Shade slammed the cooler shut then took off his camouflage pants and shirt. He dressed in jeans and a T-shirt before packing his wet clothes back outside, throwing them into the campfire after dousing them with lighter fluid.
Placing a metal grate on top, he set a frying pan with fish in it onto the fire. It didn’t take long before the smell of frying fish filled the air.
Shade stood up, stretching before walking toward Rider. He crouched down next to him, taking the joint held out to him.
Cash tossed him a cold beer, which he caught with the other hand.
“We heading home in the morning?” Cash asked.
“Yes.”
“What are you going to tell Lily if she smells weed on your clothes?” Rider joked.
Shade grinned back. “I’ll tell her I didn’t inhale.”
Chapter 76
When Rider pulled his truck to a stop in The Last Riders’ parking lot, Shade opened the passenger side door and got out as Rider and Cash hopped out alongside him. Shade opened the back door, reaching inside and pulling out his canvas bag, looping it over his shoulder before slamming the truck door closed. He then moved around to the bed of the truck, helping Cash pull out the big ice cooler.
“You go ahead. We got this.” Rider grinned, coming around the back of the truck.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Have fun.” He smiled mockingly as he reached inside the truck bed for the fishing poles.
“Later,” Shade said to both men, turning toward the path which led to his house.
He was halfway there when he saw her running toward him down the path lined with spring flowers she had planted, her purple dress and black hair blowing in the breeze.
His somber expression broke into a smile as he came to a stop, lifting his shades to the top of his head so he could see her clearly. When she got close, he held out his arms and Lily jumped into them, her mouth already turned up for his kiss. He gave her the kiss he knew she wanted; he’d take his when he got her inside their home.
“Did you have a good fishing trip? Did you catch anything?” Lily asked, gazing up at him with love shining in her violet eyes.
“Yeah, two big fish and a small fry.”
“Was it fun?”
“Always.” He looked down into her shining, violet eyes. “Did you miss me?”
“Always.”
Shade grinned down at her, placing his arm around her shoulder as they walked up the path toward their house.
“Anything exciting happen while I was gone? Find anyone to give all my money away to?” he reminded her, keeping the promise he had made to himself when he had left.
“I’m not going to get angry with you today. I missed you too bad.” Lily shot him a glare then slipped her arm around his waist. “Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat,” Lily changed the subject.
“Sounds good. I’ll shower and change. I’ll help you fix dinner, and then you can help me later,” Shade teased.
“I don’t think that’s an even trade. Cooking is easy, while you require a lot of hard work.” Lily’s idea of dirty talk didn’t match his.
“Angel, I promise to do my part tonight, too. While you’re giving me a blowjob, I’ll suck that pretty, pink clit of yours.”
Lily blushed bright red, rushing into the kitchen.
“I’ll go get changed.” Shade climbed the steps, grinning when he heard a pot drop on the floor.
He took a couple of minutes to place his canvas bag in the hidden compartment of his cabinet before changing.
* * *
Shade was about to sit down to eat lunch at the clubhouse when his phone vibrated. Taking it out, he stared down at the text message.
“Viper, I need to borrow your computer for a minute.”
“Help yourself,” he said, staring at the same text Shade had read. “Door’s open.”
Shade left without another word, running upstairs to Viper’s room. He went to the computer, going to their security footage, smiling when he saw Evie until he saw who she was talking to. Closing the computer, he went back downstairs to the kitchen.
“Evie’s back. Anyone want to go welcome her home?”
“Hell yeah!” Train said.
“Let’s go.” Raci bounced out of her chair.
The members all stood up one by one.
“I have a PTA meeting. I’ll stop by and see her afterward,” Winter said, picking up her dirty plate.
Shade followed the rest of the members outside.
They rode to Beth’s and Lily’s old house which Evie had purchased before she had left for Texas.
As they pulled up in front of the house, the door was flung open.
Evie came running outside, and Jewell and Raci jumped off the backs of the bikes they were riding on.
“Why didn’t you call? We would have picked you up at the airport,” Jewell complained.
“I didn’t want to get you guys in trouble for missing work. I know what a slave-driver Shade can be,” she teased as he sat watching the commotion of her greeting everyone from his bike.
“How did you know I was back? I was getting ready to call,” Evie asked him.
“I saw you when the security alarm went off,” Shade stated matter-of-factly while his eyes searched her face.
“I forgot to key in the code.”
“Your visitor must have distracted you.” He caught her eyes with his.
“She didn’t stay long.”
“Who stopped by?” Jewell asked curiously.
“No one important.”
Knowing better than to push fo
r answers Evie wasn’t going to give, they all filed inside her new home. All the members had areas of their lives they wanted to remain private.
“So, what’s first?” Raci stared around the empty room.
“The first thing is the furniture store. Want to go with me?”
Raci, Jewell, and Ember all agreed to go, while the brothers were going to head back to the clubhouse.
“You going to come by tonight?” Train slung an arm around Evie’s shoulders.
“Not tonight. I’m tired from the trip and want to get unpacked,” Evie replied evasively, moving away slightly. She smiled at Train’s frown. “I’ll be there for work bright and early tomorrow, though, so don’t worry.”
“It wasn’t work I was thinking about. I’ve missed having you around.”
“I missed you guys, too,” Evie admitted with a smile.
“If we’re going to get this house furnished, we need to get to the store,” Raci reminded her.
“I’m coming.”
Evie picked the keys up off the counter. Beth had dropped Evie’s car off for her the day before. Razer and Shade had followed her and drove her back in Rider’s truck.
“Let’s go spend some money.”
The women yelled while the men groaned as everyone trailed out of the house.
Shade was the last one out the door and waited for her to lock it. “Brooke cause any problems?”
“Same old Brooke. What can I say? Shade, she’s really sick. I can’t believe she’s my sister.”
“She’s not sick; she’s an evil bitch. I wish I had known who she was married to. I would have talked Lucky out of letting Merrick take over for him.”
“It’s too late now. We’ll just have to deal with her.”
Shade turned to walk back to his bike, but Evie grabbed his arm. “Shade, she’s still fixated on you. Watch out. I’m worried with Lily being around her so often.”
Shade’s face darkened. “I didn’t want to talk to Lily about Brooke until I spoke with you first.”
Evie sighed. “You’re going to have to tell her everything. I understand. I don’t want her hurt because you want to respect my privacy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Lily won’t talk about my past with anyone, and she of all people will understand me not wanting to talk about it.”