Shade

  “Beth, Lily.”

  “Why are you wearing that?” Lily asked, standing up, her face turning pale.

  “Because I’m an ATF Special Agent. I’ve been undercover since I took over your father’s church. It’s taken me this long, and over forty agents, to shut down a pipeline which carried drugs and firearms through nine different states.”

  When Lily’s pale face flushed with color, Shade knew she was remembering the different times she had confided in the pastor she admired.

  Lucky continued, “When Cash joined the military, he never forgot you two. He was especially sickened with Beth’s treatment, and he knew it wouldn’t be much longer before Lily would be receiving the same. Shade’s father, Will Hunter, had retired, so Cash asked him to stop by Treepoint to check on you two.”

  Lily’s eyes flew to Shade at the mention of his father, the former sheriff.

  “I was going to tell you when Dad came back into town next week. Think, Lily; why would I hide that from you when I’ve confessed to much worse than that?”

  Lily nodded. Thankfully, she seemed to believe he was telling the truth.

  “When he stayed here those few days, Will decided he liked it enough to stay indefinitely. He and his wife both were tired of moving around so much and wanted a break from it.

  “They settled here, and as you both know, it wasn’t long before he gained enough respect to become sheriff. That’s where his military training came in handy. He soon discovered the pipeline and notified the proper authorities.” Dean walked farther into the office, leaning against the corner of Knox’s desk.

  “This is where the conversation becomes confidential.” Lucky stared at both of the women, giving them a silent warning. “I had left the military and joined The Last Riders. I had been in the Seals and had served as a military chaplain, but when I left the service, I no longer felt the call to serve as a pastor, so I left that part of my life behind. But I wasn’t content. I missed the action of being in the military, so when the CIA approached The Last Riders to become a paramilitary group, we accepted.

  “That’s how we ended up in Treepoint to begin an investigation. The ATF offered me a position as a Special Agent to lead the investigation, but I had to go undercover to do so. The people who had begun developing leads ended up dead, so I waited for a way to enter the community that would be above suspicion.”

  Beth cut in. “Our parents’ deaths created the perfect opportunity.” Her face had gone as white as Lily’s as she gazed at Razer.

  “Sadly, yes. I’m sorry.” Dean paused then continued, “I became Pastor Dean and began my investigation. It’s taken me all these years to gather enough evidence to win my cases. I was a week away from making my arrests. I even had the warrants ready to go, but it all came crashing down today. “

  “Why today?” Beth asked.

  Shade silently watched Lily’s reaction to Lucky’s bombshell, knowing Lily only wanted to get away.

  “Because of Lily. We pooled all our available resources together, but to do that, I had to break my cover.”

  “I’m sorry,” Lily said. Even after learning she had been betrayed by Dean, she was apologizing.

  “Thanks to Shade’s quick thinking, we were able to serve the warrants in a two-hour mass bust and arrested three-fourths of the people we were after, and we’re confident we’ll be able to locate the remaining ones.”

  “How?” Lily asked, visibly relieved.

  “We had interagency cooperation. It was one of the deals Shade made for The Last Riders. In return, they sold the pending patents’ right to a technical computer system for pennies on the dollar than they would have made.

  “One of the conditions was that they had to use their technology to help find you.”

  It was the use of the planes which had cost both him and Lucky. It required special clearance and technology which were only used to find terrorists in other countries. Unless the agencies all agreed, with the permission granted by an office of extreme power, they would have never found her in time. When Lily’s location had been pinpointed, the Porters had been close by and had moved in with enough fire power and skill to save her.

  “When you were located, the Porters were the closest. That’s how they got there first. They’re never going to let us live it down. They want Dustin’s record expunged for their cooperation. I’ll see they get what they want. They deserve it.” Lucky stood up straight, looking at Lily.

  Lily took a shuddering breath, stepping forward. She reached up, kissing Lucky on his cheek. “Thank you.”

