Hammer’s face was grave as he zipped it up, hiding the bandage at her throat. “Little girl, you’re breaking my heart.”
Killyama forced a smile before going to the mirror to apply a cherry shade of lipstick. “You don’t have one.”
“Yes, I do.” Hammer’s pain-filled expression showed she had hit a nerve.
“I was joking. I’m going to be fine. I’m looking forward to the painkillers the doctors are going to hook me up with.”
“Like you’ll take them. You hate to take a Tylenol.”
“That shit is bad for you.”
Minutes later, Killyama let Hammer help her into the SUV.
“Let’s get this show on the road, Jonas. If she groans one more time, she’s going to the hospital.”
Killyama pouted. “Don’t be mean to me. I’m hurt.”
“No, shit. You are your own worst enemy.”
“Not anymore. The Last Riders are.”
When they didn’t contradict her, she wished she were capable of crying.
“I wish it would rain.”
“It rained last night. The skies are supposed to be clear tonight.”
Even the Heavens were frowning down on her. It didn’t matter, anyway. It would take a flood to wash away the damage she had done to herself.
“Rae? You need me to get the nurse?”
Jonas’s concern brought her back to the present.
“I could use some water … and a Tylenol.”
The men fussed over her until she told them to leave and let her sleep.
“We’ll go when you fall asleep,” Hammer promised, settling into a chair by her bed as Jonas stood by the door.
She was about to doze off, but she forced her sleepy eyes open.
“Go to sleep, Rae. No one is getting past us. Have I ever broken a promise to you?”
“No, never.” Letting her eyelids close, she started to drift off to sleep, confident the two men would keep her safe.
They had filled her father’s shoes even before he had died. She used to aggravate them sometimes, talking her father up like a hero, bragging about his military accomplishments. What she could never put into words was that Jonas and Hammer were truly the meaning of the word hero, and she was blessed to have them both. She had learned early on that a father wasn’t a word; it was deeds.
Damn, being hurt brought the sensitive side out of her. She needed to get better so she could show them she could still beat their asses.
“Hammer?”
“Yeah, Rae?”
“When you come back, bring me a pack of gum.”
16
Train was starting his bike when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his jacket pocket.
“Where are you?” Viper barked out as soon he answered the call.
“In the parking lot, getting ready to pull out. What’s—”
“Stay there. I’ll be out in five.” Viper disconnected the call before Train could ask what was wrong.
He looked over at Viper’s house, seeing the lights were on. Earlier when he had come down the steps, both houses were dark since he had slept longer than he had intended. By midnight, most of the brothers and the women had already turned in for the night. Turning to face the clubhouse, he saw lights had been turned on inside there, too.
“Fuck,” Train swore, impatiently waiting for someone to come out and tell him what was going on.
He was almost ready to get off his bike when Viper finally appeared.
“Shade called and told me that he wants you and Crash to come to Ohio. When I told him that you were already on your way, he said I might want to be there, too.”
“Did he say why?”
“No, I figured we could find out together. We can talk when he gets there.” Viper went to his bike. He was starting it when Crash, Nickel, and Razer came out of the clubhouse to find their bikes.
Train backed his up to pull alongside of Viper’s. “I thought you said Shade only asked for me and Crash?”
“I’d rather have too much backup than not enough.”
The brothers were ready in seconds, Viper taking the lead down the winding road leading into town. Razer and Train rode at the back of the pack.
As they passed the sheriff’s office, Knox’s and Lucky’s bikes’ headlights hit them. They decelerated through the empty street until Knox was riding next to Crash, and Lucky sped ahead to ride with Viper.
Other than for gas, the brothers didn’t stop until they were the on the outskirts of Ohio, where Viper texted Shade, letting him know they would be there in thirty minutes.
“Shade sent the address to a hospital fifteen minutes away,” he informed everyone.
They made it to the rendezvous point ten minutes later, where Shade was sitting casually on his bike with his arms resting on the handlebars. Moon and Rider were waiting with him.
The brothers circled Shade’s bike so they could hear what he had to say.
“What’s up? Something happen to Sasha?” Viper motioned for the men to turn off their bikes.
Train felt Shade’s critical gaze on him before it settled on Viper. “No. Nothing has changed so far, but I expect the charges to be dropped.”
“How’d you manage that?”