“It took us a while to figure it out. We didn’t think they deserved to know,” Winter explained cautiously, seeing the furious look Viper was sending her. The women began to sense the undercurrent of their husbands’ angers.
“Do you have my tat on you?” Viper growled out through gritted teeth.
“Yes, but women should stick together.” Winter tried to soothe her husband with her explanation, but she failed.
“So should Last Riders,” Viper snapped. “Did Beth know, too?”
Winter snapped her mouth shut.
“I’ll take that as a yes. All four of you will be pulling from the punishment bag next week.” The women wisely remained silent, staring at their husbands in trepidation.
“And I’ll deal with you upstairs.” Viper’s eyes on Winter were promising retribution.
“Thanks, Lily.” Cash reached out to cup her cheek. “I sent Shade’s dad here not only because of Beth, but you, too. I lost every bit of faith I had because of Saul Cornett. He might have adopted you, but he was a sick son of a bitch. It was only a matter of time before he hurt you, and I couldn’t stomach watching Beth be hurt one more time.”
Lily grasped his wrist. “You changed our lives. Thank you.”
As Cash’s eyes met his over Lily’s shoulder, Shade gave him a small nod.
“You’re welcome.” Bending down, he brushed his lips against her cheek. “Now, go on home. I promise Rachel won’t know you talked to me.”
“Okay,” Lily said happily.
“I’ll be there in a minute. Don’t go to sleep; we need to have a little chat before you do.” Shade’s deep voice wiped the smile from her face.
“I’m tired. I have to get up early for church,” Lily said evasively.
“You can go to the evening service,” Shade countered amicably.
Lily flounced angrily out of the room.
“Ten to one she’s calling Beth as soon as she gets home.” Cash grinned.
Shade grinned back, taking his phone out of his pocket and quickly texting a message to Razer before putting the phone back.
“Lily’s going to be furious at you for telling on Beth,” Cash warned.
“I’m counting on it,” Shade said with an anticipatory grin.
* * *
Shade was talking to Jewell and Bliss as they filled their orders to speed things up. If the women worked as hard filling orders as they did fucking, he would be a happy man.
Cash came inside the factory, nodding toward the office, and waited.#p#分页标题#e#
“What did you find out?” Shade asked as they went into the office and closed the door.
Cash had been investigating whether there was a connection between Lewis and Brooke. It was too much of a coincidence that she had asked Lily to stop by Willa’s house then have Lewis show up in a murderous rage. Shade knew only one woman capable of arousing that emotion.
“Nothing concrete. I talked to Jewell. She said Lewis received a phone call about twenty minutes before he got off work, and he finished his order and left. You talked to her?”
“Yes, she told me the same thing.”
“I checked his phone records; it came from a ‘pay as you go’ phone. I couldn’t find out who bought it,” Cash said grimly.
“Find anything at his house?”
“He was fucking someone. He had a bag filled with sex toys and condoms.”
“Willa?”
“I don’t know. If so, she wasn’t giving it to him; he was taking it. She hated him, but I don’t think it was her.”
“Why not?”
“Because he had an underwear set in the bag, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have fit Willa. I checked the local hotel then Jamestown’s. No one recognized his picture.”
“Go farther. Start with the towns closest to the Virginia border. If you don’t get a hit, try the Tennessee border,” Shade ordered.
“He wouldn’t be able to drive far. With the kids, he would’ve needed to stay close,” Cash reasoned.
“Unless he had a sitter.”
“Thought of that. Beth is going to ask around church to see if any of the women there were babysitting for him.”
“That it?” Shade asked.
“Pretty much. If I find out anything, you’ll be the first to know.” Cash went to open the door.
“Cash, while you’re flashing around Lewis’s picture, show them one of Brooke. She may be the more memorable of the two.”
“Will do.” Cash closed the door behind him.
Shade sat down behind his desk. If anyone could find the information he needed, it was Cash. The sooner, the better. He wanted concrete proof that Brooke was trying to kill Lily, and once he had it, Brooke was going to get what she wanted. Someone was going to die.