Shade(114)

“Do not touch me without permission. I’ve told you this before,” Shade reminded her. “I don’t want what you’re dying to give me.”

When she nodded, Shade released her.

“Come down into this basement again when Lily is here, and I’ll throw your ass out of the club. I don’t care how many fucking votes you have. You got me?”

“Yes.” Kaley rose to her feet.

“Good. Now get your ass upstairs,” he ordered, following her up and into the kitchen where she hastily moved away from him into the other room.#p#分页标题#e#

Rider was leaning against the counter, drinking a beer. He tilted the bottle to the kitchen door, and Shade went outside to find Rachel Porter standing hesitantly by the picnic table.

“Greer’s still in West Virginia, but he didn’t want to keep you waiting, so he asked me to bring your regular Friday order.” She held out a bag, which he took.

“He stay for a drink with The Blue Horsemen?”

Rachel smiled. “More like three or four.”

“You walk through the woods?” Shade asked, seeing leaves and dirt clinging to the bottom of her jeans.

“Yes. I was checking on my roots, anyway. It’s only a couple of miles.”

“You need to be careful out in the woods by yourself.”

“I know them like the back of my hand, and I have protection.” She motioned toward a large dog sitting to the side, patiently waiting for her.

“I need to get back. Lily’s waiting for me to work out.” Shade turned to go back inside.

“Shade…”

Her concerned voice stopped him. He turned back to see her face filled with worry.

“I told you I would take it slow, Rachel. She’s only here to work out. Be nice if you could work a little faster, though.”

“It’s not easy trying to work on her without her knowing it. I have to be careful because she knows I can heal with my hands.”

“If she hasn’t figured it out in the last month, she isn’t going to,” Shade told her.

“I told you I would do it when you bribed Judge Creech into dropping the possession charges against Greer, but it’s hard to do when you won’t tell me what I’m up against.”

“Imagine your worst nightmare, multiply it by five, and you still won’t be able to understand the Hell she’s been through,” Shade replied grimly.

“Jesus,” Rachel whispered.

“He wasn’t there for her then,” he said snidely.

“Wasn’t he?”

Shade wasn’t about to get into a religious conversation with her. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. She hasn’t had a panic attack in a month, she’s happier, and I don’t think she’s looking forward to going back to school.”

Rachel shook her head at him. “She has a long way to go, Shade. As her mind heals, whatever she’s burying in her past will try to come out. The only way she’s ever going to truly heal is if she confronts her past, and Lily doesn’t want to do that. She’s too afraid to.”

“You heal her mind, and I’ll give her the strength to deal with the rest.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I know you will, or I wouldn’t have agreed to your terms. If I didn’t believe you were the best thing for Lily, I would have let Greer rot in prison.”

“I doubt that.”

“Don’t,” Rachel replied firmly. Walking back to her dog, she reached down and petted its head. “She’s not the only one who has to confront something inside of themselves,” she said before leaving.

A chill ran down Shade’s spine as he watched her go.

He went back inside, tossing the bag of reefer to Rider. The party was in full swing. Bliss was bent over the back of the couch as Cash fucked her from behind while Rider watched. Shade didn’t have time to stay and watch, nor could he. It had been four months since he had fucked a woman; as a result, he couldn’t watch them then workout with Lily without making his hard-on noticeable.

He was an expert at controlling his body, but it was getting beyond his capabilities to keep from showing his desire for her, especially since she persisted in treating him like a fucking friend. He could see the attraction for him in her eyes, but her mind refused to acknowledge what her body was telling her.#p#分页标题#e#

He went back downstairs, firmly closing the door to keep the loud noises of Bliss’s climax from filtering down. He was glad he had put the music on when he had begun stretching out when he saw Lily on the mat, warming up.

“Sorry, there was something I needed to take care of.”