“You knew how bad it was before tonight, didn’t you?” Razer asked.
“Yeah, I knew.”
Razer ran a hand through his long hair. “I’d heard some of it a couple of times when the lights went out or she had a panic attack, but I didn’t think it was to that extent.” Razer turned from the group, giving them his back as he raised a hand to his face. “I promised to protect her … but I was too late, wasn’t I?” he said in a choked voice.
“We’re here now, Razer. We all are. She’ll never have to go through that shit again,” Shade vowed.
“That’s for fucking sure,” Train muttered fiercely.
The doctor came down the steps, carrying his bag.
“She’s sleeping comfortably, for now. When she wakes up…” He shrugged.
“Thanks.”
“If she needs—”
“I’ll call,” Shade said, shaking his hand.
After the doctor left, Shade turned back to the brothers and women. “Let’s get the basement cleaned and cleared out after Knox gets here. Cash, Viper, let’s find out what started that fire.”
Shade followed the brothers toward the kitchen, looking up the stairs where he saw Beth standing with clothes in her arms. She had heard them talking.
She nodded to him as he passed underneath, saying without words her gratitude that she wasn’t alone in her battle to save Lily. The Last Riders would stand with them to the last man and woman. Beth knew that, and soon, Lily would, too.
* * *
Shade opened the back door to Knox’s car. Then He reached in, taking several pizza boxes before he closed the door after Knox reached in to grab the rest.
“It’s going to be a mess to get that smoke odor out of there,” Knox griped as they went up the steps.
“We’re going to rip out and replace anything that was damaged. The carpet is destroyed from the water, so that was the first to go, and the brothers have already started ripping out the walls that were burned,” Shade replied as they went in the door. “With all of us working together, it shouldn’t take long to make the repairs.”
Shade opened the kitchen door, moving to the side to let Knox enter as they both carried pizza boxes inside. Shade glanced at Lily before setting the pizzas on the counter, quickly going to her side.
She had slept most of the morning away, missing the action of the men tearing up the damage from the destroyed basement.
“Hungry?”
“I could eat,” Lily admitted, getting up from the table while avoiding his eyes.
Getting in line, she took a slice of pizza before resuming her seat. Shade filled his plate then sat down next to her.
“Evie said someone deliberately set the fire,” Lily told him.
“Yes. Knox came out this morning and took the evidence he needed. Whoever it was slipped into the party last night with a hanger-on. We have a description. It’s only a matter of time before we find her.”
“Her?” Lily repeated, shocked.
“Yes,” Shade answered.
“Why?”
“We think it was another attempt on your life,” Shade told her.
Knox sat down at the table as she asked, “Why does someone want me dead? I don’t understand.” Lily looked back and forth between the two men.
“We don’t know yet but when we find who started the fire, we will,” Knox assured her.
Everyone finished eating then Viper organized them all into one team as a cleanup crew and another to put up new drywall.
Lily got up to go downstairs.
“No. You stay up here and start dinner for everyone,” Viper ordered as he went down into the basement with the men following behind him.
Shade hung back once the other members had left. “You need anything?”
“No. Shade, maybe it would be better if I left. I don’t want to endanger anyone.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said, pulling her to him. “It’s because you were here with all the security we have that it wasn’t much worse. We slipped up because we didn’t think someone was brave enough to actually make a move on you in the house. We won’t make that mistake twice.
“Beth will be back soon. Go shopping; get out of the house for a while. Razer will go with you two,” he suggested.
“That sounds good. I’m ready to get out for a while.”
Shade touched his mouth to hers briefly before going downstairs. She needed to get out of the clubhouse and have a good time. He texted Beth as soon as he was down the steps.
“Rider, hand me a couple of those trash bags.”
“If you’re going to put the pieces of drywall in them, you’ll need the heavier ones,” Rider said, handing him two bags.
“No, I’m using these to throw away Lily’s clothes. Tell Razer I need to see him before he leaves.”
There was going to be something good to come out of the fire after all.
