All That Matters (Nightshade MC Book 3)

by Shannon Flagg

  The sight of him sent a pulse through her entire body. Meg had managed to convince herself that she didn't miss or need sex, but he'd proved her wrong from the first time he'd gotten his hands on her. Even with the boys in the room, all she could think about was jumping him. “Hey.”

  “I got the pizza. And beer. And soda for the kids. Oh, and I grabbed a bunch of movies. I figured you could just pick, Meg.”

  “That all sounds good. Hey Joshua, do you want to pick the movie?” Meg asked, with the hope that he'd take the olive branch. He didn't. Instead he shook his head and glared. “How about you, Leo?” Leo shot forward with a smile. “Let me help you with some of that.”

  “I got it. Just point me towards wherever you want me to put it.” Train actually shifted so that she couldn't take anything out of his hands.

  “We can eat in the living room and put the movie in now.” Maybe if they put the movie on, there would just be eating and watching. Meg was sure that if Joshua went into a meltdown, Train would be out the door in no time. He already seemed ready to bolt.

  She really hoped that he didn't. She wanted him to stick around. She wanted him with her, and that alone was enough to make her nervous. What they had, what they were doing, was supposed to just be fun, but now she could see the possibility of more. Fuck, she didn't even know if it was what he wanted, and she couldn't jump to conclusions just because he'd spent a night at her house and brought over dinner and a movie.

  “You're not eating.” Train's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. He'd spoken low enough that the boys hadn't even looked over at them.

  “Oh.” Meg looked down at her plate; sausage and pepper pizza was her favorite. Had he known that or was it just a coincidence? It had to be a coincidence, because he couldn't have known. It was delicious, but she'd been too busy keeping an eye on Joshua to pay much attention to it. “I guess I was watching the movie.”

  “You mean the previews?” He looked amused as he took a bite of his pizza. “If you don't like it, we can order something else.”

  “No. It's actually my favorite.”

  “So, eat then.” He lifted his beer. “And drink. Relax and watch whatever the hell movie this is.” Meg took a bite of the pizza. She washed it down with a swallow of beer, and he turned his attention back to the screen.

  The movie started, something full of car chases, explosions and loud music. There were scantily-dressed women who she figured were the sole reason that Leo had chosen it. She let him have his cheap thrill because boobs would definitely keep Joshua's attention on the movie and not on saying or doing something to ruin the nice night.

  Meg relaxed as the movie continued to play and their used dishes were piled up on the coffee table. Leo was stretched out on the floor. Joshua was on the other couch. Train was as relaxed as she'd ever seen him. He noticed her attention and moved his hand onto her leg. It wasn't a sexual touch, just his hand on her knee, but it sent fire through her either way.

  “Can you not hump in front of us?” Joshua asked. Meg hadn't even seen him take his eyes off of the screen.

  “What did you just say?” Train sat up straighter, but he kept his hand on her leg. In fact, he moved his fingers in the same soothing circular pattern he had earlier.

  “We talked about this, Joshua.” Meg remained where she was, tried to find the comfort she had earlier, but all she felt was worried. Worried about what Joshua was going to say next. “And if you want to be technical, this is about as far away from humping as you can get. Now, apologize to Train and go upstairs. Lights off. No reading. No anything.” Her voice was firm, but she felt her hands shake slightly. She pressed them together and held firm even when Joshua glared at her.

  If looks could kill, she'd have been an oozing pile of blood and guts on the floor.

  “Sorry.” It was the most unconvincing apology in the history of the world. Joshua said nothing else as he stomped out of the room and up the stairs. He slammed his bedroom door for emphasis.

  “Idiot,” Leo sighed. “Can we rewind the movie? I think that part was important.”

  “Sure, kiddo.” Meg looked over at Train. “Sorry about that.”

  “Don't apologize for him. He's old enough to realize he's being a shithead.” Train settled back on the couch. “You want me to go talk to him?”

  “No. It'll just cause a bigger fight. Let him think for a little while. Sometimes it calms him down.” Meg

  didn't want to think about the other times. He was a champion brooder, would spent days only leaving his room to eat or go to school. “Do you want another beer? I'll get us some out of the fridge, they should be colder.”

  “I could use a smoke if you want some air.” He squeezed her knee. “I think Leo's good here, right Leo?” He chuckled when the boy only nodded without looking away from the television. He let go of her and stood up. “Grab a sweater, it's got to be chilly out there.”

  Meg found a sweater tossed over the back of a chair, pulled it on and was suddenly sure that Train was taking her outside to talk to her away from Leo's little ears. Joshua had pushed him too far out of his comfort zone. She couldn't even blame him, and she didn't want to draw it out, so she walked straight out the back door.

