King Cobra (Hot Rods)

chapter Eleven


“I’m so glad your kids get you up at the asscrack of dawn.” Alanso smiled and waved to the babies Joe and Mike held. “Plus the time difference between us helps.”

“Why aren’t you guys in bed yet?” Morgan wanted to know. She sat between the men and alternated entertaining each of their children. “Rough night?”

“You could say that. We f*cked up.” Eli let his head fall back and thump into the dark wood of Alanso’s bed.

“No kidding.” Joe laughed. “You should have done this months ago.”

“Well, yeah, there’s that. Mistake número uno.” Alanso shook his head. They sat shoulder to shoulder in his room, videochatting with various members of the crew.

This was pretty cool. To see them and talk to them. It made Eli feel less far away from his distant family and the guys who’d become extended members by default.

No wonder Alanso had been addicted to this thing lately. He always had been the smarter of them when it came to people. Emotions.

Hopefully he could figure out a way to go forward. They needed direction.

“Don’t let them bully you.” Kate popped onto the screen as she snuggled into her husband’s grasp. Mike sat with Joe, not unlike Alanso and Eli. Except their warmth and happiness was undeniable. The two little babies the muscular guys held attested to the strength of their love and its ability to grow.

Nathan and Abby cooed at each other, their miniature hands seeking their pal with clumsy swipes. Alanso noticed too. “Damn, they’re BFFs already, aren’t they?”

Kate giggled as she finger-combed Abby’s hair. “Yeah. If we take one out of the room the other will bawl until we bring them back together.”

“It’s not pretty.” The wry grin on Joe’s face declared he didn’t mind so much. “They’re assuming control over here. Not even a year old and they have every last one of their aunts and uncles wrapped around their fingers.”

Eli wiggled his own fingers when Nathan glanced his way. He smiled at the wide-eyed fascination in the little guy’s gaze. “This one included.”

“Then maybe you’ll come see him in person sometime soon?” Morgan fit just right in the gap between her husband and Mike.

“If I can find the time. Business is doing great. Lots of work.” Pride filled him. Even in tough times for luxuries, their clientele never slimmed. They did good work and people knew it. Customers came from several counties away to have Hot Rods attend to their babies.

Only the best.

“I was kind of wondering.” Mike hesitated. As the foreman of the crew, he and Eli had always had plenty in common. “Wasn’t sure about that since you could spare Mustang Sally for a few weeks.”

“What?” Eli cocked his head.

“Uh-oh.” Joe poked his crewmate in the side. “I don’t think she’s told him about her vacation yet.”

“Look, King Cobra.” Morgan always loved to use their nicknames. “She said she had time coming and she never gets to hang out with other women. Please don’t harass her. Let us take her shopping and spoil her and…talk to her.”

“What’s all this about?” Alanso leaned in closer, scrutinizing their expressions. “When did she tell you she was coming?”

“Honestly, we told her.” Kate sat up straighter, daring them to say one word. “Something’s wrong. It’s obvious. Just when we’ve got you two straightened out. Now Sally.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Eli didn’t like the unease infiltrating his gut.

“She called earlier.” Morgan looked at something off screen so she didn’t have to meet their horrified stares. “It was obvious she was upset. She didn’t say why, but I can guess.”

“It’s our fault.” Alanso sagged. “Do you think she’s grossed out by me and Eli? Will it bother her to live with us now?”

“I think you’re still f*cking this up,” Mike barked. He didn’t often lose his temper. The babies fussed a little and he melted immediately. He kissed Abby on the forehead and hugged her tight to his chest.

“Stop talking in code.” Eli couldn’t take much more of this.

“I don’t think Sally’s offended by your relationship. I think she’s crushed you left her out.” Kate spoke softer, “I know you didn’t do it on purpose but something…somehow…”

“It was very obvious,” Morgan confirmed her best friend’s observation. “She’s had her heart broken.”

“Then let’s go find her. Talk to her. Cobra, we can’t let her leave. Not after tonight—”

“F*ck!”

“Joder!”

They cursed simultaneously, if in two different languages.

“It didn’t take long for you to start thinking in each other’s brains.” Mike laughed. “But maybe you want to clue us in.”

“We sort of hooked up with a chick in the garage earlier.” Alanso scrubbed his hand over his face.

“Do you think…could she have seen us?” Eli had never felt so sick—or so embarrassed—in his life.

“Come mierda. I saw the light on in her studio, but I thought she’d just forgotten to turn it off again like usual.” Alanso froze.

“Yep, I’d say there’s a pretty good chance.” Joe grimaced. “You idiots. Why? Why did you waste your time when you knew what you really needed?”

