The Last Riders - First Four Votes (74 page)

When they got to the basement, Shade went to a locker in the corner and pulled out some clothes, handing them to her. Lily then went into the bathroom and looked at the clothes. Biting her lip, she looked at the bright purple top and black shorts. This was not going to happen.

Lily opened the bathroom door, coming to a stop when she saw Shade standing outside the door, leaning against the wall.

“Get changed.”

“But I can’t wear these,” Lily protested.

“Get changed.”

She slammed the door.

Pulling off her dress, she pulled on the shorts then the top. The shorts came to the midline of her thighs and clung like a second skin. The top was even worse. It was scoop-necked, showing the tops of her full breasts. There were no sleeves at all; it was a tank and it left her midriff completely bare.

She would never wear something so revealing even to the gym she worked out at in her college town, and it was an all-women’s gym. There was no way she was walking out in front of Shade.

She picked up her dress to change back into it when the door opened and Shade came in.

“What are you doing?” she screeched.

“Let’s go. I don’t have all day.”

Taking her hand, he led her into the other room to the mats. “Start stretching,” he said, releasing her hand.

Lily stood there, unsure what to do next, while Shade began stretching, ignoring her. She gritted her teeth, started stretching out and gradually loosened as Shade ignored her. She was certain that she was over-reacting. This was the same outfit Winter worked out in. She had seen similar ones in her gym on dozens of women.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Shade broke into her musings.

He took her through the movements she had learned last week. She became more adapt at kicking him, making him take a step back. Once she had done that enough to make him happy, he taught her a different move where her knee would actually make contact with him.

“But I’ll hurt you,” Lily protested. She hated the thought of hurting anyone, even Shade.

“Baby, you’re not going to get close enough to my balls to hurt me.” Shade laughed in her face.

Lily’s anger rose and she snapped her knee out, but Shade caught her thigh. The feel of his hand on the inside of her thigh had her taking a step back, her own hand going to the rubber band.

“Remember what I told you about snapping that damn thing in front of me,” Shade warned. Lily wasn’t about to explain why she felt the need to snap the band, so her hands clenched by her side.

“Come on, Lily, quit being such a wimp,” Shade goaded.

Lily’s usually non-existent temper soared. Her knee snapped out and she was gratified to see she almost accomplished her mission. Shade had barely managed to save himself as his hand caught her knee, cupping it from behind. Lily’s weight was off balance. Her hands went to his chest and her head went back as she grinned up at him.

“I almost got you,” Lily bragged.

“Almost doesn’t count.” Shade raised her leg to his hip and Lily found her mound up against his penis. Their workout clothes were too thin between them.

Lily started panicking, her mind filled with terror.

When Shade’s foot came out, sweeping the one she was standing on, she began to fall, landing on her back with Shade on top of her. Her mind began to black out and she opened her mouth to scream. Before a sound could erupt, however, Shade lifted himself off her in one fluid movement. Reaching down, he then snagged her hand and lifted her to her feet.

“Again. This time, I’ll show you how to keep me from sweeping your foot out from under you.”

Lily couldn’t focus, standing numbly.

Shade took her arm, leading her to the corner of the room. “Stand there until you’re ready to continue.” Shade left her.

Without another word, he began to lift weights, ignoring her. Lily tried to get her mind away from the darkness, her hand going to her wrist.

“No, Lily.” Lily was becoming frustrated. Her mind left the darkness and she focused on her anger toward Shade while he worked out with the weights as if she wasn’t in the room.

Lily finally managed to get herself together, her breath leaving her in a shuddering sigh. When her breathing slowed and her mind cleared, she started to take a step out of the corner.

“Don’t come out of the corner until you’re ready to try the move again.”

Lily thought that she would get dressed and go home. Obviously, Shade had other plans. She stayed in the corner, debating it over and over.

She couldn’t stand for him to touch her so intimately. The feel of his body against hers was more than she could take. Her mind in turmoil, she started tracing imaginary designs on the wall, trying to distract herself.

“Hands to your sides, stand up straight.” Lily corrected her posture, hating him, not knowing why she was obeying his demands. Her stubbornness kicked in and Lily eventually decided to simply outwait him. Surely, he would get tired of this and release her.

She was wrong, though. He went to the treadmill and started running. The man was a machine. She didn’t even know men could have that much stamina.

As Lily began getting hungry and her legs were getting tired, she took a step forward out of the corner.