  Shade stood hastily. No matter how hard he tried and what he owed for Lucky’s help, he couldn’t stand to see her touch him.

  “Don’t you dare,” Lily said, pointing a finger at him.

  Shade managed to control himself, taking a seat back in the vacant chair.

  “I think you just returned the favor,” Dean said, smiling at Lily.

  When Beth would have gotten up, Razer pressed her back down in her chair with a hand on her shoulder.

  “I have to go. I still have a lot of reports to finish today. I also have to find a new minister for the church.” Lucky smiled wryly.

  “You never know … You missed the military when you left it; you may miss the church,” Lily said hopefully.

  Dean looked at both sisters briefly before going to the door and opening it. “Perhaps. I was blessed to meet two angels, so miracles can happen. We’ll have to wait and see,” he said, closing the door behind him.

  “Show-off,” Shade said, standing up. “I called you an angel first, remember that.”

  Lily laughed, breaking the tension. “Can we go home now?”

  “Yes,” Shade said, still irritated

  “Can I make a stop on the way and see my dad?” Lily asked.

  “Yes.” Shade personally thought the man who had kidnapped Lily deserved to be behind bars. He didn’t give a fuck if he had only done it to keep Lily safe from his enemy. Lily’s father King had been the one the ambulance had been called for, having been shot before the Porters had arrived.

  Lily laughed at his short responses, reaching up to kiss him on his cheek. “Does that make it better?”

  He smiled down at her as he put his arm around her shoulders. Fuck no, he thought to himself, but it will do until we get home.

  Lily turned to her sister. “Would you like to go, Beth?”

  “Yes. I’m looking forward to meeting him. When I first saw him, when he brought you, Dad said he was from the adoption agency.”

  “That reminds me, Lily. That strongbox you found contained your fake birth certificate. Cash sent it off to a buddy of his, and they tracked down your real one. It came in the afternoon mail.” Knox handed it to her.

  Lily took the envelope and stared down at it. Shade placed his arm around her shoulder, leading her out of the office. She didn’t need the paper. Lily was Beth’s sister, his wife, friends with a group which had sacrificed millions of dollars to keep her safe. No, she didn’t need it any longer. Shade had already known that when he had told Knox to send for a copy of it for her. Lily would have it for when she needed it, but other than that, it was just a piece of paper.

  Neither parent listed on that certificate deserved the child they had created. One was dead, and the other deserved to be for the childhood Lily had suffered.

  She wanted to give King a chance, and because Lily wanted it, Shade would try to bury his feelings. If the fucker screwed up again, however, then he would be the one buried.

  * * *

  Shade lay on his side in the bed, watching Lily brush her hair.

  “What’s going to happen to him?” she asked.

  “Not much, since you’ve already told Knox you weren’t kidnapped, and it was just a family reunion. Several government agencies aren’t very happy with you right now.”

  Lily shrugged, not concerned. “How about that man who was after him?”

  “He’s a different matter. Since he believes in letting everyone do
his dirty work for him, he wasn’t hurt. He’s in Knox’s jail, waiting for the Texas Rangers to come and get him. I imagine he’s planning more song and dance, holding the whereabouts of those women to himself.”

  Digger, the man responsible for the attempts on Lily’s life, was a piece of shit who had mistakenly assumed he was capable of outsmarting everyone.

  “I hope not. I’m going to pray for him to let those women go tonight.”

  “You do that, Lily. I have a feeling he’s going to need your prayers tonight,” Shade said, stroking her back.

  Digger was going to need more than prayers; he was going to need a miracle.

  Lily set her hairbrush on the table then stood up, her violet eyes staring down into his. “It’s my turn.”

  Shade’s grin widen as he scooted over on the bed, patting the mattress. During the short time they had been married, when they had sex, Lily preferred for him to make love to her gently. The newness of their relationship and being around the women club members had her instinctively needing the reconfirmation of his feelings for her. He understood and didn’t care how he had her.

