He sat her down at the round table.
“I’ll fix you a plate,” Viper offered.
Shade ignored her stare while Knox and Razer returned it with one of their own.
“Hello,” Winter muttered.
They merely gave nods. None of the brothers talked much before noon.
Viper set a plate down in front of Winter before sitting next to her as Evie sat next to him with her own plate.
“I need a plate like hers. I can’t eat all this,” Winter protested.
“Eat,” Viper told her before addressing Razer. “Razer, you get Becker’s order finished?”
“Yeah, I checked the area it’s from and pulled a couple of things. The humidity would have affected them, so I replaced them with similar items that would hold up better. I also included a couple of freebies for his organization to try out. Figured, if they liked them, they would order more.”
“Good idea.”
Shade went on to give him a rundown on an order which was only half completed. Their survival business was booming, and it was becoming harder to keep up with the demands.
“They are talking about a big order going out tomorrow. That’s why everyone is up today, working an extra shift at the factory next door,” Evie explained to a listening Winter.
When Winter pushed her barely touched plate away, Viper pulled the plate to him, finishing what remained.
“You need to use the restroom?” Shade felt a tinge of compassion when Evie asked Winter the personal question, and Winter blushed bright red and shook her head.
The doorbell rang, producing a huge smile from Evie. “That must be your therapist.”
Shade didn’t like the look on Evie’s face and found out why when she returned.
“Winter, this is Conner Stevens, your physical therapist,” Evie introduced.
The women in the room could only stare in awe at the man who had entered, while the brothers weren’t happy with a new male breaching their territory. Shade, on the other hand, didn’t give a shit. Let the pretty boy make them wet; he and the brothers would be putting out the fire. Viper was the most displeased, not trying to hide his jealousy, but Winter didn’t notice, her eyes pinned on her new physical therapist.
“Tell Beth she kept her promise. I forgive her,” Shade heard her whisper to Evie.
What the fuck did she mean by that? Shade thought.
“Are you ready to get started?”
“Yes,” Winter answered, lifting her arms.
Conner laughed, coming to her side and lifting her easily.
“I’ll show you the way.” Evie guided them through the doorway which led to the basement.
“Wow,” Dawn breathed.
“Holy moly.” Jewell moved behind his back, rubbing his shoulders.
Shade took a drink of his coffee, already enjoying the benefits of the women wanting what they couldn’t have.
“Beth was alone with him for two hours when she interviewed him. I thought it was taking too long when she kept me waiting at the diner for her,” Razer complained. “I see why now.”
Viper was still staring at the closed door until his chair suddenly scraped back and he stood. Shade could read his intention.
“Evie will stay with them. She’s not going to let anything happen,” Shade consoled, leaning back as Jewell’s hands slid down his chest.
“He’s gotta go,” Viper stated.
“Yes, he does,” Razer agreed.
“Damn, you two quit being pussies. Evie will give a heads-up if she feels Winter wants more than his skills as a therapist. Jesus, never thought I’d see the day my brothers would be jealous of another man.” Shade shook his head at his brothers’ downfall.
“This comes from the man it took practically the whole club to hold back when a man put an arm around Lily,” Viper barked back snidely.
Shade grinned. “I haven’t fucked her yet. When I do, she won’t be looking elsewhere when I can give her what she needs,” Shade bragged.
“Think so? Brother, you’re headed for a fall,” Razer warned.
Shade ignored him, standing up. “You all need to get to work if we’re going to get that order out.”
The members then all filed out, but when Jewell started to go through, Shade placed an arm around her shoulder.
“You can be late. Viper owes me.” Viper’s lips tightened at Shade’s words.
“You have an hour,” he reluctantly told Jewell.
Shade’s hand went to Jewell’s ass. “Make it two. You know I like to take my time.”
He felt Jewell tremble under his arm.
After Viper paused before giving his permission, Shade gave him a grin as he guided Jewell out the door, not able to resist his parting shot. “Razer, Beth give you any after she interviewed her new employee?”
He left before Razer could reply, but he could still hear him from behind the door.
“I want to kick his ass.”
“I’m in,” Viper agreed.
Chapter 16
Shade sat at the kitchen table with Winter sitting across from him. He and the brothers were watching the television in the back room, which could be seen easily from the table. Winter was watching Rider and Evie argue over the best way to make sweet potatoes. When Evie made gagging noises after Rider mentioned marshmallows, Winter’s responding laughter brought a smile to Viper’s lips.
The brother has it bad, Shade thought.
Winter had gradually accepted staying at the clubhouse. Rider had told him of her escape attempt after Viper had yelled at her, but she had settled down and was growing stronger every day from the physical therapy with Conner. She was actually progressing much faster than anyone had expected.
On the downside, the news of her progression put Viper in a bad mood.
“They are like this every holiday,” Bliss explained the argument.
Razer and Beth came in as they were about to eat.
“I thought you would have dinner with Lily?” Winter asked.
Beth smiled. “This is the first Thanksgiving we have spent apart, but a friend from college invited her to spend the holiday with them, and she accepted.”
