“We’re fucked,” Cash said, obviously recognizing a nearby marker.
“What?” Shade snarled.
“We’re on Porter land.”
“So?”
Cash shook his head, squatting down by a tree. “She rested here, someone found her, and then she left with them in that direction.” He pointed at an area to their left.
“How the hell do you know all that?” Shade asked, staring at the ground.
“Because whoever found her was riding a mud puppy. The good news is it left us a trail a blind man could follow.”
Since they had easier signs to follow, it didn’t take them long to come to the large house built into a clearing.
“Son of a bitch.” They hunkered down as close to the house as they could get without being seen from the occupants within.
“Let’s go,” Rider said when they saw the four-wheeler they had been tracking parked in front of the house.
“Get down,” Cash hissed.
“Why? Let’s just knock on the fucking door,” Rider tried to reason.
“If you knock on their door, the coroner will be scraping what brains you have left off the front porch. Listen to me; the Porters are the biggest weed growers in the county,” Cash said, trying to explain the danger they were in.
Shade didn’t need to be told—he knew what kind of arsenal was behind that house’s door. You didn’t just walk onto a weed dealer’s property in that area of the county, and it wasn’t his first visit to the Porter’s.
Shade stealthily crossed the yard, blending into the dark night. This was what he was used to—becoming invisible until he made his presence known. He was at the side of the house when Cash came striding toward the front door.
He didn’t make it far before the door opened. One of the Greer brothers came out of the front door holding a shotgun pointed at Cash. Shade was constantly telling the brother he needed to learn how to be more covert, but Cash was the type of fighter to barrel into a fight.
“Get off my land.”
“Greer, it’s Cash Adams.”
“I can see who you are, fuckwad. Get your ass off my property.” Greer didn’t raise his voice; the shotgun got his message across.
“My friend’s fiancée’s sister found herself in trouble tonight and took off into the woods. We’re trying to find her.”
“Haven’t seen anyone tonight other than you and that chicken shit you have hiding over by that tree,” Greer said, cocking his shotgun.
“Rider, come out.” When he didn’t, Cash knew where Dustin was.
“Dustin, you better not hurt him, or you’re going to have deal with The Last Riders. You won’t have anything except scorched earth left to grow that weed you’re so proud of.”
“Shut the fuck up, Cash,” another voice spoke as a third man pressed a gun muzzle against the back of Cash’s head.
“I was wondering where you were, Tate. Will you tell your crazy-assed brothers to back off? We just want Lily and we’ll go,” Cash tried to reason with the oldest brother.
Shade used the opportunity to move around the house, looking through the windows to find Lily.
“There isn’t any woman here!” yelled Greer.
The fucker was lying; Shade spotted her in the back bedroom.
Taking the knife from his boot, he used it to pry the locked window open. He was halfway in when the window was lifted the rest of the way up, making it easier from him to climb inside.
Rachel Porter’s critical gaze studied him.
“You better make them see reason, Tate. You don’t want trouble with The Last Riders.” Both of them heard Cash’s yell from outside.
“I better get out there.” She turned toward the doorway.
“You’re just going to leave me with her?” he asked, somehow disappointed.
Rachel cocked her head at him. “Yes. You won’t hurt her.”
She left him alone with Lily, who was sitting on the floor in the corner of the bedroom with her forehead on her knees, her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth.
Shade leaned against the wall, evaluating the situation before making a move toward Lily. The red rubber band the counselor had given her was on her delicate wrist. Penni had told him the counselor had instructed Lily to snap it against herself when she became too frightened to deal with a situation. Penni had also told him that, at first, she would see Lily snapping it constantly, but it had begun tapering off to only a few times a day. He only wished Penni could get Lily to open up about what was causing the attacks, which she hadn’t been able to do so far.
“Lily?” Shade tried to soften his harsh voice. He had seen her that way a couple of times. Beth had told Razer that only time itself would draw her out of the self-induced trance Lily used as a defense mechanism. However, Beth either didn’t know or wouldn’t tell Razer the reason for the attacks in the first place.
