“Good. Would have been better if Mom and Dad would actually let me go without having to live at home.” Penni hadn’t been able to come up with a valid argument for leaving home when they lived within a few miles of the University of Ohio.
“I could help convince them to let you go to an out of state college.”
“What’s the catch?” Suspicion laced her voice.
“It has to be the college of my choice.”
“What’s the name?” Penni asked excitedly.
“Breckinridge College.”
“Don’t recognize the name. Let me check it out on the web. Hang on.”
Before he could protest, the phone was set down. It didn’t take long before she came back on the line.
“No, thanks.” All excitement was gone from her voice.
“Come on, give it a chance.”
“No.”
His snort could be heard over the line this time. “What will it take?”
“A car, a generous allowance, and a vacation of my choice every summer.” Damn, the little vixen knew he could afford it, too.
“Okay. Do the paperwork. I’ll talk to the parents.”
“That’s not all.”
“Penni…” he warned.
“A reason?”
He stared across the church yard at Lily as she filled her plate with food. She was the only reason he had come to the lame Fourth of July picnic.
“Someone needs a friend.”
“Deal.”
Shade hung up the phone as Beth and Lily approached the picnic table he was sitting at, waiting for everyone to return from the buffet.
“Where’s Razer?” Beth asked.
“Getting the drinks.”
As the two women sat down on one side of the table with filled plates, Lily didn’t look any happier than before she had left the picnic table. She had spent the last hour trying unsuccessfully to convince Beth to let her switch colleges.
Razer set drinks in front of everyone before sitting down next to Beth, who promptly gave him her shoulder. Shade wondered why the blond was giving Razer a hard time now.
“How long you going to stay mad?” he asked, picking up his hamburger.
“At least past that date you had tatted on your razor knife.”
“Still can’t understand why you’re so mad. I thought it would make you happy,” Razer said in his own defense.
“Most women get engaged with a romantic dinner and a ring, not the guy pointing to a tattoo then saying ‘let’s do it’.”
“No sense in putting it off with a bun in the oven.” Razer shrugged.
Shade almost burst out laughing when she nearly choked on her hamburger.
“I am not pregnant,” she told Lily, who was unable to hold back her own amusement.
“You will be if we miss that date,” Razer threatened. “Take a drink before you choke to death.”
Beth reached inside her paper cup, pulling out a diamond ring.
Razer took it from her, sliding it on her finger, then kissed her until Lily turned red watching the couple.
“Is this romantic enough?” Razer asked, brushing the tears off Beth’s cheek.
“It’s perfect.”
“I’m so happy for you both!” Lily jumped up from the picnic table, giving them both hugs from behind as the brothers behind them began cheering. Shade nearly crushed his own cup in his hand as he watched Lily’s breasts press against Razer’s back when she hugged him. Lily was so happy she didn’t notice Shade giving Razer a warning look.
Razer hastily stood up, moving to shake the brothers’ hands while Shade couldn’t prevent the jealousy storming through him. His hand trembled with fury at the sight of Lily gradually opening up with Razer, spending time with him when she visited from college on the weekends. He wanted her to grow closer to him, not Razer. On the other hand, he had no desire to develop the brotherly bond Razer was forming.
Shade tried to look interested when Beth flashed her ring to the others standing around, using the opportunity to stand closer to Lily and smell the soft fragrance she used.
Lily glanced up at him warily before gripping her sister’s arm. “I’m going to go help Winter with the kids.”
“Okay,” Beth told her happily.
Shade watched her skitter away like a doe sensing danger. He stood with the brothers, keeping her within eyesight as she began playing freeze tag with the children. She stopped suddenly when she saw a young couple arrive with twin boys.
“I’m going to go fix some more punch. It’s beginning to get low,” Beth commented.
“Don’t take long,” Razer told her before she left, going inside the church.
As Winter talked to the couple, Lily took one of the twins and placed it on her hip.