* * *
Shade was standing in his office at the factory when Beth’s SUV pulled in and parked. He went outside as Razer was opening the trunk, and they all stared at the small mountain of bags.
“I think we may have overdone it a bit,” Beth said jokingly, turning to Lily.
“You think?” Lily laughed. “I’m already planning on taking most of it back.”
“Don’t you dare,” Beth reprimanded her.
“She won’t,” Shade spoke up from behind them, reaching inside the vehicle to take several of the bags.
Razer followed suit, pulling out a large number for himself. Lily and Beth split up the remaining packages, and then they all carried them up the steps to the house and into the room Shade had put Lily in. They set the bags on the floor in front of the bed, and Shade smiled as Lily looked down at the bags as if she didn’t know how they had gotten there.
“I’ll see you at church in the morning.” Lily hugged and kissed her sister goodbye.
Razer gave her a tight hug. “Goodnight, lil’ sis.”
“Night, Razer.”
The door closed behind them.
“I’m not staying in the basement anymore?”
“No. If someone tries to hurt you again, they’ll have to get past every brother in the house with you up here,” Shade replied grimly.
“I see.” She took a deep breath. “Beth told me at dinner that you paid for all this. I’ll pay you back.”
“No, you won’t, and you won’t take anything back. Quit worrying and go get your shower.”
Lily went to the bathroom, taking a gown, while Shade undressed then lay down on the bed, waiting for her. He was tired, but he didn’t want to go to sleep until Lily was in bed with him.
When she finished, she climbed in bed beside him, pulling the covers up as she gave him a smile.
“What was that for?”
Confusion marred her brow. “What?”
Shade turned off the bedside lamp, checking first to make sure the bathroom light was on with the door left half-open. “That smile you just gave me.”
“I don’t know. I was just happy you were here. I thought you might be sleeping in your room.”
Shade rose on his side, his serious face cast in the shadows of the bedroom. “Lily, the only bed you’ll be in is the one I’m sleeping in.” His finger traced down the fragile line of her cheekbone.
“Yeah, I knew.”
Razer ran a hand through his long hair. “I’d heard some of it a couple of times when the lights went out or she had a panic attack, but I didn’t think it was to that extent.” Razer turned from the group, giving them his back as he raised a hand to his face. “I promised to protect her … but I was too late, wasn’t I?” he said in a choked voice.
“We’re here now, Razer. We all are. She’ll never have to go through that shit again,” Shade vowed.
“That’s for fucking sure,” Train muttered fiercely.
The doctor came down the steps, carrying his bag.
“She’s sleeping comfortably, for now. When she wakes up…” He shrugged.
“Thanks.”
“If she needs—”
“I’ll call,” Shade said, shaking his hand.
After the doctor left, Shade turned back to the brothers and women. “Let’s get the basement cleaned and cleared out after Knox gets here. Cash, Viper, let’s find out what started that fire.”
Shade followed the brothers toward the kitchen, looking up the stairs where he saw Beth standing with clothes in her arms. She had heard them talking.
She nodded to him as he passed underneath, saying without words her gratitude that she wasn’t alone in her battle to save Lily. The Last Riders would stand with them to the last man and woman. Beth knew that, and soon, Lily would, too.
* * *
Shade opened the back door to Knox’s car. Then He reached in, taking several pizza boxes before he closed the door after Knox reached in to grab the rest.
“It’s going to be a mess to get that smoke odor out of there,” Knox griped as they went up the steps.
“We’re going to rip out and replace anything that was damaged. The carpet is destroyed from the water, so that was the first to go, and the brothers have already started ripping out the walls that were burned,” Shade replied as they went in the door. “With all of us working together, it shouldn’t take long to make the repairs.”
Shade opened the kitchen door, moving to the side to let Knox enter as they both carried pizza boxes inside. Shade glanced at Lily before setting the pizzas on the counter, quickly going to her side.
She had slept most of the morning away, missing the action of the men tearing up the damage from the destroyed basement.
