Viper stopped at the bar long enough to take a beer before the couple came to sit down on the couch, forcing Lily to slide closer to Shade. He was more than willing to take advantage of the situation by sliding his arm along the back of the couch, touching her shoulders.
Winter sat next to Lily. “I’m relieved to see you up. How’s it going?”
“Fine.” She paused, and Shade saw her staring at Viper’s beer. “Do you think you could give me a ride back to my house? I really need to get back to school.”
“You’re going to be staying here. Didn’t Shade tell you?” Winter asked, meeting his eyes.
“He mentioned it, but—”
“Did he tell you why?” Viper asked, looking at Shade.
He shrugged. He didn’t think Lily would believe him, but coming from Viper would have a greater impact.
“Yes, he did. Someone tried to hit me with a car then break in my house, but at school, I’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Lily, when Cash followed the prints of who tried to break into your house, they led to the house behind yours. Someone’s been watching you for some time.”
“That house belongs to a couple who vacation here a couple of times a year. It’s usually empty,” Lily explained.
“Knox traced the ownership of the house to a corporation, and that’s as far as he can get. Cash said that whoever has been staying there is watching your house. There were video cameras, Lily.”
As her face filled with fear, Shade was glad. He didn’t want her to feel safe in her home; he wanted her to feel safe there at the club, where he was. He had no intention of taking something away from her without replacing it with something better.
Winter took Lily’s hand. “That’s not all.”
“Your dorm room had listening devices planted there. There’s really no safe place for you to stay other than here, for now. Cash and Knox are both trying to find out who could be doing this, but until they do, you have to be patient. At your home, you would inevitably be alone, but what if Beth or Razer’s presence didn’t deter them? You don’t want them hurt because you didn’t take our help, do you?”
Viper’s harsh words had her shaking her head in denial. “Of course not.”
“Good, then everything is settled,” Winter said, leaning back against Viper.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t listen to reason. I’m sure Beth will be relieved, too. She doesn’t want you unhappy, but she wants you safe,” Viper told her.
“I know.” She bit her bottom lip, and Shade shifted closer to her.
Viper took another drink of his beer, and someone turned the music up louder. Winter and Evie started talking about Mrs. Langley while Lily’s eyes wandered the room. The members had spread throughout the large room, giving her plenty to gape at. Shade debated telling her that her mouth was hanging open.
It wasn’t long before her gaze caught on Bliss sitting with Cash. She had leaned forward, and her top had fallen open at her breasts. Cash was tracing the outline of her tattoo.
As Lily hastily turned her gaze away, joining into the conversation with Evie and Winter, Shade got up then returned, handing her a bottled water and sitting back down with a beer in his hand.
Lily ran her hand nervously through her hair. Shade was aware she was uncomfortable, but he wanted her to see the brothers could handle their alcohol, and no one would force her to drink or do anything she didn’t want. The Last Riders believed in personal freedom, and that included not participating if it was the person’s choice.
When her eyes followed Cash and Bliss as they went up the steps to the upper floor, Winter leaned sideways, breaking off her conversation with Evie.
Shade heard her whisper to Lily, “The members will watch how they behave around you for a while, but eventually, you’ll walk into an embarrassing situation. Just do what I do: leave the room.” Winter’s face was blood red as she talked.
Shade appreciated her placing herself on Lily’s level, showing her that she had been uncomfortable, too, when she had first become a member. It couldn’t have been easy for her since she had been Lily’s high school principal.
“At least she did the first few times,” Viper corrected her, cutting into the conversation.
Winter threw Viper a dirty look.
“Bring it on, pretty girl,” Viper warned.
Winter’s face went an even darker shade of red.
Evie got up. “Anyone want another beer?”
“I’ll take one,” Viper spoke up.
Lily started fiddling with the rubber band around her wrist.
“Sorry, Lily. The men might refrain from acting inappropriate around you, but there’s no way to keep them from their alcohol,” Winter said.
