“Why?”

“Because she scares him.” Hammer reached for the pack of gum he kept on the dashboard without taking his eyes off the road.

“Crazy Bitch is the sweetest woman I know.”

“That’s not saying much. Besides, I asked her out last year. She turned me down.”

“Really? She never told me. Did she say why?”

“She said I acted too nice. I even tried to give her flowers. She said she’d never trust a man who gave her flowers again.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

“Don’t bother. She said she wouldn’t date another man who couldn’t pass a lie detector when asked if they would ever hit her. By that point, I wanted to strangle her, so I knew I wouldn’t pass.”

“She didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, she did. I was only asking her on a date, not asking her to shack up with me.”

She shrugged. “It’s your loss.”

“Yes, it is … Thank God.”

“I’ll keep my eye out. You both are going to end up old and lonely if you don’t stop being so damn picky.”

“I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll go out with someone you want me to if I can pick someone to go out with you.”

“Who? I’m open to suggestions.” Then she thought better of her acceptance, needing to clarify her terms. “As long as he doesn’t have a little dick.”

She saw Hammer roll his eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’m not going to ask them how big their dick is!”

“Why not? I’ll ask the women what bra size they’re wearing before I decide who to fix you up with.”

“A woman’s tits aren’t the only things I’m interested in. They have to have a brain, too.”

“Shasta didn’t have a PHD after her name.” Killyama rolled her eyes back at him. “She could barely add two and two when you were married to her.”

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“No. But I have to admit, I miss her. I liked her better than some of your other girlfriends.”

“I divorced her, because you told me she was letting you party with the Destructors.”

“I didn’t party with the Destructors. At least, not back then. I was just hanging out with them.”

“Biggest mistake I ever made was trusting Shasta with you … and not convincing your mom not to let you hang out with Sex Piston. I listened to Shasta when she lied and said you were just hanging out at my apartment. I didn’t know you had made it party central for you and your friends. She left me with two months’ back rent when she left me for T.A.’s cousin. The fucking whore even took my car.”

“Shasta wasn’t the reason I made friends with them. She couldn’t handle me any better than you could.”

“Your mama blamed me for you running wild.”

“I wasn’t running wild. Sex Piston just liked hanging out there. She needed—”

“Every time one of those bitches needed you, you took off running. Still do.”

“Don’t blame them. They’ve never asked me to do anything I didn’t want to do.”

“No?”

“No!”

“I’m not even going there with you. You’ve broken me. I’d rather do another tour of duty than argue with you. I stand a better chance of winning a whole fucking war than winning an argument with you.”

“I’m not that bad.”

“Yes. You. Are.”

Killyama sat back huffily. “I’m going to pick the meanest bitch I can find for you to go out with.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about.”

“Why?”

“Think about it.”

If Hammer weren’t driving, she would backhand him on the back of his laughing head.

4

“Want another beer?”

Rosie’s bar was crowded to overflowing with Last Riders and Destructors, but Train had sat at the end of the bar facing the door so he could see anyone entering.

It was only when Rider shoved him to get his attention that Train took his eyes off the doorway.

“No thanks. I’m still working on the one I have.”

“Taking it slow tonight, aren’t you?”

Train shrugged. He had to keep his wits for when Killyama showed up … if she did. He was growing increasingly more frustrated. He had expected her to be there with bells on for the party the two clubs had planned. Leave it to her not to show. The woman never did what he expected of her.

“I’m still recovering from last night,” Train lied. It was bad enough that he was sitting on his stool like a lovesick puppy. He didn’t need to give Rider even more ammunition to make fun of him. From the sideway glance Rider shot him, his lie hadn’t worked.

Rider took a drink of his beer before slamming it down. “I’m going to go dance with Ember. She misses Raci. Want to help me so she won’t feel so lonely?”

“Go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Sure you will.” Rider gave him a mocking look before heading toward the dance floor.

Train tightened his grip on his beer. He could handle the brothers knowing he wanted Killyama, having never cared what other people thought of his actions. He had learned at a young age that expectations came with chains that you couldn’t break from. Train would be damned if he would let anyone keep him from accomplishing anything he wanted to.

With a father who was too lazy to work, the entire neighborhood had shown their judgmental attitudes every time he had walked out his door. The fights that had taken place between his parents had just added more gossip to feed the gossipmongers. The whispers about his parents had grown to include him as he grew older, following him down the school’s halls or when he tried to date one of their daughters.

When he was younger, he had received sympathetic looks. As he grew older, though, they had grown warier, assuming he had inherited his father’s violent temperament. Train had quickly learned to meet his date somewhere rather than have a judgmental father slam a door in his face.

Train eyed the rowdy crowd. Viper and Stud were sitting at a table to his left. The presidents of the two clubs were talking as they watched their men become increasingly boisterous, each club member claiming bragging rights as to who had settled the score with Raul.

When their attention went to the door, Train stiffened as Sex Piston, Fat Louise, T.A., Crazy Bitch, and Killyama filed inside.

His gut twisted in need, fighting the urge to get off his stool and carry her outside to her ugly green car she refused to get rid of. If she hadn’t driven, he wasn’t picky; he could fuck her against the side of the building or spring for a room at the local hotel.

His eyes stalked her as she followed her friends to the table Fat Louise’s husband was sitting at.

Biding his time now that she was here, Train motioned to Mick to hand him another beer.

“Thanks.” Train started to reach for his wallet, but Mick stopped him.

“It’s on the house for fixing my car. It hasn’t run so well since I bought it.”

“I enjoyed working on it. I usually only have the men’s bikes to work on.”