Shade's Fall (49 page)

Lily felt his hand slide across the flesh of her pussy.

“You’re wet, Angel. So wet. All I have to do is give you my dick.”

He slid his cock in inch by slow inch, causing the balls to rub against the walls of her pussy with his cock sliding them up and down as he slowly fucked her. It only took a few strokes before she had an orgasm that had her screaming his name. His fingers found her clit, rubbing her as he slid his cock in and out. By the time he ground a second orgasm out of her, she was crying his name. When she lay too spent to move, he lifted her off the chair, carrying her upstairs to the shower and turning on the water.

“I love this shower,” she said as he pushed her down onto the bench.

His hand brought her to the edge of the seat and his fingers delved inside her, pulling both balls out. He placed them in a small, plastic, red container, snapping it closed.

He then pulled her off the bench, washing her off. They took their time before getting out and drying off. Lily was asleep before her head hit the pillow. Shade slid into bed next to her, pulling the covers over them. He rolled over to turn the lamp off on his bedside table when a swatch of color caught his attention.

Sitting up in bed, he reached out, picking up the object. In his hand lay a red rubber band.

Chapter 43

“Are you nervous?” Beth asked.

“Yes. I feel like I’m going to be sick,” Lily answered. “I’m excited and scared.” Lily turned to look at her sister. “What if I don’t recognize them? I was only eight. I’d feel terrible if I didn’t recognize them.”

Lily sat in her living room. Shade had gone to meet Sawyer, Vida and their husbands to bring them to her house. He hadn’t wanted them to meet for the first time yesterday after she had left the police station, wanting her to wait until the next day to be reunited under a less-stressful atmosphere. She was glad she had listened. She didn’t want anything to mar this moment.

Shade came in through the door, followed by two women and two men, then shut the door behind them.

She recognized Colton from the diner when he had introduced himself, but her eyes were drawn to the two women. Lily stood up as they walked into the room. They all three stood staring at each other after the introductions then, in the next second, they were holding each other, crying. It was several moments before any of them could say a word.

“We thought you were dead,” Vida said, brushing her tears away.

“You’re so pretty,” Sawyer commented.

“I was worried I wouldn’t recognize you, but you haven’t really changed that much. Sawyer, I recognize your nose and hair. Vida, your hair and face are almost the same. You’re how I remember you. I was so scared I wouldn’t recognize you.”

The three friends sat down on the couch together, talking, asking about things friends ask about every day. Beth stood in the kitchen with the men after Lily had introduced them.

“We both decided to live in Queens City after we swore not to,” Vida said, laughing. “I couldn’t bring myself to leave, and Colton has his tattoo shop. I found a job, too, so we bought a house.”

“I enrolled in culinary school. I wanted to travel, but after travelling on a tour bus for a few months, I decided I could learn about different cuisines just the way everyone else does, in a class or with a cookbook. When I do want to travel, we can do a few tour dates with the band. We’re going to be in Lexington in a few weeks. You have to come.”

Lily listened, enjoying the time together. Beth came over eventually, joining them, each taking turns telling Beth a different misadventure they had gotten into as children.

Sawyer and Vida both kept staring at her eyes.

“Why are you staring? Have I changed that much?” Lily asked curiously.

“No,” Vida answered, taking her hand “You haven’t changed. That’s how we recognized you from Penni’s picture.” Vida indicated her eyes. “We went to see her this morning. She’s furious at the Predators. When we told her we didn’t know what they had done, she believed us. She said she wanted to stay here for a few days to figure out if she still wants the job.”

“I hope you can stay for a few days, too,” Lily said hesitantly.

Both women nodded and said they would stay until the end of the week. Neither mentioned their mothers or hers. They also called her Lily, careful not to call her Callie. They kept staring into her eyes as if searching for something.

After dinner the women and their husbands started to leave.

“Just a minute. I’ll be right back. There’s something I want to show you.” Lily went upstairs to her bedroom, picking up the quilt her adoptive mother had made for her. Coming downstairs, she sat on the coffee table in front of them as they sat on the couch.