Shade felt a lump in his throat at seeing true joy on her face for the first time. Lily being carefree and happy was a sight he didn’t want to end, but then her attitude changed when the man who considered her his approached, handing her a cup. Charles took the cup back when she finished, putting his arm around Lily possessively and giving the impression of a future Shade was determined wasn’t going to happen. It was going to be his and Lily’s.
Blind fury overtook Shade. Dropping his own cup to the ground, he moved to rip the fucker’s arm out of its socket.
Razer, who was standing next to him, saw his reaction. “Don’t do it, brother,” Razer warned.
Shade didn’t answer him, too fueled with possessive rage.
Razer placed a hand on his chest, trying to hold him back, but Shade raised his fist, smashing it into Razer’s face. Train and Rider butted in next, at first simply trying to break up the fight.
“Stop him,” Razer told them, putting a hand to his bloody lip.
Shade didn’t feel any remorse, wanting the others to feel the pain he was feeling at watching Lily and Charles together. He managed to break away from the brothers. Then Viper tried to stop him. Getting madder every second that Charles touched Lily, he swung his foot out and nailed Viper in the balls. As Viper hit the ground, Shade stepped around his prone body, and Rider and Train tried to interfere again. He just smashed them together.
Unfortunately, Razer had recovered and, with Knox’s help, managed to slow him down long enough for Rider and Train to get a good grip on him.
“Shade, calm down. He’s moved away from her,” Razer hissed close to his ear.
“Fucker touches her again, I’ll kill him,” Shade snarled, seeing Razer was telling the truth and Charles was going to a car in the parking lot.
“Let him go,” Razer said.
Shade felt the hands holding him back drop away.
“What in the fuck was that all about?” Viper asked, his face pale and his own anger evident.
Shade nodded toward Lily. “See her?”
The brothers all turned to look at Lily who was once again playing with the children, the twin child still on her hip.
“Beth’s sister?” Viper asked.
“She’s mine. I’ll kill anyone who touches her.”
“You have to be fucking kidding me, Shade. She can’t be yours. She’s messed-up, brother.” Razer took a hasty step backward, his hands raised in surrender at the look of murder in Shade’s eyes. “I didn’t mean it to be cruel, just stating a fact. You haven’t said more than three words to her, so how can you claim her before you’ve even had her?”
“I could help convince them to let you go to an out of state college.”
“What’s the catch?” Suspicion laced her voice.
“It has to be the college of my choice.”
“What’s the name?” Penni asked excitedly.
“Breckinridge College.”
“Don’t recognize the name. Let me check it out on the web. Hang on.”
Before he could protest, the phone was set down. It didn’t take long before she came back on the line.
“No, thanks.” All excitement was gone from her voice.
“Come on, give it a chance.”
“No.”
His snort could be heard over the line this time. “What will it take?”
“A car, a generous allowance, and a vacation of my choice every summer.” Damn, the little vixen knew he could afford it, too.
“Okay. Do the paperwork. I’ll talk to the parents.”
“That’s not all.”
“Penni…” he warned.
“A reason?”
He stared across the church yard at Lily as she filled her plate with food. She was the only reason he had come to the lame Fourth of July picnic.
“Someone needs a friend.”
“Deal.”
Shade hung up the phone as Beth and Lily approached the picnic table he was sitting at, waiting for everyone to return from the buffet.
“Where’s Razer?” Beth asked.
“Getting the drinks.”
As the two women sat down on one side of the table with filled plates, Lily didn’t look any happier than before she had left the picnic table. She had spent the last hour trying unsuccessfully to convince Beth to let her switch colleges.
Razer set drinks in front of everyone before sitting down next to Beth, who promptly gave him her shoulder. Shade wondered why the blond was giving Razer a hard time now.
“How long you going to stay mad?” he asked, picking up his hamburger.
“At least past that date you had tatted on your razor knife.”
“Still can’t understand why you’re so mad. I thought it would make you happy,” Razer said in his own defense.
“Most women get engaged with a romantic dinner and a ring, not the guy pointing to a tattoo then saying ‘let’s do it’.”
“No sense in putting it off with a bun in the oven.” Razer shrugged.
Shade almost burst out laughing when she nearly choked on her hamburger.
