Shade
Page 44
“Fuck.” Viper ran his hand through his hair. He looked exhausted.
“What’s our next move?” Cash asked.
“Diamond will get Knox out of jail. Shade, have the women straighten up Knox’s room. I don’t want him coming home to that mess.”
Shade nodded, turning to get the women started.
“Shade, should we get a better lawyer? Is she capable of saving him?”
Shade remembered the look on Diamond’s face at the bar as well as her packing his boots and socks down the stairs.
“She may be his only hope,” he said cryptically.
Chapter 30
Shade followed Razer into the diner with the rest of the brothers behind him.
Beth smiled as soon as she saw Razer. “Diamond, this is my husband, Razer. Razer, this is Diamond. She’s representing Knox.”
Razer gave her a smile before taking a seat next to Beth, placing an arm over her shoulder while the empty seats on her side of the table were taken by Rider and Knox. Viper took a seat on Winter’s side of the table.
“Diamond, I think you know everyone here except Shade and Train.”
Shade and Train both gave her a nod before sitting down. As Shade sat next to Lily, he interpreted Winter’s leery look as the same one she gave every time she caught sight of him.
“What have you women been doing?” Viper asked Winter.
“Nothing. I finished what I needed for tomorrow. Sure you’re not going to change your mind and leave me at the altar?” Winter teased.
“I’m sure,” he replied, putting his arm around Winter’s shoulders.
The men ordered their lunches, and Diamond’s lips twisted in amusement at Knox and Rider’s big orders.
“What’s so funny?” Knox asked.
“I think you guys are as hungry as I was. I bet you could have eaten two more pizzas last night.”
“Make it three, and you’ll be more on target,” Knox said, sliding her a sideways grin.
“I need to get back to my office.” Diamond stood abruptly before leaving the diner.
“She find a roach in her food?” Viper asked as the women smiled to themselves at her quick exit.
“I think she found something scarier than a bug.” Beth and Winter laughed as they stared at Knox.
Shade turned his attention to Lily. The blue dress she was wearing made her look too young for his taste.
He slid her half-eaten plate closer to her. “You need to eat all your vegetables if you’re going to grow up strong and tall.” He used the voice he had heard adults use when they talked to children, and Lily’s eyes flashed purple fire at him.
Shade ignored it, though. If she wanted to dress younger than she was to protect herself, she didn’t know men, and he wasn’t going to let her hide from the fact that she was a desirable woman.
“I’m finished,” she told him.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Shade slid the plate in front of him, eating the rest. It was an intimate gesture, which Lily turned away from, concentrating on Winter discussing her wedding at the clubhouse the following day.
It wasn’t much longer before he saw the sheriff come into the diner and head toward their table.
“Viper,” he greeted, nodding his head at the rest of the table.
“Want to join us for lunch?” Beth offered.
“I wish I could, Beth, but I’m busy. I called my order in.”
“What has you so busy?” Shade asked, sensing his dad hadn’t stopped by for a friendly visit.
“I was at Diamond Richards’s office just now. Someone broke in and trashed the place. From the looks of it, I’d say more than one person is responsible.”
The women and the other Last Riders were up and heading out the door while Shade threw down some cash on the table.
“Call me later,” Shade told the sheriff as he quickly caught up with the others.
It was a short walk to Diamond’s office.
“Do you think it has something to do with a client?” Shade heard Diamond’s secretary ask as they walked down the hallway. Diamond had left her office door open.
“I don’t know, although whoever wanted me distracted succeeded.”
Diamond’s voice sounded upset, and Shade couldn’t blame her. The office was a mess.
“No, they didn’t,” Knox said, entering her office.
Diamond and Holly both turned as the office filled with The Last Riders, followed by Winter, Lily, and Beth, who were staring in shock at the vandalized surroundings.
“I’ll help,” Lily offered as she went down on her hands and knees to pick up the papers.
“We all will,” Winter said, taking out her cell phone. “Evie, could you and a couple of the women come down to Diamond Richards’s office? Someone broke into it, and she needs help cleaning up. Thanks.”
