by Jamie Begley
“You’re not pregnant, are you? You’ve only been married a month.”
At Lily’s hurt expression, Shade’s hand went to her jaw, raising her face to his. He leaned over, giving her a kiss which would reassure Lily while at the same time pissing off King. Lily’s face was bright red when Shade let her lips go.
“Lily and I are both anxious to start our family, but no, she isn’t pregnant. Yet.” Shade kept his face impassive as he stared at King.
He intended to get Lily pregnant as soon as possible. She wanted children, and she would make an exceptional mother. Not only that, but it would tie her to him irrevocably for the rest of their lives.
King opened his mouth to reply.
“I think that’s wonderful, Lily. You’re going to make a great mother,” Evie said, cutting in before King had the chance.
King’s mouth snapped closed at her words, and Shade saw his hands clench on the arms of his chair. He hadn’t appreciated Evie butting in to the conservation.
Beth rose to her feet. “Tomorrow may be Saturday, but I have to be at work early. Lily, you and Evie have to be at the church early, too, remember? The luncheon we’re having for Pastor Patterson and his wife?”
“Yes. Rachel is helping, too, and Willa is bringing dessert. You’re right; we should go. I don’t want to tire you, King.” When Lily got to her feet, thanking Beth silently for stepping in, Evie, Razer, who had remained quiet almost all night, and Shade rose to their feet, also.
Lily went to King, reaching up to brush his cheek with a kiss. “I hope to see you Sunday.”
When Lily would have turned away, King took her hand. “You haven’t called me Dad since I was shot.”
Lily looked at him warily at his statement.
Shade was about to intercede at her discomfort when Evie took a step forward, reaching her hand out for King to take. He released Lily reluctantly.
“Thanks for dinner, King.” Evie maneuvered her body, and Shade took the opportunity to lead Lily away from the manipulative bastard.
“Will I be seeing you Sunday, too?” Shade heard him ask Evie as they waited for her by the door.
“I’ll be at the church,” Evie confirmed.
“Good, I’ll look forward to it.”
Shade was damn sure Evie couldn’t say the same. However, Evie was an attractive woman, and from his research, King enjoyed women. That was one of the few things they had in common.
Shade helped the two women into the truck after they said their goodbyes. It was a good thing they were leaving Monday for Alaska, and King would be heading back to Queens City. If King stayed, he would do his best to try to destroy his and Lily’s relationship, uncaring how it affected his daughter.
Shade hated the bastard, already regretting his decision to give him a chance to redeem himself to Lily. There were some men who couldn’t be saved. He and King had that in common, as well.
The clubhouse had all the lights on when they returned and got out of the truck. Beth and Razer pulled in next to them and instead of heading into the clubhouse, they waved as they took the path to their own house.
“Lily, go on to our house. I’ll be there in a few minutes. I need to talk to Lucky for a few.”
“All right. I need to talk to Rachel about next week’s schedule,” she agreed, looking up at the clubhouse. They could hear the music from where they were standing.
She kissed him on his cheek before walking up the pathway.
Evie and he both watched her until she turned the corner.
“She’s never going to get used to the parties, is she?” Evie asked.
“No,” Shade answered, going up the front steps with Evie.
Opening the clubhouse door, they entered to see the party was still going strong.
“See Lucky anywhere?”
“Yeah, he’s over there.” Evie pointed.
The newly retired pastor was making up for lost time. He was sitting on the couch with Stori bent over his lap, giving him a blowjob while his mouth was on Ember’s bared breast.
“Later,” Shade told Evie as he left her to take a seat in the chair across from the couch.
Looking at his watch, his lips tightened as Lucky took his time coming.
Five minutes later, Shade decided he’d had enough.
“Brother, we need to talk. Either finish up or start over later,” Shade told him.
Lucky gave a groan, shooting him a dirty look. “Should you even be in here without Lily?” he asked sarcastically as he rammed his dick farther down a gasping Stori’s throat.
