Shade rode down the road alone, letting the fresh air hit him in the face, waving to his dad in his brand new truck as they passed on the winding road.
As the bikes pulled into the driveway of the house Knox had bought, Rider and Shade went to the tailgate of his truck where everyone grabbed something to pack in. Shade and Rider carried in the heavy mattress, setting it down inside the front door, since everyone else seemed to be waiting at the bottom of the steps for Shade’s orders.
“Everyone, let’s try not to make a mess of the new carpet. Women, we’ll pack everything up the steps, and you tell us where you want it. Knox wants the bedroom perfect when he brings Diamond over in the morning.
“What do you want me to do with this, Shade?” Evie walked in the doorway carrying Knox’s new sheriff uniform.
“Hang it on the bottom of the stairs so he’ll see it in the morning when he gets here. He wants to surprise Diamond.”
She nodded, hanging it over the banister.
Shade and Rider picked up the mattress again.
“Get busy, brothers. Knox is depending on us.”
Chapter 36
Shade, Razer, and Rider were walking by the front window of the diner. Anxious to see Lily for the first time in several weeks, he looked inside and then came to a dead stop, causing Razer and Rider to nearly collide into him.
“Watch where you’re going, Shade,” Rider snapped.
Shade ignored him, narrowing his eyes on Razer who was trying to keep a straight face. “Mother fucker, why didn’t you tell me who Beth and Lily are having lunch with?”
Shade didn’t give him time to answer. Turning on his boot, he began walking back to his bike.
Rider peeked in the window and took off after him.
“Shade, wait.” Razer caught his arm then Rider’s. “You guys are supposed to be my brothers. You can’t desert me in my time of need,” Razer begged.
“Pussy,” Shade snapped, getting back on his bike.
“Come on, it wouldn’t be so bad if it was just one or two of the bitches, but four of them are in there.” Seeing he was making no headway with Shade, Razer turned to Rider who had always been the sucker of the group. “Rider, you’re bragging all the time that you’re the toughest brother. You can brag you took on Sex Piston and her crew while Shade ran.”
Shade could tell that appealed to him. The big chump’s ego had fallen for Razer’s load of crap, hook, line, and sinker. Shade started his motor.
“Lily’s going back to college tonight. You really want to miss being able to see her until the end of the term? She has finals…”
Razer gave an unholy grin when Shade turned his motor off and stood back up.
“Let’s go,” Shade growled at his former brother.
When they returned to the clubhouse, Shade was going to make Beth a widow. He would be able to hold Lily at Razer’s funeral while she cried on his shoulder. Shade’s imaginings ended when Razer held the door of the diner open for them.#p#分页标题#e#
Rider started to enter then stopped. “Since Shade’s going in, I won’t be able to brag about—”
Shade pushed him inside the diner, ignoring his frightened expression.
Razer bent and kissed his wife on the cheek.
“Got anything left?” he teased, looking down at her empty plate.
“No, you’ll have to order your own.”
Shade and Rider each grabbed chairs and pulled them up to the table. Once Shade had maneuvered his chair between Beth and Lily’s, Rider sat down on the other side of Lily, giving Crazy Bitch and Killyama’s side of the table a wide berth. Razer sat down next to his wife, placing his arm over the back of her chair.
Killyama looked unhappy with the seating arrangement. She took turns alternating between pursuing Shade and Rider. Thank fuck she was usually on Rider’s case more than his, but that was only because he was better at dodging her.
“What you been up to, Shade?” He winced when Killyama’s usually abrasive tone turned seductive.
He didn’t take off his sunglasses, but his head turned in her direction. Shade kept the sunglasses on so he could stare at Lily without making her uncomfortable; he didn’t care what everyone else thought.
“Nothing much,” he responded before ordering himself a coffee from the hovering waitress.
Razer and Rider both ordered burgers and fries.
“Not hungry, Shade?” Sex Piston asked.
“No. I already ate,” he said with an expression that dared her to question him further.
As they waited for Razer and Rider’s food, Beth and Crazy Bitch talked about Crazy Bitch getting her GED and starting beauty school during the summer.