“Stop what? What the hell is going on? Train, why do you keep touching my sister?” G asks, his voice angry even if it’s not loud. It also brings on a bout of coughing. I quickly shuffle to his bed and grab an extra pillow that’s laying on a table and place it on his chest. G gives me a grouchy look but holds onto it. It helps the pain when he coughs, but G hates to show weakness.
“It’s nothing. Between you and me, G, I think your friend Train is a little drunk. He seems to keep trying to touch things when he’s had a few drinks. I’m sure once he sobers up, he’ll be fine. Some men just can’t handle their liquor,” I sass, planning Train’s murder. Ride and Brambles are laughing. I’m avoiding G’s eyes because I know he doesn’t believe me, but I’m just going to fake it until I make it. I can feel Train close by. It seems my body always can.
“The only thing I’ve had to drink today, Midnight, is your lips,” Train snaps.
“And here we go with Midnight again. I have a name, Train—unlike you—and you know it, so you should use it!” I huff. I’m mostly diverting him from the fact that he just announced to everyone that he kissed me.
“You kissed my sister?” G growls, and this time he sounds menacing even though he’s sick and coughing.
“Several times.”
“Will you stop!” I screech. “You can’t believe anything Train has to say. Besides, he’s lying. He drank orange juice this morning.”
“He drank…You were at my sister’s house this morning? Are you fucking my sister?” G growls.
“He is not!” I snap. “And it’s not any of your business if he is,” I gripe.
“I’m not,” Train says calmly, crossing his arms at his chest.
“Then what—”
“But I’m going to.”
I squeak. Ride and Brambles laugh, and G? He goes ballistic.
He sits up in bed yanking wires loose. Alarms go off, and G starts coughing. I’m trying to push him back on the bed. He mostly ignores me.
“You lay a finger on my sister, and I’ll beat the hell out of you,” G warns.
“Good. I’ll probably deserve it. It will give you a goal to get your sorry ass out of that bed,” Train says—definitely not helping matters.
“Go to one of your club whores. You leave my sister alone.”
“I don’t know why—wait…what?” I breathe, my chest tight. “Your club whores?” I ask Train, my eyes wide. “You have women, and you’re trying to get into my pants?”
“I don’t have women, Drew.”
“Bullshit. Ask him how he got the name Train, Drew. Go ahead.”
“Ghost, buddy, I love you like my own blood, but if you don’t shut it, I’m going to make it so you can’t talk,” Train growls. His anger, coming off him in waves, is downright scary.
“Is he telling the truth? Is that how you got your name?” I ask quietly. I don’t keep the pain out of my voice. I don’t think I could. I don’t even understand why it’s there. I don’t have to ask what a train is. I know. I also know that MC clubs have women to fuck at will. I guess I just never thought of Train with them. It was stupid, but I’m definitely thinking about it now.
“I’ve had my name for twenty years, Drew. So, yeah, maybe it was. I was a kid full of come and enjoying it.”
“Cool,” I murmur, turning away from him. I look back at G as I come to terms with all this information. I think I was living in a fantasy world. One where this mess with Lenny would just go away, and I’d be free to pursue whatever this thing was between me and Train. Reality has blown fantasy out of the water and not in a good way. Still, it’s sobering and needed.
“Cool?” Train asks.
“Yeah, cool. I’m not going to judge you. You should live your life anyway you want,” I respond, not turning back to look at him. “G, I need to go. I have an early shift at work. I’ll come by after I get off. We were just starting Pet Cemetery. I’ll bring it with me.”
“You were torturing me with those freaky ass books of yours?” he grumbles. I can tell he’s getting paler. He needs to rest. I just need out of here.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Don’t worry, okay? Everything will be fine,” I tell him, kissing the top of his head.
“Love you, meanness,” he says.
“Love you, pain in my ass,” I respond.
“Hold up, Drew. You go nowhere unless one of us is with you.”
“It’s not going to be you,” I tell him, willing to have one of the guys with me if only to just get me out of here.
“It will be me. And Ghost, brother, understand you and I will have our shit sorted out when you get on your feet, but Drew is mine.”