The Last Riders - First Four Votes (90 page)

They checked out.

“Thanks for going with us,” Lily said as they shoved all the bags into Beth’s SUV.

“Hell, we aren’t done. You need shoes.” Sex Piston pushed her toward the local shoe store.

The store had a lone salesclerk and he was male. The women had him making trip after trip to the back.

Lily liked this much better. All she had to do was sit and try on pair after pair of shoes.

“No way,” Lily refused, seeing the price on the side of the box the clerk was showing her.

“Hell, yeah. Your sister can pay for them. She’s married to Mr. Moneybags,” Killyama said, taking the box away from the clerk while giving him one of her flirtatious smiles.

Lily stifled her laughter. The man looked scared enough to wet himself.

Reaching forward, she took the shoes from Killyama, trying on the high heels that she was sure would break her ankle if she ever dared to wear them.

“She’ll take them,” Beth spoke up with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Lily shook her head, not wanting to spend her sister’s money.

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll be worth every dime when I see Shade’s face.”

Beth took the six pairs of shoes to the register before Lily could change her mind. Lily walked out of the store overwhelmed by the amount of money Beth had spent carelessly that day. Guilt kicked in, making her decide to take some of the things back next week and return the money to her sister.

“Let’s get some dinner,” Sex Piston said.

“I’m paying,” Beth offered. Since when did Beth become so free with her cash? Her sister, while not broke, had always been frugal with her money.

Razer, who was leaning against the SUV after having helped the women load the car, gave a twisted grin.

“Where at?” Fat Louise asked, excited.

“Let’s do it up right. The Pink Slipper sound good to everyone?” Beth mentioned the most expensive restaurant and bar in Treepoint.

“They won’t let us in the door.” Fat Louise reminded Beth they hadn’t been allowed in the restaurant since the fight they had started when Razer and Beth had temporarily broken up.

“I happen to know it’s under new management,” Beth happily said, spreading the good news.

The whoops and hollers drew the attention of customers leaving the stores that were closing. No one other than Lily seemed to notice, though, and so they each got in their separate vehicles, driving the short distance to the restaurant.

Inside, Razer went to sit at the bar, leaving the women at a table on their own.

Sex Piston and her crew ordered the most expensive items on the menu. Lily was sure it was because they knew Beth was paying with Razer’s money. They still held a grudge against him for breaking their friend’s heart. The women were loyal to Beth and even treated her like a sister because of their affection for her.

They all ordered tea and water to drink, except for Crazy Bitch and Killyama who drank beer, telling Sex Piston she was driving.

“Wait until you’re knocked up. I’ll drink a fucking six-pack in front of you,” she said vengefully. Lily thought that by the time Sex Piston’s baby arrived, it would be born with an extensive vocabulary.

The diners at the other tables kept giving them censuring looks which they ignored.

T.A. leaned forward. “So, has the hunk of burning love made his move yet?”

“Who?” Lily asked, dumbfounded.

T.A. rolled her eyes. “You know who I’m talking about. Shade.”

“Kind of.” ‘Hunk of burning love’ was not how she would describe Shade’s stern demeanor.

“What the fuck does that mean? Yes or no?” Crazy Bitch snapped.

“Well, we kissed last night,” Lily confided, embarrassed she was talking about something so intimate in front of her sister.

“You kissed?” Crazy Bitch asked, looking at her like she had lost her mind.

“Was it too soon?” Lily asked. The women at the table just stared at her then burst into hysterical laughter. Even Beth almost fell out of her chair when Killyama whacked her accidently with her elbow.

“What’s so funny?” Lily asked sharply.

“N…N…Nothing,” Sex Piston said, wiping the tears off her cheeks. “Beth, if I have a daughter, I’m sending her to live with you when she reaches puberty.”

“Hell, she damn sure doesn’t take after her sister. Beth gave up the whole shebang quicker than that.” Crazy Bitch slammed her beer down on the table.

“Shut up,” Beth hissed.

“You go, sister,” Sex Piston said, raising her hand for Lily to high-five. “Make the motherfucker work for it.” Lily lamely hit her palm against Sex Piston’s.

“Are you crazy? Why make him work for it? I’d have given it up before he asked for it. By the way, when you find out how far down those tats go, will you let us know? We’ve got a bet going,” T.A. confided, leaning sideways in her chair to whisper in Lily’s ear.

