Shade (The Last Riders 6)

“You dodged the bullet on that one. They had one planned for tonight,” Cade told him as he followed him to Rider’s truck with an armful of stuffed animals.

“My kid’s already saving his father’s ass.”

When they finally went back inside to Lily and the baby’s hospital room, it was unnaturally quiet and Shade sensed the tension in the room. Beth’s face was pale, while Fat Louise and Rachel both looked troubled. Lily was the only one acting normal as she held the baby, chatting about breastfeeding.

Shade and Cade hastily left the room, going to the lobby for a cup of coffee.

Fat Louise and Rachel came out a few minutes later, and Fat Louise placed an arm around Cade’s waist as she stood next to him.

“Anything happen when we were gone?” Shade asked curiously.

“Nothing important.” Fat Louise lowered her lashes. “Cade, we need to go. I need to get back to work.”

Shade frowned and was about to ask Rachel what had gone on inside the room when his cell phone rang.

He answered it, seeing Cash’s name on the caller ID. “Yes?”

“We have a problem. Brooke isn’t here in Georgia, or if she is, I can’t find her. I’m going to stay a couple of days to make sure she isn’t hiding out at her father’s instead of with her mother. I’ll check on what friends she has, too. Evie is texting me some names, and she’s also going to call her family members to find out where she may be hiding.”

“Thanks, Cash. I know it’s hard being away from Rachel when you just got married.”

“Brother, I owe that bitch, too,” Cash said, hanging up.

Shade slid his phone back into his pocket. It would be hard for Evie to talk to her family again, so Shade wouldn’t have wanted her to unless it was important.

The brothers were taking shifts to protect Lily, and when Shade returned to his wife’s room Train was standing outside, keeping guard. Until Brooke was found, not only Lily’s safety was at risk, but also his son’s.

When he went back inside the room, Lily was holding the baby as Beth sat on the bed next to her. Shade was about to probe further into the women’s strange behavior when the door opened behind him. The three people entering the room had him staring in surprise.

“How did you get here so fast?” Shade asked.

“Dad flashed his old badge. There’s three people stuck in Florida, cursing us right now for taking their spot on the plane.” Penni laughed, throwing herself in Shade’s arms. Shade hugged Penni back as his father reached his hand out to shake.

“Had to get here to meet my new grandson,” his dad said with a grin.

Rachel, his stepmother, moved to take Penni’s place within his arms when she moved away to the bed. Shade placed his arm around Rachel’s shoulder, leading her to Lily’s side.

“Can I hold him?”

“Of course.” Lily lifted the baby to her, and Penni grabbed and hugged her as soon as she released the baby.

“Your timing couldn’t have been better. I was taking my vacation with the parents when Shade called and told us you had the baby. Have you decided on a name yet?” Penni asked.

“No. I like several, but Shade says they’ll kick his butt in school if we picked any of them. I really like Brandon.”

Penni and his father both grimaced at that name.

“I told you so,” Shade reminded her.

“I know the perfect name,” Penni offered with a mischievous smile.

“What is it?” Shade asked cautiously.

“Lily’s favorite cowboy, John Wayne.”

“John Wayne Hunter,” Shade’s father repeated. “I like it.”

“So do I,” Lily said, staring at Shade hopefully.

Taking the baby from Rachel, he held his son as he walked to stand in front of his father. “Meet your grandson, John Wayne Hunter.”

His father reached out, taking the baby into his arms as Shade went to Lily’s side, reaching down to place a kiss on her pleased face.

“You don’t mind?”

“No, a cowboy name beats a pussy name. Did you really think I would let you name him Brandon?”

Lily laughed, giving Penni a conspiratorial look when she didn’t think he was looking. “I was going for Colin.”

* * *

The roar of his motorcycle going down the street never failed to give Shade a shot of adrenaline. He was on his way back to the hospital after going to the clubhouse to shower and change. He had snuck out while his family was there so Lily wouldn’t worry.

The light ahead turned red. Slowing down, Shade came to a stop. As he waited for the light to turn green, he casually looked down the neighborhood street to his side, seeing a large group arguing in a yard and on the sidewalk. Recognizing a familiar figure, he turned down the street when the light changed.

His mouth almost dropped open when he saw a little girl kick out at the biker dressed in leather.

He parked his bike a few feet away from them and climbed off, striding forward as Willa came rushing out of a house.