“That’s what we need to discuss,” Shade told him, watching as Lucky tugged at Ember’s nipple with this teeth.
“Dammit,” Lucky groaned, shuddering.
Shade gave him a minute to recover before standing up. “Kitchen.”
Lucky stood up, buttoning his jeans. “I won’t be long,” he told the women as he followed after Shade.
“What’s so important?” Lucky asked as Shade took a beer from the fridge.
He opened it, standing and staring at Lucky who was wearing only jeans. His tats, which would shock both Lily and Beth, were easily visible.
“We need to talk about how your behavior is going to affect Lily, and I don’t think Beth is any more ready to see your dick than Lily is.”
Lucky ran his hand through his already tousled hair. “I agree. I knew you were all out tonight, but when they’re here in the house, I’ll make sure I keep my business upstairs.”
“I know it’s a pain, but I would appreciate the effort.”
“No problem. I care about Lily and Beth, too. I don’t want to hurt them. I’ve waited a long time to live my life, but I can get what I need without throwing it in Lily and Beth’s faces.”
“What about Winter?”
“That’s up to Viper.”
Shade nodded his understanding.
“If that’s it, I—”
“It’s not.” Shade stopped him from leaving. “We need to talk about Merrick Patterson.”
Lucky frowned. “What about him?”
“I like to keep track of my enemies. Fortunately, most of mine are six feet under. Unfortunately for you, I became caught up in club business and Lily and let one slip through my fingers.”
“How does this affect me?”
“I have some history with his wife. Pick someone else to take over for you.”
“I can’t; it’s too late,” Lucky told him. “He resigned from his other church, and his wife’s in Atlanta, putting their home up for sale. Besides, Beth and your wife were on the pastor search committee. They hired him.”
“Fuck.” Shade set his beer down on the counter.
“What does it matter? If you fucked his wife, it’s not like you’re going to be in church staring at her every Sunday.”
“I never fucked her. You have no clue of the woman she is. She’s an evil bitch, and that’s being nice referring to her that way. She’s a fucking psycho.”
“I have friends who are, too.”
Shade sighed, ignoring his jab. “This doesn’t only concern me. She’s hurt Evie in the past and will again. She’s dangerous,” Shade warned.
“Dammit.” Lucky went to the refrigerator, taking a beer for himself and opening it. “Shade, it’s too late. Merrick has already moved into the church, and his wife will be there in a week or two. There’s nothing I can do.”
As the men stared silently at each other, Evie came into the kitchen, carrying a laundry basket.
Shade looked at her curiously. Since when did Evie start doing her laundry during the Friday parties?
Evie, seeing where his eyes were, shrugged. “I need to get caught up with the clothes so I can pack. Penni wants to leave Tuesday.”
Shade took a deep breath. He was going to have to tell her. “Let’s sit down.”
Evie, Lucky, and Shade all sat down at the table.
“This doesn’t seem to be good news.” Evie stared back and forth between him and Lucky.
&n
bsp; “It’s not,” Shade said grimly. “You know the pastor taking over for Lucky?”
“He came to the church to do a ‘in view to a call’ sermon, but I didn’t take the time to meet or speak to him directly, so I only vaguely remember him. He was a chaplain who worked with Lucky before I was discharged.”
“That’s right, but there’s something about him that you don’t know. He’s married to Brooke.”
Evie’s face whitened at his words. “You have got to be shittin’ me.”
“I wish I was,” Shade replied grimly.
“She’s my evil twin,” Evie told Lucky.
Shade silently agreed. Truer words had never been spoken.
“I’m sorry, Evie. I didn’t know,” Lucky apologized.
“It’s not your fault,” Evie told him before her face dropped even more. “Crap. I told Lily and Beth I would go to the church tomorrow to meet the pastor.”
“She won’t be there. She’s in Georgia, closing up the sale of their house.”
