Train dropped the helicopter, blocking the Jeeps.

“Get in!” yelled Rider, giving cover fire to the fleeing women and Cade.

Shots rang out as the soldiers began firing at the helicopter. Shade lifted his rifle, returning the fire with Viper by his side, giving them time to get inside.

Bailey threw herself into the helicopter, and then Fat Louise was lifted in by Cade who flung himself inside with his body covering hers.

Shade, Rider, and Viper kept firing, waiting for Killyama to get her ass inside. As soon as she jumped in, she yelled, “Go! Go!”

Train lifted the helicopter, flying back toward the United States’ side of the border.

Shade sank back into his seat right as Fat Louise threw herself into Killyama’s arms, bursting into tears.

Shade studied Killyama’s reaction. Her expression was rigidly controlled. If he hadn’t seen the bitch’s arms tighten around the sobbing woman, Shade would have thought her unaffected.

Killyama was saying something to Fat Louise which had her nodding then talking. They went back and forth for a while before Killyama pulled out a protein bar and handed it to her.

She had told them of Fat Louise’s medical condition, and they had used it shamelessly to get the government’s aid in helping locate her.

Killyama stared at Cade. The poor fucker didn’t know what he was in for. He probably had thought he was home free when he had jumped into the helicopter.

“He wasn’t doing a great job, was he?” she sneered, yelling to be heard.

Cade stiffened. “I was doing fine until Bailey took off like a bat out of Hell.”

Bailey flushed yet defended herself. “It worked out fine, didn’t it? We’re all safe now.”

“No thanks to you,” snorted Killyama.

The two women glared at each other.

It was twenty minutes later when they safely set the helicopter down on the roof of a hotel.

“Everybody out. I have to get this baby back before someone notices it missing,” Train yelled over the loud noise.

Cade jumped out first to help the women out. Bailey took her time, clinging to Cade much longer than necessary, and Shade rolled his eyes at Viper as Cade lifted Fat Louise out next. Then he turned back to help Killyama, but she ignored his and Rider’s helping hands as she started to jump out.

“Killyama!” Train yelled loud enough to be heard over the blades of the helicopter, stopping her. “Remember our deal. I’ll be calling it in soon.”

“Deal with this!” Killyama shouted above the roar of the blades, making an obscene gesture before jumping out of the helicopter.

“You can handle her later,” Cash told Train over the intercom. “I want to get back to Treepoint.”

Train gave him a thumbs-up, but his angry expression showed he had been about to shut down the helicopter and show Killyama how badly she had misjudged him. He was possibly the only other Last Rider who could equal him in the number of kills made. Shade’s had been made with his rifle, whereas Train had been trained to kill with whatever he had on hand.

“What are you laughing at?” Viper asked.

“I’m thinking I need to start collecting Train’s IOUs. I’ve got to watch when he finally gets his hands on Killyama.”

“I think she can take him,” Rider snorted, chiming into the conversation.

Viper and Shade both shook their heads.

“Killyama will chew him up and spit him out,” Cash said over the intercom.

Shade gave each of the men an innocent look. “Wanna make a bet?”

Chapter 75

Shade answered the phone on the first ring.

“Can you talk?” Evie asked.

“Hang on.” Shade stared down at Lily lying on the bed. “I need to take this call. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

He went outside the bedroom door, shutting it behind him. Walking down the steps, he went to the kitchen where he poured himself a glass of whiskey before coming back on the line.

“Go ahead.”

“I had a meet with Rabbit today. Remember him?” Not giving him time to acknowledge that he remembered him from the service, Evie continued, “He’s a middle man now, does transactions involving illegal commodities. He makes the buys and pays for what’s wanted then delivers the goods to whoever purchased his services.

“He confirmed what my other sources have told me. King’s been slowly turning control over to Ice, although Desmond Hart will be the one in charge as a silent partner. He’s even transferring ownership of his strip club to Henry. He’s getting out of the business, Shade.”

He took a drink of whiskey, hearing a tone in her voice he didn’t like.

“Then what’s wrong?” Shade asked.

“There’s a deal going down which could go bad. I have to see how it ends to know if he can walk away clean.”

He didn’t say anything. She was defending King to him, which meant Evie had become close to King in the two months she had been in Queens City.

“Shade, he’s not involved in the deal. Someone’s trying to piss on his doorstep.”

“If he cared about Lily, he’d let them piss then hose the door down after they left.”

“Give him a chance. He’s trying.”

“Evie...”

“Please, Shade?”

“What do you care?” Shade probed.

She didn’t say anything for a minute. “I don’t want to see Lily hurt, either, and losing her dad would hurt her, Shade.”

“Let me know when the deal goes down and what happens. Do you need me to send a couple of brothers down as backup?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Tell me the truth.”

“I’m good, I swear. If there’s any trouble, I’ll call.”

“Okay, you better. I won’t be happy if you get hurt,” Shade warned.

“I won’t.”

“Later.”

“Bye, Shade.” Evie disconnected the call.

Shade finished his whiskey then set his glass down on the counter. He climbed the stairs to the bedroom, opening and closing the door quietly behind him before walking silently to the bed. He looked down at his wife who lay on the bed with a red scarf tied around her eyes and her hands cuffed to the hooks at the bottom of his headboard.

He reached up, letting the tips of his fingers brush her flesh from her ankle to her pussy, finding her wet.

“Did I keep my woman waiting long?” he crooned seductively.

“Shade, I need you,” Lily moaned.

“I know, angel. I’m going to make it up to you. I was gone six minutes, and that’s exactly how long you’re going to come for me.”

* * *

“You left your tackle box on the porch.” Lily handed him the small box.

Shade took it from Lily, placing it in the back of the truck before turning back to her.

“I didn’t forget. I was going to come back and get it. I wanted to say goodbye in private.” He curled his hand across the back of her neck.

“I guess I missed out.” Lily rolled her eyes at him.

Shade let a small smile touch his lips. He had taken an hour to say goodbye before he had started carrying his things to the truck. He didn’t want his inquisitive wife snooping through his things.