“You a-hole!” Shade lifted a brow as the girl who looked to be the oldest among the group of kids yelled at Lucky.

“Sissy!” Willa moved between Lucky and the girl, handing Lucky a towel and a plastic bottle.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Lucky snapped, staring at the items in his hand.

“I thought you could use them to clean it off,” Willa said, pointing at his bike.

Shade’s eyes went to Lucky’s bike sitting in the driveway next to Willa’s house.

He went closer, staring at the motorcycle that had been spray-painted with the word “Blasphemer,” while Willa grabbed the items from Lucky’s hands and went toward the bike.

“I’ll clean it for you.” Willa was about to spray the words with the cleaning solution when Shade stopped her.

“What happened?”

“Lucky thinks one of the children or I did this while he was inside Jenna’s house. I told him they didn’t, that they were playing in the backyard, but he doesn’t believe me.” Willa’s lashes blinked furiously, trying to hold back the tears brimming in her eyes.

Shade stared back angrily at Lucky who was flushing a guilty shade of red.

“I didn’t say they did. They”—Lucky pointed at the little boy and older teenager—“were both out front when I came outside, and Willa was going inside her house when I got here two hours ago. I was just trying to ask if they had seen who did it.”

“That wasn’t the way it sounded to me,” Willa said, contradicting Lucky’s explanation.

“Then I’m sorry.” Lucky pointed at his bike. “I was just angry when I saw that. Maybe I over-reacted.”

Willa ignored his apology, again moving to clean the word written across the entire frame of Lucky’s bike.

“Don’t touch it, Willa. I’m going to call Knox and get him to come and take pictures and see if he can find any prints.”

A frightened look came to her eyes as she stared at the children behind his back. “That’s not necessary. I can pay for the damages.”

“Why would you pay for something you’re not responsible for?” Lucky snapped.

“I don’t want you thinking we did it. There’s no need for a police report.”

Shade was guessing from her worried frown that one or more of the children had been in trouble since the death of Lewis.

“I’ll take care of it,” Lucky said as the front door to the house that Lucky was parked in front of opened, and Jenna came outside.

She was dressed in a short, black skirt and a red, silky blouse. She used to work at Mick’s until King’s new restaurant had opened, and then she had been hired to work there. Shade had recognized her house when he had pulled out. Several of the b

rothers had partied there throughout the years since they had come to Treepoint. Jenna at one time had even tried to become a member of The Last Riders, but her temperament with the other women had kept her from getting all the votes she had needed.

“I thought you left,” Jenna said, coming to Lucky’s side and placing an arm around his waist.

“I was side-tracked,” Lucky said without moving away from the woman.

Shade didn’t miss the hurt look that flashed briefly across Willa’s face, and he was sure Lucky hadn’t missed it, either.

“Who…?” Jenna stared at the bike sitting in her driveway then at the children standing near. “You fucking brats. You need to have the—”

“Shut up, Jenna!” Lucky interrupted. “They didn’t do it.”

“Then who?” Her eyes went to Willa. “You jealous bitch.” Her hand flew out, smacking Willa across the face before Lucky or Shade could stop her.

Willa cried out, her hand going to her cheek.

Lucky grabbed Jenna back while Shade stepped forward, fury storming through his body.

“Go to work, Jenna. I’ll deal with you later,” Lucky said harshly.

Jenna paled. Nodding her head, she went to her car and got inside, but not without shooting a retributive look toward Willa as she drove away.

“If she touches Willa again, we’re going to have a problem,” Shade warned. “She’s a friend of Lily’s.”

“I’ll talk to her tonight,” Lucky said, reaching out to pry Willa’s hand away from her face, but Willa jerked away from Lucky’s touch.

“Since you don’t want my help cleaning the paint off, there’s no need for us to be here. Shade, go ahead and call Knox. I’ll talk to him when he comes. Let’s go, kids.” Willa bustled the kids inside her house, the flaming red hand print on her cheek standing out starkly.

Lucky winced at the sound of her front door closing. Any other woman would have slammed it shut, yet the quiet sound of the door closing was a testament to the embarrassment the woman had just suffered.

“Don’t say a fucking thing,” Lucky said between clenched teeth.

Shade simply took out his phone, calling Knox and asking him to come to Jenna’s house.

“On my way,” Knox said, hanging up.