“I’m not a hypocrite. Our marriage could have worked out.” The pencil broke in his hand.
“I guess we’ll never know, will we? She’s Razer’s.” Shade made sure Lucky heard the finality in his voice.
“Why did you come here?” Lucky repeated.
“I need a favor.”
Lucky burst out laughing. “You want a favor from me after pissing me off? What do you want?”
“I want you to keep an ear out for anything you hear about Charles.”
“Lily’s boyfriend?”
“He’s not her boyfriend,” Shade snapped.
“Now who’s pissed?”
“Just do it.” Shade stood up from the chair.
“Why should I help you out? I don’t owe you any favors,” Lucky mocked.
“Not yet, but you will. Sooner or later, everyone eventually needs my help. Think of it as insurance for the future.”
Lucky studied him steadily. “All right. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
“You do that.” Shade walked to the door, opening it.
“When I need a favor.”
Shade slammed the door behind him. The pious bastard would make him pay a high price for any information he found out, but Shade believed in preparing for the future. He wanted information to use against Charles if he ever needed it.
Shade had learned to be a good judge of character, and he had a feeling church boy wasn’t as squeaky clean as he pretended.
* * *
Shade sat at the bar drinking his whiskey. He moved slightly to his left, trying to discern through the dim lighting exactly how close Lily’s sister was letting the brothers get. When she scanned the crowded room to see if anyone was watching, he made sure to drop his gaze to his drink. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her off. He wanted to draw her closer.
One thing he had learned since becoming interested in Lily was that the sisters were close. Where one went, the other did, too. It was what he was counting on.
His lips quirked when Razer and Beth stood up to leave together, but then Shade’s smile disappeared seconds later when he heard shots from outside.
“Outside, now! I heard gunfire!” Shade yelled, running out the back door of the bar, where he had heard the shot coming from the surrounding mountain. When he didn’t see or hear anything he ran to the front of the parking lot where he saw Razer standing by Beth’s car.
Razer motioned for him to stay with Beth, as he disconnected from a call and took off into the woods with Rider and Knox.
“Stay down!” Shade snapped when he saw Beth’s head begin to rise.
His experienced gaze studied the wooded hillside. He wished he had been standing outside when the shot had been fired; the flash would have shown him where the shooter had hidden. From the direction Razer, Rider, and Knox had taken off, the shooter had chosen the best view of Beth’s car. She had been the target.
Razer came out of the wooded hillside, looking aggravated, followed by Knox.
“Did you find anything?” Shade asked, knowing the shooter was already gone.
“No. Rider is still looking.”
“Who the fuck would be brave enough to piss Viper off by taking a hit out on you?” Knox questioned grimly.
“Don’t know.” Shade remained silent at Razer’s words, not enlightening them that Razer hadn’t been the target.
“Cops here.” Knox’s warning didn’t come as a surprise with the blue lights flashing.
Shade stood silently as his father approached while Razer opened the car door for a shaky Beth.
“Who called the police?” Beth asked.
“I did,” Razer answered. “Didn’t want them thinking we were the ones out here with a gun.”
“Beth, Razer.” The sheriff nodded toward him and Knox. “What happened?”
“Beth and I were by her car when someone fired a shot at me,” Razer began explaining.
“Don’t expect it was you they were shooting at,” the sheriff corrected with a look toward Beth.
“What do you mean?” Razer looked at the sheriff in confusion.
“I thought I told you to be careful?” The sheriff leveled a look at Beth.
“I was, but how was I supposed to know someone would be crazy enough to shoot at me in front of witnesses?”
“Someone is trying to kill Beth? Why?” Razer asked, clearly confused, before his eyes met Shade’s accusingly.
Shade had wanted to see if Beth would tell Razer that Lily’s car accident was really an attempt on her life, and his question had just been answered. He had thought she would behave like most women would—freaking out with the news someone was trying to kill her. But she had proven she would keep things hidden from Razer, which meant he couldn’t only use him as a source of information on the sisters.
“I’m still investigating,” the sheriff responded.
“You’re investigating? Since when?”
“Since I discovered her car’s brakes had been tampered with. I haven’t been able to find any prints or witnesses to the tampering. I have the deputies keeping an eye on her. She was supposed to be home like she usually is when she’s not working. Someone either had to follow her here or knew she was going to be here. Did you notice anyone following?”
“No, but I wasn’t paying attention,” Beth admitted.
“Show me where the shot came from, Razer. Beth, get back in the car.”
Beth did as she was told.
Shade leaned against the car door while the other men talked. When they finished, Knox went back inside the bar and Razer came back toward him.
His angry gaze warned he wasn’t happy Shade hadn’t told him about Beth’s brakes being tampered with, since they had been together when Shade had examined the car. Shade met his gaze directly, stepping away from the car as Razer got in beside Beth.
Shade waited until the car had left the parking lot bef
ore he headed for the hillside. Only two men in the club were good at tracking. He was one, and Cash was the other. He was hoping he would find something the others had missed.
He really didn’t give a shit what Beth had become involved in to make herself an enemy, but it placed Lily in danger, and that he wouldn’t tolerate.
Chapter 7
Shade drove his bike into the club parking lot. Pulling to a stop when he saw the door open at the house, he looked up and saw Beth. Even from where he was sitting, he could see the pain on her face.
Quickly, he took out his cell, punching in Razer’s number.
“Beth is leaving the house. From her face, I would say she knows what went down this morning.”
“Keep her there. I’ll be there in five.” The line disconnected.
Shade positioned himself in front of Beth’s car door.
“Hi, Beth.”
“Shade.” Beth paused, probably because Shade wasn’t budging from her car door. “Excuse me, Shade. I would like to get in my car.”
Shade remained where he was.
“Oh, going somewhere?” Shade knew it was a dumbass question, but he was trying to buy Razer time to get there.
“Yes. Do you mind?” She tried to maneuver around him, but he remained still.
“Actually, I do. Razer will be here in a minute. He wants you to wait for him.”
“But I don’t want to wait for Razer,” Beth argued.
“Take that up with him.” He shrugged.
“To do that, I would have to be here, which I don’t want to be. Now, would you please move out of my way?”
“Too late.” Shade gave a nod toward Razer as he blocked Beth’s car with his bike. He then backed off, going up the steps to the clubhouse, letting the two fight it out.
When he went inside the door, the women were standing at the window, watching the show.
Natasha turned her head when he entered. “She’s pissed off at me, isn’t she?”