Shade already knew that, which was why his ass was sitting there instead of at his family’s table.
Winter raised a brow. “As overprotective as you are, I am surprised you let her go.”
Beth laughed, turning red. “Lily is old enough to make her own decisions now—that was the whole point of her going away to college—but I did ask Razer to check them out for me. He assured me it was safe,” Beth confessed.
Winter caught the unguarded look on Razer’s face as he stared at Shade across the table. Shade kept his face expressionless, aware Winter was watching. That woman could see through anything.
“How long has she known this girl?” Winter questioned Beth.
“They met at the first of the school year. Next year, they are thinking about being roommates. It’s great for Lily. I was about to break and let her come home, but I didn’t want her driving back and forth to the nearest college. This girl has made college life bearable for her. We’ll have to invite her one weekend.”
As expected, Lily had become good friends with Penni. Hell, a rabid dog wouldn’t be able to resist Penni. He had been relieved when Penni and Lily had become friends, because there was no way he could have stayed away if she had returned to Treepoint.
Razer’s face twitched at Beth’s words. The brother didn’t like misleading his woman. However, Shade remained expressionless, continuing to eat his meal under Winter’s scrutiny.
“I would wait a while. Finals will be coming up then Christmas. Besides, you have a wedding to plan after Christmas. I’m sure Lily can explain that it will be several months before you can return the favor.” Her response drew his eyes, having no doubt Winter knew something wasn’t as it seemed with Lily’s new friendship. She somehow knew Razer and Shade were involved, proving the woman saw entirely too much.
“Perhaps you’re ri
ght. I’m going dress shopping in Lexington after Christmas. We could make a weekend of it, just us girls.”
“That sounds like a good plan.”
Neither Razer nor Shade hid their relief.
The food was gone in a fourth of the time it had taken the members to cook it. Afterward, Shade helped clean the table, handing Bliss the dirty dishes to load in the dishwasher, brushing her body with his when he was sure Beth and Winter weren’t watching.
Shade grabbed himself a beer when he saw her nipples peak before going to find himself a seat on the crowded couch. While the men easily eavesdropped as they watched the game, the women sat at the kitchen table, planning Beth’s bachelorette party.
It wasn’t long before Razer and Train began yelling at the game, and Shade relaxed back with his team winning.
“That’s settled then,” Shade overheard next. “Winter, I bought an outfit for you to wear to tomorrow’s party. I hung it in your closet before coming downstairs.”
Shade decided it would be one Friday night he would miss. He was smart enough not to let Beth and Winter see anything that could come back to bite him in the ass.
“That was sweet of you, but I’m sure I had something that would have been fine,” Winter voiced her thanks.
“I seriously doubt that,” Beth deadpanned. “I want to explain about the parties, Winter. The first one was a shock for me.”
“I have been to several parties, Beth. I am not a social butterfly, but I don’t think I’ll embarrass myself.”
Shade was willing to bet Winter had never been to anything like the one she would be attending the following night.
“That’s not what I mean, Winter. What I meant is that the parties can get a little carried away; you may see some things that will shock you.”
The brothers began to lower their voices, amused at Beth’s attempt to warn Winter about their parties. They were hiding their laughter as nothing was going to prepare Winter. It was like being a virgin; until you fucked, there was no way to describe how good it was.
“For Heaven’s sake, Beth, I think she’s seen a naked man before. Hell, she dated Viper for two years,” Jewell interrupted, exasperated.
“I never saw Viper naked when we dated. We never had sex,” Winter confessed to the women.
Shade lifted a brow at his president, who actually turned red at Winter’s admission.
Rider yelled out at a touchdown, and Knox elbowed him in the ribs so they could hear.
“You dated Viper for two years and never fucked him?” Evie asked, just as surprised as the rest of them.
Rider and Train were giving Viper pitying looks.
“No. At first, my mom was sick, so I thought he was being understanding. Then Mom died, and I still thought the same thing. That excuse lasted about a year,” she said, opening another beer. All the women at the table watched the movement.
“What about the other year?” Bliss asked.
“We went to church together,” Winter said.
“Yeah, so?” Jewell asked what everyone was thinking.
“Oh, I understand,” Beth stated.
Shade was glad someone did because he sure as fuck didn’t.
“Well, fucking explain it to us,” Jewell demanded.
“It’s our Christian belief not to share sex before marriage. Many couples in our church don’t even kiss before their wedding day.” By that point, Beth was as red as Winter.
“So you thought,” Jewell started in a strangled voice, “that Viper shared your Christian values?”
Shade nearly dropped his beer at that answer. Lily belonged to the same church her sister and Winter did. Who in the hell waited for marriage to fuck? Nobody waited. They might pretend to wait, but they fucked. Everyone fucks, Shade tried to convince himself.
As the women burst out laughing, only Viper’s glare at the brothers prevented them from joining in.
“What about the last months you were together?” Stori asked.
“I thought he was gay.”
Viper choked on his beer and started to jump off the couch, but Knox and Shade held him down. The women turned at the sounds of the scuffle.
