Knox's Stand

Chapter Eleven

Diamond came out of the courthouse, exhausted from having been in court since morning. Playing catch up after missing the last two days was going to have to wait. She was starving, having given away most of her dinner the night before and missing breakfast. She was more than ready for lunch. Crossing the street, she went to the diner, seeing she wasn’t the only one wanting lunch in the packed restaurant.

Her attention was caught by a hand waving. Winter was sitting at a large table with two other women. Not wanting to encourage a friendship, she looked around the restaurant, but they had the only empty seat available. Her grumbling stomach made the choice for her as her reluctant feet carried her to their table.

“Hi Diamond; want to join us?” Diamond winced at the use of her hated name, although she accepted her invitation. As she sat down at the table, Winter made the introductions.

“This is my friend, Beth Moore, and her sister, Lily.”

Diamond smiled at the pretty blond before turning to catch her first glimpse of her sister. As she had approached the table, she had only seen the black hair, which she had admired for its gleaming length, but she found her breath catching at the young woman smiling at her in welcome. She was beautiful. Diamond had never looked at another woman with such stunning looks, trying to think for a minute if she was a model or actress.

“Hello,” Her gentle voice broke through Diamond’s professional barricade with one word. No one could look at the gentle eyes and give her a set down.

“Hello.” Diamond found herself returning her smile.

“Diamond is the lawyer representing Knox,” Beth explained to her sister.

“I hope you can help him out,” Lily said.

“I do, too. I’m working on it,” Diamond said as the waitress came to take her order.

“So what are you ladies doing in town today?” Diamond questioned the women.

“I needed to pick up a few things that we need for the wedding tomorrow,” Winter said.

Diamond’s face flamed. Winter had invited her to the wedding, however she had declined.

“Are you coming?” Lily asked shyly.

“I—” Diamond felt awful as she was now faced with the three women staring at her. “I have a lot of work to get done on Knox’s case.” Winter stared at her in amusement as Diamond tried to extradite herself from the embarrassing conversation; she had declined the invitation before she’d taken Knox’s case.

“Please come, you can keep me company. I’ve been around a few of The Last Riders since Beth married Razer, but I don’t know them very well. It’s in the backyard of the clubhouse so not many people will be attending because Winter didn’t want a big wedding. It’s going to be informal, so you don’t have to dress up.”

Diamond was going to refuse, but the pleading look on Lily’s face prevented her from outright saying no.

“Lily, I’m sure that Winter doesn’t want an unexpected guest,” Diamond said, trying to get out of it one more time.

“I would like for you to come. There’s plenty of room for another guest. Neither Viper nor I wanted to have a big wedding, just family and friends. I hope you come, Diamond,” Winter said graciously.

Left with no choice, she accepted, not missing the relieved look which crossed Lily’s face. Curiously, Diamond studied the young woman. She was dressed in a pretty blue dress that highlighted her dark hair. She didn’t have on much make-up and she wore no jewelry. Diamond’s eyes were caught by a red rubber band she wore around her wrist. Lily caught Diamond staring at it and self-consciously covered it with her other hand.

Diamond gave her a gentle smile before turning her attention to Winter who was discussing her wedding with Beth. Beth dragged her into their conversation and Diamond was surprised that, once she let her guard down, she had quite a bit in common with the three women.

They were unlike the other women Diamond had known who had been involved with bikers. Both Winter and Beth had careers and had no intention of making the biker lifestyle their whole world as her mother and Sex Piston had.

They were eating their lunch when Beth told Winter that Mrs. Langley wouldn’t be coming to her wedding. It clicked with Diamond she had a resource she hadn’t thought of yet.

“Beth and Winter, you’ve both lived in Treepoint your whole life, so you have an in where I don’t.” Beth and Winter stopped talking, listening to Diamond. “You,” she motioned to Winter, “worked at a high school. Who did Samantha Langley see in Treepoint?”

“There isn’t anyone she didn’t sleep with. Even before The Last Riders, she would go with a boy for a week then move on.”

“Can you make me a list? Go back as far as you can remember? Even if it’s a one night stand that you know of. I have to figure out who wanted her dead.”

“Lily and she were in school together. We’ll come up with a list of names for you and give it to you at the wedding tomorrow.” Winter seemed excited about helping. Diamond smiled at the infectious warmth of the pretty woman. She could understand why Viper would have found her hard to resist.

Curiosity got the better of her. Beth had explained that she ran a business in town, caring for older individuals who needed help with their daily activities.

“Do you work with your sister?” Diamond asked Lily.

“No, I help out every now and then, but I’m a junior at Breckenridge College. I want to be a social worker.”

