Shade

by Jamie Begley

  “Fuck, if you guys go, then I have to go. Winter will throw it up to me that you came running back to your women, and I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “You pussy-whipped bastards are ruining all the fun,” Cash said, getting to his feet.

  As they gathered their things, Shade wanted to snap at the brothers to hurry. King caught his eye, and Shade knew the man was beginning to feel his anxiety. Shade didn’t care if everyone thought he was crazy as hell; he needed to get back to Lily.

  Cash locked the door behind them as a loud burst of thunder sounded from directly above.

  Shade traveled at a fast pace which was hard for any of them to match. He was the first one back at the vehicles and was waiting impatiently for them as he sat behind the steering wheel of the truck when they finally came out of the woods. As soon as King, Cash, Rider, and Viper closed the door, he peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the rest of the brothers to the other truck.

  “Fuck, what’s the hurry, Shade?” Cash asked from the backseat.

  “The girls aren’t answering their phones,” Shade said grimly, peeling out onto the slick road.

  He expertly straightened the truck before pressing down on the accelerator to speed the truck up. He clenched his jaw.

  King was hanging onto the door. Shade shot him a glance.

  “Try Evie’s cell phone.”

  King took his cell phone out, punching the number in, while Shade concentrated on the dark road ahead of him.

  “She didn’t answer,” King told him, worry in his voice now.

  Shade’s mind went to the night Evie had been raped. Brooke had been miles away that night, also.

  “Cash, reach into my bag and hand me my gun. It’s in the side pocket.”

  Shade heard the zipper of his backpack being undone.

  “Aren’t you overreacting?” King asked when Cash leaned forward, handing him his Desert Eagle. Shade tucked it into the waistband of his jeans.

  None of the brothers questioned him. As enforcer for The Last Riders, they didn’t doubt his skills; it had saved their own asses too many times.

  “If I am, then we can all get a good night’s sleep,” Shade said, seeing the lights ahead which showed they were close to Treepoint. “If not, then we’re prepared. I would rather have my gun even if I don’t need it. If I need it and don’t have it, then it will be the last time I need one.”

  King grunted as the truck went over a pothole, his head hitting the roof of the truck cab.

  “I can agree with that.”

  The truck went on two wheels when Shade turned the corner to Evie’s house. Turning off the headlights, he brought the truck to a stop.

  “The lights are out,” Shade said grimly, opening the truck door.

  “What? Probably because of the storm,” King said.

  Shade didn’t answer; Viper did.

  “They’re on in the house next door.”

  Shade was out and running as soon as his feet hit the ground, heading for the front door. He took out his gun when he found it was open. Shade heard Viper and Cash running and the sound of Rider’s truck coming down the street.

  As he entered the house, he heard the women’s screams from above and the crashing of a door. Shade ran up the stairs two at a time. Seeing one man enter a room at the end of the hall, Shade didn’t hesitate. He moved forward and brought his gun up as he came to the doorway.

  There were three men inside, one standing over Lily as she held a crying baby.

  “Please, don’t hurt the baby,” Lily begged for the baby’s life and not her own. “Please.”

  Shade fired three times, one bullet for each man. He didn’t need to check to see if they were dead. He didn’t miss.

  “Lily!” Shade ran across the room to her.

  “Call an ambulance!” Evie screamed as the room filled with The Last Riders. “And get my medical bag out of my bedroom closet.”

  A minute later, King had the bag and was next to her.

  “The ambulance is on the way,” King stated, moving away.

  “Beth!” Razer tried to get to Beth, but there wasn’t enough room.

  The room erupted with movement as the men moved the bodies then the bed out of the way.

  “Beth.” Razer’s voice broke as he managed to reach her hand.

  Evie glanced up at him. She didn’t have to say anything; the blood seeping everywhere said it all.

  Shade swallowed hard, lifting Lily to her feet.

  “I can’t leave her, Shade.”

