“Go eat. I’ll eat later.”

“You sure?”

Shade nodded, going with Knox.

“Diamond say what it was about?”

“No, only that it was good news.”

Shade hoped so. He let Knox enter the office first while he picked up a UPS box sitting outside her door. He was placing it on the desk of Diamond’s secretary when he saw Diamond run across her private office, throwing herself into Knox’s arms. Shade backed away toward the door, not wanting to interrupt them.

“The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office dropped the charges against you. Samantha had a genetic kidney disease; that was the cause of death.”

“What?”

“It’s true. Even if they find evidence of an argument between you, which they won’t,” Diamond added hastily, “they would have to do involuntary manslaughter, and that would be hard to prove unless someone actually saw you inflict the injury on Samantha.”

“It’s over?” Knox asked, relief filling his voice.

“Yes. I’m still going to try to find who attacked her because I don’t want that hanging over your head, but you’re free now.”

Shade heard the shuffling of feet.

“Want to go back to my apartment and celebrate? I don’t have any cases this afternoon.”

Shade was about to leave when Sex Piston barged by him before he could stop her. On her way by, she tossed him a look, daring him to interfere. Shade stiffened, tempted to meet the bitch’s challenge, but he didn’t want Diamond to be able to testify against him after he strangled her sister.

“Have you lost your fucking mind, Diamond?” Sex Piston snarled.

“What are you doing here?” Diamond’s confusion was apparent at her sister’s sudden appearance.

“I came to see why in the hell you haven’t returned any of Ma’s and Pop’s calls. Now I see why. You’re giving them shit while you’re screwing that fuckwad.”

“Don’t talk about him like that, Sex Piston,” Diamond snapped angrily at her sister.

“You’re taking up for him? You’ve been fucking him after throwing up your high and mighty morals to me for years. I don’t think so, bitch. You’re letting someone fuck you who I wouldn’t let touch me.”

“Shut up.”

“Why? You don’t want to hear what I got to say? Too fucking bad. I’ve put up with your shit for years.” She nodded in Knox’s direction. “If you’ve been fucking him, then you’ve done Rider, too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“They’re the welcoming committee to The Last Riders. They double-team the women who are joining the club. He tell you how the women become members?”

“Like Pop’s club; you become a member’s old lady or fuck buddy.”

“Don’t tell me you’re that fucking stupid? None of those women belong to any of the members. They are members.”

“How do they become members?”

Knox remained silent at Diamond’s question.

“There are eight original members. The women who want to join fuck six out of the eight. When they’ve accomplished that milestone, they go get themselves tatted with the date they got their final vote. Now, isn’t that too sweet?” Sex Piston said harshly.

The bitch could have broken the news to her sister gently; instead, she had smacked her in the face with her knowledge of The Last Riders. Shade didn’t have to figure out it was Beth who had spilled the information, and Beth was going to earn a punishment for the mess before him.

“You been to one of their Friday night parties?” Sex Piston asked.

“What?”

“It’s their weekly fuck-fest where they swap sex partners and decide if any new women are going to become members.” She nodded toward Knox. “I heard he has a regular smorgasbord every week.

“If you didn’t make it to one of their Fridays, then he has no interest in you joining. You’re less than those women; you’re just a temporary fuck.”

“Get out,” Diamond demanded.

Sex Piston’s mouth closed with a snap. Throwing both of them dirty looks, she stormed from the office, slamming Diamond’s office door as she left.

Shade backed away from the closed door and a furious Sex Piston.

“You get your rocks off watching others, don’t you?”

Shade narrowed his eyes on the woman. “Be careful, Sex Piston. I’m not Knox or Razer. I don’t give a fuck if you’re a woman.”

For a brief second, fear flashed in her eyes before she lowered her lashes, giving a sharp nod then turning on her high heels and leaving.

Shade also left, returning to the diner to give Viper and Razer the news about the charges being dropped.

“I hope Knox took the news better than you,” Razer said, noticing his angry expression.

Shade told Razer what he had overheard.

Razer’s face went taut. “Beth and I both will both draw a punishment this week. Obviously, I didn’t make it clear enough not to talk about club business. I’ll apologize to Knox, too. He should have been the one to tell her when he was ready.” Razer began to get up.

“Sit down,” Shade told him. “Wait until you get back to the clubhouse. Give him some time to think.”

“About what?”

“If he gives a fuck,” Shade answered.

Chapter 33

Shade straddled the chair at the kitchen table next to Knox. The brother had never been a big talker, but since his fight with Diamond two months ago, he didn’t talk much at all. The conversation went quiet around the table when Beth’s cell phone rang. Her monosyllabic replies were short, and the call didn’t last a full minute. Then Beth sat, staring at her phone with a hurt expression on her face.

“Who was that?” Razer asked.

“Diamond Richards,” she said, glancing at Knox.

“What did she want with Lily’s number?”

Shade and Knox both stopped eating at Razer’s question.

“I don’t know. She hung up before I could ask.”

Razer and Beth kept eating until Razer couldn’t ignore the looks both Shade and Knox were throwing.

“Maybe you should call and find out,” Razer suggested.

Beth picked up her phone and called her sister while the men waited impatiently for several minutes until Beth hung up.

“What did she want?” Knox asked before he could.

“She wanted to know if there was a boy in her and Sam’s class who would freak a parent out if their daughter became involved with them.”

“Was there?” Knox asked while all Shade could feel was relief that nothing was going on with Lily.

“Yes.”

“Who was it?”

“Dustin Porter.”

* * *

Shade used hand movements to show the brothers which positions by the house he wanted them to take. They had left their bikes at the bottom of the hill and ran to the house, missing Tate, Greer, and Rachel entering by moments. Diamond was already inside with Dustin.

He, Viper, and Knox, edged silently closer to the door. Once there, Shade put his finger to his lips then raised it to show he wanted the brothers to wait. Voices could be heard on the other side.