“That’s unnecessary; both Holly and I can handle this,” Diamond protested.
“Really? I think I’d be interested to see you try to lift those filing cabinets and desk,” Knox said, moving forward with Rider to lift the heavy cabinets back into place while Shade, Train, and Viper went into her office to lift the heavy desk.
“It took a couple of people to create this damage. The sheriff came into the diner after you left. He told us your office had been vandalized. He thinks more than one person was responsible for the damage, also,” Knox said, righting the end tables while the others restored order to the rest of the furniture.
Winter, Beth, and Holly joined Lily on the floor.
“When the others get here, we can get them back in order,” Beth said.
“Please stop, Winter. You’re getting married tomorrow; I’m sure you have things you need to take care of. I can handle—”
A sharp gasp from Lily had everyone’s attention going to her. She raised her hand with blood dripping from a wound.
“Beth…” Lily whispered, turning toward her sister and giving another gasp of pain, reaching for her knees. Blood seeped onto the papers she was kneeling on.
Winter and Beth immediately moved toward the young woman, but before either could reach her, Shade was lifting Lily from the floor into his arms. Lily tried to struggle free with her eyes on her bloody hand.
“Where’s the bathroom?” Shade snapped at Diamond.
When she pointed to the door outside her office, Shade strode from the room with a still-struggling Lily.
“Beth…”
Shade didn’t slow down at Lily’s whimper.
“Stop it, Lily,” Shade said, sitting her down on the closed toilet seat.
Her eyes remained on her bloody hand as her eyes started to roll back into her head. A sudden shake had her eyes traveling back to Shade.
“Eyes to me, Lily,” he snapped. “Don’t look at your hand again.”
“It hurts.”
Shade’s lips tightened. He had almost protested when Lily had gone to her knees to pick up the messed-up office, yet he hadn’t wanted to interfere. He was angry at himself for not following his instincts. He was getting fucking tired of the fine line he was walking to keep everybody happy, especially since Lily was invariably the one getting hurt because he was unable to protect the accident prone woman.
“What’s our next move?” Cash asked.
“Diamond will get Knox out of jail. Shade, have the women straighten up Knox’s room. I don’t want him coming home to that mess.”
Shade nodded, turning to get the women started.
“Shade, should we get a better lawyer? Is she capable of saving him?”
Shade remembered the look on Diamond’s face at the bar as well as her packing his boots and socks down the stairs.
“She may be his only hope,” he said cryptically.
Chapter 30
Shade followed Razer into the diner with the rest of the brothers behind him.
Beth smiled as soon as she saw Razer. “Diamond, this is my husband, Razer. Razer, this is Diamond. She’s representing Knox.”
Razer gave her a smile before taking a seat next to Beth, placing an arm over her shoulder while the empty seats on her side of the table were taken by Rider and Knox. Viper took a seat on Winter’s side of the table.
“Diamond, I think you know everyone here except Shade and Train.”
Shade and Train both gave her a nod before sitting down. As Shade sat next to Lily, he interpreted Winter’s leery look as the same one she gave every time she caught sight of him.
“What have you women been doing?” Viper asked Winter.
“Nothing. I finished what I needed for tomorrow. Sure you’re not going to change your mind and leave me at the altar?” Winter teased.
“I’m sure,” he replied, putting his arm around Winter’s shoulders.
The men ordered their lunches, and Diamond’s lips twisted in amusement at Knox and Rider’s big orders.
“What’s so funny?” Knox asked.
“I think you guys are as hungry as I was. I bet you could have eaten two more pizzas last night.”
“Make it three, and you’ll be more on target,” Knox said, sliding her a sideways grin.
“I need to get back to my office.” Diamond stood abruptly before leaving the diner.
“She find a roach in her food?” Viper asked as the women smiled to themselves at her quick exit.
“I think she found something scarier than a bug.” Beth and Winter laughed as they stared at Knox.
Shade turned his attention to Lily. The blue dress she was wearing made her look too young for his taste.
