

  Shade could tell from their faces that they didn’t have Lily. They had told them what they knew. Viper could tell, too, which was why he lifted his hand. The two men disappeared from the edge of the cliff.

  “You can have your man back. Any idea where Digger would take her?” Viper asked.

  “No. He’s been in prison. We don’t know where the houses he operates are or which routes he still has open. The FBI have been trying to find information and can’t. That’s why they didn’t kill the bastard when they took him into custody.”

  The sound of a motorbike filled the air as Train pulled into the lot behind Viper. Rip got off the back of the bike, going to his brothers who started cheering.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Shade’s voice snapped out.

  “Jackal!” Ice yelled.

  The man holding the gun moved it away from Penni’s head, and he gave her a shove forward.

  She turned around and spat into his face. “Asshole.”

  The men around him broke into jeers as she walked through their midst. When she reached Kaden and Colton, Kaden reached out to touch her, but she jerked her arm away, going straight to her brother and climbing on the back of his bike.

  “How long has she been gone?” Ice asked.

  “Since this morning,” Shade answered.

  “Need some help?” Ice questioned, reaching his hand out for Viper to shake in truce.

  Viper shook his hand. “Couldn’t hurt. Tell us what you know about Digger.”

  Shade listened to the men, gradually coming to the conclusion that only one man had the power to save Lily.

  It was time to call Lucky.

  Shade took his cell phone out of his pocket, punching the dial button.

  “Hello?”

  “I need to see you. I’ll be there in twenty.” Shade disconnected the call, turning to Viper.

  “You got this? I’m going to go see Lucky.”

  “Go, I can handle this. The Porters are on the way. We’ll divide the town and county up and begin searching,” Viper told him.

  “I’ll meet up with you after I drop Penni off and talk to Lucky. I’m going to get us some help,” Shade said.

  “We’re going to need it.”

  * * *

  The knock came ten minutes earlier than he’d said he would be there, but Shade didn’t have time to waste.

  “Come in.”

  Shade walked into his office, seeing his brother standing by the window.

  “Lucky, I wouldn’t ask if I had a choice.” Shade’s harsh voice sounded hollow in the room.

  “I’ve stood looking out this window for a lot of years, Shade. It took me over a year after your father opened the investigation into the pipeline going through here to find a connection. Then I had to find a way into the community which wouldn’t arouse suspicion. I’m a month away from closing down a pipeline which runs through nine states, carrying drugs and guns, and you’re asking me to blow my cover for one woman when the men I’m getting ready to arrest have killed hundreds while I’ve had to sit and wait to get enough evidence to bring them all down. We have all the warrants, everything gone because of one woman.”

  “Lucky,” Shade said, forced to do what he had never done before. “Brother, please. I can’t lose her. I’m not like you and the others. I can pretend I have emotions, but they’re not there for anyone. There’s nothing inside of me except shadows. Lily drives the shadows away. She feels everything. She can’t even stand to crush a fucking flower under her foot, and I don’t feel anything unless I’m with her. I can’t lose that. I waited so long for her. I’ve loved her for years; she’s only loved me for a few weeks.

  “When I first saw her, all I could think about was fucking her. Then I saw her at the lake with Beth and I felt her fear, but I saw the look she gave to Beth. She loved and trusted her, knew that Beth wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” Shade swallowed hard, uncomfortable opening himself up to anyone, especially Lucky. “I wanted her to look at me that way, needed her to look at me that way. I wanted to give her a life away from the darkness I saw had touched her beautiful soul.”

  Shade’s face twisted into a painful mask. “I’ve taken countless lives and never felt an ounce of emotion. That’s why they recruited me in the military. One psychologist even joked after my evaluation that I had been born without a soul, and it was true until that day at the lake. I fell in love with her that day. There is no other woman for me; there never will be. Lily is my gateway to Heaven. Without her, the only thing left for me is Hell.

  “You used to believe in something more important than that badge you carry. I’m begging you to save me, brother, because as God is my witness, I will kill you if you don’t help me.”

  “I wouldn’t do it for anyone else. Not my mother or any brother, not for a million fucking dollars, and especially not because of any fucking threat of yours. But I will for Lily.”

  “Thank you.” Shade’s mind caught on something. “Wait a minute. You said you have the warrants? I think I know how we can get Lily back and serve those warrants at the same time. Call your boss.”

  It took less than thirty minutes and several phone calls from both Lucky and Shade where they made promises which would have to be kept later when the government wanted their skills. However, neither man argued, agreeing to their terms.

  “Lily is worth the price,” Lucky conceded then hung up the phone. “It’s all set. In thirty minutes, the warrants will be served.” He looked down at the phone. “We just sold our souls to get her back.”

  Shade smiled grimly. “Then they got the short end of the stick. They’ll have to go to Hell to collect.”

  Chapter 69

  Shade stood outside Knox’s office, waiting for Lucky. They had found Lily, and she was safely inside with Beth. His hand still shook with the thought of being in the police car with Knox and Lucky when the call had come over that she had been found, and there was
a shootout in progress. Knox had floored the pedal, flying toward the location.

  When they had arrived, he had been forced to wait for the FBI to give the all-clear and then gone ballistic when the Porters, who had managed to beat all the law enforcement officers there, had asked for an ambulance.

  The moment he had walked in and seen Lily safe would remain in his memory for the rest of his life. Afterward, they had brought her to the sheriff’s office for a statement. As soon as they were done, he could take her home. It was going to be a while before he was going to let her out of his sight again.

  Unfortunately, Lily was about to find out that another person she trusted wasn’t what they seemed.

  “Ready?” Knox asked as he approached.

  “Where’s Lucky?”

  “He’s finishing up a call. He’ll be right in,” Knox said, opening the door.

  “How did the Porters find me?” Lily was asking.

  “I have no idea,” Shade heard Beth answer.

  “I can answer that question.” Knox took a seat behind his desk.

  Lily waited expectantly. “Well?”

  “We’re waiting on someone. We promised we would until he arrived.” Shade walked to stand beside her chair, taking her hand.

  Razer came into the office then, shutting the door behind him.

  “What’s wrong?” Shade could tell Lily had figured out the news they had wasn’t going to be good.

  “Nothing. There’s just a few things Razer and I haven’t told you. It’s not because we didn’t want to; it was because we couldn’t,” Shade answered as Razer moved to stare down at his wife.

  A knock sounded on the door.

  “Come in,” Knox called out.

  The door opened and Lucky came inside, closing the door with a serious expression instead of the affable one he normally wore around Lily and Beth. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, which Shade was sure was a hell of a lot more comfortable than the suits he usually had on.

  The women gaping at him in shock weren’t staring at the jeans and shirt, though; they were gawking at the ATF jacket and hat he wore.