Razer came out of the wooded hillside, looking aggravated, followed by Knox.

“Did you find anything?” Shade asked, knowing the shooter was already gone.

“No. Rider is still looking.”

“Who the fuck would be brave enough to piss Viper off by taking a hit out on you?” Knox questioned grimly.

“Don’t know.” Shade remained silent at Razer’s words, not enlightening them that Razer hadn’t been the target.

“Cops here.” Knox’s warning didn’t come as a surprise with the blue lights flashing.

Shade stood silently as his father approached while Razer opened the car door for a shaky Beth.

“Who called the police?” Beth asked.

“I did,” Razer answered. “Didn’t want them thinking we were the ones out here with a gun.”

“Beth, Razer.” The sheriff nodded toward him and Knox. “What happened?”

“Beth and I were by her car when someone fired a shot at me,” Razer began explaining.

“Don’t expect it was you they were shooting at,” the sheriff corrected with a look toward Beth.

“What do you mean?” Razer looked at the sheriff in confusion.

“I thought I told you to be careful?” The sheriff leveled a look at Beth.

“I was, but how was I supposed to know someone would be crazy enough to shoot at me in front of witnesses?”

“Someone is trying to kill Beth? Why?” Razer asked, clearly confused, before his eyes met Shade’s accusingly.

Shade had wanted to see if Beth would tell Razer that Lily’s car accident was really an attempt on her life, and his question had just been answered. He had thought she would behave like most women would—freaking out with the news someone was trying to kill her. But she had proven she would keep things hidden from Razer, which meant he couldn’t only use him as a source of information on the sisters.

“I’m still investigating,” the sheriff responded.

“You’re investigating? Since when?”

“Since I discovered her car’s brakes had been tampered with. I haven’t been able to find any prints or witnesses to the tampering. I have the deputies keeping an eye on her. She was supposed to be home like she usually is when she’s not working. Someone either had to follow her here or knew she was going to be here. Did you notice anyone following?”

“No, but I wasn’t paying attention,” Beth admitted.

“Show me where the shot came from, Razer. Beth, get back in the car.”

Beth did as she was told.

Shade leaned against the car door while the other men talked. When they finished, Knox went back inside the bar and Razer came back toward him.

His angry gaze warned he wasn’t happy Shade hadn’t told him about Beth’s brakes being tampered with, since they had been together when Shade had examined the car. Shade met his gaze directly, stepping away from the car as Razer got in beside Beth.

Shade waited until the car had left the parking lot before he headed for the hillside. Only two men in the club were good at tracking. He was one, and Cash was the other. He was hoping he would find something the others had missed.

He really didn’t give a shit what Beth had become involved in to make herself an enemy, but it placed Lily in danger, and that he wouldn’t tolerate.

Chapter 7

Shade drove his bike into the club parking lot. Pulling to a stop when he saw the door open at the house, he looked up and saw Beth. Even from where he was sitting, he could see the pain on her face.

Quickly, he took out his cell, punching in Razer’s number.

“Beth is leaving the house. From her face, I would say she knows what went down this morning.”

“Keep her there. I’ll be there in five.” The line disconnected.

Shade positioned himself in front of Beth’s car door.

“Hi, Beth.”

“Shade.” Beth paused, probably because Shade wasn’t budging from her car door. “Excuse me, Shade. I would like to get in my car.”

Shade remained where he was.

“Oh, going somewhere?” Shade knew it was a dumbass question, but he was trying to buy Razer time to get there.

“Yes. Do you mind?” She tried to maneuver around him, but he remained still.

“Actually, I do. Razer will be here in a minute. He wants you to wait for him.”

“But I don’t want to wait for Razer,” Beth argued.

“Take that up with him.” He shrugged.

“To do that, I would have to be here, which I don’t want to be. Now, would you please move out of my way?”

“Too late.” Shade gave a nod toward Razer as he blocked Beth’s car with his bike. He then backed off, going up the steps to the clubhouse, letting the two fight it out.

When he went inside the door, the women were standing at the window, watching the show.

Natasha turned her head when he entered. “She’s pissed off at me, isn’t she?”

Shade didn’t know how to answer; it was something Razer and Beth would have had to deal with sooner or later.

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Shade told the woman, “I’d say she’s more pissed at Razer right now. Does it really matter, though? I thought I told you to keep becoming a member on the down-low after Viper left this morning?”

“You did,” Natasha said miserably. “But she saw the bandage covering my tattoo.”

Shade’s face hardened. “Go downstairs to my room. I’ll be down in a minute,” he ordered the shivering woman, seeing more desire than fear in her face.

Natasha took off running toward the kitchen.

“You really going to punish her for an accident?” Evie asked.

“No, but I plan on taking her mind off whether or not Beth is mad at her.”

The door opened, and the amused group watched as Razer packed Beth upstairs. A minute later, his bedroom door slammed shut.

“I accidently bumped Natasha. That’s how Beth saw the tattoo,” Ember confessed with a grin.

Shade’s cold blue gaze went to Ember. “Then I guess you get to share her punishment.”

* * *

Shade felt like shit warmed over when he walked through the back door into the kitchen after cleaning the remains of the party from the backyard. He had been up all night fucking. He’d pulled clean up duty as punishment for not telling Razer about Beth’s brakes.

Determined nothing was going to stop him from going to sleep, he paused when he found Beth and Razer in the kitchen. Deciding to let his rolling stomach settle down before going to bed, he sat down next to Razer and swiped the coffee he had been about to drink.

“Hey, Shade, where were you last night?” Beth asked.

Shade paused, wincing when Beth laughed at his reaction.

“Yeah, Shade, where were you last night?” Razer joked as Beth set down a new cup of coffee in front of him.

Shade wanted to punch Razer in the face for aggravating him. “I was visiting a sick friend,” he said with a straight face.

“That was kind of you. Do they need any help? I could go down before we go for a ride,” Beth offered.

“No, thanks,” Shade managed to get out.

The innocent woman would run screaming from the house if she saw the sick friend of his still tied to his bed downstairs. He planned to untie her and send her away before going to sleep.