  “You’re not. I’m just moving you so they can bring the stretcher inside.” Shade held her in her arms as the lights came back on.

  Train came in soon after, and Shade knew he had been the one to fix the lights.

  Lily didn’t want to give the baby up, crying as she handed it to the medical technician who wrapped a warming blanket around its body. Lily turned, burying her face in his chest.

  “Angel, get some clothes and get dressed. I’ll drive you to the hospital,” he said as they wheeled Beth out on the stretcher.

  Lily nodded against his chest. “Thank God you came back in time.”

  “I’ve told you, I will always be here when you need me.” Shade smiled, releasing her so she could get dressed.

  She nodded again, moving away to get her clothes.

  Shade looked away from her, meeting King’s eyes he walked forward, holding out his hand. Shade shook it, both of them realizing they could have lost the women they loved that night. They could and would learn to tolerate the other for her.

  * * *

  The large hospital waiting room was filled with silence. Evie sat next to King, holding his hand tightly. Razer sat on her other side, and Shade sat next to him with Lily on his other side.

  “Do you need me to get you something?” King offered Evie.

  “No.” Evie brushed her tears away.

  They hadn’t even come out to tell them if the babies were doing okay, but they had informed them Razer’s second son had been delivered in the ambulance.

  “I’ve known some scary situations in my life, but when I heard those gunshots and couldn’t get to you and Lily…” King’s hoarse voice had Shade’s hand tightening on Lily’s as he relived those seconds of seeing someone with a gun pointed at her head.

  “I’m fine, King,” Evie said.

  Razer sat next to him as if turned to stone. He hadn’t said a word since the nurse had forced him to take a seat in the waiting room.

  One by one, each of the members of The Last Riders entered the room. Shade stiffened when Sex Piston and her crew came in, followed by a grim-faced Stud. He hoped the bitches knew it wasn’t the time for their crazy-ass antics.

  The door to the waiting room remained open, revealing a line of bikers down both sides of the long hallway. Not only were there The Last Riders which couldn’t fit in the room, but the members from The Blue Horsemen and the Destructors.

  Beth’s friendship with the bitches had formed an alliance with the two clubs. Like him and King, The Last Riders, The Blue Horsemen, and Destructors would get along to preserve the friendship which had begun that day at the gas station.

  Sex Piston knelt in front of Razer, placing her hand on his thigh. “When I met Beth, I thought there was no way she could be for real. No one could be that sweet or clueless. As I got to know her, I realized she was the most real person I have ever met.

  “The last month of my pregnancy, I was scared, afraid of the delivery, the pain, of being a mom.” Tears coursed down Sex Piston’s cheeks. “She told me not to be afraid, that I had to have faith that everything would be all right.

  “Razer, we’re both going to listen to Beth and have faith that she and those precious babies are all going to be fine.”

  Razer’s composure broke as he took Sex Piston into his arms. Shade put his arm around Lily when he heard her begin to cry along with Evie.

  “Evie, listen to her. Beth is going to be okay,” King murmured, trying to soothe her.
>
  “I was a terrible friend to her,” Evie cried.

  “You saved her life—our lives,” Lily contradicted her. “Tonight, when those men came, you didn’t leave her side. You delivered her son, and the doctor told us it was your skills as a Corpsman which kept her alive until the ambulance came. Beth considers you more than a friend. She loves you like a sister, and I do, too.”

  “Excuse me.” The exhausted doctor standing in the doorway eyed the rough-looking crowd waiting for news.

  Razer rose shakily to his feet.

  “Your wife is in recovery. It will be at least an hour before you can see her.” He motioned to the nurse. “Shelley will take you to the nursery. There are two boys waiting to meet their dad.”

  * * *

  King nodded to Shade, who gently clicked the door shut before Razer could catch them. They had been listening to Razer tell his wife their boys were fine. Shade was standing sentry as Razer lay in bed with Beth. They were both emotionally distraught and needed the time to hold and comfort each other after their nightmare of a night.

