“How the fuck do you think it went? The woman is a fucking lunatic. She thought I would let her drive my bike.”
“What happened when you told her no?” Lily asked, dreading his answer.
“She tried to climb in front of me. I almost wrecked my bike.” He tore the top off his beer, taking a long drink. “When I brought her back here to her car, she actually thought I was going to fuck her.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“What happened when you told her no?” Lily asked apprehensively.
This time Train remained quiet.
The shocked silence had Train lifting the beer to his mouth, finishing it in a long swallow. Lily tried to smother her laugher, yet she was unsuccessful.
“Did you manage to tame the bitch?” Rider asked with a smirk.
At that, all hell broke loose. Train’s fist flew out, hitting Rider in the jaw and knocking him backwards, toppling the chair and him over. Lily screamed, standing up from the table, about to go to Rider’s aide, but Shade took her arm, pulling her away.
Train threw himself on Rider when he attempted to stand up. The two fought on the floor, throwing their fists viciously at each other, striking whatever body part they could reach while Viper and Nickel tried to pull them apart.
“Stop!” Winter yelled. “You two are scaring Lily.” Everyone except Winter froze, looking at Lily in trepidation, waiting for her to have one of her panic attacks.
Beth relaxed first, familiar with Winter’s machinations. Lily’s twinkling violet eyes had the other members turning to Winter suspiciously. She shrugged, sitting back down at the table, and then continued to eat. Lily joined her with the others gradually retaking their seats, as well. Finally, Train held his hand out to Rider, helping him to his feet. Both returned to their seats to finish their own dinners.
Gradually, the atmosphere relaxed and no one else dared to ask about either of Train’s rides.
Lily and Beth cleaned the table, leaving Winter and Ember to do the dishes. Shade, Train and Rider began a game of cards while several others began a game of pool in the corner of the room. Since everyone was behaving well, Lily lingered downstairs, talking with Stori. When Raci and Jewell came down, though, Lily knew it was time to disappear.
As she passed the card table, Shade reached up, pulling her down to sit on his lap while he continued to play cards. Lily’s back was to the room so that she was unable to see what was going on behind her. She relaxed against Shade, looking down at his cards. Someone put some music on and she heard them moving the furniture so they could dance. Lily was determined to go upstairs when they finished the hand they were playing. When Shade won, she clapped for him. Then they began another game.
“Do you want to play?” Shade asked.
“I don’t know how,” Lily said regretfully.
“I’ll teach you.”
The next hour Shade taught her how to play. Rider got up from the table, going into the kitchen and then coming back with beers for the men, placing a soda in front of Lily.
“Unless you want a beer?”
“No, thanks.” Lily opened the soda, taking a drink. A moan sounded behind her back and she started to get up.
“It’s your turn,” Shade reminded her.
Lily took her turn, trying to ignore the escalating moans.
She forced herself to watch their game. From the sounds behind her it was too late to leave anyway. Gradually, the moans died away and Lily was able to concentrate once again.
She was winning steadily with a pile of cash sitting in front of her. She couldn’t help thinking of the people at the church it would help this close to Christmas.
She scooted her latest winnings into the pile sitting in front of her.
“Sucker.” She grinned at Train across the table.
“Beginner’s luck,” he mumbled, dealing another hand.
Lily looked down at her cards, stifling the grin that threatened to break loose.
“Can I join?” Jewell came up behind Train, circling his neck. He reached around to pull her down onto his lap and then he dealt her a hand.
“Ante up.”
Lily tried not to notice Train’s hand slide across Jewell’s thigh. It’s time to cash in and leave, Lily thought.
“I don’t have any money. How about we play for favors?” Jewell’s hand went to Train’s lap.
“Okay with me. I need my room cleaned,” Train teased, pulling at her top. Jewell playfully hit his shoulder.
“Okay with you, Lily?” Shade asked, his arm circling her waist.
Lily could just see all three of the men sitting in church this Sunday. “I’m in.”
“I don’t like that vindictive look in your eyes, but I’m in,” Rider agreed.
Lily looked expectantly up at Shade.
“Are you sure you want to play?” he questioned her.
She eagerly nodded her head.
“Deal.”
Train dealt the cards. Lily gazed down at her cards, still smiling. She had to hastily place an impassive expression on her face or she was going to lose before she’d even started.
When it came time to place the bets, Jewell got a pad and paper and wrote household services. Ripping the paper off, she threw it onto the middle of the table.
“Of course that means a lot of services that I can perform in the house.”
Train wrote on the paper “An hour of my time,” throwing the slip of paper into the pot as well.
Rider did the same then Shade. When they handed her the paper, she wrote what the men had, “An hour of my time,” not wanting to perform any of the services that Jewell probably had planned. Lily tore off the paper, throwing it in the growing pile.
The game continued. When it came time to bet again, the pen and paper made the rounds again. Everyone’s IOUs stayed the same except for Jewell. Lily’s mouth dropped open when she described what she had written. She was about to throw it into the pot.
“Uh, excuse me. It’s nothing personal, but I don’t want that.”
“Are you sure?” Jewell didn’t try to hide her disappointment.
“I’m sure,” Lily replied firmly.
“Perhaps you should just bet what we are?” Shade suggested.
Jewell wrote down “An hour of time.” The game resumed with more calls to ante up. Lily was practically bouncing on Shade’s lap; her cards were so good.
Then it went to hell. Slowly but inexplicably, Lily realized she was going to lose. Minutes later, Shade grinned as he raked his winnings across the table. Lily didn’t know what made her more upset, that she had lost or that he had Jewell’s IOUs.
“I’m done for the night. Good game,” Shade said. His hand on her hips had her standing so that he could rise to his feet. He reached down onto the table, stacking his papers then sliding them into his pocket before reaching back to collect Lily’s winnings and handing them to her.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the cash from him.
“It was my pleasure. Later.” Shade nodded to the table. Lily turned to go upstairs.
“Lily.” She turned her head to see him shaking his. “We’re going downstairs for a couple of hours first.” Lily stopped. “Unless you want to renege on a bet?”
Everyone at the table paused, looking at her.
Lily cleared her voice. “Of course not.”
“I knew you were honest, going to church as often as you do.”
Lily reluctantly followed Shade downstairs, lagging slightly behind. She was still trying to figure out how she had landed in her current predicament when Shade closed and locked the door.
“Shade…”
“Take off your clothes.”
Lily didn’t move.
“So you don’t plan to keep your word.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “Yes, but choose something else.”
Shade reached into his pocket, pulling out the slips of paper, flipping through them. Opening one, he showed her the piece of paper.