“Going someplace?” he asked casually.
“Breakfast?”
Shade lifted a brow at her show of fake innocence. “No one is up yet.”
“I can make my own.”
“How were you going to get down the steps?” he asked coldly.
“What are you doing here?” Winter asked impatiently, ignoring his question.
“Viper had a feeling you would try to make a run for it after last night.” Shade shrugged. “Seems he was right.”
“He asked you to stand here all night?” she asked in disbelief.
“Yes. Need a lift downstairs, or do you want to go back to bed?”
“Downstairs, please.”
The doorbell rang just as he was about to lift her.
“Your accomplice?” Shade asked as he saw Viper striding down the hallway.
“Who is it?” Viper asked.
“Pastor Dean.”
Shade’s and Viper’s eyes met over Winter’s head, and Viper grinned. “Could be worse. Shade, answer the door while I get Houdini.”
Shade went down the steps to open the door.
“Hey, Dean.”
“Shade, you look like you enjoyed your Friday night.”
He glared back at the fresh-faced Lucky who wasn’t trying to hide his amusement. “Fuck off.”
Lucky brushed by him. “I don’t know why you’re so cranky; I’m the one who missed the party,” he mocked.
Viper reached the bottom of the steps carrying Winter.
“Viper, Shade, Winter, it’s good to see you all again.”
Lucky’s pastor persona made Shade want to vomit up the whiskey he had drunk last night.
“Want some coffee?” Viper asked, carrying Winter to the kitchen and sitting her down on a chair at the table.
“Sounds good to me.” Lucky sat down at the table next to Winter, giving her a reassuring smile.
It never failed to amaze Shade the way Lucky could turn the two sides of his identity on and off. And everyone thinks I’m the psychopath, Shade thought wryly.
“Going to bed, Viper.”
“Thanks, Shade.”
He left without a word to Winter or Lucky, feeling her glare on his back. He almost hung around to watch the show Viper and Lucky would put on in front of Winter yet then decided he really didn’t give a fuck.
He went into his empty bedroom where he meticulously cleaned the equipment he had used on the twins, even washing down the mat before sliding it under his bed. He then went into his bathroom to turn the shower on.
When steam began filling the room, he went under the hot spray. Picking up the shower gel, he began to clean himself as thoroughly as the equipment, wiping away the memories of the women he had fucked the night before.
His body should have been satiated; instead, it was as if he hadn’t had a woman in months. None of the women were Lily.
He felt his cock hardening, surging upwards along his lean belly. He could have called any of the women and they would have run downstairs to relieve the hard-on, yet Shade didn’t want them—he would only have to take another shower to wash their touch from him.
Shade lathered his hand with the gel then slid it down to his cock, his thumb gliding over the tip. He braced his other hand on the tiled shower wall as he began to slip his hand up and down, imagining Lily spread before him with desire in her eyes, the shadows of fear gone. He imagined her playing with herself as he stroked, his balls tightening as he imagined her arching, lifting her hips toward him. His cum burst out, giving him a brief moment of relief from the desire, which constantly rode him for Lily.
Shade laid his head on the shower wall. It would be three more years before he could make his move on her. He was never going to last that long.
Chapter 18
It was nearly noon when Shade woke up, stretching his naked body on the sheets. He had always been lucky that a few hours of sleep refreshed him, waking up without feeling groggy.
He dressed then went upstairs, deciding to get something to eat, to find the kitchen empty except for Rider, who was sitting at the table with his head in his hand and a cup of coffee in front of him. Shade didn’t say anything to the brother, seeing he felt like shit.
Everyone was used to fending for themselves on Saturday, since the parties on Friday made them too hung-over or tired to cook. However, he could tell a meal must have been made earlier, even if it was gone by that point. Probably Viper cooked some shit for Winter since she had decided to sneak out at the ass crack of dawn.
The kitchen door opened, and Razer came in.
“Want a sandwich?” Shade offered, about to pull the lunch meat out of the refrigerator.
“Fuck no. We all ate a big breakfast this morning. Plus, I’m going into town to eat lunch with Beth. She took Winter Christmas shopping. Want to go?”
“No.”
“Lily will be there,” Razer said.
Shade shut the refrigerator door. “I’ll ride along.”
Rider’s chair scooted back. “I’ll go, too. Maybe the fresh air will make me feel better.”
“Figured you would,” Razer taunted.
“Couldn’t hurt,” Shade said, slapping the hung over brother on the back.
Both Shade and Rider punched Razer for being in such a good mood. Laughing, he held his hands up in surrender as they left the kitchen.
The brothers had just sat down on their bikes when Razer’s cell phone rang. Shade started his bike, waiting for him to finish his call. He spoke briefly before disconnecting.
“What’s up?”
“Lucky called, said he’s at the church and looked out the window toward the diner. Ton’s trying to take on some bikers and the women are with him.”
“Dammit.” Shade gripped his handlebars, taking off in a rush and nearly losing control as he pulled onto the road.
Razer and Rider sped along behind, trying to catch up.
The sound of motors racing down the street didn’t stop the fighting or the men who held Beth and Lily. Shade, Rider, and Razer pulled into the diner’s parking lot and surrounded the fighters. Lucky had failed to mention Viper was there, already taking on a couple of the men. He had also failed to mention the fact that Sam seemed to have made new friends, from the looks of it.
Razer gunned his bike toward Beth and Lily, startling the men into letting Beth go. However, the one who had Lily tightened his grip around her waist, turning her to face the group of angry bikers.
Beth ran straight to Razer as he climbed off his bike. Shade kept his attention on Lily, who was frozen in terror, her dress torn off one shoulder. He wasn’t worried in the slightest over whether Viper could handle the bikers he was fighting.
Once Shade and Rider climbed off their bikes, Rider began to move forward, but Shade gave a hand signal for him to back off. The one who dared to touch Lily was all his.
Shade didn’t rush the biker; instead, he took off his sunglasses and jacket, leaving him in his long-sleeved, black T-shirt. When he took Lily from the asshole, he didn’t want anything encumbering him.
The biker holding Lily tightened his grip on her, smart enough to know she was the only thing keeping him alive.
Shade maneuvered himself closer to his target, each incremental inch forward putting him within striking distance.
“Let her go.” Shade’s voice came out deadly.
One of the men Viper was holding yelled out, “Slot, let her go.”
“Let me get on my bike and get out of here. Then I will let her go. She your bitch?” The man ignored his biker buddy, smart enough, at least, not to take his eyes off Shade.
“She is no man’s bitch.” Shade kept himself still.
“She’s yours. Just let me go. No trouble.”
“You had trouble the second you looked at her.” Shade motioned for Rider to move back when he caught him sneaking forward. He wasn’t about to give the brother a piece of the guy who had touched Lily.
Slot looked at Rider, but Shade didn’t t
ake advantage of the man’s lack of attention; instead, drawing it back toward him, which wasn’t easy. His eyes were darting back and forth between The Last Riders, trying to figure out who posed the biggest threat. When his eyes returned to stare into his, Shade knew he had figured it out.
“Have you heard of The Last Riders?” Shade tried to provoke the biker into lowering his guard.
“Yeah, but I ain’t afraid of you. You guys fuck more than you fight.”