“Go to the mat.” Shade got off the treadmill, keeping her waiting as he took off his shirt, using it to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

He was covered in tattoos. There wasn’t an inch that hadn’t been touched. His lean frame was highlighted by the myriad of tattoos. They gave him a menacing appearance that only fueled Lily’s fear of him.

She looked away as he approached the mat.

“Eyes to me. Are you ready?”

Lily nodded her head, just wanting to get it over with so she could escape.

As soon as he was in position, she attacked, trying to take him by surprise. This time, when he caught her knee and pulled her off balance, before her mind could spaz out again, Shade gave her instructions to keep her balance and her foot from being swept out from under her. Unfortunately, it involved using his shoulders as a way to balance herself. Her hands gripping his hard flesh sought to drive her away from reality again, but Shade’s hands on her hips showed her how to push off from him.

“Good. That’s enough for the day.” He removed his hands from her body.

“Thank God,” Lily muttered.

“What did you say?” Shade questioned.

“Nothing. Sir.”

“You can go get changed.”

“Thanks.
Sir
.” This time her tone was a little sarcastic; his ordering her around was getting old, fast.

“Would you like a lesson I give when I believe someone is being disrespectful?” Shade snapped.

“No, Sir.” Lily rushed to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She knew the most important lesson in self-defense was knowing when to run.

V
ida waited impatiently
as she sat on the couch, watching Sawyer pace the floor while twisting a lock of her hair.

She tensed, getting to her feet when the door opened and Colton, Ice, Max and Jackal entered the hotel suite. They were in Louisville, Kentucky, staying in a hotel while Kaden was set to perform a concert there tonight with Mouth2Mouth.

Vida ran into Colton’s arms the minute she saw him. “Did you see her?” Vida looked up at her husband with watery eyes.

The door opened and closed again. Vida knew it was Kaden coming into the room; sure Colton would have called him when they were back in town. Kaden had stayed as long as he could before he had gone to the arena for a sound check.

“I saw her,” Colton answered his wife’s question.

Vida couldn’t help it; she started crying, knowing from the sounds next to her that Sawyer wasn’t able to contain her emotions any better.

“Vida, you’re breaking my heart, please stop,” Colton said, holding on to her shaking body.

“I’m sorry.” Vida managed to get herself back under control.

Colton sat down on the couch, pulling Vida down next to him.

“Was she okay?” Sawyer asked, sitting on Kaden’s lap when he sat down on a chair.

“She was fine,” he assured her.

“We want to see her, Colton,” Vida and Sawyer both spoke together.

“You two are going to have to wait. Digger’s trial comes up in two months. Once he’s sentenced and sent to prison, it will be safer for you two to approach her. But it’s not going to be easy, Vida.” Colton put the brakes on their possible reunion.

“Why?” Vida asked impatiently.

“What little information Penni would tell us about her friend is the truth. She’s prone to anxiety attacks and gets easily frightened. Plus her adopted sister is married to a member of a motorcycle club—The Last Riders.”

His grim voice had Vida searching his eyes. “Is she in any danger from them?”

“No, honey. She’s safe with them. To be honest, it relieves my mind that they watch over her as closely as they do,” Colton said, not telling her about the incident at the fair.

“She shouldn’t be in any danger from Digger. He doesn’t even know she’s alive,” Sawyer entered the conversation.

“No, he doesn’t, and I want to keep it that way. He’s not giving up any information on the women he’s kidnapped until he gets a deal. I won’t feel better about Lily’s safety until his whole operation is shut down,” Colton told them both.

“I agree,” Ice spoke up. “Don’t underestimate Digger just because he’s in prison.”

Sawyer and Vida both reluctantly nodded their heads.

“Did she look—” Vida got her voice back under control. “How did she look?”

Colton ran his thumb over Vida’s cheek, wiping away the tear that clung to her soft skin. “She’s beautiful, sweetheart, just like you said,” he said softly.

Vida’s head fell to his shoulder. “Whatever it takes, Colton, whatever we have to do, we’ll do it to keep her safe,” she vowed, seeing the same resolve in Sawyer’s eyes.

They had waited all these years; they could wait a few more months.

T
he week went
by fairly quickly for Lily. By Friday, she had managed to get more comfortable with Shade handling her body during her defense lessons.

He refused to let her go back to her old workout outfits, instead making her put Winter’s back on after she had washed and tried to return it.

As she left Friday, she and Shade came around the corner of the house to see Kaley walking up the steps in a red leather skirt and a black halter top. Rider had his arm around her shoulders.

