“I agree,” Shade said.
The other brothers stated their agreement, as well.
“Shade, I want you to handle Dawkins. I don’t want him selling that property to them, even if you have to buy it. I don’t care how you do it.”
Shade nodded.
“There’s also something else we need to discuss.” Shade saw the flash of anguish which crossed Viper’s face before it was hidden. “I have refused to name a VP out of respect to Gavin. It was his idea to begin our club and I didn’t want to name another, but Gavin wouldn’t have wanted it that way. Shade, you’re too valuable to me as an enforcer to give you that title, though you deserve it.”
“Fuck, I wouldn’t have wanted it anyway. I have enough on my hands as it is, saving your asses,” Shade joked, easing the tension in the room.
“Razer, you’re our best rider, so I need you at our back,” Viper stated. “Plus, you have kids. I need my vice to put the club first.”
The members waited for Razer’s reaction.
“Don’t blame you, brother. If I needed decisions made, I would want the man making them not to be worried his wife will marry a jackass after he’s dead and gone.” Razer shrugged.
Viper smiled. “Rider and Train, you’re my soldiers, always will be. I need men I know can carry out my orders and see the other brothers do, too, without question.”
Both men nodded.
“Knox, you’re too valuable as the sheriff.”
“Diamond would kick my ass, anyway,” Knox stated.
Viper paused, clearing his throat. “Lucky, the job’s yours if you want it. You’ve put your time in longer than any brother here, and I think Gavin would be proud if you took his spot by my side.”
Lucky stiffened next to Shade while the room waited expectantly for his answer.
He stood up straight, walking forward to stand by Viper’s side. Then he held out his hand to shake Viper’s. “I’d be honored, brother.”
Viper smiled, jerking Lucky to him and hugging him before slapping him on the arms. “Rider, get the women back in here. Nickel, pass out the beer. We’re going to celebrate.”
The women came back in the room and Lily came to his side, slipping an arm around his waist.
“What’s going on?” she asked worriedly.
Shade smiled, taking a beer from Nickel. “Viper just made Lucky his vice president.” Shade purposefully left out the issues with the Freedom Riders.
“Oh.”
Shade had thought she would be relieved the meeting was over; instead, her troubled gaze went to Lucky who was being congratulated by the other brothers.
“I take it you don’t agree with Viper’s choice.”
“I guess I was hoping Lucky would eventually realize he missed the church.” Lily shrugged sadly. “I miss having him as my pastor; a lot of the church members do.”
“Angel, the only reason he remained a pastor so long was for his investigation.”
“Perhaps, but I think it was an excuse, too.”
“For what?”
“For what he was called to do,” Lily answered softly.
“Yeah? Well, he’s getting called to do something else now, and he looks a lot happier doing it.” Shade motioned to Lucky, who was opening his beer and kissing Raci on the mouth as she congratulated him.
“Does he?” Lily said.
* * *
Shade and Curt Dawkins looked around the heavily wooded property in Jamestown that Friday. It would be useless to The Last Riders.
Shade didn’t like the thought of forcing the man not to sell, but he really didn’t want The Last Riders to spend half a million dollars on a property which would take years to resell.
“What do you think?” Curt asked.
“I think you need to reconsider putting it up for sale,” Shade told him.
“Why would I do that? I have an offer for the asking price—”
“From a buyer who belongs to an anti-government organization. Think you’ll be able to keep coaching if the school board finds out?”
“If I sell this land, I won’t need to work,” Curt boasted, but Shade didn’t miss the glint of worry in his eyes.
“You get to keep the money all to yourself, or do you have to split it?” Shade asked.
“I have to split it. My mom gets the biggest chunk then my brothers and me.”
“How much is your part?” Shade questioned.
“Sixty thousand.”
Shade stared back at him. Sixty sounded a hell of a lot better than five hundred thousand.
“The Last Riders will give you seventy-five for your part.” He shrugged. “That way, we get what we want, and you get some extra cash and keep coaching.”
“What will I tell my family?” Curt frowned.
