“I wouldn’t have ever said anything, but I didn’t want her to hurt herself because she’d made a mistake.”

“It’s more than a mistake. She fucked up bad. She’s going to do some hard time for arson unless she can come up with a name. Cash is trying to trace the account, but he said whoever set the account up knows what they’re doing. He said it’s one of the best he’s ever seen,” Knox informed them.

“Fuck,” Shade exclaimed.

“Not only that, but Georgia says she doesn’t know the man who gave her the money. Said she was at the grocery store and he drove a dark car up to her when she was putting groceries in her car. Handed her twenty thousand to do it then promised her the fifty thousand after it was done.”

“Did you check the store surveillance?” Viper asked.

“Sure did. The store erases the tapes after a month. I looked through them just in case we got lucky, but no such luck.”

“Damn,” Shade said. “I was hoping she had more information than that.”

“I’ll see if she can remember anything more in the morning; maybe spending her first night in jail will jog her memory,” Knox responded, adjusting Diamond on his lap.

“We need to catch a break somewhere before whoever they are makes another move against Lily.” Shade’s words frightened her. It was disconcerting to have someone so determined to hurt you and not know why.

“I like your boots,” Lily said to Diamond.

“Thanks, I bought them at the shoe store in town. It sucks that store is on the way to the courthouse. I have to pass it every day. These were in the window. The manager knows what I like and I swear he puts stuff in the window he knows I can’t resist.”

“I like shoes, too. I have some new ones that I haven’t worn yet. I don’t get much of an opportunity to wear them and they’re too large for Beth to wear.”

“Really? What size are they?” Diamond asked casually, yet Lily was well aware of the gleam of avarice in her eyes.

“Eight,” Lily answered with a smile.

“Damn, I wear a nine.”

“Sorry about that,” Lily apologized with a smile. She’d never had a girlfriend to share clothes with before.

“What size is the sweater?”

“Small.”

“I’m a medium, but it looks big on you; it could work.” Diamond reached out to touch the soft pink sweater. “I love pink, but it usually clashes with my hair.

“Let’s dance,” Shade interrupted them, his hand lifting her legs off his.

Lily looked around the room, seeing Train already had his hand between Bliss’s thighs as she sat on a stool at the bar. Several of the women, who were allowed in the house, were dancing suggestively with the members on the floor. Nickel was standing behind one, pulling her breast out of her top. Lily looked away.

“I think the floor is crowded enough.” Lily stood up.

“It isn’t downstairs,” Shade said, taking her hand. “Knox?”

“Coming.”

Shade turned to Viper and Razer. “Later.”

“Happy New Year, brother,” Viper said, lifting his beer up.

“You, too.”

Lily followed Shade downstairs. She was happy he understood she hadn’t wanted to stay up there. This way she could stay and have fun without being uncomfortable watching the others.

Shade turned on a couple of the lamps then turned on the music. He pulled up the workout mats, placing them against the wall before holding out his arms for her. She stepped into his arms without hesitation.

Knox and Diamond came downstairs, closing the door behind them and then they began dancing next to them.

Lily had been around Knox the least of the members, so he was slightly frightening to her because of his size, though his gentle expression when he was with Diamond eased her fears. They spent a while on the dance floor before Shade went upstairs, getting beers for him and Knox, bringing sodas for her and Diamond.

After sitting and talking for a while, Knox and Diamond went to the dance floor to dance again.

“Are you having fun?” Shade asked, sitting down on the couch next to her.

“Yes. I like Diamond.” Lily lowered her voice. “Shade, she really doesn’t believe that zombies are going to take over the world, does she?”

Shade laughed. “I have no idea. I think she just watches too many zombie movies.”

“See. That’s why I don’t watch scary movies.” She gave him an I-told-you-so look.

“Why? Are you susceptible to movies?”

“Scary ones. They give me nightmares.”

“Porno?” Shade leaned over her.

“No.” Lily hit his shoulder, laughing. Her laughter stopped when she saw the look of desire in his eyes.

His mouth touched hers, parting her lips with a firm thrust of his tongue, demanding her response. She widened her lips, letting him have the control he wanted.

His hand then went to her shoulder, brushing the sweater off it. His mouth followed the path of the sweater while his other hand slid it off the other shoulder. Only her breasts now held up her sweater.

Shade’s chest crushed her against the corner of the couch. His hand went to her thigh, sliding underneath her skirt, finding the edge of her panties. Lily felt a burning heat spread throughout her.

The music changed to a different song, bringing Lily back to awareness of where she was. She pushed Shade off her, sitting upright. Looking toward the dance floor, she saw that Knox and Diamond weren’t paying attention to them. Knox was standing behind Diamond, grinding his hips into her ass, his arm around her waist to pull her back against him. Diamond was dancing with her eyes closed, listening to the music, and Knox was only looking at Diamond.

Shade stood up, pulling Lily to her feet before lifting her into his arms. He carried her back to the bedroom where he set her on her feet next to the bed then turned on the bedside lamp.

Lily was amazed he could see so well in the dark. She had noticed before he could walk in the pitch dark like he could see where everything was.

He took off his clothes then reached out, taking off her sweater and bra, his lips kissing each nipple when he pulled it off.

“Sit down.”

Lily sat down on the edge of the bed. Shade bent down, pulling off her shoes and then kissing each foot he raised to his lips. Lily was charmed by his gentleness, thinking she was the luckiest woman in the world. He stood up, tossing her shoes out of the way. Then bending over, his mouth found hers again, giving her the passion she had been waiting for from him. His teeth nipped her bottom lip, giving her a small sting of pain, which he laved away with the tip of his tongue before he pressed her back against the mattress.

“Where did this furniture come from?” Lily tore her mouth away from his.

“I ordered another set. It came yesterday.”

“Oh.” Lily thought a second. “Why?”

“For when I want to play over here,” he explained, taking a nipple into his mouth.

“Ohhh,” Lily moaned as he bit down on the tip of her breast.

Just as her thigh came up, rubbing against his hip, Lily heard a sound and turned toward the doorway as Knox came in carrying a wiggling Diamond on his shoulder.

“Bed or couch?” Knox asked, pausing long enough to shut the door with his foot.