  Lily shook her head. “Uh-uh. I want you to stand up.”

  Shade was puzzled by her behavior. Lily had never been the one to initiate having sex.

  He rose to stand next to her. She walked across the room, turning the overhead light off yet leaving the bedside lamps on. Shade was shocked when she opened his cabinet, which he no longer kept locked since it had been moved to his house.

  Turning, she walked to stand directly in front of him where she took off her robe and tossed it onto the chair by their bed. She stood completely naked before gracefully lowering herself into a kneeling position, placing her hands on her lap, palms up.

  He stood staring down at the perfect submissive pose she had voluntary presented him, struggling for several seconds to find his voice.

  “You did very well, Lily. Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “The other night, I told you that you were not allowed to kiss other men to show your gratitude, yet you did so today, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “I also said one man in particular you were not allowed to touch. Who was it?”

  “Pastor Dean, Sir.”

  “Have you got anything to say for yourself?”

  “I’m very sorry, Sir. I won’t do it again.”

  “Thank you for your apology, but that won’t get you out of your punishment.”

  “I didn’t think it would, Sir. I deserve your punishment for disobeying you.”

  Shade went to his cabinet, finding it hard to keep his face impassive. Her wanting to please him didn’t keep that worried frown from her face as he sorted through his toys.

  “Lie down on the bed.”

  Lily obeyed as Shade readied the contents of the package. He came over to Lily, bending between her spread thighs, sliding the metal balls inside of her.

  “Sir?”

  “I didn’t give you permission to talk.”

  “I’m sorry, Sir.”

  Shade climbed off the bed, going to the bathroom then coming back to stare down at her naked body on his bed.

  “You did very well, Lily. Since this is the first time I used them on you, I will tell you that I inserted two metal balls inside of you. They will add to our enjoyment tonight. Now, I want you to get up and get dressed.”

  Shade handed her a new pair of tight, black jeans, a sweatshirt, and then a thick jacket and boots, no bra or panties. They dressed without talking.

  They left their house, walking behind it and down the pathway. When Shade got on his bike, Lily hesitated then grinned, getting on behind him. It was the first time he had let her ride with him without a helmet. The night was about being bad, and he wanted Lily to be very bad. He wanted her to feel free after being held hostage. Although, with the balls inside of her, he planned to go slower than his usual speed.

  She circled his waist with her arms, gripping the front of his jeans as he pulled out onto the road. The metal balls inside of her would feel the vibrations from the road and his bike. Shade knew her pussy would be on fire by the time they arrived at his intended destination.

  It was one of the warmer days of winter—cold, though not unbearable.

  Shade slowed his bike, turning into a clearing in a private cove off the lake where Lily had first seen him. Shade cut the bike off, not far from the water. They sat there in the quiet for a few minutes, but Lily couldn’t sit without moving around on the seat.

  “I remember the day I saw you here in the lake. I’ve thought of how beautiful you were and how frightened you looked. I wanted to protect and fuck you at the same time. I thought the years I had to wait for you were a nightmare, but all those days and years combined didn’t equal the torture of not knowing where you were today and that I couldn’t protect you.”

  Lily got off the bike, coming around to face him. She touched his face, rubbing her thumb over his cheek. “Shade, I’m not going to say I’m not afraid of dying, because I am. Everyone is. But today, what I was most afraid of wasn’t dying; it was the fear of being separated from you. I prayed that, if I died, I would forget you because I knew, if I remembered you, I would be in Hell.”

  Shade jerked her to him, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth, exploring every part and memorizing the feel and taste of her. When Lily’s mouth broke away from his passionate kiss, gasping for breath, her hands full of his shirt, Shade was gasping as much as she was.

  Lily leaned forward, placing butterfly kisses against his throat, tenderly kissing the curve. Her hands slid under his T-shirt as her mouth traveled to the base of his throat before tracing to the side where his neck and shoulder met, sucking a piece of his flesh into her mouth.