  The cold air hit her like an actual slap to the face. It was a bitter cold, the sort of cold that promised snow. She was not ready for snow, not by a long shot. Meg continued to stare out into the yard. It was in shitty condition, nearly all dirt. The door shut behind her, but she didn't turn around. “If you want to go, I'm not going to hold it against you.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” She heard the flick of a lighter and turned to see him with a cigarette in his hand. “I said I wanted some air, not that I wanted to leave. You think that the boy and his attitude are going to run me off?”

  “Maybe,” she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

  “Don't be stupid.” He exhaled a stream of smoke. “You want one?”

  “Yes.” Meg reached out for the pack.

  “He always such a little shit, or is he feeling threatened that I'm around?” Train asked.

  “He's an angry kid. Josh was the same way, my mom always said it was the hormones. Basically, he's always a little shit these days.” Meg had to look down at the ground. She couldn't meet his eyes, his stare was too intense.

  “You're doing a good job with them, and Leo's great.” He tossed the cigarette into the yard and stepped closer to her. “How long is he good for in there by himself?”

  “He's likely put on another movie already.” Meg took a step back so she was against the railing. “He's had a really good time tonight.”

  “Did you?” He closed the distance between them. Before she could answer, his phone rang. “Hold that thought.” He stepped back, pulled the phone out. “Yeah?” He listened. His expression darkened. “Be there in ten.”

  “You've got to go.” Meg felt a sharp stab of disappointment deep in her belly. She didn't know what he'd had in mind for them, out on the porch, in the open, but now it was clear she wouldn't find out.

  “It's club shit,” he replied. “I'm glad that Leo had a good time. Did you?”

  The question surprised her, but the answer was clear. “I did. Did you?”

  “I did.” He came in close once more, kissed her lightly. “If I get done early, I'll call you if you want.”

  “If it's late, you could just come in. See that unicorn over there?” Meg pointed to the top porch step.

  “Why do you have a rainbow unicorn planter with a dead plant in it?”

  “It's where we hide the extra key. It's under the feet. If it's late, you can get the key and just come in.” Meg stretched up, brushed her lips again. “Only if you want. I don't want you to feel pressured.” Her latest worry was that everything would be too much too fast for him.

  “The best I can do is tell you the truth, Meg.” He cupped her face with his hands. “If I can, I will come back. But if I can't, it's not about you. If the club needs me...”

>   “Okay, like I said, no pressure,” she repeated.

  “No panties.”

  “What?” Meg was almost sure that she'd heard him wrong. She had to have heard him wrong.

  “Don't wear any panties tonight, just in case I do come back.” He smiled a wicked smile. Meg felt heat rush through her, but she didn't feel herself blush.

  For some reason, she felt more comfortable with Train than she had with anyone as far back as she could remember, even before what had happened with Carlos. “I never wear panties when I sleep,” she told him without feeling even the slightest bit embarrassed.

  “That is very good information to know. Alright then, no pants.” He slid his hands from her face, down her body and to her ass. “I'm going to take that key with me now. The boys ever use it?”

  “If they both forget their keys, but that rarely happens.” Meg melted a little inside that he'd thought of the boys.

  “I'm going to hang onto it in case I don't get back tonight. Are you good with that?”

  “I'm good with that.” Meg didn't have to even pause and think. “Train...”

  “Save that thought, I've really got to go.” He gave her ass one last hard squeeze. She felt a rush of disappointment as he released her and stepped away.

  “Be careful.” Meg didn't know if it was the right thing to say, but she had to say something.

  “Always am.” He lifted the unicorn planter and retrieved the key. “Go on in. I can see your nipples through the sweater, it's freezing out here.”

  Meg wasn't sure if that was because of the cold or because of him, but she went inside anyway. She liked that he stood on the porch until he heard the locks turn and she'd flipped on the outside light. She really liked the way that he'd taken the key and told her not to wear panties. It had been a bit of a shock to realize just how much she liked it when he told her to do something.

  “Did Train leave?” Leo's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

  “He had to go, but he said to say good night,” Meg replied. “What do you say we watch another movie?”

  “Sweet. Can I have popcorn? I can make it.”

  “Knock yourself out, kiddo. I'm going to pick our next flick.” She ruffled his hair as he ran past her to the pantry. “No more soda, though. You'll never go to sleep.”

  Chapter Seven

  Train paced the length of the hospital waiting room, back and forth and back again. All they knew was Buster and Caroline had been in a car accident. They were both in surgery. No one had come to tell them shit, so they waited and he stewed. Finally a nurse came over to them. Train recognized her immediately. Her name was Trina, and she'd shown up at the bar at least twice a month. He'd fucked her several times; one memorable time he'd fucked her and Claire after they'd fucked each other.

  Danny had reached her first. He was taking charge of everything. It had gotten old after about five minutes. Train made his way over. “What's going on? Why are they in surgery?” he demanded.

  “She was just trying to tell me that,” Danny said dryly.

