She dropped the baby wipe when she saw his eyes start to roll.

“Gavin! Listen to me! Don’t you quit now. I’m still here. I’m not going to leave you, so you better not leave me!”

“W-Why? No one else came for me. No one.” His gravelly voice held a pain unlike anything she had ever heard before; a pain so deep and raw that only very few people on this earth could ever understand.

Killyama did something she didn’t even know she was capable of. She cried.

“No one knew. They thought you were dead. They all did. Viper and Ton still don’t know you’re alive. They wouldn’t have left you there if they had known. Not one day, not for one second. Sweetness, you weren’t left behind or forgotten.”

“Viper was mad at me. He … They all left me to die. Crash told me it was Viper’s punishment.”

“Crash lied. Viper would have killed everyone in there if he had known. There isn’t a man in the club who wouldn’t lay down their life for you.” Killyama rested her head against his shoulder, letting herself cry silently for the broken man lying under her. “Did you see Train and Shade? I should have taken a box of Kleenex inside with me, they were crying so hard.”

“They weren’t there—”

“Yes, they were. They were the ones crying in the corner.” She reached for another baby wipe to dry her face. “I was the only one not crying.”

“You’re crying now.”

“That’s because you stink.” She smiled in the dark before she felt Gavin trying to get out from under her. “Don’t move; you’re my Kleenex.”

“I’m sorry. They wouldn’t let me shower unless—”

She put her hand over his mouth, her tears falling harder. “You smell like a survivor, Gavin. Take a deep breath. You’re free. You’re free.”

She couldn’t hold back her sobs when he started crying, too. They tore through his chest.

“I … gave up.”

“You didn’t give up. You survived. You did what any good soldier would do. You did what you had to do to live. Don’t you dare talk about stinking or giving up, or I’ll kick your ass when we get out of this car!”

“Killyama!” Hammer’s voice came through the headset.

“What?”

“You can get up.”

“Okay.”

Realizing the headset was still on, she took it off as she climbed up onto the seat. Then she reached down to help Gavin sit beside her. He started heaving.

“Here, I have a barf bag. Hammer’s driving makes me puke, too.” She handed him a bag that was tucked into the back pocket of the passenger seat.

He didn’t vomit, but it was close.

Killyama pushed a button to lower the window.

“I thought I didn’t stink,” Gavin remarked when he saw what she was doing.

“I did that to give you some fresh air.”

Laying his head back, he turned to stare at her. “You’re lying.”

“A little.” She took his hand in the dark.

Hammer lowered his own window. “Good to see you, Reaper.”

Gavin didn’t answer. He couldn’t. His head had fallen to the side, resting on her shoulder.

“Reaper?” Jonas turned around in his seat to check on him.

“He passed out. Keep driving. The sooner we get to the Destructors’ clubhouse, the sooner we can take care of him. Stud will have sent someone for Dr. Price. He’ll be there by the time we get there.”

She didn’t try to move Gavin away from her, putting her arm around him so he could lie more comfortably.

He was still asleep when Hammer brought the SUV to a stop at the back door of the Destructors’ clubhouse.

Hammer and Jonas were getting out when Train opened the back door.

“He’s unconscious.” Killyama scooted out of the SUV so Train could reach inside, pulling Gavin out in his tight grip.

Hammer and Jonas stood on either side of her as they watched Train and Shade carry the brother who had been lost to them for so many years. The two Last Riders deserved to be the ones to bring an end to Gavin’s journey home.

34

Train came out of the bedroom that Stud had given Gavin with Shade on his heels as Dr. Price immediately started checking Gavin’s condition and giving him an examination.

“Did you talk to Viper?”

“No,” Shade answered. “I called Knox. All the brothers are on their way. I didn’t tell them why. It’s going to hit them hard. I didn’t want them wrecking while trying to get here.”

Train saw Stud approaching from the clubroom and told him, “Viper and the brothers are on their way. As soon as the doctor gives the okay, we’ll get out of your hair.”

“Take your time. I closed the club to the Destructors tonight. You can lock the door when you leave.”

Stud’s compassion tightened the bond Train was starting to form between him and the Destructors.

“Has Killyama left yet?”

“No. Hammer and Jonas left, but I told her I would give her a ride home.”

“I’d appreciate it if you and her stayed.” Train looked away from Stud. “She keeps Gavin calm when he gets agitated.”

“I’ll tell Killyama. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

“Thanks, Stud, I will.”

Stud nodded then headed back to the clubroom.

When the doctor didn’t come out after a while, Train and Shade left their post in the hallway and went to wait in the clubroom where they found Killyama and Stud sitting by the bar.

They were about to sit down at a table when Viper and The Last Riders came in.

Train and Shade shared a strained look as Viper stopped in front of them, Crash by his side.

“You couldn’t wait to get back to our club to …” Viper’s words trailed off when he caught sight of their expressions. He looked around the empty room. “What’s wrong?”

Train’s eyes met Crash’s. “You want me to tell Viper, or will you?”

“I don’t know what you’re …” Crash paled, seeing his and Shade’s condemning gazes.

Train lost it, and all the feelings he had been holding in erupted. Lashing out, he struck, planting his fist into Crash’s lying mouth.

Knox tried to pull him back, but Train jerked out of his hold, knocking Crash into Razer and Lucky.

“What in the fuck!” Viper reached out to stop him, but Shade held him back.

“He deserves more than what Train’s giving him.”

Shade’s cold voice had Train wanting to kill Crash with his bare hands, his instincts screaming at him to beat him until there was nothing left, but it wasn’t his call to make. That wasn’t the way The Last Riders handled their justice. Before he completely forgot that and dealt with the piece of shit himself, he stepped back.

“I called you brother … Every man here has. We put our lives in your hands countless times”—Train hit his chest with his fist—“and the whole time you were betraying us! You will never hear brother out of my lips again. I’m going to be the first one to spit on your grave when we get done burying you.”