The food arrived, and Lily was glad when they settled down to eat. When the check arrived, Lily tried to take it to pay Beth back for some of the clothes, but Beth wouldn’t let her.

“I’ve got it.” She laid the card down on the ticket.

Lily glanced down, expecting to see either Beth or Razer’s name on the card; instead, it bore another name she recognized.

“He said to make sure you had a good time. Have you had fun?” Beth teased.

“Yes… but—”

“Don’t worry; he can afford a small dinner.” Beth patted her hand.

“But—”

“A few pairs of shoes, too,” Beth continued, her smile widening.

Lily hid her face in her hand.

“And a whole new wardrobe,” Beth finished, then teased, “I’m thinking he might deserve more than a kiss.”

W
hen Beth pulled
her SUV into the parking lot of The Last Riders, cutting the engine, Lily sat relaxed in the seat next to her as Razer opened Beth’s door, helping her out. Her sister looked exhausted. Lily felt guilty knowing Beth had given a full morning working then spent the rest of the day shopping.

“I’m sorry you’re so tired,” Lily said, coming to Beth’s side.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I enjoyed spending the day with you. We haven’t done it in a long time.”

As Razer opened the back of the SUV, they all three stared at the small mountain of bags.

“I think we may have overdone it a bit,” Beth said jokingly, turning to Lily.

“You think?” Lily laughed. “I’m already planning on taking most of it back.”

“Don’t you dare,” Beth reprimanded her.

“She won’t,” Shade spoke up from behind them, reaching inside the vehicle to take several of the bags. Razer reached inside also, pulling out a large number for himself. Lily and Beth split up the remaining packages and then they all carried them up the steps to the house.

Lily watched as the men carried the packages up the steps to one of the rooms upstairs. Beth motioned Lily up to the room she had been in that morning, the nightgown she had worn still lying across the chair.

When they set the bags on the floor in front of the bed, Lily didn’t know what she was supposed to do with the clothes.

“I’ll see you at church in the morning.” Lily hugged and kissed her sister goodbye.

Razer gave her a tight hug. “Goodnight, lil’ sis.”

“Night, Razer.”

The door closed behind them.

“I’m not staying in the basement anymore?”

“No. If someone tries to hurt you again, they’ll have to get past every brother in the house with you up here.”

“I see.” She took a deep breath. “Beth told me at dinner that you paid for all this. I’ll pay you back.”

“No, you won’t, and you won’t take anything back. Quit worrying and go get your shower.”

Lily went to the bathroom, taking the gown. The bathroom wasn’t as large as the one in Shade’s room, but it was just as nice. The Last Riders were bikers who most definitely enjoyed their creature comforts.

She showered and washed her hair, blow-dried it then brushed it out. There had been at least six different shampoos and a whole smorgasbord of toiletries to choose from.

There was a robe on the back of the door that Lily put on over her gown before opening the door. She had been expecting the room to be empty; instead Shade was already in bed.

Lily climbed in bed, relieved. She had thought he would remain sleeping in the basement. She pulled the covers over her, giving him a smile.

“What was that for?”

Confused her brow furrowed. “What?”

Shade turned off the bedside lamp. The bathroom light was on with the door left half-open. “That smile you just gave me.”

“I don’t know. I was just happy you were here. I thought you might be sleeping in your room.”

Shade rose on his side. His serious face cast in the shadows of the bedroom. “Lily, the only bed you’ll be in is the one I’m sleeping in.” His finger traced down the fragile line of her cheekbone.

He bent down, kissing her lips. When Lily parted her lips, his tongue entered her mouth, searching its depths. Her tongue timidly touched his, and at her response, he sucked her tongue into his mouth, sliding his own against hers, tempting her to explore the warmth of his mouth.

When her arms slipped around his shoulders, Shade raised his head, breaking off the kiss.

“When I kiss you, it’s like touching perfection.” Shade placed soft kisses on her neck.

Lily’s arms dropped to her side. “I’m not perfect,” she replied, turning her face away.

“You’re perfect for me,” Shade corrected her.

“Shade…” Lily began hesitantly.

“Not tonight, Lily. Tonight, I want to hold you in my arms, knowing that you’re taking one breath after another. That when I wake in the morning, your beautiful face will be on the pillow next to mine, and tomorrow night, when I go to bed, you’ll be by my side again. Day after day, night after night.” Shade’s vow expressed how seriously he had taken almost losing her.

