As Beth wiped a lone tear trailing down her cheek, Razer placed an arm around her shoulders, leading her back out the door and closing it quietly behind them, leaving the two on the couch alone. Tomorrow would come soon enough.
Chapter 43
Shade crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Beth and Razer eat their hotdog.
“Hurry up.” They were taking their sweet time, which was irritating the fuck out of him.
“We’re almost finished. Lily is just up ahead, looking at the blown glass,” Beth told him, getting to her feet to throw away the trash. “You could have gone ahead and met her,” she said, giving him a sly smile.
Shade almost rolled his eyes. Lily’s sister could be a pain in the ass. Lily might have been adopted, but she and Beth were a lot alike.
He had already spent an aggravating day riding around town, trying to find Gaige. However, the fucking coward was hiding from him, so being irritated further by Beth trying to be funny was not what he needed.
Beth took her cell phone out of her pocket, frowning when she pulled up her messages.
“What?” Both Razer and Shade asked at the same time.
“Lily bought a piece of glass and took it to her car.”
The sky was rapidly getting darker.
“Did she say where she parked?”
“No. She sent the message ten minutes ago. It shouldn’t have taken that long. She should have texted me she was on her way back by now.”
Shade took off, The Last Riders who were sitting at the picnic tables following behind him. When they heard a loud crash of glass breaking, Shade felt his stomach sink.
“Spread out!” Shade ordered the brothers.
He recognized Gaige who reached out, taking Lily’s arm in his hand when she tried to take a step back. Shade and the brothers were able to see what Lily couldn’t as three bikers about to become part of the action stepped up from behind her.
Shade walked hurriedly to the scene, watching the bikers exchanging words with Gaige as the obviously frightened man started to step back. He ran an experienced eye over the other three bikers. The blond one was the leader; the one with a scar running down his cheek the enforcer. Shade hadn’t missed the subtle signal the blond one had given his men, and the lethal look of the other one spoke for itself.
The largest biker slung an arm around Gaige’s shoulder as he said something to him, turning him toward a group of trees. Shade didn’t feel any sympathy for Gaige, who looked scared enough to piss himself.
“Wait, he just lost his temper,” he heard Lily plead as he moved along the side of a pickup truck, getting nearer.
Viper and Train were on the opposite side of the parking lot, stealthily moving through the shadows of the trees to get closer, while Cash and Rider were trying to sneak in behind them.
“That’s okay, sweet thing. I’m going to help him find it.” The large biker had no problem maneuvering a struggling Gaige away.
Lily took a step forward, but the blond biker slid an arm around her waist. “Let Max deal with him. He can’t look much worse than he does now.”
Shade was going to rip the bastard’s head off. He was proud of Lily, though, for not having one of her panic attacks.
“Lily!” Beth yelled out, unable to wait for the brothers to move in.
Shade wanted to shake her as she rushed across the parking lot. Razer caught up with her. He had been left behind to watch her, not let her place herself in danger.
As Shade gave the signal for The Last Riders to come out, appearing in a circle around the three bikers, Razer handed Beth over to Evie and Jewell. The rest of the brothers were moving in as back-up.
“Want to take a bet on which one she belongs to?” the one with his arm around her waist spoke to his friends.
“Don’t have to. I know,” the dark-haired one said in amusement, moving in front of Lily and blocking her from view.
Shade’s eyes narrowed. They didn’t give a shit who she belonged to; they wanted to find out the strength of the club, identify The Last Riders’ president and enforcer.
“Let me go.” Lily tried to wiggle from the grasp the blond biker had around her waist.
“Calm down. I’m going to let you go.”
Viper’s harsh voice was low and filled with menace. “Let her go.”
The blond one sent a critical eye over Viper. There you go, Shade thought. Strength can never take a backseat, and Viper wanted the situation over quickly with the women members and wives near.
The one with Gaige in a stranglehold turned back, moving closer to his friends.
“I have every intention of letting this sweet thing go. We’re not out for trouble; just passing through.” The leader nodded at Gaige and the one he had called Max. “Found him giving her some trouble.” Nodding again toward Lily’s car, he then said, “Decided to step in. Seeing she’s yours, we’ll step back.” His arm slid away from Lily, releasing her.
While Lily took a step forward toward Razer, Shade didn’t break eye contact with the scarred one who stepped to the side to let her pass. Shade didn’t miss the gun tucked into his waistband under his jacket as Lily brushed past him.
“He’s telling the truth, Viper. Gaige was angry that he got fired, and they made him leave me alone.”
“Lily, go to your sister,” Shade spoke.
She took off toward her sister and as soon as she was out of earshot, Shade gave his ultimatum.
“He’s mine. Give him to me, and you can leave in peace.”
“Peace is good.” The leader spoke with a mocking twist to his lips. “But I’m just as willing for a good fight. Unfortunately, this fucker isn’t worth it.”
Max handed Gaige over to him, pleading with Shade that he hadn’t been going to hurt Lily.
“Shut the fuck up, you pussy. You’re brave enough when a woman has her back to you. Didn’t you want her to see your small dick?” Shade mocked while his expression turned deadly.
Just then, Knox pulled his deputy car into the parking lot close to the men before getting out. “Beth called and said someone was giving Lily trouble?”
“He broke her windshield,” Shade answered, indicating the asshole he was holding.
Knox took Gaige from Shade, putting him in handcuffs before placing him into the backseat of the cruiser. Shade didn’t mind, though. When the deputy who was taking statements went home that night, Shade would be making a visit to Gaige’s jail cell.
“They with him?” Knox nodded toward the out-of-town bikers.
“Fuck no. We’re just passing through, stopped for some fun, and found him giving sweet thing a hard time,” the blond biker said.
“Quit calling her that!” Shade couldn’t hold back his anger.
“No offense.” An insincere smile from the leader had Shade’s hands clenching at his sides.
“Well, fun’s over. You men need to be leaving town since you were passing through,” Knox drawled sarcastically.
“You telling us to leave town?”
“That about sums it up,” Knox agreed.
“Seems we don’t have much of a choice, do we?”
“No,” Shade answered.
The leader nodded. “Let’s go, brothers.”
The three bikers turned, going to their bikes.
“I’ll make sure they leave,” Knox said, going to the cruiser with Gaige inside.
As Shade and the rest of the men returned to where the women were waiting, Shade ran his eyes over Lily, making sure Gaige hadn’t bruised her when he grabbed her.
“You okay?” Razer asked Lily.
“I’m fine,” Lily assured her brother-in-law while her eyes avoided Shade’s.
She began walking with her sister, looping their arms together. Shade had witnessed them walking that way before. Both women were very expressive with their love, and although Beth would take Razer’s hand often, Shade couldn’t imagine the day Lily would reach out to touch him voluntarily.
“Do you want to go back to
the booth and get another figurine?” Beth asked.
“No,” Lily said, changing the subject. “Let’s play some games.”
She walked up to one of the booths where you had to throw a ring around a milk jug, handed the worker some money, and he gave her several rings. Aiming, she missed pathetically. She tried again with the other two rings, throwing each one carefully, and missed them all. Shade wanted to help her yet hung back at the edge of the group, watching the members as they walked through the fairgrounds.
The members began splitting up, going to different games and playing. The brothers went to the shooting game, while Lily and the women moved on to another game, shooting water into a clown’s mouth. She won and began jumping up and down, laughing.
After two more races, Lily earned a prize, picking a purple monkey, and the man behind the counter handed it to Lily.
“Here you go.” Lily handed it to Beth.
“Don’t you want it?” Beth protested.