Lily’s face lit up with joy, immediately going inside the room.
“Shade … If you hadn’t decided to come back—”
Shade cut him off. “Brother, if you start crying on me, I’ll punch you.”
“All right. Just wanted you to know that plan you have that you don’t think we know about, I’m in, and the rest of the brothers are, too.”
Shade looked at him in surprise. “How…?”
“You think you’re the only one who wants revenge? Been doing the same searches you have. Knox told me because he was tired of repeating the same information four times.”
“Who else wanted the information?” Shade asked.
“You, me, Lucky, and Viper.”
“Fuck. I was looking forward to doing it on my own.”
“Sorry, brother; we’re too used to sharing all the fun.” Razer slapped him on the back before moving away to find his babies.
Shade opened Beth’s door, seeing the two sisters hugging each other. He silently closed it again, leaving the two alone. He would wait for Razer.
Chapter 78
Shade reached into the ice cooler, pulling out a beer then carrying it to King who was determined to man the grill, despite the heat. Shade handed him the beer, seeing the sweat dripping of him.
“Thanks.” King took a long drink of the cold beer.
“Want me to take over for a while?” Shade offered.
“Don’t even think about it. Evie doesn’t think I can do anything macho. This is me about to prove her wrong.”
“Grilling is macho?” Shade’s eyes took in his sweaty T-shirt.
“Isn’t it?” King asked, wiping the perspiration from his brow with a paper towel.
“You’re not going to feel very manly when you suffer a heat stroke,” Shade advised.
“Just keep the beers coming. The burgers are almost ready.”
The crowd had gathered in the backyard of the clubhouse for the baptisms of Beth and Razer’s sons. Many were waiting to be fed, already making their plates from the buffet the women had put together.
King looked like he was about to pass out as he pulled the meat off, placing them on platters.
“Go find a seat in the shade. I’ll take these to the tables,” Shade told him as he picked the platter up.
King nodded, taking his beer to find a cool seat.
Shade carried the plates to the tables, setting them down, then got out of the way as the hungry members grabbed plates. He took a beer for himself as he walked around the yard, talking to the brothers while waiting for Lily to come outside. She had told him she would be out in a little while, that there was something she needed to do. It had been an hour already, though.
Shade passed Evie who was holding one of Beth’s sons while Razer stood not far away, keeping him within his eyesight. No one could tell the babies apart other than the parents. They had named one Noah and the other Chance.
Evie had grown attached to the baby she had delivered. With her and King now married, if King wasn’t careful, his father-in-law would be carrying around his own bundle of joy soon.
Shade laughingly joked to himself. The man can barely handle a grill, couldn’t fish worth shit… I hope, if King does have another kid, it’s another girl.
Lily came out of their house, carrying a large book. When she saw her father, she walked over to his table. She sat down next to King, placing the book in front of him.
Shade had watched her working on the scrapbook over the last week. She had shown him several of the pictures inside.
While King opened the book and began looking through it, Shade gave them their privacy as he threw his beer bottle away.
He saw sadness in King’s face until he turned through most of the book then joy filled his expression. Then Lily said something to King which had the man practically in tears.
Shade figured he had given them enough time. Besides, if he didn’t break it up, King was going to have every brother in the backyard making fun of him.
King closed the scrapbook as he approached.
“Are you ready to eat?” Shade asked Lily, frowning when he saw King wipe his tears away.
Maybe he should take another look at the scrapbook. The pictures inside shouldn’t be causing that kind of reaction from her father.
“No. Would you mind going to the car? I left a pack of diapers on the backseat. I thought we could…” Lily began mischievously.
“No. I am not making another diaper anything. I don’t care who it’s for.” Shade broke off his rant, taking a good look at King’s face. “Is Evie…?”
Hell, he felt bad about making fun of King’s crying.
“No.” King smiled widely at him.
Shade looked back and forth between Lily and King. His face broke into a smile as he lifted Lily from her seat, twirling her around in his arms.
“What’s going on?” Evie asked as she came to stand next to King. “Have you been crying?”
Shade heard her when he placed Lily back on her feet, kissing her then picking her up to twirl her again.
“Yes,” King admitted.
“Why?”
“Lily called me Dad.”
“Do you know why Shade’s crying?” Evie asked.
“Yes, because he’s going to be a dad.”
* * *
Bernard used his cane to hold the door open for the man entering the bar. He nodded toward the same card he had in his pocket.
“I see you won one, too.”
“What?” The man stopped as he was about to enter.
Bernard walked in, looking around. There were about twenty men watching the stripper shake her tits at the men in the bar.
“I got one. It’s for a free lap dance, isn’t it?”
“Yes. You won, too?”
Bernard nodded, losing interest in the man he was talking to.
“We must be on the same mailing list,” he said, taking a sea
t at an empty table.
“Maybe.” He shrugged, taking a seat at the same table.
“Here you go.” A server placed two whiskeys down on the table in front of them.
“We didn’t order these—”
“Don’t worry; they’re on the house.”
“Damn, why haven’t I come here before?” He smacked the table before picking up his drink.
“Name’s Jason.”
“Mine’s Bernard.” The two men shook hands.
The stripper walked off-stage as the door at the top of the stairs opened, and a huge man walked down the steps.
“He must be the bouncer,” Bernard wise-cracked. “Damn, those are some mean-looking fuckers in the corner by the door.” Bernard nodded at the group of bikers.
Jason turned his head, his expression growing pale when he saw the men. Hastily, he turned to face forward when the one with the scar stared at him. The creepy fucker made his skin crawl.
“That’s the Predators.” Jason lowered his voice.
Bernard turned to stare at them again rudely. “I’ve heard of them. They don’t look as badass as I thought they would. In my day, me and a couple of friends of mine could have taken the whole bunch of them,” Bernard bragged loudly.
“Sh … I don’t want any trouble with them,” Jason muttered.
“You a pussy?” He hit the table. “You’re in the right place. Jump on the stage.”
Jason looked around the room at the men sitting at the tables and standing at the bar. Some of them looked vaguely familiar.
The door to the outside opened, and another group of bikers entered. They looked just as lethal as the ones sitting at the table.
“Fuck, how many free coupons did they give away?” Bernard muttered.
Jason ignored him, staring at their cuts.
“The Last Riders,” Bernard answered his unasked question.
Jason had never heard of them, and he didn’t intend to get caught in a turf war. He finished his own drink, setting the glass down on the table.
He was about to stand up and leave when the last biker came in. When the door closed, he locked it and stood in front of it. He was as big as the bouncer, but he was bald. He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking the door.
Bernard slammed his empty glass on the table. “Where did that waitress go? I need another drink. Think they’ll give me another free one?”