Lily’s lips smiled against his throat. “What about when I snore?”

“Angels don’t snore.”

C
hurch was packed
the next day; the closer to the holidays, the more the parishioners made the effort to attend. Lily kept her head down, sitting next to Beth and Razer, only talking when one of them spoke to her. As soon as the service ended, Lily got up from the pew.

“I’ll meet you outside.” Before they could say anything, Lily left the church before even Pastor Dean could make it to the door.

Lily was the first one in the diner after church. She already was looking over the menu when Shade, Ryder and Cash came through the door.

“What are you doing over here by yourself?” Shade asked, taking a seat next to her.

“I left church a few minutes early,” Lily said, staring at the menu.

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to stand in line today. Does it matter? Everything’s fine.” Lily raised the menu higher, ignoring his questioning gaze.

Beth and the others came in from church, asking her the same questions.

“What happened?” Beth asked.

Lily shrugged, avoiding the question by placing her order. They had just been served their food when Pastor Dean came in the restaurant with Rachel and her family, taking a table across the restaurant.

After lunch, Lily was ready to leave. She didn’t want to linger like she usually did. She turned to Shade who was still drinking his coffee.

“Ready?” Her fingers were tearing the paper napkin to shreds. She wadded the mess up, placing the pieces on her plate before handing it to the waitress.

“Sure.” Shade got up from the table, laying the money for both of them down.

“Are you coming to the house?” Lily asked Beth who nodded her head.

“I’ll see you there.”

Lily fled the restaurant, not waiting for Shade, missing the worried glance Beth gave Shade and his shrug.

“What’s the hurry?” Shade asked when he caught up with her outside.

“I need to get some work done on my college classes today.”

Shade got on the bike and Lily climbed on behind him, her arms circling his waist. The drive home didn’t take long. The weather was already turning cooler and the sun was as cloudy as her mood.

She didn’t want to sit and talk while everyone was giving her looks like she was going to break any minute. Her memories were back. She wasn’t going to hide from them any longer, but neither did she want to talk about them. Lily hoped, given time, something new would occur and her episode would fade from memory, and they would forget she had been a basket case.

She was determined to become stronger, both physically and emotionally. Every day she would work on it until she was as strong as Beth, Winter or anyone else other than herself. Her dream goal was really to be as strong as Sex Piston, but she didn’t want to set an unrealistic goal for herself.

Once they got back, Lily spent the rest of the day doing her coursework on the computer, finally pressing submit when she finished.

Shade and the other men had spent the afternoon working in the basement. They had packed out the burnt furniture and workout equipment. The cleanup had been completed and new drywall painted. All that was left was to replace the destroyed items and get new carpeting.

At dinner, the women decided that Evie and Ember would go into town tomorrow and replace the furniture; Viper had already ordered the workout equipment.

Lily ate, listening to everyone making plans. Going into the kitchen afterward, she stood at the counter as Rider and Train argued over the size of the television that would replace the one downstairs. She had never understood the need for men to have such large televisions.

Jewell caught her amused gaze, correctly deciphering its cause. “It’s like their dicks, they think bigger is always better.” Lily had taken a drink of water and almost choked on the snide comment.

When Train and Rider went to the couch off the kitchen, continuing the argument, Shade and Viper joined them as the women congregated in the kitchen.

“I think bigger is better, too,” Bliss said, grinning while stacking the dishes in the sink.

Beth came to stand next to Lily at the counter. Beth’s phone gave out a tiny ping and she reached into her pocket, pulling it out. Lily looked over when Beth started laughing.

“Sex Piston and Stud eloped this morning. They’re on their way to spend their honeymoon on Knox and Diamond’s island.”

The whole group of women were happy for the couple. No one was surprised that Sex Piston had eloped. That woman would have a hard time being romantic and giving vows of love in front of a crowd.

“I would never elope. I want a big summer wedding with all the bells and whistles. It will be so big that it would take two years to plan,” Raci said dreamily.

“I want a quiet wedding with a short dress and just a few guests,” Evie said, pouring herself some tea.

“I loved my wedding,” Beth said with a soft sigh.

“Me, too,” Winter added. “I loved having it in the backyard.”

