The men around him broke into jeers as she walked through their midst. When she reached Kaden and Colton, Kaden reached out to touch her, but she jerked her arm away, going straight to her brother and climbing on the back of his bike.
“How long has she been gone?” Ice asked.
“Since this morning,” Shade answered.
“Need some help?” Ice questioned, reaching his hand out for Viper to shake in truce.
Viper shook his hand. “Couldn’t hurt. Tell us what you know about Digger.”
Shade listened to the men, gradually coming to the conclusion that only one man had the power to save Lily.
It was time to call Lucky.
Shade took his cell phone out of his pocket, punching the dial button.
“Hello?”
“I need to see you. I’ll be there in twenty.” Shade disconnected the call, turning to Viper.
“You got this? I’m going to go see Lucky.”
“Go, I can handle this. The Porters are on the way. We’ll divide the town and county up and begin searching,” Viper told him.
“I’ll meet up with you after I drop Penni off and talk to Lucky. I’m going to get us some help,” Shade said.
“We’re going to need it.”
*
The knock came ten minutes earlier than he’d said he would be there, but Shade didn’t have time to waste.
“Come in.”
Shade walked into his office, seeing his brother standing by the window.
“Lucky, I wouldn’t ask if I had a choice.” Shade’s harsh voice sounded hollow in the room.
“I’ve stood looking out this window for a lot of years, Shade. It took me over a year after your father opened the investigation into the pipeline going through here to find a connection. Then I had to find a way into the community which wouldn’t arouse suspicion. I’m a month away from closing down a pipeline which runs through nine states, carrying drugs and guns, and you’re asking me to blow my cover for one woman when the men I’m getting ready to arrest have killed hundreds while I’ve had to sit and wait to get enough evidence to bring them all down. We have all the warrants, everything gone because of one woman.”
“Lucky,” Shade said, forced to do what he had never done before. “Brother, please. I can’t lose her. I’m not like you and the others. I can pretend I have emotions, but they’re not there for anyone. There’s nothing inside of me except shadows. Lily drives the shadows away. She feels everything. She can’t even stand to crush a fucking flower under her foot, and I don’t feel anything unless I’m with her. I can’t lose that. I waited so long for her. I’ve loved her for years; she’s only loved me for a few weeks.
“When I first saw her, all I could think about was fucking her. Then I saw her at the lake with Beth and I felt her fear, but I saw the look she gave to Beth. She loved and trusted her, knew that Beth wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” Shade swallowed hard, uncomfortable opening himself up to anyone, especially Lucky. “I wanted her to look at me that way, needed her to look at me that way. I wanted to give her a life away from the darkness I saw had touched her beautiful soul.”
Shade’s face twisted into a painful mask. “I’ve taken countless lives and never felt an ounce of emotion. That’s why they recruited me in the military. One psychologist even joked after my evaluation that I had been born without a soul, and it was true until that day at the lake. I fell in love with her that day. There is no other woman for me; there never will be. Lily is my gateway to Heaven. Without her, the only thing left for me is Hell.
“You used to believe in something more important than that badge you carry. I’m begging you to save me, brother, because as God is my witness, I will kill you if you don’t help me.”
“I wouldn’t do it for anyone else. Not my mother or any brother, not for a million fucking dollars, and especially not because of any fucking threat of yours. But I will for Lily.”
“Thank you.” Shade’s mind caught on something. “Wait a minute. You said you have the warrants? I think I know how we can get Lily back and serve those warrants at the same time. Call your boss.”
It took less than thirty minutes and several phone calls from both Lucky and Shade where they made promises which would have to be kept later when the government wanted their skills. However, neither man argued, agreeing to their terms.
“Lily is worth the price,” Lucky conceded then hung up the phone. “It’s all set. In thirty minutes, the warrants will be served.” He looked down at the phone. “We just sold our souls to get her back.”
Shade smiled grimly. “Then they got the short end of the stick. They’ll have to go to Hell to collect.”
Chapter 69