Shade (Shade #1)

“Anyway you take me, I enjoy,” Lily confessed, staring up at him holding their child.

A serious look crossed her face before she laid her head back on his thigh. Shade reached down to smooth her tumbled hair.

“Thank you.”

“What for?” She looked up at him in confusion.

“For John.”

“You’re welcome, even though your fifty percent responsible for him being here. It’s not cramping your style being a dad?”

“Hell no, but I do have to admit to one thing,” Shade said in mock seriousness, leaning forward to hand her their child.

“What’s that?” She smiled worriedly, taking John into her arms. Then her nose wrinkled as she began laughing.

“Not crazy about changing his diapers.”

*

Shade jogged across the beach, feeling the warm sand under his bare feet. Drawing closer to the attractive woman sitting on the lounge chair in a dark blue bikini, he came to a stop.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, staring down at Brooke’s surprised face which quickly turned pale. She sat up in her chair, looking around the exclusive beach resort. Seeing several people nearby, she relaxed.

“Yes. I’ll call security—”

“Why would you do that? Unlike you, it’s not my method to kill anyone with witnesses around.”

Shade sat down in the chair next to hers, and the waiter immediately approached for his order.

“Bring me what’s she having. A mojito?” Shade looked at her questioningly, and Brooke nodded. “Charge it to my room.”

Shade leaned back on the chair as the waiter left, feeling her eyes greedily taking in his tattooed chest. The sunglasses hid his eyes which were blazing with hatred for the woman.

“Did you really think you could hide from me when you skipped bail?”

“How did you find me?”

“Because I’m a nice guy, I’ll tell you. It was easy. All I had to do was follow the money trail. Merrick and your parents are providing you with ample funds, even enough to take care of that pesky scar Lily gave you, I see. It was smart to pick a place where the United States doesn’t have extradition.”

“I thought so. I left a letter in case…” Brooke replied smugly.

“In case you were killed? Yeah, I know that’s what you told Lily. Kaley told Train where he could find it. He said it only took one lick to her pussy before she was singing like a bird. You should have picked someone better to confide in. Needless to say, I destroyed it and the rest of the information on me you managed to fuck out of the poor sucker you had wrapped around your finger in the CIA. He no longer works for the agency, by the way.” Shade nodded to the waiter to place his drink on the table between the two chairs where Brooke’s drink was sitting.

“Why are you here?” Brooke took her sunglasses off, glancing around the beach once again.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t bring any of The Last Riders to drag you back to jail. You have nothing to fear from me. I promised Lily I wouldn’t lay a hand on you or shoot you.”

“You did? I’m beginning to wonder what I ever saw in you. You’ve become just like every other man I know—a pussy,” she said nastily.

Shade shrugged. “It was never my intention to impress you, anyway.”

Brooke’s eyes were caught by the striking woman walking down the beach toward them in the tiny, black bikini which barely covered her gorgeous body. The bottoms barely covered her front.

“You ready for lunch, Shade?” The woman had Brooke flushing in anger as she came to a stop by Brooke’s chair, forcing her to look up into the bright sun.

“Does your wife know you have a new whore?”

When the woman took a step forward, Shade got to his feet and caught her arm, holding her back.

“Here, take my drink and go over there and wait for me.” Shade handed her his drink then watched her walk away in appreciation.

Bringing his focus back to the sole reason he was here, he stood up. “Goodbye, Brooke.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Of course. It’s a beautiful day, and I don’t plan on spending another second of it with you.” Shade stood up and walked a few feet before she stopped him.

“I don’t understand. Why…?”

Shade paused, turning back to her. “What? Oh … I forgot to tell you. Evie said goodbye, too.” He began to walk away again. “Enjoy the sun, Brooke. It’s the last day you will ever fuckin’ feel it on your face.”

“Shade … wait!”

He didn’t stop. Walking away, he could hear the fear and frustration at his presence when she had thought she was out of his reach.

Shade dropped down in the lounge chair next to the woman who had helped him exact his revenge by being the perfect distraction.

“Finish your drink. Our plane leaves in a couple of hours.”

Killyama picked up her drink, staring in puzzlement at Brooke who was finishing her Mojito.

“That’s it?”

“Yes. I’m ready to go home.”

“So, we’re even now for you saving Fat Louise?”