“Because I was afraid of f*cking it up.” Alanso didn’t sound like he felt any better than Eli did. “I wanted to be sure before we approached her.”

“And I’m still working my way through this.” Eli waved his finger between Alanso and himself. “My dad said something about breaking up the band. Wondered which one of us would f*ck up Hot Rods first. Not in so many words, but… Yeah, it made me worry.”

“I understand the responsibility you feel.” Mike didn’t try to bullshit them about everything at risk. “But you aren’t helping anyone by putting off the inevitable. You’re only causing a lot of drama and delaying the outcome. Man up, Eli. Take your Hot Rods to the next level.”

He closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he nodded. Alanso smiled and knocked his shoulder into Eli’s chest, causing the garage owner to show his hand. “Okay, then I guess we’d better go find our girl. Alanso took some notes while we were…busy…earlier. Maybe we could put them to good use.”

“Uhhh.” Kate looked to her husband, who nodded. “Sally’s not home. She’s sort of on her way here.”

“What?” Right now?” Eli bounded from bed, uncaring that the camera now only caught him pacing. “When she’s upset? In the dark? Jesus. It’s a five-hour drive!”

Alanso buried his head in his hands, leaving his bald scalp to reflect the soft lamplight. He murmured, “She left?”

“I’m not happy about her hasty retreat either.” Mike grimaced. “I tried to convince her to wait until morning—well, later morning—but she wouldn’t hear of it. Honestly, though, she’s got her hands-free unit hooked up and Kayla’s in the other room keeping her company on the road.”

“Thank God for Bryce and those new additions he’s been testing out.” Eli unwound just a tiny bit. “I don’t like it, but I guess there’s nothing I can do.”

“You could get your plan together. Talk to Alanso. Talk to the rest of the guys. Figure out what you need so that when she comes home, you’re ready.” Mike’s direct tone convinced Eli he’d thought about the solution for a while. “Don’t chase her, Cobra. She’ll be safe here. Let our women talk to her. Convince her of the benefits so you can plead your case once she’s cooled off and calmed down. It might do you some good to be without her for a bit. Maybe then you’ll get your priorities straight. These people are not going to hang around forever. Not even for you. If you don’t love them back—”

“I do!” Eli pounded his fist into his palm.

“All right, then.” Mike held his hand out. “Take the time you wanted. You’ve got it now. Do this right. I’m afraid it’s going to be your last shot.”

“You text me the moment she walks her pretty ass through that door,” Eli snarled.

“Want me to spank her for you?” Joe wiggled his eyebrows.

“Hey!” Morgan slapped her husband lightly on the shoulder. “Isn’t it enough that you have four guys and four women of your own to play with?”

“Just offering a public service.” He bussed his wife’s cheek. “I can’t handle anymore anyway. I pity the Hot Rods. That’s a tall order.”

The crewmembers laughed.

“I want to be you when I grow up,” Alanso said softly.

“You’re going to get there, honey. It’s complicated.” Morgan blew him a kiss. “Just keep your King Cobra in line and you’ll be on your way.”

“Promise?” He couldn’t help but smile at the pretty woman who’d tamed Eli’s cousin.

“Cross my heart.” She did.

“Take care of Sally.” Alanso rubbed his head. “I love her.”

“We know.” Kate smiled back at him. “And she’s obviously got feelings for you. Strong ones. Or she wouldn’t be running so hard.”

“I hope we haven’t destroyed that.” Eli groaned. “Not when we were so close.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves.” The voice of reason, in the form of a construction foreman, warned them. “In fact, it seems like you’ve had one hell of a day. Why not hit the hay? If Mustang Sally isn’t here in the next three hours and forty-two minutes or she gets disconnected from Kayla, I’ll call you back. I swear.”

Alanso seemed to melt into the pile of pillows on his bed. “You might have another great idea there.”

“Please, don’t make his head any bigger.” Kate rolled her eyes. “Sleep well, guys. And Alanso, I’m so sorry to hear about your mother.”

He let his lids sink and nodded. Eli climbed under the blankets beside him and gathered him to his chest. “You’re right, it has been a long one. Thank you. For everything.”

“Anytime. Goodnight boys,” Morgan said with a smile.

Joe, Mike and Kate waved just before the screen went black.

Eli closed the laptop and set it on the nightstand before curling up behind Alanso. “We’ll make this right. I’ll fix it for us, Alanso.”

“We’ll do it together, Cobra.”

“Even better.” Eli smiled and laid his head beside his best friend’s on their shared pillow. The rumble from the living room entertainment center soothed him as he thought of the rest of the Hot Rods nearby.

All but one.