Shade's Fall.

(The Last Riders, #4).

by Jamie Begley.

Prologue.

"Shh... baby, you're going to be fine."

Shade stood in the corner with his brother, Razer, from The Last Riders, standing tensely by his side. He knew Razer had come to care a great deal for his sister-in-law.

Both of them were watching with grim expressions as Lily tried again to get out of the hospital bed. Beth, her sister, prevented her with a soothing voice, murmuring words over and over again that neither men could hear over Lily's cries.

The doctors had relieved the pressure on her brain last night, saving her life. Her broken hand was put in a cast that morning. The trauma combined with the pain and medication left her disoriented.

Every cry and whimper that pa.s.sed her lips increased his resolve to take his vengeance out on the two men who were responsible for her injuries. The police had them in custody and they wouldn't be getting out any time soon, but Shade had every faith the judicial system would release them on parole. He would be waiting for them when it happened, just like the biker who had dared to touch her and the deputy from Treepoint. Both had disappeared just as Joker and Dale would.

Lily finally slipped into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning on the hospital bed while Beth continued sitting by her side, holding her hand.

Shade stepped forward. "You should both go and get some sleep. I'll stay until you get back."

"I'm not leaving her," Beth protested.

"Go and get a couple hours' rest at s.e.x Piston's parents' house; it's just a few blocks away. I'll call as soon as she wakes."

It was another hour before exhaustion had Beth leaving reluctantly with Razer.

After they left, Shade sat down in the chair by Lily's bed, looking at the woman who had been on his mind since the moment he had seen her come out of the diner across from the sheriff's office. He and Razer had gone there to get their bikes inspected and the sisters had both appeared eating ice cream. Shade had taken one look at the stunning woman and known that he was going to have her.

His lips twisted wryly. He hadn't known then that he was going to have to wait, but patience was his one and only virtue. He waited, planned and plotted to attain his prize, and Lily was a prize. He hadn't been in her company for more than a few seconds before he'd realized she was perfect for him; however, Lily and her sister both had dreams for her, and Shade wanted her to have that time of freedom before he took it away.

His control had almost broken twice. Once when they had gathered for the Fourth of July picnic and he had looked across the backyard to see Lily holding a toddler while Charles, her high school boyfriend, stood close by, touching her. They had looked, for all appearances, like a happy, young family. If his brothers hadn't held him back, he would have ripped the dumbf.u.c.k apart. He could tell Charles thought he was staring into his future with Lily. Shade had planned to show him once and only once that Lily would never have anyone other than him. She would never carry anyone's child but his. Charles still remained to be a thorn in his side, though Shade had a plan to deal with him when the time was right.

No one was going to stand in his way when it came to claiming Lily.

The night of Razer's bachelor party had been another time he'd lost control. She had come to Rosie's bar to talk to Razer; she wanted to protect her sister so badly that she had faced her fear of being around alcohol. He had been in the back of the bar with Bliss on his lap, trying to convince him to let her and the stripper take turns later that night, when one of the brothers had given him the heads-up that Lily had entered the bar. Half drunk, he had barged forward, tired of trying to f.u.c.k her out of his mind, but Knox had held him back when he had come close enough to hear her true age. He had gone ape-s.h.i.t.

He was just drunk and h.o.r.n.y enough not to care anymore what anyone said. If he could have gotten to her, Lily would have been the one in his bed that night. Of course, he would have had to lock her in and barricade the door against his whole MC, but he wouldn't have had any compunction about doing either one.

Unfortunately, they had managed to hold him back; however, he'd had the satisfaction of his fists pounding out his frustration on each of them, especially on Razer because Shade still didn't trust that Razer had told the truth of not knowing Lily's true age.

After last night, when Lily had coded, there wasn't anyone who didn't know that he had reached his limit. He was done waiting. He had sworn that if Lily survived, she would be his. No more waiting, no more f.u.c.king around. He planned to get Lily the way he would have taken on one of his missions in the SEALS. It was why, behind closed doors, he was known as the deadliest sniper in the US armed forces with over two-hundredand-twenty-six confirmed kills. Those were just the ones they knew about, not the privately contracted ones by the government that he'd still carry out when the price or the reason was motivating enough. He had been given the nickname Shade because of his ability to blend into the shadows, hitting his targets with cold-blooded precision that others considered impossible.

Part of what made him so successful in taking out his target was learning everything about them, knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Especially their weaknesses.

To gain Lily's trust, he had to find out her weakness. She and her sister had secrets that they hid from everyone, refusing to talk about Lily's past. No woman had as many anxieties and fears as Lily without a reason. To reach her, he would have to overcome those fears.