He slid her half-eaten plate closer to her. “You need to eat all your vegetables if you’re going to grow up strong and tall.” He used the voice he had heard adults use when they talked to children, and Lily’s eyes flashed purple fire at him.
Shade ignored it, though. If she wanted to dress younger than she was to protect herself, she didn’t know men, and he wasn’t going to let her hide from the fact that she was a desirable woman.
“I’m finished,” she told him.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Shade slid the plate in front of him, eating the rest. It was an intimate gesture, which Lily turned away from, concentrating on Winter discussing her wedding at the clubhouse the following day.
It wasn’t much longer before he saw the sheriff come into the diner and head toward their table.
“Viper,” he greeted, nodding his head at the rest of the table.
“Want to join us for lunch?” Beth offered.
“I wish I could, Beth, but I’m busy. I called my order in.”
“What has you so busy?” Shade asked, sensing his dad hadn’t stopped by for a friendly visit.
“I was at Diamond Richards’s office just now. Someone broke in and trashed the place. From the looks of it, I’d say more than one person is responsible.”
The women and the other Last Riders were up and heading out the door while Shade threw down some cash on the table.
“Call me later,” Shade told the sheriff as he quickly caught up with the others.
It was a short walk to Diamond’s office.
“Do you think it has something to do with a client?” Shade heard Diamond’s secretary ask as they walked down the hallway. Diamond had left her office door open.
“I don’t know, although whoever wanted me distracted succeeded.”
Diamond’s voice sounded upset, and Shade couldn’t blame her. The office was a mess.
“No, they didn’t,” Knox said, entering her office.
Diamond and Holly both turned as the office filled with The Last Riders, followed by Winter, Lily, and Beth, who were staring in shock at the vandalized surroundings.
“I’ll help,” Lily offered as she went down on her hands and knees to pick up the papers.
“We all will,” Winter said, taking out her cell phone. “Evie, could you and a couple of the women come down to Diamond Richards’s office? Someone broke into it, and she needs help cleaning up. Thanks.”
“That’s unnecessary; both Holly and I can handle this,” Diamond protested.
“Really? I think I’d be interested to see you try to lift those filing cabinets and desk,” Knox said, moving forward with Rider to lift the heavy cabinets back into place while Shade, Train, and Viper went into her office to lift the heavy desk.
“It took a couple of people to create this damage. The sheriff came into the diner after you left. He told us your office had been vandalized. He thinks more than one person was responsible for the damage, also,” Knox said, righting the end tables while the others restored order to the rest of the furniture.
Winter, Beth, and Holly joined Lily on the floor.
“When the others get here, we can get them back in order,” Beth said.
“Please stop, Winter. You’re getting married tomorrow; I’m sure you have things you need to take care of. I can handle—”
A sharp gasp from Lily had everyone’s attention going to her. She raised her hand with blood dripping from a wound.
“Beth…” Lily whispered, turning toward her sister and giving another gasp of pain, reaching for her knees. Blood seeped onto the papers she was kneeling on.
Winter and Beth immediately moved toward the young woman, but before either could reach her, Shade was lifting Lily from the floor into his arms. Lily tried to struggle free with her eyes on her bloody hand.
“Where’s the bathroom?” Shade snapped at Diamond.
When she pointed to the door outside her office, Shade strode from the room with a still-struggling Lily.
“Beth…”
Shade didn’t slow down at Lily’s whimper.
“Stop it, Lily,” Shade said, sitting her down on the closed toilet seat.
Her eyes remained on her bloody hand as her eyes started to roll back into her head. A sudden shake had her eyes traveling back to Shade.
“Eyes to me, Lily,” he snapped. “Don’t look at your hand again.”
“It hurts.”
Shade’s lips tightened. He had almost protested when Lily had gone to her knees to pick up the messed-up office, yet he hadn’t wanted to interfere. He was angry at himself for not following his instincts. He was getting fucking tired of the fine line he was walking to keep everybody happy, especially since Lily was invariably the one getting hurt because he was unable to protect the accident prone woman.
