Viper shook his hand. "Couldn't hurt. Tell us what you know about Digger?"

Shade listened to the men, gradually coming to the conclusion that only one man had the power to save Lily.

It was time to call Lucky.

Chapter 40.

The knock came ten minutes earlier than he said he would be there, but Shade didn't have time to waste.

"Come in."

Shade walked into his office, seeing his brother standing by the window.

"Lucky, I wouldn't ask if I had a choice." Shade's harsh voice sounded hollow in the room.

"I've stood looking out this window for a lot of years, Shade. It took me over a year after your father opened the investigation into the pipeline going through here to find a connection. Then I had to find a way into the community, which wouldn't arouse suspicion. I'm a month away from closing down a pipeline that runs through nine states, carrying drugs and guns, and you're asking me to blow my cover for one woman when the men I'm getting ready to arrest have killed hundreds while I've had to sit and wait to get enough evidence to bring them all down. We have all the warrants, everything gone because of one woman."

"Lucky," Shade said, forced to do what he had never done before. "Brother, please. I can't lose her. I'm not like you and the others. I can pretend I have emotions, but they're not there for anyone. There's nothing inside of me except shadows. Lily drives the shadows away. She feels everything she can't even stand to crush a f.u.c.king flower under her foot and I don't feel anything unless I'm with her, I can't lose that. I waited so long for her, I've loved her for years; she's only loved me for a few weeks.

"When I first saw her all I could think about was f.u.c.king her. Then I saw her at the lake with Beth, I felt her fear but I saw the look she gave to Beth. She loved and trusted her, knew that Beth wouldn't let anything happen to her." Shade swallowed hard uncomfortable opening himself to anyone especially Lucky. "I wanted her to look at me that way, needed her to look at me that way. I wanted to give her a life away from the darkness that I saw had touched her beautiful soul." Shade's face twisted into a painful mask. "I've taken countless lives, and never felt an ounce of emotion that's why they recruited me in the military. One psychologist even joked after my evaluation I had been born without a soul, and it was true until that day at the lake. I fell in love with her that day, there is no other woman for me, there never will be. Lily is my gateway to Heaven without her the only thing left for me is h.e.l.l.

"You used to believe in something more important than that badge you carry. I'm begging you to save me brother because, as G.o.d is my witness, I will kill you if you don't help me."

"I wouldn't do it for anyone. Not my mother or any brother, not for a million f.u.c.king dollars, and especially not because of any f.u.c.king threat of yours. But, I will for Lily."

"Thank you." Shade's mind caught on something. "Wait a minute. You said you have the warrants? I think I know how we can get Lily back and serve those warrants at the same time. Call your boss."

They stayed in that tiny room, letting the day go by. At one point, Lily thought she heard a plane breaking the monotony for a few precious minutes until she could no longer hear the sound and the deadened silence returned. Her fingertips played with the red rubber band that she couldn't remember the last time she'd had to snap.

Lily saw King look at his watch. "I'm going to leave Henry with you. He's going to drive you back to your husband at nightfall. By then, it should be over."

"You don't have to handle it like this. I know the Sheriff here; he'll keep us both safe," she pleaded.

"In this little backwater town? Your town has never dealt with men like us who barter with life every day. As long as Digger is alive, he will chase you. The only way to stop him is if one of us is dead." King's voice was flat as he described a life that had been spent always looking over his shoulder.

King walked to the doorway, turning back before he went out the door. "I'm sorry, Lily. If it's any consolation, you were better off without me. I would have made a lousy father." King turned to walk through the doorway, leaving her without a goodbye.

One moment he was walking out the door, and in the next second, a gun blast and shattering gla.s.s sounded from the other room. Lily ran toward the sound, seeing King lying with blood pouring out of his chest.

Another gun blast sent gla.s.s splattering from another window, punching a hole in the plaster in the wall behind her. Lily screamed as more shots ricocheted into the house.

"Get down!" King yelled.

The big man, who had driven them to the house, came running into the room carrying a gun in his hand. He grabbed Lily's arm, forcing her to her knees.

"How many, Henry?" King asked, putting his hand to his chest.

Henry dragged her to a corner of the room, forcing her down onto her stomach. Then he scooted to a window facing the front of the house. He didn't say anything, just turned back to face his boss. For a second, the men shared a glance and Lily knew she wouldn't be going home to Shade again.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I always f.u.c.k up with you, don't I? I told you I was a lousy father."

As more shots were fired into the room, Lily screamed, covering her head with both her hand and arms. She started praying, over and over, hoping this time G.o.d was listening.

"What are you doing?" King's head turned on the floor toward her.

"I'm praying."

"Well, it's certainly the time for it. Say one for me. G.o.d knows I need it." He tried to sit up, finally managing to get up on an elbow, and then slid himself toward the window by Henry.

"Okay." Lily kept praying.

She heard him laughing, pulling a gun out of his suit coat. "Henry, did you ever think a daughter of mine or Brenda's would even know what a prayer was?"

"No, sir." More shots came flying into the room.

Lily stopped praying for a second. "How come you're not shooting back?"

Both men burst out laughing.

"I knew there was a part of me in there somewhere. We're not shooting because I want to save it for when they try to come into the house."

Lily started praying again when another round began.

