The Last Riders - First Four Votes (94 page)

“
L
ily
, look at me.” Lily didn’t want to see the look of disgust she was certain would be on his face.

“Please, look at me.” Lily turned her head to see his face in the darkness. Instead of seeing the disgust she’d expected, she saw compassion and love.

In that second, Lily broke. She cried for the child who had never been a child, for all the years she had spent afraid of her own shadow, and most of all, she cried for a future she was afraid to begin with Shade.

Pastor Dean put his arm around her shoulders, letting her cry until she lay quietly against him.

“I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry anymore,” Lily said, embarrassed at her lapse.

“I think that one was well deserved. That’s why you wanted to become a social worker, isn’t it, to help children like yourself?”

Lily nodded her head. “Yes, I think so.”

“Lily, do you plan on judging children if you find them in situations like you were in?”

“Of course not,” Lily said, shocked that he thought she would.

“When people start coming into the church store tomorrow, are you going to judge them for being in need?”

“No,” she repeated. “They need our help.”

“Yes, they do, like you needed help, and no one was there for you. You chose to survive, Lily. You’re the kindest, most compassionate woman I know, and it’s a true miracle that part of you wasn’t destroyed. As your pastor, I couldn’t be more proud. You make my Sundays worthwhile because, when I look out into my congregation and see your face, I know that God has graced my church with your presence.

“You have done nothing to feel ashamed of. The ones who should be ashamed are the ones that are responsible for hurting you. You don’t have any lessons to learn from me, but I have many to learn from you, Lily, because as God is my witness, I would have killed every single one of the bastards who touched you.”

“Thank you, Pastor.” Lily smiled at him, relieved he hadn’t thought less of her.

“Go on inside. It’s freezing out here. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She stood up, pausing when he didn’t follow. “Aren’t you coming in?”

“In a minute. I want to say a prayer.”

“Would you like me to stay and pray with you?”

“No, you’ve been out here long enough. I won’t be long.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Lily.”

“
Y
ou don’t deserve her
.”

“I know,” Shade said, walking out of the shadows, not taking his eyes off Lily as she walked back toward the clubhouse.

“It’s a good thing they’re all dead or we would be riding tonight.”

“It seems they’re all dead but one,” Shade said thoughtfully, turning to his brother.

Dean frowned at him. “Which one?”

“The one who gave her to Beth’s parents.”

“You think that something from her past may be why someone is trying to kill her?”

“Whoever has been watching her house has been doing it for years. Who else could it be?” Shade said, coming to the only conclusion that made any sense.

“Damn.”

“Talk to Knox, tell him what we found out tonight. I’m going to talk to Beth and see if she remembers anything from when Lily first came to live with them. At this point, any adoption papers, even fake ones, would be a lead.” Shade’s only hope of finding the papers was Beth.

“I’ll talk to him before he leaves tonight.”

“Let’s get inside. I don’t want Lily alone tonight.”

They walked up the path together. Shade was about to go inside when Dean’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Promise me one thing.”

“What?” Shade asked.

“If we find out whoever took her could have stopped that shit, I get him first.”

L
ily wearily climbed into bed
, pulling the covers over her as she shivered. The click of the door opening and closing barely drew her notice; she couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering.

The covers were briefly pulled back and Shade’s warm body enveloped hers as he pressed against her back. His arm circled her waist, drawing her closer. The covers were pulled over them, wrapping her in a cocoon of warmth.

“Shade?”

“Yes?”

“That day in the diner when I had that panic attack, there was a little girl at one of the tables. What happened?”

“I had left with you, but Knox told me that Diamond had seen you staring at the family. Knox talked to them. The little girl was placed in her grandmother’s custody.”

“It’s funny how things turn out, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it’s funny at all,” Shade said, pulling her tighter.

“I believe sometimes it’s meant for us to have to bear trials so that we can recognize how to help others.” Lily’s voice grew drowsy.

“Go to sleep.” Shade’s voice was soothing in the darkness. It was then Lily realized the room was encased in darkness. She hadn’t turned the bathroom light on.

Her hand laced through Shade’s, confident he would keep her safe while she slept.

W
hen Lily beat
Rachel to the store in the morning, there was already a line forming outside. Pastor Dean was waiting for her inside. He looked as if he hadn’t slept.

“Are you sick?” Lily asked.

