The woman loved steak. She would eat it every night if she could. She was too late this time, though. He had already laid claim to the largest one sizzling on the grill.
Evie leaned into Viper, who put a casual arm around her waist.
“Don’t forget, I like my steak rare, and I want the biggest one on the grill.”
Viper laughed. “You’ll have to fight Shade for it. That’s the only reason he’s helping out.”
Evie reached out, running her finger teasingly down his arm. “Come on, Shade. I was the one who went to the store to buy the steaks in the first place.”
“I was the one who lugged the bags up those fucking stairs. You can have the one Viper picked out,” he offered without remorse, feeling as if someone was watching them.
His years as a sniper had kept him in the shadows to the extent that he had grown sensitive to being the center of someone’s attention. When he searched the backyard and saw no one paying them attention, he lifted his gaze to the house, finding who was observing them.#p#分页标题#e#
“Like he’ll give it up to me. Winter’s the only one who stands a chance of stealing that bad boy away from him. Next time, I’m going to make Knox do the grill. At least then I could stand a chance of getting a decent-sized steak.”
Shade moved back from Evie’s friendly, teasing touch. He had never touched Evie sexually. Not only had he known her before they had become Last Riders, but she was anything other than a submissive, like the woman staring at them from the house.
“Everything cool between you and Winter?” Shade asked Viper, turning back to the grill.
“Yeah, why?”
“No reason. It’s just that she’s been watching us for the last five minutes.”
“She’s probably just hungry,” Viper joked.
Viper and Evie looked toward the house.
“I talked to her before coming downstairs. She said she would be eating with us tonight.” Evie shrugged. “She seemed fine then.”
“She seems pissed off to me,” Shade contradicted. He had been at the other end of similar glares from women too many times to misinterpret its cause. “Brother, watch your ass,” he warned.
Viper nodded. “I’ll go check on her. Maybe she needs some help getting down the steps.”
“Possibly,” Shade agreed, but he didn’t think so. Winter was finally walking without having to be packed up and down the steps.
Shade took the steaks and burgers off the grill, placing them on two large platters. Then he set one on each of the two large picnic tables before sitting down at the one where Evie, Bliss, Dawn, Rider, and Viper, who had already returned from checking to see if Winter was ready to eat.
“I’ve died and gone to Heaven,” Bliss said, her fork stabbing a hamburger.
“That’s what I say every time I come in your pussy,” Rider grinned, taking his own hamburger as everyone at the table laughed.
As Shade saw the back door opening, his instincts shifted to alertness, aware that Viper had also realized something wasn’t right.
Winter walked out, using her cane to stab the ground as if she was on a mission.
She had gone through several changes since she had begun living with them. Her hair had grown out, brushing the top of her shoulders and gleaming with health. The green sweater she was wearing matched her emerald-colored eyes, which were sparking with a mixture of anger and hurt. She had lost weight after the attack yet had regained most of it, looking fit and healthy instead of sick and frail.
She took a seat at the opposite end of the picnic table he and Viper were sitting at, next to Dawn with Bliss seated across from her.
Stiffening, Shade didn’t like the insincere smile she gave the women.
“Let me get you a plate,” Viper offered as he started to get up.
“No, thanks, but I will take one of those beers.” She pointed to the cooler at the end of the table.
Shade reached in and pulled one out, passing it down the table until it reached her. Opening it, she took a long drink as the members began eating and talking again while they finished their food.
After dinner, Knox and Stori stood up from their table, beginning to dance to the music Train had set up to play in the backyard.
“Bliss, I like your top. The color suits you,” Winter complemented as everyone sat relaxing around the table with full stomachs.
“Thank you. I got it with the gift certificate you gave me for Christmas.”
“I’m glad you were able to find something you liked,” Winter said then casually asked, “I was wondering something. I noticed all the women members have tattoos with different numbers on them.”#p#分页标题#e#