“Lily, look at me.”

Lily didn’t.

Shade ached for her, wanting to give her the comfort she deserved.

“Please, look at me,” Lucky pleaded.

Lily broke, crying as if her heart was breaking. Shade fought back his own tears as Lucky put his arm around her shoulders, letting her cry until she lay quietly against him.

“I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry anymore,” Lily said.

“I think that one was well deserved. That’s why you wanted to become a social worker, isn’t it, to help children like yourself?”

Lily nodded. “Yes, I think so.”

“Lily, do you plan on judging children if you find them in situations like you were in?”

“Of course not,” Lily said, clearly shocked that Lucky thought she would.

“When people start coming into the church store tomorrow, are you going to judge them for being in need?”

“No,” she repeated. “They need our help.”

“Yes, they do, like you needed help and no one was there for you. You chose to survive, Lily. You’re the kindest, most compassionate woman I know, and it’s a true miracle that part of you wasn’t destroyed. As your pastor, I couldn’t be more proud. You make my Sundays worthwhile because when I look out into my congregation and see your face, I know God has graced my church with your presence.

“You have done nothing to feel ashamed of. The ones who should be ashamed are the ones who are responsible for hurting you. You don’t have any lessons to learn from me, but I have many to learn from you, Lily, because as God is my witness, I would have killed every single one of the bastards who touched you.”

“Thank you, Pastor.” Lily smiled at him with relief.

“Go on inside. It’s freezing out here. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She stood up, pausing when he didn’t follow. “Aren’t you coming in?”

“In a minute. I want to say a prayer.”

“Would you like me to stay and pray with you?” Lily asked.

“No, you’ve been out here long enough. I won’t be long.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Lily.”

When Lily had walked down the path and out of hearing, Lucky spoke up.

“You don’t deserve her,” he said, standing up.

“I know,” Shade stepped out of the shadows, not taking his eyes off Lily as she walked back toward the clubhouse.

“It’s a good thing they’re all dead, or we would be riding tonight.”

“It seems they’re all dead but one,” Shade said thoughtfully, turning to his brother.

Lucky frowned at him. “Which one?”

“The one who gave her to Beth’s parents.”

“You think something from her past may be why someone is trying to kill her?”

“Whoever has been watching her house has been doing it for years. Who else could it be?” Shade said, coming to the only conclusion which made any sense.

“Damn.”

“Talk to Knox, tell him what we found out tonight. I’m going to talk to Beth again and see if she remembers anything from when Lily first came to live with them. At this point, any adoption papers, even fake ones, would be a lead.” Shade’s only hope of finding the papers was Beth.

“I’ll talk to him before he leaves tonight.”

“Let’s get inside. I don’t want Lily alone tonight.”

They walked up the path together. Shade was about to go inside when Lucky’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“Promise me one thing.”

“What?” Shade asked.

“If we find out whoever took her could have stopped that shit, I get him first.”

Shade couldn’t make him that promise; he didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep.

* * *

He heard her teeth chattering when he opened the door. Closing it, he quickly undressed then pulled the covers back, scooting closer to her in the bed and holding her shivering body to his.

“Shade?”

“Yes?”

“That day in the diner when I had that panic attack, there was a little girl at one of the tables. What happened?”

“I had left with you, but Knox told me Diamond had seen you staring at the family. Knox talked to them. The little girl was placed in her grandmother’s custody.”

“It’s funny how things turn out, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it’s funny at all,” Shade said, pulling her tighter.

“I believe sometimes it’s meant for us to have to bear trials so we can recognize how to help others.” Lily’s voice grew drowsy.

“Go to sleep.” Shade’s voice was soothing.

It was then Shade realized the room was encased in darkness. She hadn’t turned the bathroom light on.

Her hand laced through Shade’s, and he pulled her closer, his cheek resting on her damp one.

The little girl in the restaurant had been abused by her mother. If Lily hadn’t recognized the signs, it would have continued. Lily’s suffering had changed that girl’s life for the better, but no one had been there to save Lily.

Shade raised his face from hers when he realized it wasn’t her tears on her cheeks. It had humbled him that her beautiful soul held no bitterness, trying to make the best out of what cards life had dealt her. He, however, was a mean motherfucker, and he was going to exact the revenge which she had been denied.

Chapter 61

He heard the music at the top of the steps. Lily must have turned it on after he had left her washing clothes in the basement.

He had expected her to be finished when he was done, but he had wanted to make sure she still wasn’t in the basement before he went upstairs. He knew she was all right in the club but he couldn’t keep himself from checking, making the excuse to himself that he would pack the clothes back upstairs for her.

Shade stood at the bottom of the steps with his mouth dropped open. She was on the pole, making experienced moves a stripper wouldn’t be able to perform. He quietly went to sit down on the couch to watch the show she didn’t know she was giving.

Lily was at the top and using her arms as leverage, she pushed her legs out from the pole. He could see the fine trembling of her arms and almost stopped her, afraid she would hurt herself, but she kept a firm grip before circling the pole with her thighs, making his cock harden at the sensuous movement.

Sliding down the pole, she stopped her momentum a few feet from the floor. Using her thighs, she held on to the pole, going backward until her hands touched the floor. Releasing her grip, she flipped her body, doing a brief handstand before continuing to flip until she stood straight, facing the steps. Then the buzzer for the dryer went off, and she moved toward the machine.

Thinking herself alone, Lily walked confidently with seductive grace across the floor, coming to an abrupt stop when she saw him sitting on the couch and staring at her. All her sexual confidence disappeared, and the shy woman was back.

“How long have you been there?” she asked suspiciously.

“Long enough to see you climb then come down the pole.”

“Oh.” Lily went to the dryer, pulling out the clothes and putting them in the basket. She didn’t meet his eyes as she jammed the clothes into the basket.