“No. I just woke up this morning with a headache. I’ll be fine as soon as I get my coffee. Rachel’s stopping by the diner before she gets here.”

“Great.” Lily stood by the door, anxious to let the people in. They had already taken applications earlier in the week and had decided how everyone would be allowed to take things they needed, giving each family a limit of store credit based on their financial need.

Rachel maneuvered through the crowd, bringing each person a steaming cup of coffee.

“Are we ready for this?” She grinned when she finally came inside.

“Yes.” Lily was fired up, ready to help those who stood waiting.

“I have a feeling this is going to be a long day.” With that said, Pastor Dean opened the door.

At first, they were nearly overwhelmed by the number of those coming in; however, Lily had organized the paperwork over the last week, and because they were the ones who had stocked the store, they were able to help the customers find the items they needed quickly.

They easily worked out a method for moving people through: Rachel and Pastor Dean worked the store, and when people found the items they needed, they would then be sent to Lily at the counter. She would check the amount of aide they had available for the month, then bag their items for them. It was a rewarding experience for Lily, seeing those in need were given simple basics that would make their lives easier.

By midday, the customers had slowed to a trickle, so Pastor Dean excused himself, explaining he was scheduled to give a counseling session.

“If I didn’t know better, I would think Pastor Dean had a hangover.” Rachel’s speculative voice drew her attention from filing paperwork.

“I’m sure you’re wrong. He told me he had a headache this morning.”

“I have three brothers; I’m very familiar with the signs of a hangover. Pastor Dean has all the symptoms. Did you see his face when I handed him his sandwich?”

“Yes, but I’m not a fan of meatloaf sandwiches, either. I’m sure it gets old having to eat other’s cooked food all the time.”

“Maybe.” Rachel’s tone still sounded doubtful.

Lily didn’t get the chance to talk about it further because the door opened and closed, bringing in more customers. Lily worked steadily as a member of the congregation came in searching for winter coats for her children. Lily knelt in front of the little five-year–old, helping her zip a jacket up.

Her little hand tugged the fur collar up, brushing her face with the soft fur. “Can I have this one, Mama?”

The mother looked inquiringly at Lily.

“Of course you can.” Lily smiled at the little girl’s excited face.

Standing up, she searched through the racks until she found one for her older brother. Going through a plastic tub, she then found each of them gloves.

She bagged everything up, handing the mother the large bag.

“Thank you.” The woman started to say something else then gripped the bag tighter in her hand.

Lily knew what the woman wanted to ask without being told. Coming out from behind the counter, she put her arm around her shoulders.

“I think Mom needs a little something for herself.” Lily led her to another coat rack, going through several before the woman found one that would fit.

“There. Now everyone has a new coat.” Lily reached out, hugging the smiling woman. “Come back the first of December. We’ll have the Christmas section open and you can choose some toys for them.”

The woman nodded. “I will. I don’t like to take help, but Brian was hurt on a construction job. He’s been looking for something that’s not as strenuous, but he hasn’t found anything yet. I have several applications out, but no one’s hiring.”

“That’s why we opened the store. We’re happy to help,” Lily said matter-of-factly, sensitive to the woman’s pride.

“Thank you, Lily.”

“Bye, Christy.” Lily watched the small family leave, filled with a sense of satisfaction.

“It makes all of our hard work worth it, doesn’t it?” Rachel said, straightening one of the clothes racks.

“Yes, it does.”

Rachel went to lock the door, staring out the window. “Now that’s one man I wouldn’t mind fighting my brothers over,” she said.

Lily kept filing the paperwork but glanced up briefly, noticing Rachel still staring out the window. “Who?” Lily asked curiously.

“There’s someone new in town. He’s talking on his cell phone. The hood to his car is up. Jeez, Lily, he’s dressed in a suit. I bet he was driving through town and his car broke down. Darn, why can’t someone who looks like that move to town?”

“That good?”

“Oh, yeah. If I knew anything about cars, I would have been gone five minutes ago. That car looks expensive, too. Good looking and has money. What else could a woman ask for?”

“Maybe he’s a jerk,” Lily warned.

“I wouldn’t care,” Rachel said reverently.

Lily laughed, coming out from behind the counter and walking toward the window.

“Where?” she asked Rachel, gazing out the window.

“There.” She pointed out the window. “He’s going inside the diner.”

Lily saw a tall, broad shoulder man walking into the diner. She only managed to catch a brief glimpse of his back as he walked inside. He had jet-black hair and even Lily could tell the suit he wore was expensive.