Each time he had tried to find out about the cause of her panic attacks, he had been thwarted. Neither had she confided in Razer or Penni, his sister, who he had managed to bribe into transferring colleges to become Lily's roommate, and not even the therapist Beth had hired. He had broken into her office several times, searching, but each time he had read her chart, none of the reasons had been addressed. The therapist was trying to build Lily's trust slowly. f.u.c.k that. She was for s.h.i.t as a therapist, something else Shade intended to change. The only thing the woman had done was put a rubber band on Lily's wrist, teaching her to give herself pain as a way to relieve her anxieties. Shade had every intention of teaching Lily the same thing, except in a more enjoyable way.

Shade sat by the bed, watching Lily sleep as the day slipped into night. When the nurses had checked on Lily and tried to get him to leave the room, his cold gaze had intimidated them into silence, sending them scurrying.

When the outside had been completely swallowed by night, Shade got up from the chair, going to the door and closing it after the nurse. Determined to find out Lily's secrets, he only had one option left. Razer had let it slip that Lily slept with her bathroom door open, depending on a nightlight. Twice since Razer had moved in with Beth, their electricity had gone off because of storms during the middle of the night. Both times, Lily had become hysterical when she had awakened in the dark. Beth had to go in both times to calm Lily down.

Lily was beginning to wake; he had noticed she had begun to move about beneath the covers. He prayed the drugs would keep her disoriented enough that, when he was finished, she wouldn't remember what he was about to do. Shade's fingers flipped the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.

Chapter 1.

Lily slid the tape across the top of the box, sealing it closed. Her eyes went to the clock on the wall across the large expanse of the factory, and she swallowed hard. It was almost lunchtime; a time of day she had begun dreading each morning as soon as the metal door closed behind her. The same door that was opening now with Evie carrying in a lunch tray to the main office.

One of the workers seated nearby jumped up to open the door for Evie. She laughed, saying something before going inside and shutting the door with her foot. The poor man flushed with pleasure at Evie's words.

Lily slid off her stool, stretching as she tried to ease the muscles that had become stiff. Her hands smoothed down her loose dress, which had ridden up.

"Lily."

She stiffened, turning toward the office door where Shade stood, framed in the doorway. Reluctantly, she made her way to his office. As she drew closer, Evie came out, giving her a friendly smile.

"How's it going today?" Evie asked.

"Fine," Lily replied, smiling back.

"Cool. You two enjoy your lunch," Evie said as she started to walk away.

"Why don't you stay and have lunch with Shade today? I'm not very hungry," Lily tried to forestall the woman from leaving.

Evie's eyes went to Shade's before coming back to hers. "I've already eaten. I'd better get back; I left Rider doing lunch by himself," Evie said, leaving before Lily could make up another reason for her to stay, not that it would work. It never did.

Lily slipped by Shade, who made no effort to move away from the door, forcing her to brush her body against his. She then took a seat on the chair, sitting next to his desk.

She had been having lunch with him every day for the last month, and she was determined to put an end to it that day. When he had called her into his office after she had first begun working at the factory, she had thought it was because she was new and Razer's sister-in-law, but she had been here for over a month and he was still waiting to have lunch with her. She had tried everything to get out of the tense situation, yet somehow, every day at twelve she found herself sitting in the same chair.

Shade closed the door then took his seat at his desk. Handing her one of the plates with baked chicken and vegetables, he then began eating his own food.

Lily took a bite of the chicken while debating the best way to tell him that he didn't have to tie his lunchtime up with her.

"How's your arm doing since the cast came off?" Shade broke into her thoughts.

"Fine. The doctor said that it was healed."

"When does school start back?"

"In a month." Lily looked down at her food. It went down easier if she didn't look him in the eyes. Shade was always polite, but he made her nervous. He was friends with her sister's husband; both men had looked after her since Razer and Beth had begun seeing each other.

"How many cla.s.ses are you taking?"

"Four. They're pretty simple ones. I already completed the coursework in my major area. The only courses I have left are just to give me enough credits to graduate."

Shade continued eating his food silently.

Lily took another bite, swallowing it down as she decided to broach the subject on her mind. Clearing her throat, she played with the food on her plate. "I know you and Razer are friends, and I appreciate the club giving me a job for the summer, but I-you don't have to eat lunch with me every day, Shade. I can eat outside with the rest of the workers." Lily released her breath, proud of herself.

"Don't you want to eat lunch with me?" Shade questioned, his gaze steady on her.

"No. Yes. I don't want you to feel like you have to keep me company because of Razer and Beth being your friends."

"Do I seem to be the type to do anything that I don't want to?"

"No." He definitely wasn't that type.

"Good, then that's settled."

Wait, what did that mean? Lily was confused and, unless she made herself look like an ungrateful brat, she was stuck for another month of lunches with Shade.

"Have you applied for any jobs yet?" Shade asked, changing the conversation.

"A couple. One in Jamestown, and two in Colorado."

"Do you think that you'll really be able to handle a job as a social worker?" Shade's voice held doubt, which he made no attempt to conceal.