Diamond stared at the beauty in front of her, the gentleness in her eyes. The world was going to take her in and spit her out. Her sister and she were something Diamond had never met; true humanitarians. Beth’s gentleness was there to see while Lily held back more; her eyes holding secrets that Diamond didn’t want to explore. She almost reached across the table to touch her hand. Bringing her mind back to the topic, Diamond couldn’t believe how the woman affected her.

“That’s very admirable,” Diamond said tactfully. “But it’s going to be hard seeing people need your help and only being able to do what your job tells you can be done.”

“I’m stronger than I look. I can handle it,” Lily said with determination.

Diamond had no doubts that the woman would be swallowed alive by the job she felt she had a vocation for. She cast Winter and Beth a concerned glance.

“She’ll be fine. Lily will have both Winter and myself looking out for her,” Beth answered her unspoken question.

“And The Last Riders,” Winter spoke, not raising her head from her plate of food.

“I can take care of myself,” Lily said firmly.

Diamond dealt with the same people that Lily would inevitably be working with. No, the woman wasn’t going to be able to handle it. Diamond barely could, and that was when they were behind bars and she had police in the vicinity. Not wanting to crush the woman’s dreams, she changed the topic of conversation.

Diamond was on her second cup of coffee as they chatted when the door to the diner opened and The Last Riders entered. Beth smiled as a good-looking biker came up behind her and leaned down to kiss her. Beth blushed as her eyes caught Diamond’s when she was released.

“Diamond, this is my husband, Razer. Razer, this is Diamond, she’s representing Knox.” The man smiled at her before taking a seat next to his wife, placing an arm over her shoulder while the empty seats on her side of the table were taken by Rider and Knox and Viper took a seat on Winter’s side of the table. The final two men to have a seat were both not people that Diamond recognized; one was covered in tattoos and had a purely menacing appearance.

“Diamond, I think you know everyone here except Shade and Train.” Shade was the one covered in tats and Train was the epitome of bad boy biker. Diamond could understand how The Last Riders managed to keep so many women interested in their club. The Destructors had maybe one or two good-looking men, yet most were older with beer bellies. There wasn’t one of The Last Riders she had seen who had a beer paunch. They were in extremely good physical condition.

“What have you women been doing?” Viper asked Winter.

“Nothing, I finished what I needed for tomorrow. Sure you’re not going to change your mind and leave me at the alter?” Winter teased.

“I’m sure,” he replied, putting his arm around Winter’s shoulders. The men, Diamond noticed, were possessive of the two women. Diamond found it amusing from what Sex Piston had said about how they believed in sharing. Diamond’s mind shied away from wondering if the two women participated in the club’s activities; she honestly didn’t want to know.

The men ordered their lunches and her lips twisted in amusement at Knox and Rider’s big orders.

“What’s so funny?” Knox asked.

“I think that you guys are as hungry as I was. I bet you could have eaten two more pizzas last night.”

“Make it three and you’ll be more on target,” Knox said, sliding her a sideways grin.

When the women at the table began looking at her curiously, Diamond avoided their eyes as she gathered her things.

“I need to get back to my office.” Diamond stood abruptly to her feet, feeling ridiculous when the conversation at the table stopped and everyone looked at her.

She left everyone sitting at the diner. It seemed the more she tried to distance herself from The Last Riders, the more she became enmeshed into their life.

She mentally chastised herself on her walk, however when she went into her office, she abruptly came to a complete stop. Holly was standing in the middle of an enormous mess, picking up papers from the floor.

“What in the hell happened?” Diamond was stunned at the mess her office was in. Furniture had been torn and the filing had been thrown everywhere. Her cabinets had been overturned and papers scattered all over the place.

“Someone broke into the office. I tried to call, but you were in court and didn’t return my message. The sheriff has already been here; he took pictures and made a report,” Holly said with a handful of papers in her hands.

“This is going to take days to clean up. Who would have done this?” Diamond asked, going into her private office and seeing it was in even worse shape. “How did they manage doing this?” Her desk had been overturned with the drawers and confidential papers scattered and torn apart.

“Do you think it has something to do with a client?” Holly asked.

“I don’t know, although whoever wanted me distracted, succeeded.”

“No they didn’t,” Knox said, entering her office.

Diamond and Holly both turned as the office filled with The Last Riders being followed by Winter, Lily and Beth, staring in shock at the vandalized office.

“I’ll help,” Lily offered as she went down on her hands and knees to pick up the papers.

“We all will,” Winter said, taking out her cell phone. “Evie, could you and a couple of the women come down to Diamond Richard’s office. Someone broke into it and she needs help cleaning up. Thanks.”

“That’s unnecessary; both Holly and I can handle this.”

“Really. I think I’d be interested to see you try to lift those filing cabinets and desk,” Knox said, moving forward with Rider to lift the heavy cabinets back into place while Shade, Train and Viper went into her office to lift the heavy desk.