The car parked in front of the diner was one of the luxury models she had seen advertised on television.

“Maybe it’ll take a couple of days for him to fix his car,” Rachel said hopefully.

Lily grinned at her friend before turning away. “You could always go to the diner and get us some coffee,” Lily suggested.

“You think?” Rachel grinned back.

“Go for it.”

Rachel grabbed her purse, taking off out the door before Lily could suggest it twice.

Lily went back to work, and Rachel was gone quite a while before she walked back into the store carrying the coffee.

“How did it go?” Lily asked curiously.

“We were right. He was passing through when his car broke down. He’s even better looking close-up, too, but he’s older than I thought. My brothers would lock me up and throw away the key if I tried to get to know him better.”

“Did you get his number?” Lily wanted to know how bold Rachel had gotten with the stranger.

“No, but I did get his name,” she said triumphantly.

“Oh, what was it?” Lily asked.

“King.”

“
W
ell
, that’s different.”

“I know. Isn’t it cool?” Rachel said, setting the coffee down on the counter.

“Did he say where he was from?” Lily pulled a stool up to the counter, taking one of the coffees.

“I forgot to ask.” Rachel looked nonplussed for a second. “Oh, well, it really doesn’t matter. He already has two strikes against him: he’s too old and he’s from out of town.”

Not long after, Lily saw Shade pull up outside. She threw her empty coffee cup away in the nearby trashcan. “I’ll see you next week.”

“Bye, Lily.”

Until Pastor Dean could find someone to run the store, it would only be able to stay open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The store really needed to be open more frequently during the winter; she worried about so many going without their basic needs during the winter months.

Lily climbed onto the bike behind Shade after putting on her helmet, noticing the broken-down car was already gone.

When they got back to the clubhouse, she recognized Sex Piston and her crew’s car. Killyama was leaning against it with her arms folded, glaring at Rider as he talked to her.

Train was working on one of the bikes, watching the argument with an amused expression.

Lily got off the bike and Shade took her helmet from her hand. Lily greeted Beth’s friend as she drew closer.

“Hey, girl.” Killyama didn’t remove her glare from Rider.

“What’s going on?” Shade asked.

Lily listened curiously; she had been too polite to ask, but obviously, Shade didn’t have the same hesitation.

“I was supposed to give her a ride today,” Rider nodded his head sharply at Killyama, “but my bike won’t start. She thinks I’m fucking with her.”

“Babe, if you were fucking with me, I’d hope I would know it.” Killyama grinned evilly at the furious Rider.

Lily had to look away to keep from laughing at Rider. The laid-back man didn’t stand a chance against the biker woman.

“I meant that I wasn’t trying to get out of giving you a ride.” His choice of words didn’t make the situation any better; he kept digging himself into a bigger hole.

“I know what you meant. Do I look stupid?”

Silence met her question.

Killyama was dressed in leather pants and a black t-shirt that had a skull with a dagger in the eye. It read “Come and get me.” Her make-up was dark and smoky, and her biker boots had metal spokes sticking out. She didn’t look stupid, yet she did appear scary as heck. Especially for a man who loved women who were very feminine.
At least he makes an attempt to be a gentleman
, Lily thought when he ignored her question.

“We’ll have to make it another day. I have to order a part,” Rider hedged.

“You’ve already put me off three times. I’m tired of this shit. Forget it.” She turned around, opening her car door as she gave Shade a smirk. “The Last Riders don’t know how to keep their word. Good to know for future reference.”

Shade stiffened. He was the one who had promised Killyama a ride for saving her life. Lily didn’t even want to know what Shade had held over Rider’s head to make him come through.

“I’ll give you a ride myself,” Shade said, giving in to the woman’s demands.

“No offense, but I don’t ride with a man who’s got a woman at his back.” Lily took that to mean she wasn’t going to ride with Shade because of her. In that moment, Lily knew she liked the woman.

She heard Shade’s teeth grinding at her answer.

“I’ll give you a ride,” Train said, setting down the tool he was holding.

This time Killyama remained quiet, tilting her head to the side as she studied the man like he was a side of beef.
Oh, heck
, Lily thought, noticing Train’s eyes narrowing on Killyama.

Since moving in with The Last Riders, she had learned one thing about Train: the man was a wild card, and you never knew how he would react. He was the calmest of the men, yet he actually had the worst temper. You could never be certain if he was going to respond with a smile or a fist until it was too late.