Lily stiffened in her chair. "Yes, I do. Why?" Her eyes rose angrily from her plate to find him staring at her mockingly.

"Well, you don't exactly take the best care of yourself. How can you look after someone else that needs your help?"

"None of the situations I've been in have been my fault," Lily protested.

"You need to learn to take care of yourself before you can help take care of other people that will be depending on you."

"I can take care of myself just fine," Lily snapped.

"You could if I taught you how," Shade said, leaning back in his chair.

"What? How?" Lily tried to keep track of the turn in their conversation.

"I could teach you self-defense. That is, unless you change your mind about being a social worker."

"I'll make a good social worker. I-" Lily argued.

"Good, that's settled. Monday, when you come to work, bring some workout clothes. I'll work with you an hour every day at the end of your shift."

"But-"

"If you're finished, could you ask Train to come here?"

Lily stood up, going out the door and then closing it behind her. What in the heck just happened? She had gone into his office to get out of spending a half hour of every day with Shade, not to get stuck for another hour each day.

She found Train, giving him Shade's message before going back to work, still trying to figure out how she was going to get out of the self-defense lessons from Shade.

Shaking the thoughts away, Lily pulled another order up on the computer and began pulling the items before going to the table and packing the order. She worked steadily, and by the end of the day, ended up finishing an additional fifteen orders. It was past her usual time of leaving, but Lily had taken the largest order, sitting there for over an hour on the board where the larger orders were posted. No one had wanted to touch it so close to quitting time.

Taping the box closed, she managed to lift it into the mail cart. Proud of herself, she cleaned her worktable, wiping it down. When her scissors accidently fell to the floor, Lily reached down to pick them up.

She felt his gaze on her as she straightened. Her fingertips grazed over the red rubber band on her wrist, trying not to snap it. He didn't like it when she snapped it. She did it to give herself that small sting of pain that would keep her from retreating into her fear because the therapist had said it diverted her anxieties, describing brain synapses and how they worked. Lily didn't care about the reasons. The red rubber band helped. She had come to rely on it to keep her rooted in the present.

Shade's lips would tighten in displeasure whenever he caught her snapping it, letting her know without words to stop. The problem was he increased the need to rely on the rubber band with his presence. One glance from his striking blue eyes had her nerves so on edge that she needed the small snap of pain to soothe her rioting emotions.

Her trembling hands smoothed down her knee-length dress instead.

"I'm done for the day, Shade." Her eyes didn't meet his, instead going to Rider who was sitting on one of the tables nearby. He and Shade had been talking about the orders while they waited for her to finish so they could lock up.

The other factory workers had left over a half hour ago, yet her speed hadn't increased by much since her cast had been removed earlier in the week. The doctor had warned her it would take several weeks to regain the normal strength of her hand.

She had hurried with the last order because she could tell both men were waiting for their weekend to begin. Her own sister would be arriving in a few hours to spend the night at the house sitting on the hill just above the factory. The Last Riders were a motorcycle club who owned the factory and all the surrounding property, including the huge home where they held their weekly party.

Lily smothered her own hurt feelings that she had never been invited. She knew it was because of her reaction to being around men who drank alcohol, but it still hurt that she was excluded from that part of her sister's life.

Her roommate, Penni, had even attempted to help her overcome her fear by taking her to a few parties in college, but those where alcohol had been served had become a failure. She had always let the fear overcome her, sinking into a paralyzing panic that would inevitably result in her friend practically carrying her back to her car.

Lily was ashamed to admit to herself that she was a coward. She was afraid of everything, and the one person that inspired the most fear was Shade.

When he stared at her with his piercing blue eyes, her mind went into panic mode every single time. Her fears had lessened, however, over the last few years since they had met and her sister had married Razer, his best friend.

"Hot d.a.m.n. Let the good times roll," Rider said, jumping off the table he had been sitting on.

Lily tried to hide her feelings, yet from the sharp look Shade threw Rider at his insensitive comment, she knew she had been unsuccessful.

Lily picked up the sc.r.a.ps of paper lying on her table, throwing them in the trashcan before going back to the table and picking up her purse.

"See you guys Monday." Lily was going out the door as Bliss was coming in.

"Finished for the day?" The pretty member of The Last Riders was extremely feminine and pet.i.te, making Lily feel like a gauche fifteen-year-old. She gave her an open smile until her eyes went behind her back and a frown replaced it on her face.

"Yes, have a good weekend, Bliss."

Lily turned her head and saw Rider and Shade staring back at her with cool smiles. Thinking she had mistaken the worried frown, she started out the door then paused, staring down at the outfit Bliss was wearing. The blue jean shorts were tiny as well as the swimsuit top that tied between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The tat on her breast drew her attention until Bliss hurried past her into the factory.

Lily waved her hand goodbye, closing the door behind her.