Train's Clash
Page 83
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Knox and Lucky each took one of Crash’s arms, holding him in place at Train’s words.
Sickened at the sight of him, Train turned to Viper. “Gavin is alive,” he choked out, the emotional upheaval of rescuing Gavin and having seen the one responsible for the years of torture of a man he considered a brother had him disclosing the reason for his fury. “Gavin’s alive,” Train repeated, seeing the men’s stunned faces.
Viper’s face twisted in grief. “No, he’s not.”
“He’s alive. I wouldn’t lie to you about this. Your brother—our brother—is alive.”
Viper’s face filled with anguish as he looked around the empty room, as if searching for Gavin. It was when his gaze skimmed over Killyama’s heartbreaking expression that he believed what Train was telling him.
“Where is he?” Viper shouted. “Gavin! You got two seconds to tell me where the fuck he is or I’ll fucking kill you.”
It was hard to see the man who held every man, woman, and child belonging to The Last Riders’ fate on his shoulders be told that the brother he had believed to be dead for seven years was still breathing.
“Brother, move or I’ll move you myself.”
“Viper, listen to us first. Then we’ll take you to him.”
Train stepped aside, letting Shade explain Crash’s deceit. Every word that came out of Shade’s mouth was like a slap to the face. They had all been in warfare and lost men in front of them, but nothing equated to what Train was seeing now as Shade described the hell that Gavin had lived through. All of the men were shell-shocked.
Before Shade was even done talking, Train was holding Viper back. Then Rider tried to go by him, his face tortured beyond belief. Stud managed to hold Rider back with Cash’s help. After that was mayhem as all the men were either fighting to get into the hallway, or fighting to hold the others back.
“Shut the fuck up!” Killyama shouted. She was standing on her chair, facing the men and staring them down. “I’m telling you now, the brother you care so much about can’t handle this shit. Do you want to hurt him more than what’s been done to him already?” Not waiting for a response, she told them, “Go outside and walk it off, or beat the hell out each other—I don’t care. But the first one who tries to go into his room without a smile plastered on their face, I’ll fucking taze your ass!”
Viper broke free from Train’s restraining hold. Train was afraid Viper would go after Killyama, even though Shade had told him it was because of Killyama, Hammer, and Jonas that Gavin had even been rescued.
Viper didn’t go for Killyama, though. No, he went for Crash. Knox and Lucky barely had enough time to step out of the way before Viper had him by the throat.
“You stared me in the face when you told me Gavin was missing. You fucking cried when you carried that phony casket to the cemetery, telling me how fucking sorry you were that Gavin was dead.” Viper’s rage had him throwing Crash against the wall where the helpless man sank to the floor.
“Memphis told me he would kill me if I didn’t help him.”
Viper picked him up by his T-shirt, punching him in stomach so he didn’t have enough breath to continue his lies.
“Memphis has been dead for five. Fucking. Years!” Viper screamed.
“And I was the one who helped you find the evidence to take him out, but then those fuckers put my head on the chopping block. It was me or Gavin …” Crash started to cry, knowing he had betrayed the men who called him family. “I didn’t want to die.”
Viper spoke so low that the menace poured from his words. “When I get done with you, even the Devil won’t recognize you, you get me?” Viper hit Crash so hard the man fell back down to the floor, unconscious. Then Viper picked up one of the chairs, raising it over his head.
“Viper, this isn’t the place.” Knox caught his arm
“God dammit to Hell!” Viper cried out, throwing the chair against the wall where Crash had just stood.
Consumed with fury and pain, Viper went berserk, throwing chairs and tables until the room looked like a cyclone had hit it. He threw the biggest table, muscles straining as he lifted it. Then a chair went sailing over the bar, shattering the bottles into smithereens. One lone bottle of whiskey still clung to the shelf, its contents dripping to the floor.
Viper doubled over, hands on thighs, and Train had to blink back his tears as Viper gave a howl of pain that filled the clubroom. When he finally managed to stand erect, Train could see a cut on his cheek where a piece of shattered glass must have cut him.
Killyama strode around the bar, glass crunching under her boots. Taking a bar rag, she handed it to Viper.
He stared at it blankly for a second before taking it, wiping the blood from his cheek.