“Deal.” Killyama shut the car door.

As Train led the way to his bike, getting on, Lily watched as Killyama got on behind him, snuggling close as she wound her arms around his waist.

“Do you think they’ll kill each other?” Lily couldn’t resist asking as they turned onto the road.

“I think there’s a fifty-fifty chance.” Shade’s mocking remark had Lily unable to hold back her grin.

“You know you’re going to owe him big time.” Lily felt like she needed to give Rider a heads-up.

“It’ll be worth any price,” Rider said fervently.

“That wasn’t nice. She’s a really sweet woman.”

Both men looked at her dubiously, but neither of them disagreed with her out loud.

Lily strode away, leaving both men to follow silently behind her. She walked through the front door and went straight upstairs to get changed into her workout clothes. She needed to wash a few clothes and she wanted to exercise so she could accomplish both goals at the same time.

Her favorite workout outfits needed washing, so she had to resort to the more revealing one she hated to wear. She changed and was organizing the clothes when Shade came into the bedroom.

“Rider is going to work with me at my house for a few hours.”

“All right, I’m going to take care of the laundry.”

“I’ll pack them down for you.”

“I can handle a basket of clothes,” Lily told him.

Shade picked up the basket anyway, waiting for her by the door. Lily heaved a frustrated sigh then gave in, going out the door and down the steps. She felt self-conscious in her outfit, even though she knew she was being ridiculous. She didn’t even know why it bothered her; most of the members had gone home for the holidays, and those who had remained were getting caught up on their shopping and sleep.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. If you need anything, just call.”

“Okay.” Lily rolled her eyes as he left. He was taking her protection too seriously. She wasn’t used to being constantly surrounded by someone; even Beth gave her space.

She started a load of clothes then began her stretching and floor exercises, enjoying working out. It served to relieve a lot of her tension and she liked how it made her feel.

She did another load of clothes after putting the others in the dryer, turning on the sound system before beginning her weight routine. She took her time as she worked with the new weights that had just been delivered that day. When she was finished, she checked on her clothes, putting the last of them in the dryer and then folding the other ones. She was still full of energy as she then went to the exercise equipment and stared at the treadmill then at the pole. She hated treadmills; they were boring.

Since she was alone in the house, she stepped toward the pole. She began her routine, one movement after another, following each other seamlessly. She worked herself to the top, and with her arms giving her leverage, slid her legs out from the pole. Her arms were shaky after just lifting weights, yet she managed to keep a firm grip before circling the pole with her thighs. Sliding down, she stopped her momentum a few feet from the floor, and using her thighs, she held onto the pole, going backwards until her hands touched the floor. Releasing her grip on the pole, she flipped her body, doing a brief handstand before continuing to flip until she stood straight, facing the steps. The buzzer for the dryer went off and she moved to finish folding the clothes.

Shade was there, sitting on the couch and staring at her with a look that made goose bumps rise on her arms. He had come in and hadn’t even let her know he was there.

“How long have you been there?” she asked suspiciously.

“Long enough to see you climb then come down the pole.”

“Oh.” Lily went to the dryer, pulling out the clothes and putting them in the basket. She would fold them in the room.

“Come here, Lily.”

“Uh, no,” Lily said firmly.

“Why?”

“Because I can tell by the way you’re looking at me that… you’re in a mood,” she finished helplessly.

“You’re right. I’m in the mood to fuck. Come. Here.”

Lily’s trembling hands set the basket down on the dryer. She slowly walked toward him. “Shade…”

“What do you call me when we’re down here?” he reminded her.

Lily stopped in front of him. She wasn’t going to play his games.

His hand came out, cupping the back of her knee, touching the flesh below her workout shorts.

“Answer me.” Shade’s firm expression wasn’t harsh; however, he left no doubt that he expected her to obey him.

“Sir.” Lily felt the word leave her lips.

He raised her knee, pulling it toward him until she had to raise her other knee on the other side of his hip or she would fall on top of him. This position wasn’t much better. She was kneeling over him while he looked up at her. His hands slid up the sides of her thighs, sliding around toward her butt until his hands cupped her bottom, pulling her toward him.

“Kiss me.”

Lily bent down, touching her mouth to his. Shade parted her lips, sucking her tongue into his mouth. Lily explored his mouth, tasting the hint of mint on his breath.

