"That's why you broke up?"

"No, we broke up because I thought he had cheated on me with Bliss. He hadn't."

"I see. Do s.e.x Piston and her crew know about The Last Riders?"

"Yes."

"So, everyone you're close to knew, except me," Lily stated. "Me, you didn't tell."

"No. I didn't know if you would be able to handle the life I have with Razer. I didn't want you to think less of me," Beth confessed.

"Instead, you just shut me out." Lily gave her sister a sad smile. "I would never have judged you on your s.e.x life, Beth. Because I have hang-ups doesn't make me believe others should. What hurt me was the deception. You lied to conceal what was going on." Lily felt tears slide down her cheeks. No, the details didn't matter, but the lies definitely did. "I've never lied to you, ever, and I didn't think you had to me, either. I'm hurt, but I'll get over it probably in a few days. You know I never could stay mad for long." Lily looked at her sister's pained expression. She didn't know what else to say, though. It was like her feelings toward Beth were encased in ice. She couldn't mend her sister's broken heart when her own was broken.

"All right. Will you at least quit ignoring my texts and calls?"

"Yes." Lily got to her feet, picking up her backpack.

"Do you want to go get a bite to eat before you go inside?" Beth's hopeful expression didn't sway Lily. She didn't want to be near Shade ever again.

"No, thanks."

"How about I drive down this weekend and bring your suitcases here? You have to need clothes."

"I already bought some new ones. You can box up what's in my room and give them to the church. I have a test on Monday, so this weekend isn't a good time. I'll see you for Thanksgiving."

Without another word, Lily went inside the building, not letting her gaze return to the parking lot. She wanted to run back into her sister's arms, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't trust her anymore.

Beth watched her sister walk through the doors before she couldn't hold it back any longer. She buried her face in her hands, heartbroken at the devastation she had caused with her secrecy. Lily was never going to forgive her. She had broken Lily's faith in her. She could see it in her delicate, pale face.

Lily looked like the wind would blow her away; she looked so fragile.

"Beth, please don't cry, kitten." Razer sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms.

"I've lost her, Razer. I can see it in her eyes. She's so hurt. It's like looking into an open wound."

"She'll get over it."

"No, Razer, she won't. She thinks I've lied and deceived her, and she's right. I should have told her at least parts of it; she could have taken that. What she can't accept is the one person she trusted hiding things from her."

"Did she tell you not to talk to her anymore?"

"No, but she told me to give her clothes away. She's cutting herself off from me."

"Then don't let her," Shade's voice came from over Razer's shoulder. Beth looked back at him.

"She knows everything now, Shade. She knows that Razer and you both are original members. How the women get the votes."

"She was bound to find out sooner or later. When you, Winter and Diamond found out, was it any less painful? But each of you got over it and moved on. Lily will, too."

"No, she won't, Shade. Lily is different. She'll believe that Razer and you took advantage of the women."

"That won't last long when she's around them," Shade said ironically.

Beth got to her feet. "You just don't get it, Shade. She's cut not only me, but us all from her heart. That's what Lily does. Lily doesn't give second chances with her love."

"No, Beth, it's you who doesn't understand. Lily's not going to be given the choice."

Chapter 11.

Lily walked back to her dorm from her cla.s.s the next day. Her mind had not been on the cla.s.s but on Beth's face. Lily knew the position Beth had been in must have been hard, yet the ice encasing her kept her from reaching out.

Lily stopped, leaning against a tree as a wave of dizziness swept over her. Taking a deep breath, she straightened, just wanting to make it back to her dorm room and crawl in bed. She walked another few feet, seeing her dorm building not far away. Her sole focus was on simply putting one step in front of the other, so she didn't notice the big truck pull up next to her.

"Get in, Lily." Lily looked through the pa.s.senger window and saw Shade. She didn't say anything, taking another step forward. "You can either get in or I'll put you in." His dark sungla.s.ses did little to hide his harsh expression.

"Go away," Lily forced herself to talk to him.

She heard the truck door open and Shade get out of the truck, opening the pa.s.senger door. "Get in."

"If you don't go away, I'll scream," Lily threatened.

"Try it and see what I do." She could tell he meant it.

Lily sighed. If he wanted to talk like Beth, she would listen rather than argue with him on a busy sidewalk. Maybe then, he would leave like Beth and she could be alone again. She climbed into the truck, and Shade slammed the door closed before going around the front of it and getting back inside.

When he put the truck in gear, driving out of the parking lot, Lily didn't try to talk to him as he drove through the small town. He pulled into a restaurant with a drive-thru, ordering food, and still not a word had been spoken between them.

He didn't ask what she wanted when placing the order, yet she knew he was ordering the food for her. She was equally surprised when he didn't pull to the side to eat. Instead, he got back on the road after the large bag of food was given to him.

The aromas coming from it were making Lily nauseous.

"Don't you dare throw up. Rider will be p.i.s.sed enough when he sees his truck is gone."

Lily forced the bile back down.