“I am not pregnant,” she told Lily, who was unable to hold back her own amusement.
“You will be if we miss that date,” Razer threatened. “Take a drink before you choke to death.”
Beth reached inside her paper cup, pulling out a diamond ring.
Razer took it from her, sliding it on her finger, then kissed her until Lily turned red watching the couple.
“Is this romantic enough?” Razer asked, brushing the tears off Beth’s cheek.
“It’s perfect.”
“I’m so happy for you both!” Lily jumped up from the picnic table, giving them both hugs from behind as the brothers behind them began cheering. Shade nearly crushed his own cup in his hand as he watched Lily’s breasts press against Razer’s back when she hugged him. Lily was so happy she didn’t notice Shade giving Razer a warning look.
Razer hastily stood up, moving to shake the brothers’ hands while Shade couldn’t prevent the jealousy storming through him. His hand trembled with fury at the sight of Lily gradually opening up with Razer, spending time with him when she visited from college on the weekends. He wanted her to grow closer to him, not Razer. On the other hand, he had no desire to develop the brotherly bond Razer was forming.
Shade tried to look interested when Beth flashed her ring to the others standing around, using the opportunity to stand closer to Lily and smell the soft fragrance she used.
Lily glanced up at him warily before gripping her sister’s arm. “I’m going to go help Winter with the kids.”
“Okay,” Beth told her happily.
Shade watched her skitter away like a doe sensing danger. He stood with the brothers, keeping her within eyesight as she began playing freeze tag with the children. She stopped suddenly when she saw a young couple arrive with twin boys.
“I’m going to go fix some more punch. It’s beginning to get low,” Beth commented.
“Don’t take long,” Razer told her before she left, going inside the church.
As Winter talked to the couple, Lily took one of the twins and placed it on her hip.
Shade felt a lump in his throat at seeing true joy on her face for the first time. Lily being carefree and happy was a sight he didn’t want to end, but then her attitude changed when the man who considered her his approached, handing her a cup. Charles took the cup back when she finished, putting his arm around Lily possessively and giving the impression of a future Shade was determined wasn’t going to happen. It was going to be his and Lily’s.
Blind fury overtook Shade. Dropping his own cup to the ground, he moved to rip the fucker’s arm out of its socket.
Razer, who was standing next to him, saw his reaction. “Don’t do it, brother,” Razer warned.
Shade didn’t answer him, too fueled with possessive rage.
Razer placed a hand on his chest, trying to hold him back, but Shade raised his fist, smashing it into Razer’s face. Train and Rider butted in next, at first simply trying to break up the fight.
“Stop him,” Razer told them, putting a hand to his bloody lip.
Shade didn’t feel any remorse, wanting the others to feel the pain he was feeling at watching Lily and Charles together. He managed to break away from the brothers. Then Viper tried to stop him. Getting madder every second that Charles touched Lily, he swung his foot out and nailed Viper in the balls. As Viper hit the ground, Shade stepped around his prone body, and Rider and Train tried to interfere again. He just smashed them together.
Unfortunately, Razer had recovered and, with Knox’s help, managed to slow him down long enough for Rider and Train to get a good grip on him.
“Shade, calm down. He’s moved away from her,” Razer hissed close to his ear.
“Fucker touches her again, I’ll kill him,” Shade snarled, seeing Razer was telling the truth and Charles was going to a car in the parking lot.
“Let him go,” Razer said.
Shade felt the hands holding him back drop away.
“What in the fuck was that all about?” Viper asked, his face pale and his own anger evident.
Shade nodded toward Lily. “See her?”
The brothers all turned to look at Lily who was once again playing with the children, the twin child still on her hip.
“Beth’s sister?” Viper asked.
“She’s mine. I’ll kill anyone who touches her.”
“You have to be fucking kidding me, Shade. She can’t be yours. She’s messed-up, brother.” Razer took a hasty step backward, his hands raised in surrender at the look of murder in Shade’s eyes. “I didn’t mean it to be cruel, just stating a fact. You haven’t said more than three words to her, so how can you claim her before you’ve even had her?”
