“I gave Lewis a job so he could support them.”
“He’s dead.”
“Which I’m not responsible for. I’m searching for their father.”
“That doesn’t matter. You killed their mother.”
“Which they’re better off without,” Shade said ruthlessly.
“You don’t even care, do you? But that’s not a surprise, is it? You already know you’re incapable of emotion, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’ve known since I saw a kid in second grade get hit by a car, and I didn’t feel anything. I knew before then something was wrong with me, but I couldn’t understand what the psychiatrist was telling my parents.
“He told them I have an attachment disorder, either from the constant moving around my father had to do in the military or the copious amounts of alcohol my mother drank while she was pregnant. Take your pick; it could have been either or both.”
“You lied to me. You told me you loved me! Everything—all of it—was lies.”
“None of it was lies. I love you, and I have from the first moment I saw you,” Shade said truthfully.
Lily turned away from him, holding her hand out to Beth. “I’m begging you for those car keys. Please, Beth,” Lily pleaded.
Once Beth held out the keys, giving them to Lily, she turned, leaving the porch and going down the walkway.
Shade didn’t say anything as he followed silently behind her, his cold heart filled with anguish which was slowly breaking him inside.
“You bitch!” Bliss moved to block her path. “Do you even know half of the things he’s done for you? If it wasn’t for him, you would have been in a psychiatric ward by now.”
“Shut up, Bliss,” Shade ordered.
“No, I’m not going to shut up. I’ve loved that man for years! Fucking years! But he never once gave me an ounce of hope that I was anything except a pussy for him to get off in. For you, he works a job he hates, kisses your ass as if you’re a fucking princess, and do you appreciate it? No, you’re leaving him and taking his child, too. Go! You don’t deserve him.”
“That’s enough, Bliss,” Winter said, stepping forward. “Lily, please stay with Beth or in town and think this over. Don’t be rash in making a decision.”
Lily stepped around her and kept walking; however, she turned around when Shade kept following her.
“Stop! You can’t change my mind. I’m leaving!” Lily screamed at him.
“I know. I won’t stop you from leaving, but I’m coming with you.”
“No, you’re not! Our marriage is over, I’m going to file for a divorce…” She twisted her hands together.
“Then take off my ring, I’m surprised you’re not throwing it at me. You like to throw things when you’re mad, so why aren’t you throwing my ring?”
Lily lips trembled as she turned to go back down the path. “Go away!”
“Where you go, I will go,” Shade repeated. “I won’t break my vows to you. I promised.” Shade stared at her, seeing the tears well in her tortured eyes.
She fell to her knees, crying while holding her stomach as she rocked back and forth.
“Oh, God, help me. Please, help me. I can’t do this,” she prayed.
Shade crouched on his knees beside her without touching her. “What can you not do, Lily?”
“Leave you.” Lily buried her face in her hands, crying helplessly. “I told her I wouldn’t even after she told me all about you and showed me proof. I told her I wouldn’t. She showed me your military records, and she told me Digger and Georgia were both killed by a sniper.”
“Who?” Shade asked, already knowing the answer.
“Brooke. She told me, if I didn’t leave you, she would turn over the proof to the sheriff in Jamestown. I told her we would get a lawyer, and she laughed at me. She told me…” Lily cried harder, raising her face to him. “Brooke told me she would kill you by hiring someone better than you, and that, if she couldn’t have you, no one would. She even said she had taken precautions so that, if anything happened to her, you would be blamed for it. I didn’t know what else to do but leave … I don’t want you hurt because of me,” Lily cried heartbrokenly.
“Angel…” Shade reached out, gently pulling her into his arms. “Without you, I’m dead anyway.”
Lily buried her face in his shoulder, unable to stop crying. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” she kept repeating.
Shade spoke soothingly to her, repeating he loved her over and over until she was lying spent against him.
“How did Brooke get to you?”
“She came inside the room the nurse showed me into.”
“How did she get in?”
“I don’t know. I just assumed she snuck inside. Evie was off today, and I didn’t know the nurse working.”
“Let’s go home.” Shade was going to the doctor’s office as soon as he was able to get Lily inside.
He started to lift her from the ground, but Lily frantically shook her head.
“I can’t. Brooke said, if I went home, she would know. Please, Shade, I can go stay with Penni until after the baby is born. We’ll talk to Knox and see what we can do to stop her.”
When Shade’s eyes caught Viper’s concerned gaze, he nodded silently, motioning the members to engulf the couple in their midst.
“Lily, listen to me carefully. We’ll stay in the clubhouse—”
She shook her head. “Brooke will know—”
“I’m going to see Brooke is taken care of. Trust me, angel.” Shade stood, helping Lily to stand. He started to take her arm to help her into the house but she gave a sudden cry, clutching her stomach and crying out in pain.
“Shade!”
He picked her up, carrying her toward the parking lot. He placed her in the truck while the brothers were climbing on their bikes with the women jumping on behind whoever was closest.
Her water broke as he was getting into the truck. He started the motor before backing up then followed behind Viper and Lucky as they pulled out onto the road. A long line of motorcycles rode behind the truck.
“Rider isn’t going to be happy with you,” Shade teased.
Lily gave a gurgling laugh. “Tell him he can put my name in the punishment bag.”
* * *
“Will you quit pacing? You’re making me nervous,” Lily moaned between labor pains.
Shade gave his wife a baleful look. “Should you sit like that?”
Lily was s
itting cross-legged on the bed with a sheet over her while she rubbed her belly. “It eases the pain.”
The nurse came into the room, looking at the monitor. “You’re progressing nicely. We’ll be giving the doctor a call soon.” The nurse turned to leave again, and Shade moved to block her path.
“He isn’t here yet?”
“No, Mr. Hunter. This is the first child your wife has had, so I’ll explain once again.” Her condescending voice grated on Shade’s nerves. “Labor can take several hours. As soon as she’s dilated to a certain point, we’ll call the doctor, and he’ll be here within ten minutes.”
“And I told you I wanted him here now. Call him and tell him for me that, if his overpriced ass isn’t here in the next ten minutes, I’ll have the sheriff come and get him,” Shade growled.
The nurse flew out of the room.
Lily giggled. “That wasn’t nice.”
“I have a newsflash for you: I’m not fucking nice,” Shade said, beginning to pace again.
A soft knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” Shade snapped, frustrated it wasn’t the doctor when Beth came inside.
“Can I stay?” she asked hesitantly.
Lily held out her hand for her sister.
“I don’t want to intrude on your special moment, but I’d like to stay.”
“I couldn’t imagine doing this without you.” When Lily’s soft voice came out laced with pain, Shade ran his hand over his closely cropped hair. “Besides, I might need you in case Shade gets thrown out of the room.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He crossed his arms across his chest. He dared any motherfucker to try to get him to leave. He would kick their ass out of the window.
It wasn’t long before the door was flung open and Lily’s doctor came in, still putting on his white coat.
“I’m here now. Let’s see how the mother-to-be is doing.” The doctor looked at the monitor before moving to the foot of Lily’s bed. “I’m going to check and see how much you’re dilated.”
Shade held Lily’s hand as the doctor checked her. When he was done, he removed his gloves.