“That’s up to you. We have a lawyer who can draw the papers up. You can sign and have the money in your hands by tomorrow. Of course, the stipulation will be that the rest of the property can’t be sold for five years.”
“Make it three, and we have a deal.”
“Fine.” Shade would have gone down to a year. He didn’t think the Freedom Riders were going to hang around that long and wait for the property to become available again. They would either move on or try to find another piece of land. This was going to get expensive if they did the latter.
The men shook hands, and then Shade, Lucky, Rider, and Cash walked back to their bikes.
“That was easier than I expected.” Cash nodded his head as Curt drove away.
“I’m just grateful we didn’t have to drop that kind of cash on this place.” Shade started his bike. “Lucky, when we get back to town, call Knox and tell him to have Diamond draw up the papers. Make sure she puts in there that we have access to hunting up here.”
“Damn, this might have a bright side after all,” Rider said. “I saw a couple of deer trails while I was looking around.”
“Not only that, but we can take it as a tax deduction.” Shade grinned. “We can have survival workshops out here.”
“Damn, Shade, I like the way you think,” Lucky laughed.
“Let’s head back to town. Since I saved the business so much money today, you can buy my lunch.”
They were still joking around when they went inside the diner. Shade had turned to say something to Cash when his expression went cold. He was staring at a table by the window where Rachel and Willa were sitting with a group of bikers Shade recognized from Cash’s files.
They took a table themselves. Unfortunately, it wasn’t close enough to hear what was being said, although Rachel was smiling and talking and Willa seemed her usual nervous and shy self, uncomfortable with the attention the men were showing her.
The waitress came and took their order. Shade and Rider both ordered sandwiches and fries, while Lucky and Cash only ordered coffee.
“I thought you two were hungry?” Rider said, putting sugar in his coffee.
“I’ve lost my appetite,” Cash said.
Shade ate his sandwich thoughtfully as he watched the table. He knew of only one thing which made a man lose his appetite, and that was a woman. . He decided it had to be Rachel he was interested in; not because of the looks, but because of the attitude. Cash had never been attracted to shy women; the bolder a woman was, the more Cash liked her.
The other brothers stated their agreement, as well.
“Shade, I want you to handle Dawkins. I don’t want him selling that property to them, even if you have to buy it. I don’t care how you do it.”
Shade nodded.
“There’s also something else we need to discuss.” Shade saw the flash of anguish which crossed Viper’s face before it was hidden. “I have refused to name a VP out of respect to Gavin. It was his idea to begin our club and I didn’t want to name another, but Gavin wouldn’t have wanted it that way. Shade, you’re too valuable to me as an enforcer to give you that title, though you deserve it.”
“Fuck, I wouldn’t have wanted it anyway. I have enough on my hands as it is, saving your asses,” Shade joked, easing the tension in the room.
“Razer, you’re our best rider, so I need you at our back,” Viper stated. “Plus, you have kids. I need my vice to put the club first.”
The members waited for Razer’s reaction.
“Don’t blame you, brother. If I needed decisions made, I would want the man making them not to be worried his wife will marry a jackass after he’s dead and gone.” Razer shrugged.
Viper smiled. “Rider and Train, you’re my soldiers, always will be. I need men I know can carry out my orders and see the other brothers do, too, without question.”
Both men nodded.
“Knox, you’re too valuable as the sheriff.”
“Diamond would kick my ass, anyway,” Knox stated.
Viper paused, clearing his throat. “Lucky, the job’s yours if you want it. You’ve put your time in longer than any brother here, and I think Gavin would be proud if you took his spot by my side.”
Lucky stiffened next to Shade while the room waited expectantly for his answer.
He stood up straight, walking forward to stand by Viper’s side. Then he held out his hand to shake Viper’s. “I’d be honored, brother.”
Viper smiled, jerking Lucky to him and hugging him before slapping him on the arms. “Rider, get the women back in here. Nickel, pass out the beer. We’re going to celebrate.”
The women came back in the room and Lily came to his side, slipping an arm around his waist.
“What’s going on?” she asked worriedly.
Shade smiled, taking a beer from Nickel. “Viper just made Lucky his vice president.” Shade purposefully left out the issues with the Freedom Riders.
