Killyama laid her hand over his when he would have reached for his cell phone. “No. You’re the only one I want to know what’s going down … now and when it’s over. I don’t care how you explain it to The Last Riders; just keep me out of it. That’s my price … Take it or leave it.”

Shade scrutinized her expression, pulling his hand away from her touch. “Why?”

“As long as you come out looking and smelling like a hero, and Sasha goes back to fucking everyone’s brains out, we all get what we want.”

“I’ll play it your way, but you’re making a mistake you’re going to regret.”

“What am I going to regret? That The Last Riders can’t stand me? They never did. The Destructors? Hell, Stud is going to be just as mad at me as The Last Riders. The women? They’ll work it out by telling Viper to shove his order up his ass.” Killyama sidestepped around his bike, going to her ride.

“Will you at least tell me why you did it?”

She stepped up into the black Escalade. “I was bored.” Slamming her door closed, she drove away.

Train was the only one who mattered, and he wouldn’t care that her heart was breaking at the lie she had told Shade.

She turned the window wipers’ speed up faster when the drizzle turned into a downpour. She drove easily as the streets to the hotel were beginning to flood. She wasn’t timid on slick roads; she liked everything about rain—the way it made everything smell new, the way it sounded on a roof, the way it felt on your skin … the way heaven could weep the tears she refused to shed.

Shade watched the taillights until she was out of sight before taking out his phone again.

“Any news?” Train’s low voice answered.

“You alone?”

“No. What do you need?”

Shade heard Jewell mutter something in the background.

“Never mind. I’ll talk you later when I find something out.”

Hanging up, he started his bike, riding back to the clubhouse. Once there, he shook off the rain as he ran into the clubhouse where Rider was waiting for him inside.

“What did Killyama want?”

“Wake Moon up. We have work to do.”

14

Crash raised his eyes from his cards. “Who was that?”

Train set his cell phone down on the kitchen table. “Shade.”

“What did he want?”

“He didn’t say. He was acting weird.”

“Shade weird or weird-weird?”

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Call him back and ask him.” Using the tip of his cards, he shoved his cell phone toward Crash.

“I was just asking.” He shifted in his seat as if Shade would yell at him from the phone.

Jewell folded her cards, stretching as she rose. “I have to get to bed. I need to try to get a couple of hours sleep before work.”

“See you in the morning.” Train dropped another twenty in the pot.

“Why don’t you come with me? You haven’t slept in three nights.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Suit yourself. Crash, make sure you shower before work; you reek. That pizza you ordered had enough garlic on it to make a vampire comatose.”

“Want to give me a goodnight kiss?”

“Hell no. Besides, it’s morning.” Jewell shoved away from Crash when he jokingly tried to pull her down onto his lap. Dodging him, she escaped out of the kitchen.

Train showed his cards, pulling the pile of cash toward him.

Crash grunted, leaning back in his chair. “I’m all in, brother. Then I’m going to bed.”

“You don’t want to play another game?”

“You have all my money.”

Train took out his wallet and precisely tucked the bills inside. “I can give you a loan if you need it?”

“No thanks. I’ll borrow some money from Razer if I need it. He doesn’t charge interest.” Crash left, complaining about having to take another shower.

Train made a fresh pot of coffee, glad he hadn’t eaten a slice of the bizarre pizza Crash loved to order. It had five different meats and enough garlic to kill a horse, with jalapenos, onions, and pineapple on top. It always made his eyes water when Crash would carry the pizza box into the room.

He was cramming the box in the trash outside of the kitchen door when Razer stepped out of his house, heading toward him.

“Crash ordered pizza again?”

“He lives on that stuff.” Train held the door for him as they made their way inside. “I told him he was a heart attack waiting to happen, but he says the garlic keeps him healthy.” Train picked up his coffee cup as Razer poured himself one. “What has you up so early? You don’t have to be at work for another couple of hours.”

“Beth will be getting Noah and Chance ready for pre-school in an hour. I didn’t want the boys to see me sleeping on the couch.”

“You slept on the couch?”

“Beth and I got into a fight when I told her not to talk to Sex Piston and her crew anymore.”

“I can imagine how that went.”

“Like a ton of the bricks. She threatened to hurt me when I fell asleep.”

Train made them breakfast, and they were fixing their plates when Viper showed up. His face was haggard as he poured his coffee.

“I’d ask how your night went, but I can see that for myself.” Train offered him a piece of toast.

Viper shook his head, sitting down at the table with them.

“I take it Winter didn’t take your order any better than Beth did?” Razer bit into a piece of crispy bacon.

“Do you know how hard it is to live with two women who are mad at you?”

Train and Razer stared at him like he had lost his mind as Stori and Ember came in, arguing over which of them would cook breakfast and who would do the laundry.

“When Winter stopped yelling at me and locked me out of the bedroom, Aunt Shay let me have it. I should have stuck to my plan about building Aunt Shay her own house instead of building a two-story to give us our space. Now I’m stuck with two women who refuse to fix me a meal.”

“I wouldn’t eat it if she does. Winter can have a mean streak when she gets mad,” Train advised. “Did Shade call you last night? He was acting strange.”

“He called me an hour ago. What do you mean by strange?”

“He didn’t tell me why he called. What did he say to you?”

“He said he thinks he found a way to get Sasha out of trouble. He’ll call back tonight with more info.”

“That sounds good, right?”

“Let’s hope so. I feel like I dropped the ball on this one,” Viper said.

“You didn’t. I did. I wanted to punch myself in the face when Jewell told me about Killyama giving me that black eye.”

“I knew they were trouble the minute I walked into the Pink Slipper.” Razer stood up to refill the men’s coffee.

“I knew we weren’t getting rid of them when Winter invited them to our wedding.”

“If you three are all done feeling sorry for yourselves, can I wash your dishes?” Stori asked with her hands on her hips. “I need to get to work, and I want to start the dishwasher.”