“I know, but sometimes I just wish it could have been me. You think that Knox…”

“No, I don’t fucking think Knox ever wished it had been you.” Shade said harshly.

“Okay…okay. I’ll stop. Guess now he’s with Diamond I won’t be getting a taste of him anymore,” Evie said, lightening the grim mood. Shade lifted the whiskey bottle, taking another long drink.

“How much longer you going to be able to go on this way, Shade?”

“Another year,” he sighed. “Probably more.”

“Talk to Razer. Maybe he can work it out so you can begin seeing more of her. Maybe he can invite you over to dinner one night when she’s in from college.”

“It wouldn’t work. If I started seeing her, I wouldn’t be able to stop.”

“Yes, you would. I know you—”

“Not where Lily’s concerned you don’t. Leave it alone. Let’s just watch television.”

They watched a comedy on a group of teenagers running from the police.

“Remember when Levi and I stole Dad’s Jeep? We were already drunk off our asses by the time we picked you up.”

“I remember,” Evie said softly, scooting lower in the bed to lay her head on his shoulder. “Levi was laughing his head off, and you were driving around base, trying to pick up girls.”

“I never did get one that night.”

“They were too scared of you. You scare everyone.”

“Lily most of all.” Shade’s arm covered his eyes as he lay back on the bed.

Evie caught the whiskey bottle before it could spill.

“Go to sleep, Shade. You haven’t slept in two days.”

“Evie, you think it’s possible Lily will ever like me?” Shade’s voice slurred between the whiskey and lack of sleep.

His breath deepened as he dozed off before he could hear her soft answer.

“I think she’s going to love you.”

Chapter 35

Shade, Knox, and Viper were on their way to the diner when they saw Diamond enter the police station carrying a kid. The sheriff was holding the door open for her while the deputies followed with her secretary and a man Shade had never seen before.

“What the fuck?” Knox said, swinging his bike toward the police station, and a car horn blared.

Shade and Viper turned in when the pissed-off motorist had passed. Knox was already inside as Shade and Viper entered the station.

“I’m all right, Knox!” Diamond was yelling, trying to get Knox’s attention while he attempted to strangle the man in handcuffs.

Shade and Viper pulled him off, backing him away, as the deputies rushed the man out back.

“Knox, if you don’t stop, I’m going to arrest you,” the sheriff threatened.

Knox took a deep breath, going toward Diamond.

The little boy burst into tears.

“Holly!” he cried out with big tears sliding down his cheeks.

Shade was no expert on kids, but the one Diamond was holding didn’t look well.

“Sheriff, please let me hold him,” Holly cried, trying to take a step forward, but the deputy held her back.

“Sheriff, I already told you I’m not going to press charges. You have no reason to arrest her. She had his legal mother’s permission to care for him,” Diamond added her own plea.

The sheriff gave a sigh, going to Holly to release her handcuffs. “You should have brought the child forward. I wasted a lot of man hours searching.”

“I know. I regret that I didn’t. I should have contacted you when I found out Sam was dead, but with Vincent Bedford in prison, I was afraid he would be put in foster care. I’ve taken care of him since he was born.”

Diamond handed the little boy to Holly.

“I didn’t know Mitch had a gun. I just wanted Sam’s autopsy report so I could find out why Logan is sick all the time,” the frightened woman explained. “I’m so sorry, Diamond. I should have asked for your help instead of listening to Mitch’s idea of breaking into your office.”

Shade caught the warning look Diamond shot Holly.

“I told you it wasn’t a break-in if you had a key.”

“Well, we need to get this little guy to a doctor, and then I’ll take him to Mrs. Langley. She’s his only relative left,” the sheriff said, taking out his cell phone.

Diamond stopped him.

“No, she isn’t.”

* * *

Diamond and Knox came downstairs. Shade watched her eyes widen when she saw Jewell between Rider’s legs, sucking on his cock.

He was standing at the bar, talking to Bliss and Evie, when they stopped next to them.

Evie handed Diamond a beer.

“Thanks, Evie.”

“Did you eat dinner?” Knox asked, taking a drink of his own beer.

“Yes, I picked something up at the diner.”

Shade tilted his head to the side when Diamond met everyone else’s eyes except his.

“Let’s dance.” Knox broke into the strained silence, leading Diamond to the dance floor.

“You scare the crap out of her.” Bliss laughed.

Shade silently agreed. In the month Diamond and Knox had been together again, she still appeared nervous around Shade. She was friendly with Beth and Winter, but she didn’t gossip. Shade liked that about her. He liked it a lot.

Diamond had a good head on her shoulders, and she was concerned about other’s feelings. She had seen to it that Dustin was given custody of his son while ensuring Mrs. Langley was able to see her grandson. Her secretary was still employed with her, and Diamond had talked Dustin into letting Holly stay near his son, despite his older brothers’ anger from Holly having kept the child from them. Everything had been smoothed out by Diamond.

He and Evie were still standing at the bar later when Knox carried Diamond up the steps.

“When do you think it’s going to dawn on her that she’s the new member being voted in tonight?” Evie laughed as they both watched Train go upstairs.

“In about two minutes,” Shade replied as Cash left the dance floor with Bliss in tow.

“You change your mind about joining in?” Shade asked her.

“No. I said I would help you. Are you almost ready?”

Shade set his unfinished beer down on the bar counter.

Rider, seeing them heading to the door, left the dance floor. “Let me grab my keys, and I’ll meet you at my truck.”

Shade nodded, going out the door.

Crash turned off the music as the rest of The Last Riders followed them out the door and down to the parking lot. The women climbed in the front of Rider’s truck, which was filled to the brim with everything from Diamond’s bedroom that Knox and the other’s had taken from her apartment while she had been at work, while those who didn’t fit jumped on whichever brother’s bike was near.

Shade rode down the road alone, letting the fresh air hit him in the face, waving to his dad in his brand new truck as they passed on the winding road.

As the bikes pulled into the driveway of the house Knox had bought, Rider and Shade went to the tailgate of his truck where everyone grabbed something to pack in. Shade and Rider carried in the heavy mattress, setting it down inside the front door, since everyone else seemed to be waiting at the bottom of the steps for Shade’s orders.