“Where is he?” Viper finally asked, tossing the rag onto the bar before he turned to stare at Train and Shade.
“I’ll take you to him.” Train nodded toward the hallway.
Viper stepped around the mess he had created, following Train down the hallway. At the door, Train knocked, and Dr. Price immediately opened it, looking out at the grim-faced men who filled the hallway.
“I’ve sedated him. Stud warned me what to expect, so I already set up the IV. Viper, I need to get him to the hospital to seek the best way to treat him. I can only give you a few minutes before I call the ambulance.”
Viper nodded as Dr. Price moved away, letting him enter. Train and Shade followed him inside the small room where Gavin was lying on the bed, eyes closed.
Viper fell to his knees by his brother’s side, tears streaking down his cheeks as he stared at him. Carefully making sure he didn’t touch the IV, he pulled his younger brother into his arms.
“Gavin … Baby brother.” Viper’s hoarse voice had The Last Riders fighting back their own tears. “What have they done to you?”
Gavin’s lashes rose, amber eyes staring uncomprehendingly up at Viper. He started struggling against his hold.
“Just kill me. I’d rather be dead than go back there.”
“He doesn’t recognize us.” Train came to stand behind Viper, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Gavin … don’t,” Viper pleaded when Gavin still tried to get away from his touch. “It’s me, Loker.”
“Loker, I’m sorry…”
Viper held him tighter. “I’m the one sorry, I didn’t know…” His choked voice prevented from getting any further words out.
Train felt Killyama move near him. She gave a brief squeeze to his arm in compassion, aware of how devastated he was at watching Gavin’s inability to recognize them.
“I sent Calder to get Winter and Ton when you told Stud that Viper was on his way. They’re here.”
Train turned to see Winter and Ton in the doorway as The Last Riders moved out of the way, letting them inside. From Ton’s ravaged expression, he had only just been told his son was alive.
“Gavin …” He came to the other side of the bed, crouching down next to him. “Gavin!”
“Dad?” Gavin turned in Ton’s direction.
Viper stood. Overwhelmed, he held his arms open to Winter, who flew into them, sobbing.
“My brother—”
Sickened at the sight of him, Train turned to Viper. “Gavin is alive,” he choked out, the emotional upheaval of rescuing Gavin and having seen the one responsible for the years of torture of a man he considered a brother had him disclosing the reason for his fury. “Gavin’s alive,” Train repeated, seeing the men’s stunned faces.
Viper’s face twisted in grief. “No, he’s not.”
“He’s alive. I wouldn’t lie to you about this. Your brother—our brother—is alive.”
Viper’s face filled with anguish as he looked around the empty room, as if searching for Gavin. It was when his gaze skimmed over Killyama’s heartbreaking expression that he believed what Train was telling him.
“Where is he?” Viper shouted. “Gavin! You got two seconds to tell me where the fuck he is or I’ll fucking kill you.”
It was hard to see the man who held every man, woman, and child belonging to The Last Riders’ fate on his shoulders be told that the brother he had believed to be dead for seven years was still breathing.
“Brother, move or I’ll move you myself.”
“Viper, listen to us first. Then we’ll take you to him.”
Train stepped aside, letting Shade explain Crash’s deceit. Every word that came out of Shade’s mouth was like a slap to the face. They had all been in warfare and lost men in front of them, but nothing equated to what Train was seeing now as Shade described the hell that Gavin had lived through. All of the men were shell-shocked.
Before Shade was even done talking, Train was holding Viper back. Then Rider tried to go by him, his face tortured beyond belief. Stud managed to hold Rider back with Cash’s help. After that was mayhem as all the men were either fighting to get into the hallway, or fighting to hold the others back.
“Shut the fuck up!” Killyama shouted. She was standing on her chair, facing the men and staring them down. “I’m telling you now, the brother you care so much about can’t handle this shit. Do you want to hurt him more than what’s been done to him already?” Not waiting for a response, she told them, “Go outside and walk it off, or beat the hell out each other—I don’t care. But the first one who tries to go into his room without a smile plastered on their face, I’ll fucking taze your ass!”