His hand slid forward from behind, rubbing her crotch through the thin material of her shorts. The place he was rubbing teased her flesh with a brief touch before sliding back, not giving her a full caress, only a promise. Lily moaned, unable to help herself. He slid his hand back and forth until her butt was pushing back against his hand and her arms circled his neck.

Shade leaned forward, rising to his feet with her thighs clenching his hips as he carried her back to his bedroom. He opened the door, and then closed it with his foot. Bending down, he laid her on the side of the bed before rising and standing between her spread thighs.

He turned to the bedside table, turning on the small lamp. The light switching on was like one going on in her brain, asking herself what she was doing.

In a split second, she had turned and scrambled off the other side of the bed, breathing heavily. Her breasts lifted and fell with her erratic breathing. Pushing her hair back from her face, she noticed where his attention was directed.

“Cut it out, Shade.” Lily blew out a deep breath, unconsciously rubbing her tummy. “I can’t do that.” She motioned to the bed.

“Why not?” he asked, staring at her in amusement. His eyes dropped to her hand’s tell-tale movements.

Lily quickly dropped her hand to her side. “Because I’m not ready yet. I haven’t made my mind up if I want to and…” she paused, “I’ve always planned to wait until I was married.” Lily lowered her eyes to the floor. “It means a lot to me,” she finished lamely, aware her face showed her embarrassment.

“I see.” Shade walked toward the door, opening it for her.

Relieved, she walked toward the doorway. “Thanks, Sir.” She gave him a relieved smile.

“No problem.”

Lily gave him a curious look as she went through the doorway, surprised and a little hurt. She hadn’t expected him to take it so well. Was he planning on finding sex elsewhere if she didn’t? It wasn’t like he would have to search far.

Morosely, she followed him up the stairs to their bedroom where she showered and changed while he used the shower in the hallway. She had to grit her teeth when they went downstairs for dinner and he actually whistled.

Evie had fixed a huge roast with all the fixings. Lily ate as she watched Shade talk to the others at the table. It took her by surprise to see that someone was missing.

“Train isn’t back yet?” Lily asked with a frown.

“Who are you worried about? Killyama or Train?” Rider questioned with a grin.

The whole table cracked up. Lily wanted to throw something; they just didn’t understand the abrasive woman. She wanted to think that underneath Killyama’s gruff attitude lay a sweet woman, but there wasn’t. That was Sex Piston. Killyama was as fierce on the inside as she was on the outside. Lily actually liked that about her; she was loyal and she wouldn’t take anyone’s bull. Her best feature was the one that had saved her life—she would protect anyone she cared about.

The door opened and closed with a slam. They all sat watching as Train fixed himself a plate, piling on food and then sat down at the table.

“Well?” Rider asked.

“Well what?” Train asked with a glare.

“How did it go?”

“How the fuck do you think it went? The woman is a fucking lunatic. She thought I would let her drive my bike.”

“What happened when you told her no?” Lily asked, dreading his answer.

“She tried to climb in front of me. I almost wrecked my bike.” He tore the top off his beer, taking a long drink. “When I brought her back here to her car, she actually thought I was going to fuck her.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“What happened when you told her no?” Lily asked apprehensively.

This time Train remained quiet.

The shocked silence had Train lifting the beer to his mouth, finishing it in a long swallow. Lily tried to smother her laugher, yet she was unsuccessful.

“Did you manage to tame the bitch?” Rider asked with a smirk.

At that, all hell broke loose. Train’s fist flew out, hitting Rider in the jaw and knocking him backwards, toppling the chair and him over. Lily screamed, standing up from the table, about to go to Rider’s aide, but Shade took her arm, pulling her away.

Train threw himself on Rider when he attempted to stand up. The two fought on the floor, throwing their fists viciously at each other, striking whatever body part they could reach while Viper and Nickel tried to pull them apart.

“Stop!” Winter yelled. “You two are scaring Lily.” Everyone except Winter froze, looking at Lily in trepidation, waiting for her to have one of her panic attacks.

Beth relaxed first, familiar with Winter’s machinations. Lily’s twinkling violet eyes had the other members turning to Winter suspiciously. She shrugged, sitting back down at the table, and then continued to eat. Lily joined her with the others gradually retaking their seats, as well. Finally, Train held his hand out to Rider, helping him to his feet. Both returned to their seats to finish their own dinners.