“But…”
“No, Lily. If they don’t care how they treat their own flesh and blood, they aren’t going to care how they treat you. Do you think I’d be able to stand back and watch if they were rude to you?”
Lily bit her lip, shaking her head.
“Go help your sister cut the cake. She needs your help.” Beth and some of the women were storming away from Cash at that moment, Beth making her way back to the cake and seeming to apologize to Mrs. Langley. “Rachel will be fine,” Shade told her, hoping it was the truth.
He walked back to Cash. “I’m going to fucking kill them after the way they treated her.” Cash’s voice was low and deadly.
“Brother, I don’t know what you were thinking when you said what you did, but I’ve known you long enough to know that shit spewing out of your mouth wasn’t by accident. You wanted to fuck with her brothers, and you accomplished your goal.”
“I didn’t expect them to go ape-shit!”
“Then that was your bad. You both provoked each other, and Rachel was the one hurt. You think telling her you’re sorry is going to make a difference?”
“No, I don’t. She’ll never talk to me again. Did you see her face when I told her brothers I fucked her?”
“I saw. Go get a drink,” Shade advised.
Once Cash nodded, going to the ice cooler, Shade motioned for Rider and Train to stay with him before going back to Lily.
She was standing beside Beth, already having served the cake and now eating a slice. Lily’s plate had two pieces.
Shade casually reached out, taking the plate away. At Lily’s crestfallen expression, Shade picked up the plastic fork, spearing a piece of cake with a generous amount of frosting before placing it in front of her mouth. Lily opened, taking the bite he fed her, and the frown disappeared.
He took the next bite for himself. “Damn!”
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked.
“Lucky and Rider are idiots.”
Chapter 81
Shade looked up from his paperwork when his office door was opened. As Lily rushed inside, leaving it open, he could see Cash and Rider coming inside the factory door, quietly closing it behind them. Lily had her back turned, so she didn’t see them enter.
The workers had all left for the day, and he wouldn’t have still been there if he hadn’t needed to finish up the day’s paperwork.
“You have to find her, Shade!” She was upset, twisting her hands together.
Cash was unashamedly listening, his jaw tightening when he heard her words.
“Lily, calm down and start over. What happened?”
Lily took a deep breath, her body shaking. “Pastor Patterson came to the store this morning and told me Rachel had called to tell him she wouldn’t be volunteering anymore. I was concerned because I knew Rachel would have a hard time facing everyone, but I thought she would just take a couple of weeks off! I didn’t realize until Tate came into the store, looking for Rachel, that no one has seen her since Friday night.”
“You said Pastor Patterson told you he had talked to her?” Shade asked.
Cash’s face had gone pale at Lily words. The women had given him hell Friday night for what he had done, and he had told Shade that morning that he was trying to avoid town so he wouldn’t run into Rachel.
Lily nodded.
“Then we know she’s okay if someone has heard from her,” he reasoned, calming his wife.
“Okay.”
“What did Tate tell you?”
“He said she was gone the next morning when they woke up. She left them a note, but he didn’t tell me what it said. He’s worried sick, though. He was going to see Knox when he left the store.”
“I’ll call and talk to Knox to see if he’s found anything out.”
“Thank you. I’m so worried about her, Shade. I saw her face, and she was so humiliated. She didn’t deserve Cash and her brothers treating her that way. She helps everyone. She gives her skills and usually doesn’t even charge people.
“Mary Owen’s little girl had something wrong with her stomach and couldn’t even hold food down. Rachel gave her a supplement, and she’s gained five pounds. Mrs. Willis had the shingles and when Rachel made a cream for her, she was able to go back to work. Rachel helped me, too, Shade. I don’t know what would have happened if she hadn’t pulled me out of that nightmare.”
Shade got up from behind his desk, taking her into his arms. “Don’t worry, Lily; I’ll find her, but be prepared. She may not want to come back to Treepoint.”
“You made me come back,” Lily argued.
“There’s a difference between you and Rachel. You belong to me.”
“I didn’t then.”
“You did. You just didn’t know it.” Shade smiled down at his wife. “Now, go feed my baby, and I’ll call Knox.”
“All right.” Lily turned, coming to a stop when she saw Cash and Rider. Throwing them an angry glare, she moved between them, leaving the factory.