Shade's Fall
Page 91
King nodded his head. “All except one thing. Are you happy? When I would see you during my trips, you always seemed so reserved, I never could tell.” Lily thought she heard a small break in his voice when he asked the question.
“Yes, I’m very happy. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister. I have friends who I care about, and I love my husband, Shade. He’s everything to me,” she said softly, seeing her answer was important to him.
King nodded his head.
“Take me back to him. Shade and The Last Riders can keep me safe from whoever wants to hurt you.”
“You’ve almost been killed twice because Digger has a hit out on you. I have to take care of Digger or you’ll never have a normal life,” King said resolutely.
“How do you plan to stop him?” Lily saw she wasn’t going to change his mind.
“I have a meeting scheduled in two hours. I’m going to let him have me. Once he kills me, you become unimportant. Of course, I’m planning on taking the bastard with me to Hell.”
* * *
When the Last Riders pulled into the parking lot of Rosie’s bar, The Predators were already there waiting.
Viper and Cash pulled to the front while Shade rode his bike to the other side of Viper where 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 bikes, walking forward. Shade remembered the one with the goatee from the diner. The second one was recognizable to anyone that 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. That 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 in 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.
Chapter 40
The knock came ten minutes earlier than he 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 that 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.
“Yes, I’m very happy. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister. I have friends who I care about, and I love my husband, Shade. He’s everything to me,” she said softly, seeing her answer was important to him.
King nodded his head.
“Take me back to him. Shade and The Last Riders can keep me safe from whoever wants to hurt you.”
“You’ve almost been killed twice because Digger has a hit out on you. I have to take care of Digger or you’ll never have a normal life,” King said resolutely.
“How do you plan to stop him?” Lily saw she wasn’t going to change his mind.
“I have a meeting scheduled in two hours. I’m going to let him have me. Once he kills me, you become unimportant. Of course, I’m planning on taking the bastard with me to Hell.”
* * *
When the Last Riders pulled into the parking lot of Rosie’s bar, The Predators were already there waiting.
Viper and Cash pulled to the front while Shade rode his bike to the other side of Viper where 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 bikes, walking forward. Shade remembered the one with the goatee from the diner. The second one was recognizable to anyone that 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. That 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 in 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.
Chapter 40
The knock came ten minutes earlier than he 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 that 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.