Shade pulled into the parking lot of the local hotel, stopping in front of a block of rooms. Picking up the bag, he walked to one of the rooms and disappeared inside after unlocking the door. A second later, he was back, opening the door by her side.

"Get out."

"Quit ordering me around. I'm not going in there." The words were no sooner out of her mouth than she found herself lifted from the truck. Shade slammed the door closed with his shoulder as she was struggling to get away, and then carried her into the room, slamming that door shut with his foot.

The room was small, but it held two beds, a small table and a dresser with a television. He set her down on one of the chairs by the small, round table in the room. When she would have jumped to her feet, he leaned down, placing a hand on each side of the chair she was sitting in, effectively blocking her in.

"Lily, I am a man with infinite patience, but you are trying me. I advise you to keep your a.s.s on that chair. Do you understand me?"

Lily did. She could hear the threat in his voice.

Shade straightened, going to the other chair and sitting down. He opened the bag, pulling out a small cup of soup and several packs of crackers then set them in front of her with a plastic spoon.

"Eat."

"Will you please quit ordering me around?" Lily asked again, her voice as cold as ice.

"I'll think about it." Shades lips twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt at her frosty gaze.

Lily took the lid off the soup, and her stomach lurched.

"Eat a cracker first."

Lily's trembling fingers tore open a pack of the crackers, removing one. She nibbled on it until her stomach settled then ate another.

She watched Shade eat the large burger and fries as she picked up her spoon and took a small bite of the soup before she opened another pack of crackers. Her stomach gradually settled.

Shade finished eating, setting one of the drinks in front of her. Lily took a drink. The chocolate shake was delicious. She started to cry as she drank it, remembering the meals they had shared over the summer.

"I hate you."

"I know." Shade removed his sungla.s.ses, letting her see his remorse.

Lily quit eating, sitting there with tears coursing down her cheeks, hating herself for letting him see how weak she was.

Shade stood, picking her up before going to the bed and laying her down. "Sleep, Lily. You'll feel better when you wake up. You're exhausted."

Lily closed her eyes, unable to keep the drowsiness at bay.

She didn't know how long she'd slept. Waking, she sat up and she could tell it was dark outside.

"What time is it?"

"Ten o'clock. You've slept six hours."

"Oh." Lily brushed her hands through her hair, trying to untangle the mess.

"There're clothes for you in the bag. Go take a shower."

Lily didn't argue. She had learned it was useless against Shade. So, picking up the bag, she went into the bathroom. She took a quick shower, drying off when she got out, and peeked into the bag he'd given her. Everything she needed was in there. She dressed in the jeans and sweatshirt, putting on the warm socks and tennis shoes. She brushed her hair, leaving it down to dry before putting her dirty clothes in the bag.

She went into the other room to see he had somehow made them sandwiches.

She held up a hand, forestalling him. "I'll eat." She wasn't up to fighting him. If she ate without arguing, then maybe he would take her back to her dorm.

Lily sat at the table, eating her sandwich while watching him lie on the bed on his back, watching the television.

When she was finished, she threw away the trash and the empty milk carton.

"Will you take me back to my dorm now?"

"Later. Come here."

Lily wasn't stupid; she wasn't going near him.

Getting up, she went to the phone on the bedside table instead. Before she could place a call, however, the phone was jerked from her hand and she felt herself falling onto the bed. Lily froze as Shade picked her up and adjusted her until she was lying on the bed with her head on the pillow.

"I'll take you back in the morning in time for your eight o'clock cla.s.s."

"I want to go now," Lily spoke between clenched teeth.

"Too bad." Shade lay down on the bed next to her, adjusting the pillow until he could see the television.

"You're unbelievable. You think you can do anything you want," she said resentfully.

Shade ignored her, turning the volume up.

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, hating the stubborn man. She lay there, gradually unable to help being drawn in to the old black-and-white movie. She fell back asleep before it ended.

The next thing she knew, Shade was waking her up.

"Move it if you don't want to miss your cla.s.s."

Lily got up from the bed, following Shade outside. She climbed back into the truck, not saying anything. Shade went through a drive-thru, getting her breakfast and handing it to her as he continued driving back to her campus while she ate. She finished as he pulled up outside her dorm.

Opening the door, she slid out of the truck, slamming the door behind her. She heard the truck finally pull out as she walked into her dorm. She had an hour to get changed and get to cla.s.s, so she rushed upstairs to prepare for the day.

It was only later, as she walked to cla.s.s, that she realized he had known what time her cla.s.s was.

Shade showed up the rest of the week, taking her to his hotel room every evening. Lily quit trying to argue with him. She had tried to evade him, only to lose. She hadn't spoken to him since the first day, though, and what irritated her the most was he seemed not to care that she was giving him the silent treatment.

Friday, he was waiting for her once again.

She climbed into the truck, expecting him to turn into the hotel again; instead, he headed past it, staying on the road. Lily turned to see his hard profile, wondering where he was going.

A few minutes later, there was no doubt in her mind left.

"I don't want to go home for the weekend. I have a test Monday."

"Your books are in your backpack. You can study at home."