“Thank God for small miracles. Brooke didn’t come with him when Merrick came for his interview sermon. I overheard Merrick say his wife had wanted to make sure he was given the job before she came to Treepoint. I’ll be leaving on Tuesday, so I can avoid her. When I come back, I’ll find another church to attend. Maybe I’ll try the one Willa’s gone to a few times.”
Lucky frowned. “I wish I knew why she didn’t like me as her pastor.”
“Other than you’re too good-looking for a pastor and single, and she’s really shy?” Evie said, rolling her eyes at Lucky.
“You mean…?”
“That she has a crush on you.”
Shade laughed at the reddish tinge which came to Lucky’s face at Evie’s sarcastic voice.
“I didn’t know.”
“No shit, Sherlock. You’re the only one who didn’t. You’re as blind as Lily was. I think, in both cases, neither one of you wanted to see what was right in front of your face,” Evie said shrewdly.
Lucky stiffened. “I know how women act when they want to attract a man. Hell, she did everything she could to avoid me. It’s not like I would notice, otherwise.”
Evie threw Lucky an angry glance. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means she’s not my type,” Lucky stated, obviously confused by why Evie was becoming angry.
“If she’s a woman, she’s your type,” Evie said snidely.
“That’s not true. I like a particular type of woman. I like—”
“Women who are thinner? Prettier?” Evie was breathing fire at the clueless brother by that point.
“She’s not a slut,” Shade answered with what Lucky was being too polite to say.
“What?” The fire in Evie extinguished.
Shade nodded when Evie turned to him. “He likes sluts. The sluttier, the better.”
Lucky looked pained at Shade’s explanation.
“Willa isn’t a slut,” Lucky answered, damning himself with his own words.
“No, Willa isn’t a slut,” Evie agreed, leaning back in her chair, her shoulders beginning to shake.
“What’s so funny?” Lucky asked, finding the anger Evie had was now lost and believing she was making fun of him.
“How in the hell did you stay celibate for all those years?”
“It wasn’t easy,” Lucky admitted with a smile. “When I see myself settling down, it’s with a woman who’s like Jewell or Bliss.”
“Poor Willa,” Evie said sympathetically.
Shade didn’t say anything, preferring to stay out of other people’s business, but then he just couldn’t help himself.
“Maybe she’s a slut in the bedroom.” He stood up. It was time he went home. After watching Lucky with Ember and Stori, he was ready for his own woman.
“I doubt that. She’s afraid of her own shadow,” Lucky said.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Shade told him. “Fuck her.”
Chapter 72
The shadows around the house allowed him to blend in with the background as he waited patiently for Lily and Beth to leave. When their SUV turned the corner, Shade moved stealthily through the night.
Earlier that day, there had been a luncheon at the church to welcome Pastor Merrick and, surprisingly, his wife, the demon bitch Brooke. Shade, Lucky, and most of all, Evie were surprised to find her already in Treepoint.
Shade had been informed after the luncheon that Brooke was already showing her demon, chasing Willa out of the church with her snide, backhanded comments.
Then the reason for the night visit—Evie had told him about her conversation with King when he had made comments about Evie fucking Shade, asked if Lily and Beth participate in orgies, and then insulted Evie, which then led to Lucky pummeling him into the ground. That was when Shade and Lily had come upon the scene, having heard the commotion from the church’s store where Shade had been keeping Lily busy and far away from Brooke.
Lily and Beth had then taken King to the hospital because he was bleeding at his gunshot wound, something Lucky must have caused when beating the shit out of him. Shade stayed back, getting the story from Evie and Lucky, his suspicion and dislike for King growing.
King had a state-of-the-art alarm system, which didn’t make it impossible to enter, only more difficult. He worked efficiently on it, taking his time so as not to set the alarm off, and was rewarded when he heard the click of the lock. He kind of liked the new locks which had keyless entry. Finding the right frequency made it easy to gain access.
He soundlessly entered the house, hearing Henry in the kitchen. He could have taken him out without a chance to defend himself, but he didn’t.