Lily burst out laughing. “I guess beer outranks sex.”
They all laughed in return, and the tension in the room lessened. Shade breathed his own sigh of relief when she unconsciously leaned back against him.
Evie sank back down in her chair, taking a long swallow of her own beer. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”
Lily’s face went pale at Evie’s suggestion of her taking a drink.
“I was only joking,” Evie said in apology.
Shade’s hand went to Lily’s face. “Stop it, Lily. No one expects you to drink, okay? Evie was only joking like she would with anyone else.”
Lily nodded, blushing. “I think living here for a while might be good for me. I need to get used to being around different people. This will make me quit being sensitive about people drinking around me. I wonder if cowboys drink a lot.” Lily looked at Evie that time, being the one to make a joke.
“Like a fish,” she answered.
Chapter 50
Shade smiled as Lily stifled her yawn while she looked at her cards. They had been playing several games of poker with Winter and Viper.
“It’s time for bed if you’re going to start back at the factory tomorrow,” Shade told Lily when Winter reached forward to claim her winnings, which were mainly IOUs for punishments.
Lily had been told they usually played for money, but Winter preferred to play for IOUs. That way, when she got in trouble and had to pull a punishment, she could cash in on one of the debts.
“I haven’t had to do a punishment in six months,” she bragged.
Viper ruffled his wife’s hair. “Unless it was the ones you wanted.”
Winter slapped his hands away.
Lily got to her feet, smiling down at the couple. “I’ll probably have to find another way to pay you back for my IOUs. I probably won’t be around long enough to pay all those back.”
Winter looked doubtfully up at Lily, but replied, “I’m sure we’ll work out an arrangement.”
Shade thought about warning Lily that Winter was a card shark, but decided to let her find out on her own like everyone else in the club had. He wasn’t worried that Lily would get in over her head, because he could bail her out of trouble if he needed to. He would always be the bigger shark in their pool.
“Goodnight,” Lily told everyone sitting at the table before following him to the basement door.
Shade flicked on the light switch, and then they went down the steps together.
Winter sat next to Lily. “I’m relieved to see you up. How’s it going?”
“Fine.” She paused, and Shade saw her staring at Viper’s beer. “Do you think you could give me a ride back to my house? I really need to get back to school.”
“You’re going to be staying here. Didn’t Shade tell you?” Winter asked, meeting his eyes.
“He mentioned it, but—”
“Did he tell you why?” Viper asked, looking at Shade.
He shrugged. He didn’t think Lily would believe him, but coming from Viper would have a greater impact.
“Yes, he did. Someone tried to hit me with a car then break in my house, but at school, I’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Lily, when Cash followed the prints of who tried to break into your house, they led to the house behind yours. Someone’s been watching you for some time.”
“That house belongs to a couple who vacation here a couple of times a year. It’s usually empty,” Lily explained.
“Knox traced the ownership of the house to a corporation, and that’s as far as he can get. Cash said that whoever has been staying there is watching your house. There were video cameras, Lily.”
As her face filled with fear, Shade was glad. He didn’t want her to feel safe in her home; he wanted her to feel safe there at the club, where he was. He had no intention of taking something away from her without replacing it with something better.
Winter took Lily’s hand. “That’s not all.”
“Your dorm room had listening devices planted there. There’s really no safe place for you to stay other than here, for now. Cash and Knox are both trying to find out who could be doing this, but until they do, you have to be patient. At your home, you would inevitably be alone, but what if Beth or Razer’s presence didn’t deter them? You don’t want them hurt because you didn’t take our help, do you?”
Viper’s harsh words had her shaking her head in denial. “Of course not.”
“Good, then everything is settled,” Winter said, leaning back against Viper.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t listen to reason. I’m sure Beth will be relieved, too. She doesn’t want you unhappy, but she wants you safe,” Viper told her.
“I know.” She bit her bottom lip, and Shade shifted closer to her.
