Shade let a wry smile touch his lips. “We both know that’s not why I’m here.”
Charles looked him over. “If you came here to threaten me to stay away from Lily, I won’t. You’re wasting your time. Even if you beat me up, all I have to do is show Lily, and it would turn her against you. There’s no way you can win, Shade.” The little shit smiled at him.
Shade smiled back affably before reaching into his pocket to pull some photographs out and hand them to Charles.
Charles took the photos from him, turning pale, then looked back up at Shade.
Shade leaned forward, taking the photos back, looking at the woman and child in the picture. “Amazing resemblance, isn’t it? I think we both know what Lily would do if she found out you knocked up one of her friends. Miranda may have passed your kid off to the dumbass she married, but we both know it’s yours. Not only would Lily not have anything to do with you, but it would break up Miranda’s marriage, and the gossip would get back to your daddy. I believe her husband is a deacon in the church.” Shade leaned forward, resting his forearm on his knee, his eyes pinning Charles in place.
“What do you want?” Charles asked, his jaw tight.
Shade smiled in satisfaction. “What I want is for you to go back to Lexington. I’ll even give you a couple of weeks home before you have to leave. Just don’t try to see Lily anymore.”
With Charles’s nod of agreement, Shade straightened, starting his motor.
“She won’t ever love you. What makes you think you stand a better chance than me?” Charles looked him over as if he was trash.
Shade gave him his moment. Charles knew he had lost all hope of having Lily, and he sure as fuck was taking it better than Shade would have. He gazed back at the man yet felt no pity.
“The difference between us, Charles, is I would give my right arm for her. You, on the other hand, didn’t take five seconds to put on a fucking condom.” Shade drove off, leaving the speechless man behind.
Chapter 46
“Shade.” Kaley was standing on the stairway, staring at him hungrily.
He paused in his stretching, looking toward the hallway leading to where Lily was getting changed into her workout clothes in the bathroom. “What do you want?”
“Rider said to tell you someone is here to see you.” She shifted her weight to draw attention to her legs which were exposed by her tiny shorts.
“Why didn’t he just call?” Shade asked, putting his T-shirt back on.
“I offered to come get you.” Her eyes were practically licking his tattoos as he covered them up with the shirt.
He went to the steps which led upstairs and as he climbed up, she didn’t move out of the way. Shade was the master of that game. The bitch wasn’t going to manipulate him into playing a game he had no intention of participating in.
“Move, Kaley. Now.”
Her hand reached out to touch his chest but Shade caught it, twisting her wrist until she had to sit down on the steps.
“Do not touch me without permission. I’ve told you this before,” Shade reminded her. “I don’t want what you’re dying to give me.”
When she nodded, Shade released her.
“Come down into this basement again when Lily is here, and I’ll throw your ass out of the club. I don’t care how many fucking votes you have. You got me?”
“Yes.” Kaley rose to her feet.
“Good. Now get your ass upstairs,” he ordered, following her up and into the kitchen where she hastily moved away from him into the other room.
Rider was leaning against the counter, drinking a beer. He tilted the bottle to the kitchen door, and Shade went outside to find Rachel Porter standing hesitantly by the picnic table.
“Greer’s still in West Virginia, but he didn’t want to keep you waiting, so he asked me to bring your regular Friday order.” She held out a bag, which he took.
“He stay for a drink with The Blue Horsemen?”
Rachel smiled. “More like three or four.”
“You walk through the woods?” Shade asked, seeing leaves and dirt clinging to the bottom of her jeans.
“Yes. I was checking on my roots, anyway. It’s only a couple of miles.”
“You need to be careful out in the woods by yourself.”
“I know them like the back of my hand, and I have protection.” She motioned toward a large dog sitting to the side, patiently waiting for her.
“I need to get back. Lily’s waiting for me to work out.” Shade turned to go back inside.
“Shade…”
Her concerned voice stopped him. He turned back to see her face filled with worry.
“I told you I would take it slow, Rachel. She’s only here to work out. Be nice if you could work a little faster, though.”
“It’s not easy trying to work on her without her knowing it. I have to be careful because she knows I can heal with my hands.”