  Shade groaned as she unzipped his jeans, pulling out his cock. She slid her hand up and down it as her teeth bit into his shoulder. Her tongue then brushed against the barely-there teeth marks.

  She lifted her head as her hand began to slide even faster on his flesh. Lily bent over him, placing her mouth over his cock, sucking him deeply then sliding her mouth up, letting her tongue tease the tip of his cock.

  “Damn, angel, quit teasing. Suck my cock,” Shade groaned.

  Lily stopped torturing him, sucking on him harder as he buried his hand in her hair, pushing her down on him as she used her tongue. Seeing her lips around his cock had him sucking in air to keep from coming. He didn’t want the pleasure to end too quickly. Hell, he didn’t want it to ever end.

  She thrust her hand deeper inside his jeans to play with his balls while Shade lifted her hair to grasp behind her head so he could watch every move, tugging her hair to make her go faster or slow down.

  He sucked in his breath sharply when she took the tip of his cock to the back of her throat. She went down even farther the next time and his hips jerked upwards, trying to storm into her tantalizing mouth. He held her head in place as he came, leaning over her as his cock jerked in her mouth.

  “Did I do okay?”

  Shade put his cock back into his jeans, zipping himself up with shaking hands. “So good I’m going to let you do it again in the morning,” he joked, starting the motor.

  Once Lily climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, Shade turned the bike toward home and they flew back through the night.

  The night seemed almost surreal to him. It wasn’t that many hours before he had been worried frantic for her. For the same woman to then give him the best blowjob of his life was a little hard to take in, even for him.

  By the time Shade pulled into the parking lot, Lily was squirming on the seat behind him, unconsciously rubbing her breasts against his back. He admired her restraint, that she hadn’t begged him to fuck her before they reached their house.

  With each step, he noticed Lily gritting her teeth and shooting him looks of retribution, which he ignored with a grin.

  Shade made it back to their house a few steps ahead of her, leaning against the doorway, waiting for her as
she finally made it to the porch, gasping. He arched his brow, daring her to speak her thoughts out loud.

  When she remained quiet, he stepped back, giving her the room she needed to go inside, closing the door as soon as she managed to step through.

  “Do you need anything, angel face?” He lowered his voice seductively, adding more fuel to her desire to come.

  “Take them out or fuck me, Shade,” Lily moaned, leaning back against the door.

  He stared at her as she rubbed her thighs together. The jeans he had bought her were a size too small so the seam would rub her clit without her panties.

  ”If you want my dick, all you have to do is ask for it,” Shade teased.

  “Please, Sir. Please, can I have your dick?” she begged with a flushed face and wild eyes.

  He would give his woman his dick; she didn’t need to beg. Thank fuck she didn’t realize she could be the one to have him begging with little effort.

  “Come here.”

  Shade pulled off her sweatshirt, dropping it to the floor. Placing his hands on her hips, he turned her until she was facing a chair before pressing her down over the back. It was waist-high, and her belly was against the thick material.

  He slid his hands between the chair and her belly, unbuttoning her jeans and then tugging them roughly down her hips and legs before he stepped on the middle of them.

  “Step out of them.” His hand was pressed against her bare back, holding her down over the chair.

  When she lifted her feet up, he impatiently kicked them out of the way before he pressed down harder on her back, making her ass come up higher.

  “I’m going to give you what you want now. I can’t give it to you hard because the metal balls are inside of you, but I’ll give it to you hard later after I let you rest,” he explained as he stared down at her ass. He placed his hand on the smooth flesh, sliding it down between her thighs to find her pussy.

  “You’re wet, angel. So wet. All I have to do is give you my dick.”

  He slid his cock in inch by slow inch, causing the balls to rub against the walls of her pussy with his cock sliding them up and down as he slowly fucked her. It only took a few strokes before she had an orgasm which had her screaming.