Train's Clash
Page 69

“I’ll give you my truck. I know how much you want it.” Cash barely managed to stop from falling backward as Rachel moved by him to take a seat.
Train nearly jumped out of his chair when Killyama placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I have to go.”
He was conscious of the brothers listening to every word.
“I get off at four. Am I going to see you tonight?”
Viper’s and Cash’s scowls had him wishing he had texted her that question after she left.
“Nope. T.A., Crazy Bitch, and I are spending the night in Berea, Ohio. We have tickets for the first two days of the Cleveland Brown’s training camp. A few of the players are looking forward to seeing us again. They’re going to introduce us to some of the rookies. One of the players offered to pay for our hotel room tonight. It might be a couple of days before I see you again. We won’t back for three days. Could be longer if we can score another ticket for the third day of training.”
Train frowned.
When she started to move away, he caught her hand. “Aren’t you going to give me a kiss before you leave?”
Laughing, she patted him on the back. “You’re so cute when you’re being silly.”
She started toward the swinging door before changing her mind and going to the counter. All of the men’s eyes watched her as Killyama picked up a brightly colored pink box, and then went to the refrigerator to take out a plastic container, stacking it on the pink box. Closing the fridge with her hip, she then opened a drawer, pulling out his six-pack beer cozy, dangling it from her pinky.
“I almost forgot my stuff,” she said, beaming proudly that she hadn’t forgotten her pilfered items.
“Is that the rest of my birthday cake and the pork chop casserole Stori saved me for lunch?” He didn’t mention the cozy, knowing he would never see it again.
“Yes, you have a problem with that?” Glaring at him, she stopped by his chair.
“No.” If he hadn’t felt the heavy metal of the skull and crossbones buckle on his belt, he would have been tempted to make sure it was still there.
“Good. I volunteered to bring a snack for the road trip. This will be enough for the three of us. If Sex Piston and Fat Louise were going, we’d have had to make a pit stop.”
“Why aren’t they going?” Thankfully, it was Lily who asked the question he was too afraid to voice.
“It’s only the single ladies today.” Her cell phone started shouting, “Answer the phone.” “Gotta go. You all have a great day. Have some fun! You all look like a bunch of sour pusses in the morning. Too much partying will make you old before your time.”
Killyama left without telling him good-bye, her phone now shouting obscenities from the club room.
The silence around the kitchen was so loud it could be cut with the butter knife Shade was holding.
“Brother, I’ll give you the pick of my motorcycles,” Rider offered.
Train thought over Rider’s vast collection. Collectors had hounded him to sell two of the them. He might have just received an offer too good to refuse.
Ignoring Rider’s offer, he met Shade’s eyes. The man knew what he wanted. Hell, it was what all the men wanted. And it didn’t take Shade long to get Lily to confess that Killyama had told Rachel and Winter they needed to find new replacements for their husbands; saying, if Train couldn’t handle Killyama, he didn’t have a shot in hell in taking care of three women if anything went wrong.
“Who did she suggest?” Viper questioned Lily so aggressively that Shade placed an arm over her shoulder.
Lily paled, trying to roll her eyes toward Rachel and Winter to answer for her. When they remained curiously mute, Lily answered for them.
“Moon.”
“Why Moon? She didn’t mention me?” Rider’s fork dropped to his plate.
“She said the whole idea of having replacements was to have a man who could help you in need, not to be saddled with or one who would need caring for.”
“Did she happen to mention who she wanted? Because, Train, as much I consider you a brother, I—”
“She doesn’t want you, Cash. She wants Shade. Killyama asked if it was okay with me,” Lily told them.
Shade’s emotionless façade nearly broke when Lily continued.
“She said, if she had to see anyone naked, she could deal with it being Shade because she wanted to know if your … if you …”
“I know what she wants to know,” Shade answered grimly. “Brother …”
“I already know.” None of the brothers would step up to fill his shoes if something happened to him. The way it was going, she wasn’t even going to swing enough votes to become a Last Rider.
 
By the time he was seated at his workstation, he was tired and cranky, and he had a splitting headache that was turning into a migraine. He was furious at Killyama for her behavior.
He had only been working for thirty minutes before Crash called him.
“Where is she?” Train knew she wasn’t heading to the Brown’s training camp, but he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“She’s heading toward Knoxville with Hammer and Jonas. I’ll call you when I know more.”
Train texted Jewell, telling her he was going to take the day off. He needed some sleep if he was going to tail Killyama for a couple of days, which was why she had lied to him about being gone for three days. That meant the fugitive she was tracking was one they anticipated being difficult to find. Train would meet up with Crash and send him back to Treepoint.
The next time she stayed the night at the club, he was going to sneak into her phone and put a tracer on it. It would save him and Crash a lot of effort.
When Jewell gave him the okay, he went to his room, getting the much needed sleep he needed, knowing it was going to be a while before he would be able to again.
 
It was almost midnight when he pulled into the Waffle Stop across from the hotel Killyama, Hammer, and Jonas were staying in.
Train sat down in a booth facing the hotel. Ordering a black coffee, he gave Crash his attention.
“They’re tracking a fugitive who broke parole.”
“What’s he on parole for?”
“He beat up his baby’s mama. They already checked out the family in the area. The baby’s mama has gone into hiding. She’s got a restraining on Cooper—the fugitive—saying he threatened to hurt her and the baby when he was sent to prison.” He gestured toward the hotel. “They settled down for the night about an hour ago.”
“Who’s sleeping where?”
“They’re sharing the same room. You want me to stay?”
“No, go on home. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“Where’d you get the wheels?”
“It’s Moon’s. Sasha drove it down for me.”
“Sasha’s at the club?”
“Ready and waiting.” Train slid Crash’s check next to his own. “Drive safe, and thanks.”
“Let me know if you need a break. I can come back.”
“If it takes longer than two days, I might have to. Someone told me I’m getting too old to burn both ends of the candle, and I’m feeling it tonight.”