"Come on out, King, and I'll let the girl live," a voice yelled from the outside.

"Digger, if you want me, come and get me. We both know you don't plan on killing her."

When a noise from the back sounded, Lily looked over at King; they only had minutes left. "Why didn't you just take me and disappear, instead of driving and leaving me with my parents? Why didn't you just keep me?" Lily asked with unshed tears in her eyes.

King turned from looking out the window to face her. This time he made no attempt to hide his tortured expression. "Don't you remember what happened after we left the apartment?"

Lily shook her head.

"You were hysterical. You thought I was going to kill you, too. You didn't stop screaming until we got to Saul's house and you saw Beth. She rocked you until you fell asleep. I left while you were still sleeping. I didn't want you to wake up and see me."

Lily sat, staring at him, hearing the men coming from the back of the house. Knowing they only had seconds left, she said what she knew they both needed to hear the most before they died. "Daddy, I forgive you."

"What in the h.e.l.l have you gotten yourself into now, Lily?"

Lily turned to look at the three men running h.e.l.l-bent across the room, taking positions around it.

"Dustin, Greer and Tate? What are you doing here?" Lily found herself laughing in stunned disbelief.

"You've got everyone in the f.u.c.king country searching for you. The FBI, the ATF, even the motherf.u.c.king CIA. What s.h.i.t have you stirred up?" Dustin gave her his usual s.h.i.t-eating grin.

A shot rang out from the back of the house. "Got one," Lily heard Rachel's yell.

"Is that Rachel?" Lily asked.

"h.e.l.l, yes, there's n.o.body better with a twenty-two. If they try coming through that back door, they'll be meeting the undertaker in town," Tate said, taking a bead on someone outside and letting go with a shot. "Greer, you take the ones on the right. Dustin, the left.

"Which ones you going to take?" Greer asked, shooting again.

"I'm going to take the rest of the ones you two miss," Tate answered, letting go with several shots, one after the other.

As Tate stopped for a second as if he was listening to something, Lily saw the black earpiece in his ear. He must have been listening to someone talking because moments later, she heard him tell them to send for an ambulance.

"They'll be here in five. Brothers, if you got them, shoot them. I don't want a motherf.u.c.ker left standing. They'll laugh us out of the county if they hear the police had to help us."

At that, the men began shooting in earnest, and Lily had to put her hands over her ears.

Another round of gunfire sounded from the back.

"Got two more!" Rachel yelled.

Lily caught King's astounded expression. "What were you saying about my town dealing with men like you?"

"Hold up. They want us to quit shooting. They're afraid we'll shoot them. p.u.s.s.ies are scared to come any closer," Tate said, shooting once more before standing up. "Let's go see if any of them are breathing. Dustin, you stay here with Rachel and Lily."

Still more gunfire was coming from the back.

"Rachel, quit shooting. Get out here!" Tate yelled.

Rachel came running into the room, carrying a rifle in her hand. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and Lily could tell she was having as much fun as her brothers.

She dropped down next to Lily on the floor. "I got a couple more. Did you keep count of how many you shot?" she asked her brothers.

Tate and Greer were opening the door. "More than you," Greer bragged before they went out the door.

She turned to Lily. "Did he?"

"I don't know. I didn't keep count," Lily replied, dumbfounded by her att.i.tude.

Rachel flashed her a grin that was as full of it as her brother's. "They like to throw it up to me that they're better shots. I'll get a copy of the police report from Knox and count them up."

She turned and saw King. "You're the guy who broke down in town." She raised her gun to point it at him.

"He's okay, Rachel. He's my father."

Rachel lowered her gun. "He's the one who kidnapped you?" Rachel asked.

"Yes," Lily answered her question. She would tell her the rest of it later.

"Dammit," Rachel cursed.

"What?" Lily asked.

"That's strike three."

Lily heard several feet running from outside, and then the door pushed open for Shade, Viper and Razer to run in.

"Shade." Lily couldn't help her broken sob when she said his name. She'd been so scared she wasn't going to see him again.

"Lily."

If she'd ever doubted her husband's love for her, all she would need to do is remember his face when he saw her. He ran, picking her up and holding her tightly in his arms. All the fear he had suffered and the relief at finding her safe showed his love more than a thousand words.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She hugged him back then stood still. "Are you crying?" she asked, astounded.

"No."

Chapter 41.

"Can we go home yet?" Lily asked again. She was sitting on a chair in Knox's office, waiting for Shade with Beth sitting next to her, holding her hand.

"They'll let us know. It shouldn't be much longer."

Knox had led Shade and her in here after they had left the house that King had taken her to. The ambulance had taken away King while two other ambulances had to be called along with the coroners from three counties to deal with the bodies.

"How did the Porters find me?" Lily asked.

"I have no idea," Beth responded as Knox and Shade came in.

"I can answer that question." Knox took a seat behind his desk.

Lily waited expectantly. "Well?"

"We're waiting on someone. We promised we would until he arrived." Shade walked to stand beside her chair, taking her hand. Razer came into the office then, shutting the door behind him. Lily could tell from their faces that the news they had wasn't going to be good.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, there's just a few things Razer and I haven't told you. It's not because we didn't want to, it was because we couldn't," Shade answered her question as Razer moved to stare down at his wife.