“I thought she was dating Train,” Lily said.

Shade didn’t say anything, silently walking her to her car.

“See you Sunday,” Lily said, getting in her car.

“Later,” Shade said, turning back to the house.

With that, Lily drove home.

Going inside the house, she saw Beth and Razer getting ready to go out to the party at the clubhouse.

“What are you doing tonight?” Beth asked as they were going out the door.

“I’m having dinner with Charles and Miranda and her husband,” Lily replied on her way upstairs to take a shower.

“When did Charles get back in town?”

“Last night,” Lily answered.

Charles had spent the last few months opening a new restaurant for his father.

“Have fun. See you tomorrow,” Beth called out, closing the front door behind them.

Lily went upstairs and took a shower. She brushed her hair then made a knot on her head. Going to her closet, she pulled out a bright yellow dress that fell softly to her knees. To finish the look, she slid a colorful strand of beads around her neck.

Sliding on her sandals, she was just coming down the steps when the doorbell rang.

She opened the door to Charles’s smiling face then let him in while she grabbed her purse and cell phone.

“Miss me?” Charles asked.

“Of course. How was the opening?”

“Really good. Dad’s already planning his next one.”

“He deserves it. Both of you have put a lot of hours into making your restaurants successful.” Lily smiled at him.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

They met Miranda and her husband at the Pink Slipper. Lily always felt uncomfortable there because they served liquor; however, they sat well away from the bar and neither Charles nor Jackson drank.

Miranda talked of her child while the men talked about the restaurant opening in Lexington.

“Who’s babysitting for you tonight?” Lily asked, playing with her silverware.

“I asked Kaley, but she was too busy. I know you work for them, and that Beth is married to Razer, but I really wish she wasn’t involved with The Last Riders. I’m getting worried about her,” Miranda confided.

Lily didn’t mention that she had seen her at the clubhouse a couple of times that week.

“She’s not even trying to find a job,” Miranda said with a worried frown. “I’ve heard rumors, too, of stuff going on out there, but when I ask her, she won’t talk to me about it.”

Lily could respect that Kaley wanted to keep her private life private. Lily didn’t like it when others tried to snoop into hers. Treepoint was a small town and most people gossiped to keep themselves occupied.

Lily changed the subject, not wanting to hear the rumors about The Last Riders. They had been kind to her, and Beth wouldn’t let herself become involved in anything that was illegal. Lily didn’t want to be disloyal to Beth by discussing them.

They went to a movie afterward, which everyone enjoyed, deciding to go to the diner for coffee and dessert once it was through. They were sitting there, laughing over the movie, when the door opened and The Last Riders came in, taking several large tables. Beth and Razer came in the door last with Razer’s arm wrapped around Beth’s shoulders and her hair windblown. They sat down at the large table. Lily noticed that Beth lost her smile when she saw her, but she still came to their table.

Lily noticed that Shade was missing from the group.

“Did you have fun at the movies?”

“Yes, it was good. I see you guys went for a ride.” Lily wondered at her sister’s bright flush.

“Yes.”

“Enjoy it while you can, winter will be here soon,” Lily said as Charles paid the waitress their ticket.

“Where’s Kaley? Didn’t she go on the ride?” Miranda questioned Beth.

“No, she stayed at the clubhouse,” Beth spoke as she turned to go to her own table. “See you in the morning, Lily.”

“Okay.”

Lily could tell that Miranda wasn’t happy with Beth’s answer.

Following Charles out the door, she waved at the members sitting at the table, seeing Rider was also missing from the group.

“You’re quiet tonight,” Charles said on the drive back to her home, sending her a questioning glance.

“I guess I’m just tired,” Lily replied, laying her head back against the headrest.

“Lily, is everything all right? I try not to pry, but you know that you can talk to me.”

“I know, Charles. You’ve always been a good friend to me. I’m glad you’re back in town,” Lily said, looking out the window.

“Where are we going?” she asked Charles as they drove past her house, instantly alert.

“It’s still early; I thought we would take a walk.”

Lily was ready to go home. Her hand went to her wrist. “I have to be up early in the morning, Charles. I volunteered to help at the church.”

“I won’t keep you out too late, Lily. I missed you while I was gone, I thought we would be able to spend the summer together. Dad’s restaurant took longer to get situated than I thought. Didn’t you miss me at all?”

Lily looked at his handsome face as he drove. “I missed our friendship, Charles. I don’t really have anyone to talk to since Penni left school.”