  Nodding, King walked away.

  Shade turned to Lily as she approached with a bottled water in her hand.

  “She’s awake,” Shade told her, moving away from the door as Razer came out.

  The brother looked haggard, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

  Lily hugged Razer, whose arms went around her. “Thank you, Lily.”

  “I didn’t do anything. Evie’s the one who delivered the baby.”

  Razer shook his head. “You…” Razer blinked back the tears both Shade and Lily saw in his eyes. ”You offered your life for my son’s.” Razer’s voice broke. It took a second for him to regain his composure. “It’s a debt I can never repay, but if you ever—”

  “You’re my brother, Razer. You don’t have to thank me,” Lily said softly, stepping back.

  “I’m going to go get the nurse to bring the babies in for Beth to see. You two go inside.”

  Shade nodded, receiving the message that he didn’t want Beth left alone.

  Lily’s face lit up with joy, immediately going inside the room.

  “Shade … If you hadn’t decided to come back—”

  Shade cut him off. “Brother, if you start crying on me, I’ll punch you.”

  “All right. Just wanted you to know that plan you have that you don’t think we know about, I’m in, and the rest of the brothers are, too.”

  Shade looked at him in surprise. “How…?”

  “You think you’re the only one who wants revenge? Been doing the same searches you have. Knox told me because he was tired of repeating the same information four times.”

  “Who else wanted the information?” Shade asked.

  “You, me, Lucky, and Viper.”

  “Fuck. I was looking forward to doing it on my own.”

  “Sorry, brother; we’re too used to sharing all the fun.” Razer slapped him on the back before moving away to find his babies.

  Shade opened Beth’s door, seeing the two sisters hugging each other. He silently closed it again, leaving the two alone. He would wait for Razer.

  Chapter 78

  Shade reached into the ice cooler, pulling out a beer then carrying it to King who was determined to man the grill, despite the heat. Shade handed him the beer, seeing the sweat dripping of him.

  “Thanks.” King took a long drink of the cold beer.

  “Want me to take over for a while?” Shade offered.

  “Don’t even think about it. Evie doesn’t think I can do anything macho. This is me about to prove her wrong.”

  “Grilling is macho?” Shade’s eyes took in his sweaty T-shirt.

  “Isn’t it?” King asked, wiping the perspiration from his brow with a paper towel.

  “You’re not going to feel very manly when you suffer a heat stroke,” Shade advised.

  “Just keep the beers coming. The burgers are almost ready.”

  The crowd had gathered in the backyard of the clubhouse for the baptisms of Beth and Razer’s sons. Many were waiting to be fed, already making their plates from the buffet the women had put together.

  King looked like he was about to pass out as he pulled the meat off, placing them on platters.

  “Go find a seat in the shade. I’ll take these to the tables,” Shade told him as he picked the platter up.

  King nodded, taking his beer to find a cool seat.

  Shade carried the plates to the tables, setting them down, then got out of the way as the hungry members grabbed plates. He took a beer for himself as he walked around the yard, talking to the brothers while waiting for Lily to come outside. She had told him she would be out in a little while, that there was something she needed to do. It had been an hour already, though.

  Shade passed Evie who was holding one of Beth’s sons while Razer stood not far away, keeping him within his eyesight. No one could tell the babies apart other than the parents. They had named one Noah and the other Chance.

  Evie had grown attached to the baby she had delivered. With her and King now married, if King wasn’t careful, his father-in-law would be carrying around his own bundle of joy soon.

  Shade laughingly joked to himself. The man can barely handle a grill, couldn’t fish worth shit… I hope, if King does have another kid, it’s another girl.

  Lily came out of their house, carrying a large book. When she saw her father, she walked over to his table. She sat down next to King, placing the book in front of him.

  Shade had watched her working on the scrapbook over the last week. She had shown him several of the pictures inside.

