Shade(131)

“How much bigger do you need? It’s already big enough for several people.” From her expression, Lily had figured out exactly what the shower had been used for. She closed the book she was looking at with a snap, getting to her feet without looking at him.

“Ready?” she asked. “If you need to stay, I can go back by myself.”

“I’m finished,” Shade replied, going to the door while turning off the lights on the way.

He didn’t try to deny her assumptions; they were the truth. He wasn’t going to blow smoke up her ass to keep her happy then have one of the women saying something to her later that would bite him in the ass for lying. He would live with the memory of her face when she had run away after finding out about the clubhouse for the rest of his life, and he never wanted to see her that hurt again.#p#分页标题#e#

They walked back to the house, and instead of going through the kitchen, he led her through the basement door.

Lily went to Shade’s room, getting a fresh pair of flannel pajamas before she went into the bathroom to get changed. He was taking off his shoes when she returned. He had already removed his T-shirt, and his jeans were unsnapped.

He got up from the side of the bed then went inside the bathroom, closing the door. When he came out, Shade was disappointed to find her already standing in her corner. Hiding his displeasure, he got into bed, turning out the lamp.

Lily stood there several moments before she sank down onto the floor.

Shade placed his arm over his eyes, unable to watch while she was still awake. He waited until he heard her deep breathing before rolling over to gaze at her sleeping face. When her head fell forward then jerked back up and she didn’t wake up, he knew she was exhausted.

Silently, he threw the covers back before slipping out of bed. He sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms and situating her until she could sleep more comfortably. Then he leaned his head back against the wall, running his fingers through her hair.

When the clock read six a.m., he gently slid out from under her. Standing up, he stretched before going into the bathroom to shower. He ran the cold water over his head, letting it wake him up. After two nights with no sleep, he would have to catch a nap in his office.

He leaned his forehead on the shower wall. It felt so hopeless with her sometimes, like she was never going to return any of his feelings.

A song came over his speakers, which he knew damn well he hadn’t programmed in, shaking him out of his reverie. He listened to it as he finished showering and dressing. Then he went back into the bedroom to find Lily still sleeping. He decided to go upstairs and fix them some breakfast, hoping the woman who had dared to put the “Rose” on his playlist would be awake so he could give her Hell.

Shade opened the kitchen door, seeing the woman drinking her coffee while leaning on the counter. He walked to her, and as she looked at him curiously, he placed an arm over her shoulders and gave her a brief hug.

“Thanks.”

“What for?” Evie asked.

“For being a pain in my ass.”





Chapter 51



He was cleaning off his desk when Jewell walked in his office. His cell phone rang, and he motioned for her to close the door. As he answered the call, he sat down on the side of his desk.

“Did you find anything out?” Shade asked Cash.

“Nothing new. After I tracked the vehicle’s movement to a hotel a few cities away, I checked in with Knox about the photocopy of the license the man used to check in. It’s the same one the car that tried to run Lily down is registered to, but the driver’s license was in the name of a man who died two months ago.”

“Fuck. Anything else?”

“The picture on the license doesn’t match the face of the man he stole the ID from, which means he changed out photographs. So I called in a few favors, and they’re running it through some computer programs. We may get a hit. I don’t know. It’s a shot in the dark. I’ll give you a call when I find out anything else.”

“Thanks, Cash.”

“Anytime, brother.” Cash hung up.

Shade returned his attention to Jewell who had laid paperwork down on his desk. Shade picked it up and set it in the appropriate tray.

Jewell laughed. “You don’t want to take a look at it?”

“No,” Shade said wearily.

Jewell raised a brow, sitting down on the edge of his desk. “You look tired.”#p#分页标题#e#

“No shit,” he snapped.

Jewell lifted her hands in the air. “Don’t blame me because you’re tired. Hell, when you fucked me, you always had energy to spare. Lily must be doing something right to wear you out,” she teased.