His lips tightened. Lily knew it wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear.

She watched the road, wondering where they were going. They drove out of town, going toward the lake. Lily wasn’t frightened. She had dated Charles since high school, so his actions didn’t raise any alarms.

Ten minutes later he pulled into a spot within walking distance of the lake. Charles got out of the car, coming to open the door for her. Lily emerged, letting him take her hand.

He searched her eyes. “Do you remember when we used to do this in high school? We would walk for an hour and just talk.”

“I remember, Charles.” Lily walked next to his tall figure, knowing he was reaching out to her, and trying to reconnect after being away for most of the summer. However, Lily had felt the loss of closeness before he had left when he had tried to deepen their relationship, and she had to tell him she didn’t return his feelings. She thought maybe he had hoped being away would have changed her mind, that missing him would have shown her she cared about him after all.

Lily watched her feet as they walked. She could have told him before he left that she wouldn’t change her mind about him. He didn’t attract her in that way. No man did.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a picture of Shade appeared to replace it.

“Is something wrong?” Charles paused next to her.

“No, I guess someone walked over my grave.” She shivered again. Charles placed his arm over her shoulder as they walked further along, losing sight of the car.

S
hade sat
in the darkness of Cash’s borrowed truck, watching Lily as she walked next to the fucker that was courting a death wish if he didn’t move his arm. He relaxed when he saw Lily move slightly away, keeping a few inches between them. He didn’t like them holding hands, but he could handle it.

He had planned to come up with another lame-ass excuse to spend the evening with her, but Razer had told him that Charles had beaten him to the punch. He hadn’t had to deal with him before now because he had been out of town, but now he was back and thought he and Lily would continue dating.

Shade got out of the truck as soon as they walked far enough away that they couldn’t see their car. Keeping to the shadows in case they doubled back, Shade made it quickly to Charles’ car, kneeling down by the back tire. He slipped his knife out of his boot, and thrust it into the tire before moving to the front and doing the same. As soon as he heard the hissing air, he returned to the truck, sliding back behind the wheel.

Taking out his cell phone, he gave Rider a call to give him a head’s up that Razer would be calling him shortly, so he needed to finish his business with Kaley. He wanted his ass ready to roll when Razer called to give Lily a ride home.

Shade sat back and patiently waited for the couple to return.

L
ily couldn’t hide
her yawn as Charles talked about his father’s new restaurant.

“Let’s head back; I can tell you’re tired,” Charles broke off.

“I’m sorry, Charles. It’s been a long day.” She squeezed his hand, relieved when he gave her a smile.

When they got to the car, he opened the door, letting her slide inside. Lily watched as he walked around the front of the car, seeing Charles bend down by the front tire then stand with a frown on his face. She turned as he walked to the back tire and stood, staring down for a minute before getting inside the car.

“I have some bad news. We have two flat tires,” Charles said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone.

“Don’t you have a spare?” Lily asked then felt stupid at the look he gave her.

“I do, but not two. Dad’s still in Lexington, so I can’t call him. I’m going to try Lyle, but it’s Friday, so the chances aren’t good that he’ll actually answer.”

Lyle was the town drunk. Lily hated to refer to him that way; however, he was drunk more often than he was sober. She really didn’t want to be stuck in the tow truck with him after he had been drinking most of the night.

“I’ll call Razer,” Lily offered when Charles had no luck reaching Lyle. She pulled out her own cell phone, calling her brother-in-law. He answered on the third ring, and Lily quickly explained their predicament. He offered to send Rider.

“Thanks, Razer.” She disconnected the call, turning back to Charles. She could tell he wasn’t happy she had called Razer, but the problem with living in a town the size of Treepoint was that your options were limited.

“I wanted to spend some more time with you. I guess I got my wish,” Charles said wryly.

Lily laughed. Reaching over the console, she kissed his cheek. “I really missed you, Charles.”

The tension faded from his face and he relaxed back against his seat. They started talking about the mischief they would get into in high school.

Twenty minutes later headlights pulled in behind them. Rider opened his truck door as another truck pulled up next to him. Shade climbed out of the older-looking truck that everyone in town knew was Cash’s. Both Charles and Lily then got out of the car.

“What’s going on, Lily?” Rider asked as he walked next to Charles and looked down at the car with the two flat tires.

“We went for a walk and when we came back, the tires were flat,” Charles explained.

“I’ll get it loaded onto the trailer and drop it off at the garage.”