“I’m not getting married. I’m having too much fun.” Stori grimaced at the other women’s dream filled expressions.

“What about you, Lily?” asked Jewell.

“Me?”

“Oh, Lord!” Beth shook her head at the other women, giving Lily an affectionate glance.

“What was that?” Winter asked, looking back and forth between the two sisters.

“Do not get Lily started on her fantasy wedding,” Beth warned.

The other women turned to look at an innocent Lily. The girl never spent a dime on herself if she could help it; they were having a hard time believing that she’d want something elaborate.

“Dream wedding?” Evie asked curiously.

“Lily is a hopeless romantic. She’s planned it since she was sixteen and saw a wedding on television.”

“There was a wedding in December and it was snowing just a little bit. They got married in the backyard of a tiny church. It was beautiful,” Lily breathed with dreams in her violet eyes for once.

“What kind of dress?” Evie egged her on.

“My mother’s. I have it packed away. It’s stunning with long sleeves made of lace, but they’re off the shoulder, and it has a long lace veil.”

“How do you know it would even fit?” Raci asked.

“Oh, it fits. I wanted to wear it, too, but I couldn’t get my big butt in it. It fit Lily perfectly,” Beth replied.

Lily playfully swatted her sister for telling she had tried on the dress.

“I would have thought you would have wanted a spring wedding,” Jewell said thoughtfully.

“No, I love winter. I love seeing snow on the ground, and when it’s snowing, I don’t think anything is more beautiful,” Lily breathed.

“I know of one thing,” Beth said softly to Lily, taking her sister’s hand. Lily was grateful when she changed the subject, turning to Evie. “I’ll go into town with you tomorrow and check on the carpet I ordered for the house. I want to move into the house next weekend if it’s delivered on time.”

The women agreed, eager for any reason to shop.

Beth didn’t release Lily’s hand. “Let’s go look at my house. You can tell me what you think.” Beth then tugged Lily out the door to the path.

They walked up the steps to the small porch and Beth opened the door, flicking on the lights.

Lily was amazed at how much the house suited Beth. It was much larger on the inside than the outside made it appear. It had a sizeable kitchen, and while she hadn’t wanted a large living room, she had extra space off the kitchen with a family area and a fireplace. It was a house that, even without carpet and furniture, was very homey.

Beth led her down a hallway into the four bedrooms. The master bedroom had its own private bath and Lily could see that Beth and Razer would be very happy there.

“It’s beautiful, Beth. You and Razer have built a home to be proud of.”

“It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Lily, I’m sorry I haven’t let you see it before now. I was so afraid about you finding out about the club that I didn’t show you so I could protect you.”

Lily nodded, still a little hurt, but she understood. Beth had wanted to avoid hurting her. Besides, Lily was aware she hadn’t taken it well when she
had
found out.

“You should have put a shower in like Shade has in his bedroom,” Lily said, staring at her sister’s small shower.

“I haven’t seen it,” Beth said curiously.

“It’s the bomb. Of course, it’s too late now with all your tile-work laid, but his should be in a magazine.”

“Really?”

“Yes!” Lily enthused.

They walked back to the clubhouse where the women members were still in the kitchen; the men were drinking beer and relaxing in front of the television after working on the basement all day.

“I’ll be right back,” Beth said, going down to the basement.

Razer gave Lily a curious look. She shrugged back, giving him an innocent expression. She knew what was going to happen. That shower was freaking awesome.

Winter’s cell phone went off with a text message. A look of surprise crossed her face before she put it back in her pocket and went downstairs. This time, it was Viper giving her a questioning glance. Lily shrugged again, taking a few nuts out of the bowl sitting on the counter. It didn’t take long. Both Razer and Viper’s cell phones went off next with text messages. Reading the messages, both men went down to the basement with grim looks on their faces.

“What’s going on?” Evie asked.

“I told Beth about Shade’s shower,” Lily confessed.

“Uh-oh,” Evie moaned. “Do you know how long it took for her to pick out that tile?”

Lily shook her head. “I told her it was too late.”

“What’s going on?” Shade asked, coming up behind her.

“She told Beth about your shower and then Beth told Winter. Winter’s wanted to redo the bathroom in Viper’s room. Want to bet he’s going to be shelling out some cold hard cash?” Evie answered.

Shade looked down at her and Lily couldn’t resist giving him a mischievous smile.