Shade slowly walked toward Lily, hunching down in front of her rocking form. “Lily.” That time, his voice was more forceful, commanding her attention, and the rocking stopped.
Coming to a decision, Shade reached out, lifting her into his arms. It wasn’t the smartest choice, however, as he found himself with a wildcat in his arms. The unexpected fury of the woman had him forcing her against the wall to gain control of the nails going for his eyes. Pinning her there with his body, he didn’t try to grab her hands, merely blocking her moves.
“Lily, stop it now!” he said in a firm voice. “Aren’t you worried about Winter? She’s worried about you. She was crying she was so worried, Lily. Beth is probably scared out of her fucking mind.” Shade kept her pinned against the wall as he kept repeating Beth’s and Winter’s names.
Finally, he saw a light of reality break through her blank expression.
“Shade?” her voice whimpered.
“Yes, baby.”
As Lily sucked in deep breaths as if her chest was going to explode, her hand wiped at the tears on her face. “Is Winter safe?”
“Yes. Beth’s friends stopped and helped. Winter is waiting with Beth. They are both waiting to hear from us. You okay?” Shade asked, worried about the blood he had found on her clothes. His eyes searched her body, finding a scratch with drying blood on the underside of her forearm.
Lily nodded, still trying to catch her breath.
“Lily, breathe slowly,” Shade ordered in a hard voice.
Lily jumped, but her breaths gradually slowed and he took a step back, giving her some room.
“Can we go now?” Lily asked, her soft voice gaining strength.
“Yes.” Shade backed away more, allowing her to slide by him. Then he opened the bedroom door, letting Lily go ahead of him before following her outside.
Lily walked out the door and came to a sudden stop when she found the yard filled with The Last Riders.
When Beth jumped off Razer’s bike, running to her sister and nearly knocking her down, Shade placed his hand on Lily’s back, holding her steady.
“Are you all right?” Beth asked.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t help Winter. I shouldn’t have pan—”
“Don’t you dare apologize. You were smart enough to run. Winter said he shot at you twice. I would have run, too. Anyone would.”
“What?” Shade snarled.
“We’re on Porter land.”
“So?”
Cash shook his head, squatting down by a tree. “She rested here, someone found her, and then she left with them in that direction.” He pointed at an area to their left.
“How the hell do you know all that?” Shade asked, staring at the ground.
“Because whoever found her was riding a mud puppy. The good news is it left us a trail a blind man could follow.”
Since they had easier signs to follow, it didn’t take them long to come to the large house built into a clearing.
“Son of a bitch.” They hunkered down as close to the house as they could get without being seen from the occupants within.
“Let’s go,” Rider said when they saw the four-wheeler they had been tracking parked in front of the house.
“Get down,” Cash hissed.
“Why? Let’s just knock on the fucking door,” Rider tried to reason.
“If you knock on their door, the coroner will be scraping what brains you have left off the front porch. Listen to me; the Porters are the biggest weed growers in the county,” Cash said, trying to explain the danger they were in.
Shade didn’t need to be told—he knew what kind of arsenal was behind that house’s door. You didn’t just walk onto a weed dealer’s property in that area of the county, and it wasn’t his first visit to the Porter’s.
Shade stealthily crossed the yard, blending into the dark night. This was what he was used to—becoming invisible until he made his presence known. He was at the side of the house when Cash came striding toward the front door.
He didn’t make it far before the door opened. One of the Greer brothers came out of the front door holding a shotgun pointed at Cash. Shade was constantly telling the brother he needed to learn how to be more covert, but Cash was the type of fighter to barrel into a fight.
“Get off my land.”
“Greer, it’s Cash Adams.”
“I can see who you are, fuckwad. Get your ass off my property.” Greer didn’t raise his voice; the shotgun got his message across.
“My friend’s fiancée’s sister found herself in trouble tonight and took off into the woods. We’re trying to find her.”
“Haven’t seen anyone tonight other than you and that chicken shit you have hiding over by that tree,” Greer said, cocking his shotgun.