  While King opened the book and began looking through it, Shade gave them their privacy as he threw his beer bottle away.

  He saw sadness in King’s face until he turned through most of the book then joy filled his expression. Then Lily said something to King which had the man practically in tears.

  Shade figured he had given them enough time. Besides, if he didn’t break it up, King was going to have every brother in the backyard making fun of him.

  King closed the scrapbook as he approached.

  “Are you ready to eat?” Shade asked Lily, frowning when he saw King wipe his tears away.

  Maybe he should take another look at the scrapbook. The pictures inside shouldn’t be causing that kind of reaction from her father.

  “No. Would you mind going to the car? I left a pack of diapers on the backseat. I thought we could…” Lily began mischievously.

  “No. I am not making another diaper anything. I don’t care who it’s for.” Shade broke off his rant, taking a good look at King’s face. “Is Evie…?”

  Hell, he felt bad about making fun of King’s crying.

  “No.” King smiled widely at him.

  Shade looked back and forth between Lily and King. His face broke into a smile as he lifted Lily from her seat, twirling her around in his arms.

  “What’s going on?” Evie asked as she came to stand next to King. “Have you been crying?”

  Shade heard her when he placed Lily back on her feet, kissing her then picking her up to twirl her again.

  “Yes,” King admitted.

  “Why?”

  “Lily called me Dad.”

  “Do you know why Shade’s crying?” Evie asked.

  “Yes, because he’s going to be a dad.”

  * * *

  Bernard used his cane to hold the door open for the man entering the bar. He nodded toward the same card he had in his pocket.

  “I see you won one, too.”

  “What?” The man stopped as he was about to enter.

  Bernard walked in, looking around. There were about twenty men watching the stripper shake her tits at the men in the bar.

  “I got one. It’s for a free lap dance, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. You won, too?”

  Bernard nodded, losing interest in the man he was talking to.

  “We must be on the same mailing list,” he said, taking a sea
t at an empty table.

  “Maybe.” He shrugged, taking a seat at the same table.

  “Here you go.” A server placed two whiskeys down on the table in front of them.

  “We didn’t order these—”

  “Don’t worry; they’re on the house.”

  “Damn, why haven’t I come here before?” He smacked the table before picking up his drink.

  “Name’s Jason.”

  “Mine’s Bernard.” The two men shook hands.

  The stripper walked off-stage as the door at the top of the stairs opened, and a huge man walked down the steps.

  “He must be the bouncer,” Bernard wise-cracked. “Damn, those are some mean-looking fuckers in the corner by the door.” Bernard nodded at the group of bikers.

  Jason turned his head, his expression growing pale when he saw the men. Hastily, he turned to face forward when the one with the scar stared at him. The creepy fucker made his skin crawl.

  “That’s the Predators.” Jason lowered his voice.

  Bernard turned to stare at them again rudely. “I’ve heard of them. They don’t look as badass as I thought they would. In my day, me and a couple of friends of mine could have taken the whole bunch of them,” Bernard bragged loudly.

  “Sh … I don’t want any trouble with them,” Jason muttered.

  “You a pussy?” He hit the table. “You’re in the right place. Jump on the stage.”

  Jason looked around the room at the men sitting at the tables and standing at the bar. Some of them looked vaguely familiar.

  The door to the outside opened, and another group of bikers entered. They looked just as lethal as the ones sitting at the table.

  “Fuck, how many free coupons did they give away?” Bernard muttered.

  Jason ignored him, staring at their cuts.

  “The Last Riders,” Bernard answered his unasked question.

  Jason had never heard of them, and he didn’t intend to get caught in a turf war. He finished his own drink, setting the glass down on the table.

  He was about to stand up and leave when the last biker came in. When the door closed, he locked it and stood in front of it. He was as big as the bouncer, but he was bald. He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking the door.

  Bernard slammed his empty glass on the table. “Where did that waitress go? I need another drink. Think they’ll give me another free one?”