“It took a couple of people to create this damage. The sheriff came into the diner after you left. He told us that your office had been vandalized. He thinks more than one person was responsible for the damage also,” Knox said, righting the end tables while the others restored order to the rest of the furniture. Winter, Beth and Holly joined Lily on the floor.

“When the others get here we can get them back in order,” Beth said.

“Please stop, Winter. You’re getting married tomorrow; I’m sure you have things you need to take care of. I can handle—”

A sharp gasp from Lily, who was on the floor by the window, had everyone’s attention going to her. She raised her hand with blood dripping from a wound.

“Beth…” Lily whispered, turning toward her sister and giving another gasp of pain, reaching for her knees. Blood seeped onto the papers she was kneeling on.

Winter and Beth immediately moved towards the young woman, but before either could reach her, Shade was lifting Lily from the floor into his arms. The girl tried to struggle free with her eyes on her bloody hand.

“Where’s the bathroom?” Shade snapped at Diamond. She pointed to the door outside her office. Shade strode from the room with a struggling Lily while Beth tried to follow.

“Beth…” Lily’s whimper tore at Diamond’s hardened heart. The sweet woman had jumped to help her and now she was hurt. When Diamond and Beth moved towards the bathroom, Knox caught her arm in a firm grip while Razer’s arm went around Beth’s waist.

“Let Shade handle it, Beth. He was a medic in the service before he became a Seal,” Razer explained to his concerned wife.

“I’m a nurse, Razer. She wants me,” she snapped at her husband.

“Give Shade time to get the glass out, Beth. It’s going to hurt. Do you really think that you can do it?” Beth paled. “I’ll go to your car and get your first aid kit.”

Beth nodded. “Thanks, Razer.” Razer left, going to Beth’s car as everyone else stood tensely outside the bathroom door as they waited. Diamond wrung her hands, feeling terrible.

“Let’s get this glass up before anyone else gets hurt,” Knox suggested.

Diamond went to the hall closet, getting the broom and dust pan before going back into the office. Knox had already separated the glass from the paperwork. Diamond tried not to look at the bloody paperwork, wondering how the tough navy seal was going to be gentle enough to deal with the sweet woman who had generously sought to help.

* * *

“Stop it, Lily,” Shade said, sitting Lily down on the closed toilet seat.

Her eyes remained on her bloody hand as her eyes started to roll back into her head. A sudden shake had her eyes traveling back to Shade.

“Eyes to me, Lily,” he snapped. “Don’t look at your hand again.”

“It hurts.” Shade’s lips tightened. He had almost protested when Lily had gone to her knees to pick up the messed up office, yet he hadn’t wanted to interfere. He was angry at himself for not following his instincts. He was getting fucking tired of the fine line he was walking to keep everybody happy, especially since Lily was invariably the one getting hurt because he was unable to protect the accident prone woman.

“I’ll get the glass out and get it cleaned up then the sting will stop.”

“Beth is a nurse; she can do it, Shade. I want Beth,” Lily replied stubbornly. Shade knew she was reacting to being in the close confinement of the room with him.

“I’m sure you do. Do you think Beth can pull out that glass with you crying and acting like a baby?” he said, hoping her anger would arouse her fighting instincts.

Lily stiffened. Shade could see her trying to gather her composure as her eyes tried to sneak a peek at her still oozing injury.

“Eyes on me,” Shade snapped again, wetting paper towels and gently picking out the fine shards of glass.

He could feel her gaze on his face. She hadn’t argued against his commands, even though he had been a bit harsh; the same nearness of the restroom that was unnerving her, was straining his control. As he finished her hand, he heard a knock on the door and Razer telling him he had a first aid kit. When he opened the door, a silent message passed between the two men before the door closed once more.

Shade opened the box, finding sterile gauze for cleaning her knees. One particular shard had become imbedded there, so he took great care in removing it. Lily’s dress had ridden up her silky thighs, rattling his concentration. Shade’s hands shook as he finished cleaning her knees, wiping it with an antiseptic and starting to wrap them with bandages. He felt her tremble as his hands touched the soft skin behind her knees, trying to clench her thighs together.

“Open your legs. I need to wrap your other knee.”

He felt her legs open a scant amount and then he wrapped it softly, stroking the sensitive flesh behind her knee. When she would have pulled away, Shade rose to his feet, letting his hand slide across the top of her thighs with a delicate touch that the innocent girl would think was accidental.

Taking her hand, he applied the antiseptic to it and then wrapped it, taking his time once more, enjoying her eyes watching his every move. Unable to prolong the inevitable any longer, he took a step away.

“You’re done.” Her eyes immediately broke from him and she practically ran from the restroom.

Shade picked up the first aid kit, meticulously replacing the items he had taken out. Going to the sink basin, he washed his hands and sprayed cold water on his face, wondering how much longer he could resist from reaching out and taking what he was determined would be his.