Rachel stumbled but Tate caught her, realizing what he had nearly done. Pulling her to his side, his furious eyes glared down at her in disgust.
“Get Logan and Holly, Dustin. We’re leaving.” Tate jerked Rachel toward the patio doors as Dustin and Greer followed.
Shade was disgusted by the brothers’ treatment of their sister. He might be a cold bastard, but he would never have treated Penni to a public spectacle the way the Porters were Rachel, who was crying, humiliated by them.
Mrs. Langley and half the town at the party were witnesses to the woman’s embarrassment as they escorted Rachel from the party.
Lily started after them.
“Hell no, you’re not getting involved in that mess.” Shade took her arm, pulling her back.
“But…”
“No, Lily. If they don’t care how they treat their own flesh and blood, they aren’t going to care how they treat you. Do you think I’d be able to stand back and watch if they were rude to you?”
Lily bit her lip, shaking her head.
“Go help your sister cut the cake. She needs your help.” Beth and some of the women were storming away from Cash at that moment, Beth making her way back to the cake and seeming to apologize to Mrs. Langley. “Rachel will be fine,” Shade told her, hoping it was the truth.
He walked back to Cash. “I’m going to fucking kill them after the way they treated her.” Cash’s voice was low and deadly.
“Brother, I don’t know what you were thinking when you said what you did, but I’ve known you long enough to know that shit spewing out of your mouth wasn’t by accident. You wanted to fuck with her brothers, and you accomplished your goal.”
“I didn’t expect them to go ape-shit!”
“Then that was your bad. You both provoked each other, and Rachel was the one hurt. You think telling her you’re sorry is going to make a difference?”
“No, I don’t. She’ll never talk to me again. Did you see her face when I told her brothers I fucked her?”
“I saw. Go get a drink,” Shade advised.
Once Cash nodded, going to the ice cooler, Shade motioned for Rider and Train to stay with him before going back to Lily.
She was standing beside Beth, already having served the cake and now eating a slice. Lily’s plate had two pieces.
Shade casually reached out, taking the plate away. At Lily’s crestfallen expression, Shade picked up the plastic fork, spearing a piece of cake with a generous amount of frosting before placing it in front of her mouth. Lily opened, taking the bite he fed her, and the frown disappeared.
He took the next bite for himself. “Damn!”
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked.
“Lucky and Rider are idiots.”
Chapter 81
Shade looked up from his paperwork when his office door was opened. As Lily rushed inside, leaving it open, he could see Cash and Rider coming inside the factory door, quietly closing it behind them. Lily had her back turned, so she didn’t see them enter.
The workers had all left for the day, and he wouldn’t have still been there if he hadn’t needed to finish up the day’s paperwork.
“You have to find her, Shade!” She was upset, twisting her hands together.
Cash was unashamedly listening, his jaw tightening when he heard her words.
“Lily, calm down and start over. What happened?”
Lily took a deep breath, her body shaking. “Pastor Patterson came to the store this morning and told me Rachel had called to tell him she wouldn’t be volunteering anymore. I was concerned because I knew Rachel would have a hard time facing everyone, but I thought she would just take a couple of weeks off! I didn’t realize until Tate came into the store, looking for Rachel, that no one has seen her since Friday night.”
“You said Pastor Patterson told you he had talked to her?” Shade asked.
Cash’s face had gone pale at Lily words. The women had given him hell Friday night for what he had done, and he had told Shade that morning that he was trying to avoid town so he wouldn’t run into Rachel.
Lily nodded.
“Then we know she’s okay if someone has heard from her,” he reasoned, calming his wife.
“Okay.”
“What did Tate tell you?”
“He said she was gone the next morning when they woke up. She left them a note, but he didn’t tell me what it said. He’s worried sick, though. He was going to see Knox when he left the store.”
“I’ll call and talk to Knox to see if he’s found anything out.”