“Beth’s and my mother made me this quilt when I first came to live with her. I had terrible nightmares that wouldn’t go away. When I came to live with them, the clothes I was wearing… she wanted to throw them away, but I wanted to wear them all the time. I didn’t want to wear anything else. Our father finally got mad and cut them up and put them in the trash, but they couldn’t get me to stop crying.” Lily made a face. “Evidently, that’s a habit I recently just outgrew. Anyway, my mother pulled them out of the trash and made them into this quilt for me. I slept with it for many naps and every night since. It’s very special to me.”

Lily spread the blanket out on all three of their laps. She pointed to the bright pink splashes of color. “Sawyer, that’s the pink t-shirt that your mom gave me to wear when I spilt chocolate milk on mine.” Lily pointed to a faded blue material. “Those are the pants that your mom gave me when my mom sent me to your apartment in shorts and it was freezing cold outside.” Lily then pointed to a piece of green material. “Vida, this is the jacket you outgrew and your mom gave it to me when I was cold. And this white material is the socks she gave me when I had a bad cut on my foot and she didn’t want me barefoot.

“When our mom gave me this quilt, my nightmares didn’t stop, but I would cover my face and pretend I was protected with a special blanket that had magical powers. It’s funny how a child’s mind can twist and turn and find what it needs to survive. I thought I had forgotten about you, but I hadn’t. I never forgot. I kept you with me the only way I could.” Lily swept her hand over the blanket.

“I made you my shield of love, always protecting me. Even now, all grown-up, you tried to protect me, Callie.” Lily’s hands reached out, one to each of her friends to take. Their hands grasped hers, tears falling from each of their eyes. None of them wanted to break the circle to wipe them away.

Lily looked at her friends. “I didn’t forget you, Sawyer, or you, Vida. And I didn’t forget Callie. I’m still here.”

Chapter 44

Lily stood on the snow bank, shivering though she had dressed warmly. She just wanted to see them one more minute.

She put out her hand, knowing how ridiculous it was, but it actually looked like she was holding the lights.

A warm blanket was draped over her shoulders. She hadn’t even heard his footsteps in the crunching snow.

“What did I tell you about sneaking out of the cabin, Lily? I’m going to punish you when I get you back inside,” Shade’s seductive voice whispered into her ear.

“I couldn’t resist, Shade. Isn’t it beautiful?” Lily whispered reverently. “I didn’t know anything so beautiful could exist.”

“I didn’t, either,” he said, rubbing his cheek against hers, his tone just as reverent.

“All these years I’ve waited to see this. It’s more spectacular than I ever believed possible.”

He swept her up into his arms, packing her back inside the warm cabin, shutting and locking the world outside.

Shade had hot chocolate on the table in front of the couch and a warm fire blazing a few feet away. She sipped her chocolate from the mug as she watched him throw a log onto the fire.

He stood up, going into the bedroom then coming out with a small package, handing it to her.

Lily opened the tiny package. Inside she found the exact replica of the flower that Gaige had destroyed.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Thank you, Shade. I love it.” She reached up, kissing his cheek.

“I’m going to go take a shower. Can I trust you not to sneak out again?”

“Yes.” She curled her legs under her, sipping her hot chocolate.

She was still sitting and staring into the flames when he came back wearing sweatpants. His tats stood out in the firelight as he put some more logs on the fire.

He sat down next to her on the sofa, his arm on the back of the couch. “What are you looking so serious about?”

Lily shrugged, avoiding his question.

“Lily?” His blue gaze demanded an answer.

“Nothing, really. I was just thinking.” She looked up at him.

His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping away the lone tear clinging to her lashes. “About what?”

“It’s just that I waited such a long time to see the Northern Lights… it would have been disappointing if they hadn’t been as beautiful as I thought they would.”

“I’m sure it would have,” he said gently.

“I was just thinking that you said you had waited for me since Razer had met Beth, and then I thought that… what if I wasn’t what you wanted. You might become disappointed.”

“You did a lot of thinking while I was in the shower.”

“I know.” She nodded her head.