Coming at him from behind, he grabbed Henry around the throat, cutting off his oxygen. He had given him a chance, and it had still ended with the same result—him lying on the floor, unconscious.
He searched for King, finding him in his bedroom, smoking a cigar while staring out the window.
“Should you be out of bed?”
King remained still, not bothering to turn around; instead, he looked at Shade’s reflection in the glass.
“I needed to move around. You just missed Lily and Beth.”
“I saw them leave.”
King took a deep draw of his cigar. “Henry okay?”
“He’ll wake up in a few minutes.”
King turned to face Shade. “Say what you want to say.”
“Stop, King. Go back to Queens City. Live your life. If you want to play father, call Lily once a month. Come and see her for a week in the summer. But stay out of our lives the rest of the time.”
“And if I don’t? I’m not someone you can make disappear without Lily asking questions.”
“I don’t have to make you disappear, King.” Shade held the promise in his eyes while his features remained emotionless.
“I see, like how the two bikers who nearly killed Lily ended up at the bottom of Black Mountain?”
Shade let the stony silence fill the room. Then an ironic smile came to his lips.
“I understand your desire to protect Lily from me, but I will never hurt Lily—I would die for her. You, on the other hand, have always placed your own needs above hers. You were the one who left her in the care of a mother who sold her. You were the one who placed a child molester in her home. And you were the one who nearly got her killed three weeks ago. Lily needs protection from only one person—you.”
King crushed his cigar out. “You don’t need to remind me of the mistakes I’ve made with her. I plan to do better by her.”
“The only way you can do better is by staying out of her life. You’re not going to fix your past mistakes now. It’s too late.” Shade went to the bedroom door.
“You’re not going to keep me out of her life. You’re wrong for her, and we both know it. When I prove it to her, she’ll leave you behind. You don’t frighten me, Shade. It’s been a while since I’ve had to get my hands dirty, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how.”
<
br /> “Go home, King.” Shade went out the door as quietly as he had entered.
He hadn’t wanted to confront King yet, believing their battle could wait. After all, he was leaving tomorrow. However, King’s stunt at the church had proved he would use any dirty method to break him and Lily apart. He had used Evie and Lucky to start a fight which Lily would witness in order to draw sympathy toward himself. It wouldn’t work. Lily and Beth were fiercely loyal to those who had earned it, and Evie had.
Walking back to where his bike was hidden a block away, Shade climbed on and then rode home.
He put away his treat in the kitchen then found Lily in the bedroom, packing their clothes.
“I thought you were going to help me pack.” She stared at him with mock frustration.
“I will.” He crossed to the chest, pulling out three pairs of jeans, a handful of T-shirts, and some socks. Tossing them onto the suitcase, he then lay down on the bed to watch her. “I’m done.”
“Jerk.” Lily smiled down at him as she refolded his clothes and continued placing hers inside the suitcase. “You’re going to get the comforter dirty with those boots.”
“Take them off.” Shade stretched out on the bed, placing his folded arms behind his head.
Lily paused then reached down to tug one then the other off.
“Come here,” Shade said as he saw her nipples peak under her thin gown.
“I need to finish packing…”
Shade rose one foot, kicking the suitcase off the bed. “Come here.”
Lily trembled, licking her bottom lip. She placed a knee on the mattress then the other before crawling forward until she was above him. Shade brought his hands to her hips, bunching the material up until it was at her waist and exposing her ass. With her over him, her modest gown hung down, showing her tits.
Shade took his hands away from her waist, going to her shoulders where he slipped the capped sleeves over her arms. Lily raised her hands one at a time until the gown hung from her waist, her tits as bare as her ass.
Shade lifted his head, sucking a nipple into his mouth.
“Shade … I really need to pack,” Lily panted.
His hand came out, placing a hard smack on her ass. “I’ll finish packing for you when I’m done fucking you. Unbutton my pants.”
