Train's Clash
Page 17
“Maybe next time … if you’re good.” She gave him a brazen smile as she started dancing.
“Better than I was tonight? So you know, I was pretty damn good tonight.”
Her head fell back with laughter.
Train stepped into her, letting her feel the bulge behind his jeans.
“I’ve had better.”
Train laughed back, bringing his arms around her waist as they swayed to the music. “I haven’t.”
“See? What did I tell you?”
Lucky and Willa were dancing next to them, smiling at their laughter. That made Killyama bite back her laughter.
“The problem is, The Last Riders are used to having their cake and eating it, too.”
He dropped his hands from her waist to cup her ass, pulling her tighter. “I’m not biting into that one. Can we just enjoy the music without getting into a fight?”
“Yes,” she conceded.
Relaxing into him, she let the music take her away from the other women who would go home with him and from the club members who would eventually tear them apart. It was inevitable.
Like all men, Train thought their fate rested in his hands. What he didn’t realize was that it rested in hers. He believed the end would come when she couldn’t take him betraying her with other women. He was wrong. She would betray him.
7
“Need a hand?” Viper squatted down next to Train worked on Rider’s motorcycle.
“No thanks. I got it.”
When Viper didn’t move away, Train knew he was there to have a talk. Viper wasn’t like the other brothers who would stop by to chat. The Last Riders’ president was too busy taking care of the business side of their club. If Viper was there, he was there because he had something on his mind.
“I saw you hanging out with Killyama last night.”
“So did all the other brothers.”
“What’s going on?” Viper’s serious tone had Train lowering the wrench.
“With Rider’s motorcycle or with Killyama?”
“Killyama.”
“Nothing. We were just having a good time.”
“Is that wise?”
“Why not? It was a Friday night; we let some of the women we want to fuck come to the clubhouse to party. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“They aren’t Killyama. What she sees, she’ll gossip about.”
“Most of the men and women were at Rosie’s last night. Sasha and Lily were babysitting at your house, so there wasn’t anything to see.”
“What about next Friday? She going to be there?”
“Maybe. If I decide to invite her, I’ll talk to her and make sure she doesn’t talk.”
“The kids are getting older. Noah and Chance will be starting preschool. I don’t want them to get hurt from the rumors that could be spread. All the brothers are picky on which hanger-on’s they let come to the parties.”
“Killyama isn’t a hanger-on.” Train stood up, going to his toolbox. Then Viper rose, preventing him from going back to work on the motorcycle after he grabbed the blowtorch.
“What is she, then?”
“Jesus, I don’t know. Do you give Rider the third-degree when he brings in someone new?”
“Most of the women Rider brings are too stupid to remember where they are the next day, much less talk about it.”
“Trust me; I know what I’m doing.”
“All right. She’s your responsibility. If shit goes down, it will be on you.”
Train nodded. “I can handle Killyama.”
Viper shook his head. “If you can do that, all the brothers will be amazed. Me included.”
“She’s not that bad.”
Viper stared at him in bewilderment. “We talking about the same woman? Did you forget the night we all spent in jail because of those bitches?”
“She was only taking up for Beth. I can respect loyalty.”
Viper shook his head. “Brother, you got it bad. Do I need to start picking another replacement if something happens to me?”
“Good luck. Winter hasn’t let me back in your bed since she found out.”
“She says I’m going to outlive everyone.”
“From her lips to God’s ear,” Train said in all seriousness.
He was close to all the brothers, but Viper went beyond that. Gavin had been like the brother Train never had, and he had grown close to Viper through Gavin. They had spent a lot of time together in the military, and when they had been discharged, it was the three of them who had come up with the idea for The Last Riders.
Train couldn’t prevent the twist of pain that hit his chest when he thought of Gavin.
“Something wrong?”
“I was just thinking about Gavin.”
Viper’s face echoed his own pain. “He’d be proud of what we’ve built.”
“Yeah, he would. I still miss him. It’s as if it were just yesterday when we planned out the clubhouse.”
“I miss him, too.” Viper brought his eyes back to Train after looking lost in thought out at the trees surrounding the property. “I wish you’d take my old room.”
Train gripped the handlebar of Rider’s bike, looking away from Viper. “I can’t. It was the room Gavin planned to take.”
“It made me feel closer to him.”
“It just reminds me that he’s not here.”
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
Train nodded. “I will.”
“I better go. Winter has supper ready. You sure you don’t need some help with the bike?”
“I’m sure. And, Viper, I’ll make sure that Killyama behaves. You have my word.”
Viper nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
A little while later, he had finished working on Rider’s bike and was closing his toolbox when Beth pulled into the parking lot.
Taking a cloth, he wiped his hands off as she got out of her SUV.
“Hi, Train.” She smiled as she went toward the steps to the clubhouse.
“Beth, how’s it going?”
“Good. It’s been a long day.”
As they walked up the steps together, Beth gave him a curious look. “Did you have fun at the party?”
Train snapped curtly, “Why? Did Killyama ask?”
Beth frowned. “No. I was just making idle chitchat. Should I have not asked?”
“I overreacted. I’m sorry. I’m just being paranoid. Viper’s worried about Killyama spreading gossip about the club.”
Beth paused on one of the steps. “I’m afraid that’s my fault. When I broke up with Razer, I confided in them. They haven’t told anyone about the parties, and that was years ago. I know they haven’t ever told anyone else. They might comment about it around you guys, but it’s not like you all don’t know what’s going on in the club. They would never tell anyone what happens here.”
Train could tell she regretted confiding in the women she had grown close to. He could also understand how they had provided comfort when The Last Riders hadn’t.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He continued to climb the stairs with her, feeling bad he had upset her. “The brothers and I just don’t want the life we have going on here screwed up.”