Viper broke free from Train’s restraining hold. Train was afraid Viper would go after Killyama, even though Shade had told him it was because of Killyama, Hammer, and Jonas that Gavin had even been rescued.
Viper didn’t go for Killyama, though. No, he went for Crash. Knox and Lucky barely had enough time to step out of the way before Viper had him by the throat.
“You stared me in the face when you told me Gavin was missing. You fucking cried when you carried that phony casket to the cemetery, telling me how fucking sorry you were that Gavin was dead.” Viper’s rage had him throwing Crash against the wall where the helpless man sank to the floor.
“Memphis told me he would kill me if I didn’t help him.”
Viper picked him up by his T-shirt, punching him in stomach so he didn’t have enough breath to continue his lies.
“Memphis has been dead for five. Fucking. Years!” Viper screamed.
“And I was the one who helped you find the evidence to take him out, but then those fuckers put my head on the chopping block. It was me or Gavin …” Crash started to cry, knowing he had betrayed the men who called him family. “I didn’t want to die.”
Viper spoke so low that the menace poured from his words. “When I get done with you, even the Devil won’t recognize you, you get me?” Viper hit Crash so hard the man fell back down to the floor, unconscious. Then Viper picked up one of the chairs, raising it over his head.
“Viper, this isn’t the place.” Knox caught his arm
“God dammit to Hell!” Viper cried out, throwing the chair against the wall where Crash had just stood.
Consumed with fury and pain, Viper went berserk, throwing chairs and tables until the room looked like a cyclone had hit it. He threw the biggest table, muscles straining as he lifted it. Then a chair went sailing over the bar, shattering the bottles into smithereens. One lone bottle of whiskey still clung to the shelf, its contents dripping to the floor.
Viper doubled over, hands on thighs, and Train had to blink back his tears as Viper gave a howl of pain that filled the clubroom. When he finally managed to stand erect, Train could see a cut on his cheek where a piece of shattered glass must have cut him.
Killyama strode around the bar, glass crunching under her boots. Taking a bar rag, she handed it to Viper.
He stared at it blankly for a second before taking it, wiping the blood from his cheek.
“Where is he?” Viper finally asked, tossing the rag onto the bar before he turned to stare at Train and Shade.
“I’ll take you to him.” Train nodded toward the hallway.
Viper stepped around the mess he had created, following Train down the hallway. At the door, Train knocked, and Dr. Price immediately opened it, looking out at the grim-faced men who filled the hallway.
“I’ve sedated him. Stud warned me what to expect, so I already set up the IV. Viper, I need to get him to the hospital to seek the best way to treat him. I can only give you a few minutes before I call the ambulance.”
Viper nodded as Dr. Price moved away, letting him enter. Train and Shade followed him inside the small room where Gavin was lying on the bed, eyes closed.
Viper fell to his knees by his brother’s side, tears streaking down his cheeks as he stared at him. Carefully making sure he didn’t touch the IV, he pulled his younger brother into his arms.
“Gavin … Baby brother.” Viper’s hoarse voice had The Last Riders fighting back their own tears. “What have they done to you?”
Gavin’s lashes rose, amber eyes staring uncomprehendingly up at Viper. He started struggling against his hold.
“Just kill me. I’d rather be dead than go back there.”
“He doesn’t recognize us.” Train came to stand behind Viper, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Gavin … don’t,” Viper pleaded when Gavin still tried to get away from his touch. “It’s me, Loker.”
“Loker, I’m sorry…”
Viper held him tighter. “I’m the one sorry, I didn’t know…” His choked voice prevented from getting any further words out.
Train felt Killyama move near him. She gave a brief squeeze to his arm in compassion, aware of how devastated he was at watching Gavin’s inability to recognize them.
“I sent Calder to get Winter and Ton when you told Stud that Viper was on his way. They’re here.”
Train turned to see Winter and Ton in the doorway as The Last Riders moved out of the way, letting them inside. From Ton’s ravaged expression, he had only just been told his son was alive.
“Gavin …” He came to the other side of the bed, crouching down next to him. “Gavin!”
“Dad?” Gavin turned in Ton’s direction.
Viper stood. Overwhelmed, he held his arms open to Winter, who flew into them, sobbing.
“My brother—”