Shade(263)

The light ahead turned red. Slowing down, Shade came to a stop. As he waited for the light to turn green, he casually looked down the neighborhood street to his side, seeing a large group arguing in a yard and on the sidewalk. Recognizing a familiar figure, he turned down the street when the light changed.

His mouth almost dropped open when he saw a little girl kick out at the biker dressed in leather.

He parked his bike a few feet away from them and climbed off, striding forward as Willa came rushing out of a house.

“You a-hole!” Shade lifted a brow as the girl who looked to be the oldest among the group of kids yelled at Lucky.

“Sissy!” Willa moved between Lucky and the girl, handing Lucky a towel and a plastic bottle.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Lucky snapped, staring at the items in his hand.

“I thought you could use them to clean it off,” Willa said, pointing at his bike.

Shade’s eyes went to Lucky’s bike sitting in the driveway next to Willa’s house.

He went closer, staring at the motorcycle that had been spray-painted with the word “Blasphemer,” while Willa grabbed the items from Lucky’s hands and went toward the bike.

“I’ll clean it for you.” Willa was about to spray the words with the cleaning solution when Shade stopped her.

“What happened?”

“Lucky thinks one of the children or I did this while he was inside Jenna’s house. I told him they didn’t, that they were playing in the backyard, but he doesn’t believe me.” Willa’s lashes blinked furiously, trying to hold back the tears brimming in her eyes.

Shade stared back angrily at Lucky who was flushing a guilty shade of red.

“I didn’t say they did. They”—Lucky pointed at the little boy and older teenager—“were both out front when I came outside, and Willa was going inside her house when I got here two hours ago. I was just trying to ask if they had seen who did it.”

“That wasn’t the way it sounded to me,” Willa said, contradicting Lucky’s explanation.

“Then I’m sorry.” Lucky pointed at his bike. “I was just angry when I saw that. Maybe I over-reacted.”

Willa ignored his apology, again moving to clean the word written across the entire frame of Lucky’s bike.

“Don’t touch it, Willa. I’m going to call Knox and get him to come and take pictures and see if he can find any prints.”

A frightened look came to her eyes as she stared at the children behind his back. “That’s not necessary. I can pay for the damages.”

“Why would you pay for something you’re not responsible for?” Lucky snapped.

“I don’t want you thinking we did it. There’s no need for a police report.”

Shade was guessing from her worried frown that one or more of the children had been in trouble since the death of Lewis.

“I’ll take care of it,” Lucky said as the front door to the house that Lucky was parked in front of opened, and Jenna came outside.

She was dressed in a short, black skirt and a red, silky blouse. She used to work at Mick’s until King’s new restaurant had opened, and then she had been hired to work there. Shade had recognized her house when he had pulled out. Several of the brothers had partied there throughout the years since they had come to Treepoint. Jenna at one time had even tried to become a member of The Last Riders, but her temperament with the other women had kept her from getting all the votes she had needed.#p#分页标题#e#

“I thought you left,” Jenna said, coming to Lucky’s side and placing an arm around his waist.

“I was side-tracked,” Lucky said without moving away from the woman.

Shade didn’t miss the hurt look that flashed briefly across Willa’s face, and he was sure Lucky hadn’t missed it, either.

“Who…?” Jenna stared at the bike sitting in her driveway then at the children standing near. “You fucking brats. You need to have the—”

“Shut up, Jenna!” Lucky interrupted. “They didn’t do it.”

“Then who?” Her eyes went to Willa. “You jealous bitch.” Her hand flew out, smacking Willa across the face before Lucky or Shade could stop her.

Willa cried out, her hand going to her cheek.

Lucky grabbed Jenna back while Shade stepped forward, fury storming through his body.

“Go to work, Jenna. I’ll deal with you later,” Lucky said harshly.

Jenna paled. Nodding her head, she went to her car and got inside, but not without shooting a retributive look toward Willa as she drove away.

“If she touches Willa again, we’re going to have a problem,” Shade warned. “She’s a friend of Lily’s.”