“What happened?” Winter asked.
“I think the other team got the ball,” Evie said, laughing.
“Oh, then I was at a football game and saw you guys walk by, and I realized he wasn’t gay,” Winter went on explaining.
“How did that make you realize he wasn’t gay?” Bliss asked.
“I saw him look at you. No man who is gay looks at a woman’s ass like that.”
The whole table got quiet, and Shade watched Viper’s face pale at Winter’s words.
“That’s when I realized he just saw me as a friend.”
“Ouch,” Shade muttered. Viper didn’t appreciate his snide remark and elbowed him in the ribs.
“Damn.” Jewell’s voice let the brothers know the women didn’t appreciate the way Winter had been used to gather information on her relative.
“Back to tomorrow’s party. I am sure I am a big girl, and if I see anything I can’t handle, I can get Viper to take me to my room.”
“I am sure that won’t be a problem. Uh, maybe you should stay away from Rider and Knox tomorrow night, to be on the safe side.”
Knox and Rider both looked disappointed at Beth’s advice.
“Why? Do they drink too much?” Winter’s innocent question had Viper smiling.
The woman was good for Viper. Shade hadn’t seen him smile so much since before Gavin had disappeared.
Shade saw Viper looking over his shoulder to where Winter sat rubbing her back. He rose from the couch. “Time for bed.” He said taking Winter into his arms, carrying her out of the room.
Silence filled the room as the swinging door closed behind them.
“I can’t believe she thought Viper wasn’t fucking her because she’s a Christian,” Jewell muttered.
“I can’t believe she thought he was gay,” Evie said.
“There are still women out there who are innocent,” Beth said, taking up for her friend. “Winter is one, and my sister is another.”
Shade disagreed. Those shadows in Lily’s eyes didn’t come from being innocent; they came from seeing too much.
Shaking off his thoughts of Lily, he thought Winter had to have known Viper wasn’t interested in her sexually. That was why she had made up so many excuses. Women saw only what they wanted to see. Shade was counting on it.
Chapter 17
Shade lifted the whip, letting the tip touch the tip of the pink nipple with a slight sting as his cell phone started to ring on his nightstand. Ignoring the woman chained to his bedroom wall, whimpering in frustration, he answered the call.
“Yes?”
“I need a favor.” Shade could barely hear Viper’s low voice.
“Already giving you two.” Shade’s eyes went back to Natasha, who was wiggling her ass against the mat hung on the wall, then switched to where Ember was tied to his bed.
“I told you I would pay you back. Conner leave?”
“About an hour ago. He thinks he’s going to be a Last Rider.”
“He wouldn’t live through the initiation.”
“I don’t know; kind of liking the benefits of having him around.”
As Natasha’s hand on her thigh started to inch toward her pussy, Shade pulled the whip back then snapped it forward so it almost moved in slow motion, striking the back of her hand. She slid it back down to rest on her thigh.
“Shade? You there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. What’s wrong with your voice?”
“Winter’s sleeping, and I don’t want to wake her.”
“So, what’s the favor?”
“I need you to guard the stairs and make sure Winter doesn’t try to escape.”
“I take it Winter didn’t enjoy her first party.”
“Oh, she enjoyed it, too much. She’s going to try to bolt, but I want her to stay right where she is. That’s where you come in.
”
“I’ll do it, but it’s going to cost you.”
“What do you want?”
“For two favors, I was willing to settle for a week off. For three, I want your marker.”
“I don’t give out markers,” Viper refused. “Pick something else.”
“You gave Beth your marker,” Shade reminded him.
“That was different. I thought Dad was responsible for Lily’s accident.”
“So, Winter’s staying here isn’t as important?” Silence from the other end of the call had Shade pushing the boundaries of what his president would allow. “Get Rider to do it.”
“He’s drunk off his ass.”
“Get one of the prospects to do it.”
“They’re young enough that Winter will intimidate them into helping her.”
“Where’s the rest of the brothers?”
“They all decided to take a midnight run.”
“Sounds like you’re shit out of luck. Why don’t you do it? Watch some TV?”
“I’m tired, and I’ll be putting in a lot of overtime since I promised you those days off for being the women’s reward if they kept Conner away from Winter. I’m worried she’ll sneak out of bed without me knowing,” Viper snapped.
“Sounds like you have only one option left.”
“I could order you to do it.”
“You could,” Shade agreed.
“Fuck you, Shade. What do you need my marker for?”
“I like to be prepared,” was Shade’s only response.
“All right, then, but she better be here when I wake up,” Viper warned.
“She will be,” Shade promised, his eyes returning to the two women in his bedroom. “Give me twenty minutes before you go to sleep. I have to finish with these favors first.”
Viper hung up on him.
* * *
Shade heard the bedroom door open and the sound of metal scraping. Viper must’ve been getting old not to have woken up with the racket Winter was making. He waited for the little runaway to make her way down the hallway to where he was hidden at the top of the steps.
Winter gave a startled scream when she finally saw him.