“Lily, you only saw the Northern Lights in pictures. It’s different having expectations of something that you don’t know anything about. I grew to know you over the years; what a warm, loving woman you are, how you can’t stand anyone hurt, and how strong you were to survive a childhood that would have seriously fucked up anyone else. Angel, I didn’t have expectations. I knew I wanted that sweet girl whose beautiful soul I could see in her eyes. The more I grew to know you, I wasn’t disappointed— I was captivated by everything I had learned. It was like unwrapping a pretty Christmas package and finding a work of art inside that’s priceless. So, no, I wasn’t disappointed.”

Lily looked at her husband who always tried to give her what she needed. “You’re definitely not what I expected. Giving me flowery speeches on Valentine’s Day, a trip to Alaska to make my dream come true, even being a nice guy and giving Georgia’s brother her job, so that he would be able to support his kids and hers while she’s in prison.

“The first time I saw you, all I could think about was how scary you looked with all those tattoos. Then they ended up being the reason I fell in love with you,” Lily said ruefully.

“You fell in love with me because of my tats?”

“I understood their meanings.” She reached up, touching the stars on the side of his neck. “The stars are your guide so you always know what’s important, the compass so you never lose your way home.” Her fingertips brushed the one on his collarbone. “Strength and loyalty, meant someone strong enough to always protect me.” Her hand glided down to the tat scrawled across his chest. “Only Death Can Stop Me—someone who will always be there for me. When I realized their meaning, I realized I had found him.”

“Who?” Shade’s tender voice was another reason she loved him. He gave her gentleness; not all the time, but when she needed it most.

“I knew I had found my cowboy.” Lily’s arm circled Shade’s neck, touching his lips with hers in a kiss that expressed how much she loved him.

It had been a long journey from Queens City, Texas. Behind her she had left a life that she would never forget; however, she had learned to forgive because each moment had set her on the path to Treepoint, Kentucky, where she had found a new sister and family who would protect her for the rest of her life. The Last Riders would be a force for anyone to reckon with. Most of all, she had found Shade; a strong, protective and gentle man who loved her.

She felt Shade lift her up into his arms, laying her down on the blanket in front of the fire. She smiled as she opened her arms to her husband. She had been right; God had heard her prayers better in the mountains.

*  *  *

Razer closed the bathroom door, seeing Beth standing by their bedroom window, staring out into the starry sky. He came to stand behind her, his arms slipping around her waist.

“What are you doing?”

“Saying thank you. There were times I didn’t think my prayers were going to be answered, but they were.” Her pale blonde hair shone in the moonlight coming through the window.

“I don’t think Shade has ever been referred to as the answer to anyone prayers.” Beth turned to look at Razer.

“He was mine. I prayed for someone strong enough to keep Lily safe and take away her nightmares, and he sent me Shade. Lily wasn’t the only one who had her prayers answered; mine were, too. If Cash had left town and not looked back, I would never have met you.” Beth looked at the still-arrogant man whose heart she had managed to capture.

“Divine intervention?” Razer said wryly.

Beth nodded her head while Razer shook his.

“I don’t know if I believe that, but I’m more than happy with the way things turned out.” His hands slipped the robe off her shoulders before they lifted her breast to his mouth. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, his hand sliding down across her stomach toward her… His hand caught on a piece of tape. He stepped back, looking at the gauze taped across her tat.

“What’s this?”

“It’s your Valentine’s Day present,” Beth said with a smile.

Razer went to his knees so he could take the gauze off. He saw the tat she had gotten on her hip when she first became a member—a razor blade cutting into her flesh and a tiny drop of blood that was in the shape of a heart with the date of their marriage inside. She had told him it represented him. When he had seen the tattoo, he had thought it was cool to have his symbol on her forever.

Razer swallowed hard when he saw what she had just had done. A tiny blue heart was underneath his.

Razer stood up, twirling her around before stopping and kissing her.

“I owe Cash a beer.” He laughed.

“Razer, you owe him a couple of beers. The ultrasound didn’t show the sex of the other one. I thought that I would wait and get their tat after they got here,” Beth said, surprising Razer with her news that they were expecting not one baby but twins.