  Trina smiled. “Easy boys, I'll give you both what you want. They're going to be okay. Caroline's wrist was severely broken, they had to put in some pins. Buster got his bell rung, he was out for a while, gave us a little scare, but he's awake now. Caroline should be out of the anesthesia in the next few minutes. The doctor will be down to tell you. It'd be great if you could act like it's the first time you've heard the good news.”

  “We won't get you in trouble. Thanks, Trina.” Danny flashed her a smile she immediately returned. Train wasn't sure if Danny had fucked Trina before Amelia came back. He was sure that Trina would fuck either of them right now if asked.

  “You can thank me by inviting me to the next Nightshade party,” she told them with a wink. “I'm in desperate need of a good time.” Her eyes went to Train. “I could take a break. I could show you around, Train.”

  Train looked her up and down. The not-found-in-nature red of her hair looked particularly shitty under the overhead lights, as did the makeup that was too heavy for a day at work. If he had to guess, he'd say that she'd freshened up before she came over to talk to them. “You sure that we can't get up to see them tonight? We'll be quick,” Train asked instead of answering her offer directly. He didn't figure that she'd be eager to help them after he turned her down.

  “I could see what I could do. It would take up my break, so maybe you could give me a ride home?” Trina actually batted her eyes at him.

  “Don't worry. We'll make sure that you get home,” Danny told her.

  “Alright, I'll make a call. You should go wait on the fifth floor.” Trina turned to Train and winked. “See you later.”

  “You're taking her home.” Danny patted Train on the back. “You can thank me later.”

  Train bristled at the touch. “No, I'm not. We've got bigger fish to fry, like figuring out what happened to Caroline and Buster. All we know is that it was a wreck. We don't know if it was really an accident. What we do know is that we don't know shit.” He shifted his attention to Monroe. The former detective usually got information from buddies still in the department.. “Monroe, what have you got?”

  “Everything I hear says it looks like an accident, but it's been a busy night. Several murders and a couple of robberies, they're a little bit busy,” Monroe replied.

  “Let's get up to the fifth floor.” Danny took the reigns again. “First thing we need to do is make sure that Buster and Caroline are going to be alright and then we can make a plan.” It was clearly an order. Train was surprised that no one seemed to have any objection to Danny suddenly being the shot-caller. He kept his mouth shut, not because he feared Danny in any way, he didn't, but because he was right about one thing: they needed to find out if Buster and Caroline were going to be okay. They could figure shit out from there.

  The fifth floor waiting room was deserted. The nurses and doctors that passed paid no attention to the group of bikers, even though they should have stuck out like sore thumbs. Minutes passed by and then a couple of hours. It became clear that Trina wasn't going to come through for them. Monroe's contacts were mute. They sat in silence until someone approached.

  Train was surprised when he saw Maggie walking towards them, even though he knew that Hector's widow worked there. Everyone else seemed surprised as well, except maybe for Monroe who rose to his feet at the sight of her.

  Something was going on between the two of them; it was clear as Maggie cleared her throat. “Hey, Monroe asked me to see what I could find out. Come on, I'll take you to them.” She didn't wait for them to respond. They all followed her to a room down at the end of the hall. “You've got five minutes. That's it. No arguments.”

  “No arguments,” Danny told her. Train wasn't even annoyed at his take-charge attitude anymore, it was coming to an end. “Thank you.”

  “You're welcome,” Maggie replied. “I've got to get back, but I'll check in through my shift, let you know what's going on.”

  Train didn't wait for anyone else. He walked into the room. Caroline was in a hospital bed, her lower arm in a cast. She was pale, but she looked like she was okay. Train didn't realize how nervous he'd been for her until he laid eyes on her.

  Buster looked like he'd been in one hell of a fight. There was a bandage on his forehead to cover the stitches. “Hey, guys. Sorry for the scare,” he told them.

  “What the fuck happened?” Train demanded.

  “We were coming home from a movie,” Buster stroked his finger over Caroline's arm. “Granny in a minivan had some kind of episode and passed out with her foot on the gas. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The passenger side took the hit.”

  “You're sure it was random?” Danny asked. “We're in bed with all sorts of new people. One of them could have...”

  “No.” Buster cut Danny off. “Don't go making this into something that it's not. It was an accident, and we're going to be fine. Caroline's going to have the cast on for a bit, but it could have
been a lot worse, right? ” He looked over at her with a smile that said everything he felt about her.

  “Right,” Caroline confirmed. “Like he said, wrong place at wrong time. Last thing I remember is being in the car, and then we were here.” She looked down at her arm. “Bright side is, I don't have to look at my scar for a few months.”

  Train grinned at that, some of the tightness in his chest eased. It had just been an accident; things weren't going bad again. Just as importantly, Caroline was her usual self. He admired the hell out of her; she was the strongest woman he'd ever met. No matter what was thrown at her, she took it and threw something right back.

  The five minutes passed by quickly, but when they left the room they were all under strict orders from Buster to get out of there and go home. He asked that someone come back in the morning to take them home; he'd relented to staying overnight on the condition that he was in the same room as Caroline.