“Hungry?”
“I could eat,” Lily admitted, getting up from the table while avoiding his eyes.
Getting in line, she took a slice of pizza before resuming her seat. Shade filled his plate then sat down next to her.
“Evie said someone deliberately set the fire,” Lily told him.
“Yes. Knox came out this morning and took the evidence he needed. Whoever it was slipped into the party last night with a hanger-on. We have a description. It’s only a matter of time before we find her.”
“Her?” Lily repeated, shocked.
“Yes,” Shade answered.
“Why?”
“We think it was another attempt on your life,” Shade told her.
Knox sat down at the table as she asked, “Why does someone want me dead? I don’t understand.” Lily looked back and forth between the two men.
“We don’t know yet but when we find who started the fire, we will,” Knox assured her.
Everyone finished eating then Viper organized them all into one team as a cleanup crew and another to put up new drywall.
Lily got up to go downstairs.
“No. You stay up here and start dinner for everyone,” Viper ordered as he went down into the basement with the men following behind him.
Shade hung back once the other members had left. “You need anything?”
“No. Shade, maybe it would be better if I left. I don’t want to endanger anyone.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said, pulling her to him. “It’s because you were here with all the security we have that it wasn’t much worse. We slipped up because we didn’t think someone was brave enough to actually make a move on you in the house. We won’t make that mistake twice.
“Beth will be back soon. Go shopping; get out of the house for a while. Razer will go with you two,” he suggested.
“That sounds good. I’m ready to get out for a while.”
Shade touched his mouth to hers briefly before going downstairs. She needed to get out of the clubhouse and have a good time. He texted Beth as soon as he was down the steps.
“Rider, hand me a couple of those trash bags.”
“If you’re going to put the pieces of drywall in them, you’ll need the heavier ones,” Rider said, handing him two bags.
“No, I’m using these to throw away Lily’s clothes. Tell Razer I need to see him before he leaves.”
There was going to be something good to come out of the fire after all.
* * *
Shade was standing in his office at the factory when Beth’s SUV pulled in and parked. He went outside as Razer was opening the trunk, and they all stared at the small mountain of bags.
“I think we may have overdone it a bit,” Beth said jokingly, turning to Lily.
“You think?” Lily laughed. “I’m already planning on taking most of it back.”
“Don’t you dare,” Beth reprimanded her.
“She won’t,” Shade spoke up from behind them, reaching inside the vehicle to take several of the bags.
Razer followed suit, pulling out a large number for himself. Lily and Beth split up the remaining packages, and then they all carried them up the steps to the house and into the room Shade had put Lily in. They set the bags on the floor in front of the bed, and Shade smiled as Lily looked down at the bags as if she didn’t know how they had gotten there.
“I’ll see you at church in the morning.” Lily hugged and kissed her sister goodbye.
Razer gave her a tight hug. “Goodnight, lil’ sis.”
“Night, Razer.”
The door closed behind them.
“I’m not staying in the basement anymore?”
“No. If someone tries to hurt you again, they’ll have to get past every brother in the house with you up here,” Shade replied grimly.
“I see.” She took a deep breath. “Beth told me at dinner that you paid for all this. I’ll pay you back.”
“No, you won’t, and you won’t take anything back. Quit worrying and go get your shower.”
Lily went to the bathroom, taking a gown, while Shade undressed then lay down on the bed, waiting for her. He was tired, but he didn’t want to go to sleep until Lily was in bed with him.
When she finished, she climbed in bed beside him, pulling the covers up as she gave him a smile.
“What was that for?”
Confusion marred her brow. “What?”
Shade turned off the bedside lamp, checking first to make sure the bathroom light was on with the door left half-open. “That smile you just gave me.”
“I don’t know. I was just happy you were here. I thought you might be sleeping in your room.”
Shade rose on his side, his serious face cast in the shadows of the bedroom. “Lily, the only bed you’ll be in is the one I’m sleeping in.” His finger traced down the fragile line of her cheekbone.