Viper took another drink of his beer, and someone turned the music up louder. Winter and Evie started talking about Mrs. Langley while Lily’s eyes wandered the room. The members had spread throughout the large room, giving her plenty to gape at. Shade debated telling her that her mouth was hanging open.
It wasn’t long before her gaze caught on Bliss sitting with Cash. She had leaned forward, and her top had fallen open at her breasts. Cash was tracing the outline of her tattoo.
As Lily hastily turned her gaze away, joining into the conversation with Evie and Winter, Shade got up then returned, handing her a bottled water and sitting back down with a beer in his hand.
Lily ran her hand nervously through her hair. Shade was aware she was uncomfortable, but he wanted her to see the brothers could handle their alcohol, and no one would force her to drink or do anything she didn’t want. The Last Riders believed in personal freedom, and that included not participating if it was the person’s choice.
When her eyes followed Cash and Bliss as they went up the steps to the upper floor, Winter leaned sideways, breaking off her conversation with Evie.
Shade heard her whisper to Lily, “The members will watch how they behave around you for a while, but eventually, you’ll walk into an embarrassing situation. Just do what I do: leave the room.” Winter’s face was blood red as she talked.
Shade appreciated her placing herself on Lily’s level, showing her that she had been uncomfortable, too, when she had first become a member. It couldn’t have been easy for her since she had been Lily’s high school principal.
“At least she did the first few times,” Viper corrected her, cutting into the conversation.
Winter threw Viper a dirty look.
“Bring it on, pretty girl,” Viper warned.
Winter’s face went an even darker shade of red.
Evie got up. “Anyone want another beer?”
“I’ll take one,” Viper spoke up.
Lily started fiddling with the rubber band around her wrist.
“Sorry, Lily. The men might refrain from acting inappropriate around you, but there’s no way to keep them from their alcohol,” Winter said.
Lily burst out laughing. “I guess beer outranks sex.”
They all laughed in return, and the tension in the room lessened. Shade breathed his own sigh of relief when she unconsciously leaned back against him.
Evie sank back down in her chair, taking a long swallow of her own beer. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”
Lily’s face went pale at Evie’s suggestion of her taking a drink.
“I was only joking,” Evie said in apology.
Shade’s hand went to Lily’s face. “Stop it, Lily. No one expects you to drink, okay? Evie was only joking like she would with anyone else.”
Lily nodded, blushing. “I think living here for a while might be good for me. I need to get used to being around different people. This will make me quit being sensitive about people drinking around me. I wonder if cowboys drink a lot.” Lily looked at Evie that time, being the one to make a joke.
“Like a fish,” she answered.
Chapter 50
Shade smiled as Lily stifled her yawn while she looked at her cards. They had been playing several games of poker with Winter and Viper.
“It’s time for bed if you’re going to start back at the factory tomorrow,” Shade told Lily when Winter reached forward to claim her winnings, which were mainly IOUs for punishments.
Lily had been told they usually played for money, but Winter preferred to play for IOUs. That way, when she got in trouble and had to pull a punishment, she could cash in on one of the debts.
“I haven’t had to do a punishment in six months,” she bragged.
Viper ruffled his wife’s hair. “Unless it was the ones you wanted.”
Winter slapped his hands away.
Lily got to her feet, smiling down at the couple. “I’ll probably have to find another way to pay you back for my IOUs. I probably won’t be around long enough to pay all those back.”
Winter looked doubtfully up at Lily, but replied, “I’m sure we’ll work out an arrangement.”
Shade thought about warning Lily that Winter was a card shark, but decided to let her find out on her own like everyone else in the club had. He wasn’t worried that Lily would get in over her head, because he could bail her out of trouble if he needed to. He would always be the bigger shark in their pool.
“Goodnight,” Lily told everyone sitting at the table before following him to the basement door.
Shade flicked on the light switch, and then they went down the steps together.