“Rider, come out.” When he didn’t, Cash knew where Dustin was.
“Dustin, you better not hurt him, or you’re going to have deal with The Last Riders. You won’t have anything except scorched earth left to grow that weed you’re so proud of.”
“Shut the fuck up, Cash,” another voice spoke as a third man pressed a gun muzzle against the back of Cash’s head.
“I was wondering where you were, Tate. Will you tell your crazy-assed brothers to back off? We just want Lily and we’ll go,” Cash tried to reason with the oldest brother.
Shade used the opportunity to move around the house, looking through the windows to find Lily.
“There isn’t any woman here!” yelled Greer.
The fucker was lying; Shade spotted her in the back bedroom.
Taking the knife from his boot, he used it to pry the locked window open. He was halfway in when the window was lifted the rest of the way up, making it easier from him to climb inside.
Rachel Porter’s critical gaze studied him.
“You better make them see reason, Tate. You don’t want trouble with The Last Riders.” Both of them heard Cash’s yell from outside.
“I better get out there.” She turned toward the doorway.
“You’re just going to leave me with her?” he asked, somehow disappointed.
Rachel cocked her head at him. “Yes. You won’t hurt her.”
She left him alone with Lily, who was sitting on the floor in the corner of the bedroom with her forehead on her knees, her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth.
Shade leaned against the wall, evaluating the situation before making a move toward Lily. The red rubber band the counselor had given her was on her delicate wrist. Penni had told him the counselor had instructed Lily to snap it against herself when she became too frightened to deal with a situation. Penni had also told him that, at first, she would see Lily snapping it constantly, but it had begun tapering off to only a few times a day. He only wished Penni could get Lily to open up about what was causing the attacks, which she hadn’t been able to do so far.
“Lily?” Shade tried to soften his harsh voice. He had seen her that way a couple of times. Beth had told Razer that only time itself would draw her out of the self-induced trance Lily used as a defense mechanism. However, Beth either didn’t know or wouldn’t tell Razer the reason for the attacks in the first place.
Shade slowly walked toward Lily, hunching down in front of her rocking form. “Lily.” That time, his voice was more forceful, commanding her attention, and the rocking stopped.
Coming to a decision, Shade reached out, lifting her into his arms. It wasn’t the smartest choice, however, as he found himself with a wildcat in his arms. The unexpected fury of the woman had him forcing her against the wall to gain control of the nails going for his eyes. Pinning her there with his body, he didn’t try to grab her hands, merely blocking her moves.
“Lily, stop it now!” he said in a firm voice. “Aren’t you worried about Winter? She’s worried about you. She was crying she was so worried, Lily. Beth is probably scared out of her fucking mind.” Shade kept her pinned against the wall as he kept repeating Beth’s and Winter’s names.
Finally, he saw a light of reality break through her blank expression.
“Shade?” her voice whimpered.
“Yes, baby.”
As Lily sucked in deep breaths as if her chest was going to explode, her hand wiped at the tears on her face. “Is Winter safe?”
“Yes. Beth’s friends stopped and helped. Winter is waiting with Beth. They are both waiting to hear from us. You okay?” Shade asked, worried about the blood he had found on her clothes. His eyes searched her body, finding a scratch with drying blood on the underside of her forearm.
Lily nodded, still trying to catch her breath.
“Lily, breathe slowly,” Shade ordered in a hard voice.
Lily jumped, but her breaths gradually slowed and he took a step back, giving her some room.
“Can we go now?” Lily asked, her soft voice gaining strength.
“Yes.” Shade backed away more, allowing her to slide by him. Then he opened the bedroom door, letting Lily go ahead of him before following her outside.
Lily walked out the door and came to a sudden stop when she found the yard filled with The Last Riders.
When Beth jumped off Razer’s bike, running to her sister and nearly knocking her down, Shade placed his hand on Lily’s back, holding her steady.
“Are you all right?” Beth asked.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t help Winter. I shouldn’t have pan—”
“Don’t you dare apologize. You were smart enough to run. Winter said he shot at you twice. I would have run, too. Anyone would.”