“Better than I was tonight? So you know, I was pretty damn good tonight.”
Her head fell back with laughter.
Train stepped into her, letting her feel the bulge behind his jeans.
“I’ve had better.”
Train laughed back, bringing his arms around her waist as they swayed to the music. “I haven’t.”
“See? What did I tell you?”
Lucky and Willa were dancing next to them, smiling at their laughter. That made Killyama bite back her laughter.
“The problem is, The Last Riders are used to having their cake and eating it, too.”
He dropped his hands from her waist to cup her ass, pulling her tighter. “I’m not biting into that one. Can we just enjoy the music without getting into a fight?”
“Yes,” she conceded.
Relaxing into him, she let the music take her away from the other women who would go home with him and from the club members who would eventually tear them apart. It was inevitable.
Like all men, Train thought their fate rested in his hands. What he didn’t realize was that it rested in hers. He believed the end would come when she couldn’t take him betraying her with other women. He was wrong. She would betray him.
7
“Need a hand?” Viper squatted down next to Train worked on Rider’s motorcycle.
“No thanks. I got it.”
When Viper didn’t move away, Train knew he was there to have a talk. Viper wasn’t like the other brothers who would stop by to chat. The Last Riders’ president was too busy taking care of the business side of their club. If Viper was there, he was there because he had something on his mind.
“I saw you hanging out with Killyama last night.”
“So did all the other brothers.”
“What’s going on?” Viper’s serious tone had Train lowering the wrench.
“With Rider’s motorcycle or with Killyama?”
“Killyama.”
“Nothing. We were just having a good time.”
“Is that wise?”
“Why not? It was a Friday night; we let some of the women we want to fuck come to the clubhouse to party. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“They aren’t Killyama. What she sees, she’ll gossip about.”
“Most of the men and women were at Rosie’s last night. Sasha and Lily were babysitting at your house, so there wasn’t anything to see.”
“What about next Friday? She going to be there?”
“Maybe. If I decide to invite her, I’ll talk to her and make sure she doesn’t talk.”
“The kids are getting older. Noah and Chance will be starting preschool. I don’t want them to get hurt from the rumors that could be spread. All the brothers are picky on which hanger-on’s they let come to the parties.”
“Killyama isn’t a hanger-on.” Train stood up, going to his toolbox. Then Viper rose, preventing him from going back to work on the motorcycle after he grabbed the blowtorch.
“What is she, then?”
“Jesus, I don’t know. Do you give Rider the third-degree when he brings in someone new?”
“Most of the women Rider brings are too stupid to remember where they are the next day, much less talk about it.”
“Trust me; I know what I’m doing.”
“All right. She’s your responsibility. If shit goes down, it will be on you.”
Train nodded. “I can handle Killyama.”
Viper shook his head. “If you can do that, all the brothers will be amazed. Me included.”
“She’s not that bad.”
Viper stared at him in bewilderment. “We talking about the same woman? Did you forget the night we all spent in jail because of those bitches?”
“She was only taking up for Beth. I can respect loyalty.”
Viper shook his head. “Brother, you got it bad. Do I need to start picking another replacement if something happens to me?”
“Good luck. Winter hasn’t let me back in your bed since she found out.”
“She says I’m going to outlive everyone.”
“From her lips to God’s ear,” Train said in all seriousness.
He was close to all the brothers, but Viper went beyond that. Gavin had been like the brother Train never had, and he had grown close to Viper through Gavin. They had spent a lot of time together in the military, and when they had been discharged, it was the three of them who had come up with the idea for The Last Riders.
Train couldn’t prevent the twist of pain that hit his chest when he thought of Gavin.
“Something wrong?”
“I was just thinking about Gavin.”
Viper’s face echoed his own pain. “He’d be proud of what we’ve built.”
“Yeah, he would. I still miss him. It’s as if it were just yesterday when we planned out the clubhouse.”
“I miss him, too.” Viper brought his eyes back to Train after looking lost in thought out at the trees surrounding the property. “I wish you’d take my old room.”
Train gripped the handlebar of Rider’s bike, looking away from Viper. “I can’t. It was the room Gavin planned to take.”
“It made me feel closer to him.”
“It just reminds me that he’s not here.”
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
Train nodded. “I will.”
“I better go. Winter has supper ready. You sure you don’t need some help with the bike?”
“I’m sure. And, Viper, I’ll make sure that Killyama behaves. You have my word.”
Viper nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
A little while later, he had finished working on Rider’s bike and was closing his toolbox when Beth pulled into the parking lot.
Taking a cloth, he wiped his hands off as she got out of her SUV.
“Hi, Train.” She smiled as she went toward the steps to the clubhouse.
“Beth, how’s it going?”
“Good. It’s been a long day.”
As they walked up the steps together, Beth gave him a curious look. “Did you have fun at the party?”
Train snapped curtly, “Why? Did Killyama ask?”
Beth frowned. “No. I was just making idle chitchat. Should I have not asked?”
“I overreacted. I’m sorry. I’m just being paranoid. Viper’s worried about Killyama spreading gossip about the club.”
Beth paused on one of the steps. “I’m afraid that’s my fault. When I broke up with Razer, I confided in them. They haven’t told anyone about the parties, and that was years ago. I know they haven’t ever told anyone else. They might comment about it around you guys, but it’s not like you all don’t know what’s going on in the club. They would never tell anyone what happens here.”
Train could tell she regretted confiding in the women she had grown close to. He could also understand how they had provided comfort when The Last Riders hadn’t.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He continued to climb the stairs with her, feeling bad he had upset her. “The brothers and I just don’t want the life we have going on here screwed up.”