“Thank you. I’m so worried about her, Shade. I saw her face, and she was so humiliated. She didn’t deserve Cash and her brothers treating her that way. She helps everyone. She gives her skills and usually doesn’t even charge people.
“Mary Owen’s little girl had something wrong with her stomach and couldn’t even hold food down. Rachel gave her a supplement, and she’s gained five pounds. Mrs. Willis had the shingles and when Rachel made a cream for her, she was able to go back to work. Rachel helped me, too, Shade. I don’t know what would have happened if she hadn’t pulled me out of that nightmare.”
Shade got up from behind his desk, taking her into his arms. “Don’t worry, Lily; I’ll find her, but be prepared. She may not want to come back to Treepoint.”
“You made me come back,” Lily argued.
“There’s a difference between you and Rachel. You belong to me.”
“I didn’t then.”
“You did. You just didn’t know it.” Shade smiled down at his wife. “Now, go feed my baby, and I’ll call Knox.”
“All right.” Lily turned, coming to a stop when she saw Cash and Rider. Throwing them an angry glare, she moved between them, leaving the factory.
Shade picked up his phone as soon as she was out the door while both Rider and Cash entered the office.
“Knox, Lily told me Rachel’s disappeared. What do you know?”
“Not much. I’ve been making a few calls. Tate showed me the note she left. Told them she was leaving and not to come looking for her. It said she wouldn’t be coming back, and she was sorry for shaming them.” Knox’s voice became harder as he read the note.
“If you find where she’s at, call me or Cash.”
“Will do.” Knox hung up.
Shade looked at Cash, relaying the information he had just received.
“I’ll kill them.” Cash turned to find the doorway blocked by Rider.
“Sit down, Cash,” Shade ordered.
Cash turned angrily yet didn’t sit down. “Don’t tell me what the fuck to do. Do you know how badly they must have treated her for her to run off?”
“And that surprises you? You knew Friday night when she left with them what she was facing. I didn’t see y
ou running to her defense then.”
Cash picked up a chair and threw it against the wall.
“Sit down!”
Cash sat.
“How do you want to handle this?” Shade said calmly.
“I’m going to find her, of course,” Cash stated angrily.
“I’m not the enemy, brother.”
Cash stood to his feet. “I know,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I’m a fucking idiot.”
“Piece of advice. Take it or leave it, but I’m going to give it anyway. Figure out why you want to find her before you go looking.”
Cash gave an abrupt nod before leaving his office.
By the time Shade had finished his paperwork and was locking the factory, Cash had changed his clothes and was on his bike, leaving the parking lot.
“Thank fuck the days of me having woman trouble are over,” Shade said out loud to Rider who was working on Cash’s truck.
“Don’t jinx yourself, brother.” Rider poked his head out from under the hood.
“I don’t believe in luck, and I sure as shit don’t believe in jinxes,” Shade snorted, heading to the steps.
“I hope you’re right, because you just tempted fate to prove you wrong.”
“I don’t believe in fate, either.”
Shade made his way up the walkway and to his house where he found Lily in the shower. He quickly took off his clothes and stepped in behind her. She turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
Shade placed his hands on her hips, lifting her until her pussy was over his cock. Slowly, he lowered her, sliding inside of her. Taking a step forward, he pressed her against the shower wall as he gently stroked inside her.
Lily ran her hands over his shoulders. “Harder,” she moaned.
“You want me to fuck you harder?”
Lily frantically nodded.
“I think you can say the word fuck and not go to Hell, Lily.”
“It just seems so … I don’t know…”
“Dirty? Sexy? Fun?” Shade laughed at her embarrassed expression. They had been married almost a year, and Lily still found it hard to completely relax her guard.
“Yes,” she admitted, moaning as her pussy started clenching on his cock.
Shade began to fuck her more forcefully, driving himself deep while drawing out her climax and building his own. He groaned into her throat as he felt his nuts tighten until he thought they were going to explode.