“Oh.”
Shade had thought she would be relieved the meeting was over; instead, her troubled gaze went to Lucky who was being congratulated by the other brothers.
“I take it you don’t agree with Viper’s choice.”
“I guess I was hoping Lucky would eventually realize he missed the church.” Lily shrugged sadly. “I miss having him as my pastor; a lot of the church members do.”
“Angel, the only reason he remained a pastor so long was for his investigation.”
“Perhaps, but I think it was an excuse, too.”
“For what?”
“For what he was called to do,” Lily answered softly.
“Yeah? Well, he’s getting called to do something else now, and he looks a lot happier doing it.” Shade motioned to Lucky, who was opening his beer and kissing Raci on the mouth as she congratulated him.
“Does he?” Lily said.
* * *
Shade and Curt Dawkins looked around the heavily wooded property in Jamestown that Friday. It would be useless to The Last Riders.
Shade didn’t like the thought of forcing the man not to sell, but he really didn’t want The Last Riders to spend half a million dollars on a property which would take years to resell.
“What do you think?” Curt asked.
“I think you need to reconsider putting it up for sale,” Shade told him.
“Why would I do that? I have an offer for the asking price—”
“From a buyer who belongs to an anti-government organization. Think you’ll be able to keep coaching if the school board finds out?”
“If I sell this land, I won’t need to work,” Curt boasted, but Shade didn’t miss the glint of worry in his eyes.
“You get to keep the money all to yourself, or do you have to split it?” Shade asked.
“I have to split it. My mom gets the biggest chunk then my brothers and me.”
“How much is your part?” Shade questioned.
“Sixty thousand.”
Shade stared back at him. Sixty sounded a hell of a lot better than five hundred thousand.
“The Last Riders will give you seventy-five for your part.” He shrugged. “That way, we get what we want, and you get some extra cash and keep coaching.”
“What will I tell my family?” Curt frowned.
“That’s up to you. We have a lawyer who can draw the papers up. You can sign and have the money in your hands by tomorrow. Of course, the stipulation will be that the rest of the property can’t be sold for five years.”
“Make it three, and we have a deal.”
“Fine.” Shade would have gone down to a year. He didn’t think the Freedom Riders were going to hang around that long and wait for the property to become available again. They would either move on or try to find another piece of land. This was going to get expensive if they did the latter.
The men shook hands, and then Shade, Lucky, Rider, and Cash walked back to their bikes.
“That was easier than I expected.” Cash nodded his head as Curt drove away.
“I’m just grateful we didn’t have to drop that kind of cash on this place.” Shade started his bike. “Lucky, when we get back to town, call Knox and tell him to have Diamond draw up the papers. Make sure she puts in there that we have access to hunting up here.”
“Damn, this might have a bright side after all,” Rider said. “I saw a couple of deer trails while I was looking around.”
“Not only that, but we can take it as a tax deduction.” Shade grinned. “We can have survival workshops out here.”
“Damn, Shade, I like the way you think,” Lucky laughed.
“Let’s head back to town. Since I saved the business so much money today, you can buy my lunch.”
They were still joking around when they went inside the diner. Shade had turned to say something to Cash when his expression went cold. He was staring at a table by the window where Rachel and Willa were sitting with a group of bikers Shade recognized from Cash’s files.
They took a table themselves. Unfortunately, it wasn’t close enough to hear what was being said, although Rachel was smiling and talking and Willa seemed her usual nervous and shy self, uncomfortable with the attention the men were showing her.
The waitress came and took their order. Shade and Rider both ordered sandwiches and fries, while Lucky and Cash only ordered coffee.
“I thought you two were hungry?” Rider said, putting sugar in his coffee.
“I’ve lost my appetite,” Cash said.
Shade ate his sandwich thoughtfully as he watched the table. He knew of only one thing which made a man lose his appetite, and that was a woman. . He decided it had to be Rachel he was interested in; not because of the looks, but because of the attitude. Cash had never been attracted to shy women; the bolder a woman was, the more Cash liked her.
