Shade(228)

“I thought you two were hungry?” Rider said, putting sugar in his coffee.

“I’ve lost my appetite,” Cash said.

Shade ate his sandwich thoughtfully as he watched the table. He knew of only one thing which made a man lose his appetite, and that was a woman. . He decided it had to be Rachel he was interested in; not because of the looks, but because of the attitude. Cash had never been attracted to shy women; the bolder a woman was, the more Cash liked her.

Shade turned his attention to Lucky who was talking to Rider without looking at the table at all. As vice president, he should be studying them and memorizing the faces of the men with Scorpion and Vaughn.

“Did Willa just give her card to one of those sons of bitches?” Lucky snarled.

Shade looked up, understanding dawning on him. Lucky had been watching the table using a mirror placed in the corner of the ceiling for the waitress to see if anyone had come through the door when she was out back.

“I believe she did. Maybe he wants to get something sweet off her.” Shade picked up his coffee cup to take a drink.

“Shut up, Shade. Willa isn’t that type of woman.”

“Brother, they’re all that type of woman; it just depends on who’s asking.” Shade picked up the check, tossing it toward Lucky.

As the women left, Shade could see Rachel holding a to-go order he was sure was for his wife. It better not be another burger and fries. The woman was constantly craving hamburgers and junk food. He had put a strict limit on how many she could have in a week, and she had reached her quota when she had sent him out at one a.m. for one the previous night.

“Rachel should know better than sitting with strangers. Someone should tell her brothers.” Cash looked toward Shade.

“If you’re wanting me to tell ‘em, you’re shit out of luck. I’m not pissing off Rachel—she’s the one who bags our weed. I’ve heard they add stuff when you piss them off.”

“I’ve heard that, too,” Rider confirmed, dropping another sugar in his fresh cup of coffee.

“With your sweet tooth, I’m surprised you aren’t chasing after Willa,” Shade said to Rider, watching Lucky’s reaction from the corner of his eye.

Rider sat back in his chair, as if considering the thought. “I’m not into virgins.” He grinned cockily. “They get too serious, and I don’t want to set a standard another man can’t match.”

“Jesus,” Lucky said, looking heavenward.#p#分页标题#e#

Shade stood up. “Rider, I’m going to leave because I have nothing I can say to your asinine remark.”

Shade had passed his chair, headed for the door, when he heard Rider’s next comment.

“He’s lucky I didn’t fuck Lily first,” he boasted.

“You did not just say—fuck, Shade, let him go!” Lucky yelled as both he and Cash tried to pull him off Rider.

Shade threw them off him, banging Rider’s head on the table then putting his hand in his hair to jerk his head back so Rider was staring up into his deadly eyes.

“Do. Not. EVER! Think it’s okay to mouth off like that again about Lily, you got me? Brother or not, I will take you out.”

“Shit, Shade, I was only kidding around!”

“Don’t care.” Shade released him, still furious.

“What in the fuck are you smiling about?” he snarled at Lucky.

“Because you can dish it out, but you can’t take it,” Lucky laughed.

Shade took a second then regained his composure. “I was trying to get one of you jackasses to make a move on her.”

“Why?” Lucky asked with a puzzled frown.

“Have you tasted her cupcakes? None of the women at the club like to bake, and I’m tired of running out in the middle of the night for cupcakes and hamburgers.”





Chapter 80



The women were standing at the counter when Shade entered the church store, his mouth tightening into a thin line when he saw Brooke was standing beside Lily. He took off his glasses as he went behind the counter, placing a kiss on his wife’s lips while ignoring Brooke.

“Rachel told me she saw you at the diner. I thought you would have already gone home.” Lily smiled up at him.

“I thought I would stop by and see if you wanted to close the store early and take a nap before the party.”

Rachel was throwing Mrs. Langley a birthday party. She was Winter’s aunt, so she was basically extended family to The Last Riders, and Beth cared for her; therefore, they had all been invited.

Lily bit her lip. “We haven’t had a customer in two hours.”

“Go ahead, Lily. I’ll stay,” Rachel offered. Shade noticed she hadn’t missed the look of envy Brooke had quickly concealed.