“Killy said it was her turn to do lunch, and that if it was that important to talk to her now, we’d have to meet here.”
“This day is just getting better and better,” Hammer complained, reaching for the back door of the kitchen. Before he touched the handle, the door suddenly burst open, and two men came flying out, their fists pounding each other so hard grunts of pain filled the space.
“Whoa.” Jonas started to try to break the two apart, but then stopped, recognizing the one with the fucked haircut. He couldn’t see who the other one was since Gavin had him in a headlock, his head buried under Gavin’s armpit as Gavin battered his back with his free hand.
Hammer, also recognizing Gavin, stepped out of the way so he wouldn’t become a casualty.
“I’m not going!” Gavin snarled, pounding his large fist on the man’s back again.
“Yes, you fucking are!”
Jonas finally realized who Gavin was fighting when Rider reached out for Gavin’s chest. He winced when he saw what Rider was doing.
“I taught him that move,” Hammer said proudly.
“You always get a kick out of teaching that technique. I prefer using other, less cruel ways.”
Hammer shrugged. “I prefer to win.”
“Me, too.”
A feminine snicker had them both taking their eyes off the fight to see Killyama watching enthusiastically with a bloodthirsty look.
“Should we try to break them up?”
While Hammer gave him an are-you-fucking-crazy glare, Killyama thankfully didn’t take him up on the offer.
“No. I’ll wait until Rider gets tired. Train and Cash are working out in the basement; they can break it up.”
“Why don’t they just do it now?”
She rolled her eyes. “Because that wouldn’t be any fun, now would it?”
“I guess not,” Jonas said, moving her out of the way as the men barreled back in their direction.
“So, what did you need to ask me?”
“I need you to ask Shade if he can find out who rented a motel room in town.”
It hit both Hammer and Jonas’s pride that they had to ask Shade for information, but it was the quickest way they could find Mary.
Killyama gave him a puzzled look. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“I’ve tried to call him twice. We were hoping he would be here or at the factory, but his bike isn’t here. Pretty pissed off at him for him not answering, Hammer and I did a favor for him last night. Today? He can’t take five seconds to answer a text?”
Jonas was becoming so aggravated that Shade hadn’t texted or called he thought about becoming involved in the fight just to blow some steam off. It only took him a minute to think it over; he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life being pushed in a wheelchair by Hammer.
It was everything he could do not to intervene in the fight. Gavin had Rider by the throat and was shoving him up against the side of the clubhouse as if he were a paintbrush. It was hard for Hammer to take just standing there, too, since they both knew what Gavin had been through. Then again, they’d fought missions so they knew full-well what Gavin was capable of. The only reason Rider was still breathing was because the Reaper was holding himself back.
“Let up, Gavin.” Hammer moved closer to the two men. Jonas could tell his friend was getting ready to step in now that Rider’s face was turning blue.
“You should get Train and Cash,” Jonas told Killyama grimly, bracing himself for when Hammer stepped in.
“I’m not going, got it?” Gavin yelled up at Rider’s purple face.
“Fuck.” Hammer couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out to touch Gavin when Rider struck out, smashing his hands on each side of Gavin’s head.
Gavin doubled over, holding his ears and allowing Rider to slide to the ground. Before Gavin could recover, Rider flashed out a foot, kicking Gavin in the stomach.
“Someone is watching Jo and Crux, so either you convince Shade to go,” Rider choked out hoarsely, “or you go. I don’t care which you choose, but it won’t be me. I’ll give up being a Last Rider if it comes to that. And if you think I fucking won’t, fucking try me!” Turning his back on Gavin, he stormed back into the house, leaving Gavin lying there, watching him leave with a haggard expression on his face.
Hammer and Jonas both turned their gazes away when Gavin followed him back inside.
“Well, that was intense.”
Killyama watched them both go inside before turning back to Jonas and Hammer. “So, why do you want to know who rented a room?”
This was the tricky part that neither he nor Hammer wanted to go into.
“It’s for a job we’re thinking of taking on.”
“Bullshit. Moon said he saw you with a woman last night. Who was she?”
“We don’t know,” he admitted.
“Ah. Well, I guess I can use my magic on Shade and find out for you.”
“What’s the catch?” Jonas knew better than to take Killyama’s offer at face value.
“No catch. Just curious to see who the woman is that got you two interested enough to chase after her.”
“We could be working a case.”
“No, Moon said you didn’t let any grass grow under your ass when you saw her at the bar.”
Hammer scowled. “Moon has a big mouth.”
“No shit.” Killy took out her phone. “Let me see what I can find out.” She went to sit on the picnic table as they waited.
“He didn’t answer for me either,” she said from the table. “You said she stayed at the motel?”
“Yes. We tried to get the information from the clerk there, but when Hammer threatened to tear out his windpipe, his cooperation stopped.”
“Did you offer him cash?”
“We didn’t have any on us. We’d already given everything in our wallets to Greer, and Hammer didn’t want to go to the ATM.”
“You two are hopeless without me. You’re going to tell me why you had to give Greer all your cash?”
“No,” both Jonas and Hammer said curtly and at the same time.
Killyama tried to call Shade again. When he didn’t answer, she stood, putting her phone in her back pocket. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Jonas asked.
“To the motel.”
“You have any cash or should we stop by the ATM?”
“Neither.”
“He won’t give you the information either. And if he starts reading off those privacy laws again, I’ll rip out his windpipe myself.”
“He’ll tell me,” she assured them, giving them a confident grin. “Besides, you should have called me before you talked to him. Never send a man when a woman can do it better.”
Jesus, she was never going to let this down. Hammer’s expression showed he was feeling the burn as badly as him.
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because I’ll have his windpipe in my hand.”
CHAPTER 11
Mika plopped down on her couch, tucking her legs underneath her. Pointing the remote at the television, she shouted out to Julia, “You ready for me to start the movie?”
Her friend came out of the bedroom that she was still settling into. “I was thinking of taking a nap.”
“At three in the afternoon? You’ll be up all night. Come on.” Mika patted the couch cushion next to her. “Keep me company.” She knew that Julia was going to call or text Dillion in privacy.
Mika could tell Julia’s the anger and determination of the day before was switching trajectory. She was going to do everything within her power to stop that from happening. It was a sad way for her to ignore and dampen the heartbreak she’d been feeling since being back. Leaving “the men” was not something she was going to recover from soon, but dealing with Julia’s drama was at least a way to keep her mind off her own problems.
“You win. But if I watch Avengers with you, then you have to watch Happy Death Day with me.”
Mika s
huddered. “I’m squeamish at the sight of blood.” She pressed the button to start the movie and said, “You’re going to love it. There’s enough man candy to quench both of our sweet tooths.”
“You’re so lame. You’re excited about a movie hunk? You should go out more. Guys like these don’t exist in real life.”
Mika shrugged. “I don’t think the actors would agree with sentiment.”
“Well, you sure won’t be meeting Renner or Hemsworth.”
“Don’t worry; next month Aquaman comes out. He might steal the spotlight. By the way, when it comes out, will you go to the theater with me?”
“No.”
Mika picked up her cell phone, showing her the actor that portrayed Aquaman.
Julia took a long look at the picture, bringing Mika’s phone closer to her face before giving it back. “I’ll buy the tickets. It’ll be my treat.”
“Thought so,” Mika said smugly, taking another glance at the picture herself before setting her phone aside.