by Jayne Rylon
“She fled into the highway,” Alanso finished reading in a monotone that scared Eli. He crumpled the letter in his fist, then finished on his own. “Was struck and killed instantly by a passing car. Not a drunk driver. Just some poor bastard on his way to third shift. The judge ruled no fault. None but her own.”
“Oh God.” Tom squeezed Alanso’s shoulder from behind. “I’m so sorry, kid.”
“Al.” Carver reached over and put his palm on their friend’s bald head. He rubbed it before stepping aside and letting the other Hot Rods near.
The rest of the guys followed suit, instilling what comfort they could.
Eli stared straight into unfocused eyes. “She never left you, Alanso. Not because she wanted to. All those times, you weren’t wrong. She loved you very much. Maybe now you can honor those memories, preserve and cherish them, instead of doubting.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, cabrón. Just because we fucked doesn’t mean you know how this feels.” He wrenched away from the helping hands on him and punted an oilcan across the garage. It clattered as it rolled before skidding to a stop.
“Fuck you.” Eli got right in his face, to hell with the guys attempting to hold him back. “How dare you tell me I don’t know what it’s like to lose your mother?”
“Eli! Alanso!” Tom cut through their rage in a second. His censure was like a hot knife through butter. “Shut the hell up. Both of you. Neither of your moms would condone this. Haven’t you suffered enough?”
“You’re right, Tom.” Alanso hung his head. “Lo siento. I think…I’m going to go for a ride. I’ll be back when I can think straight. I promise.”
He wandered toward the exit in a crooked line.
Tom murmured, “Don’t let him go. He needs you.”
Doubt, confusion, hurt, fear and anger all melted away. Only one thing was important right now. Comforting his mate.
“Alanso, wait,” Eli commanded.
And his lover obeyed.
Alanso turned around slowly. A mixture of fury, pain and anxiety radiated from his chocolate eyes, but he returned step by step until he lingered by Eli’s side.
“Not alone.” Eli opened the door of the Cobra and ushered Alanso inside. “I’ll take you anywhere you want. Stay as long as you need. You don’t have to grieve by yourself. Trust me, I do get it. How bad it hurts. I don’t even mind if you need to swipe at me. Anybody. Whatever it takes, I’ll have your back. I would never leave you to sort through this on your own. I’d never leave you period. Understand?”
“I think so.” Alanso leaned forward, grasping his knees and curling into himself. “Thanks, Cobra. Just motor. I don’t care where.”
“You got it.” He jogged around to the driver’s side. Holden shut the passenger door carefully, patting Al’s shoulder as Eli tossed his garage keys to Roman. “Lock up tonight, please?”
“Of course.” The slap he landed on Eli’s ass stung a little, but the pressure was welcome. It gave him something other than the agony in his heart to concentrate on while he buckled his seatbelt.
“We’ll see you guys later. Don’t worry. Everything will be all right,” Roman assured them.
“Come on, Cobra.” Alanso rocked now. “Fucking go.”
Tom nodded when Eli glanced at his father.
Salome blew them a kiss as they rolled from the garage and weaved down the winding road into the countryside.
Chapter Nine
Alanso nearly crashed off his teetering barstool as he leaned forward to flag down the bartender, Ward.
“Don’t break your neck, Hot Rod.” The guy ambled over as Eli set Alanso to rights on the precarious perch. Swaying himself, it was a tricky operation. “I see you. I’m just not serving you another drink.”
“Ah, come on. Plenty of time ’fore last call.” He concentrated on not slurring.
“Right. But no way in hell am I risking your girl Sally kicking my ass for poisoning you.” He shook his head while running a cloth over beer glasses. “She scares the piss outta me.”
“Hey now,” Eli chimed in. “Watch yourself.”
“I know, I know.” Ward grinned. “Nobody messes with your gang.”
“Damn straight.” His assertion was somewhat less threatening when he belched loud enough to crack Alanso up.
“I’m so glad I’m not going to be you guys tomorrow.” Ward smiled as he shook his head. “So what’s the occasion, anyway?”
“My mom’s dead.” Alanso raised his glass, unsure if he would laugh or cry at the dry toast. Didn’t matter when the vessel slipped from his fingers and clattered to the bar where it lay rolling in an uneven circle. Luckily, unbroken.
Ward paused. He looked to Cobra, who nodded from where he sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Alanso. “Happened a long time ago. Found out today.”
“Shit, man.” The apology didn’t stop Ward from collecting the empty and refusing to replace it. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“’S okay. Means she didn’t walk out on me.”
A big, warm hand rested on his shoulder. Eli. “Maybe we’d better text somebody to come get us. A couple somebodies so my car gets home too.”
“Sure, Cobra.” Alanso patted his pocket. “Don’t think I got my phone.”
“Here.” It took several tries for Eli to jam his hand in his jeans and retrieve his smartphone. “Fuck. Dead battery.”
“I could call for you.” Ward reached for the bar phone.
“Did I hear that right?” A sultry voice snaked between Cobra and Eli, followed by the woman who’d spoken. It might have been beer goggles talking, but she looked pretty fine to Alanso. She sported a low-cut bedazzled T-shirt, skintight jeans and a pair of sexy cowgirl boots. “Two Hot Rods looking for a ride?”
“Fawn.” Eli groaned softly. “Imagine seeing you here.”
“The Psycho Ward is one of my favorite bars. Maybe yours too after the last time we ran into each other, huh?” She rubbed herself on Alanso’s man like she owned him. He would have staked a claim—with a big juicy kiss or maybe a public blowjob—if he’d been able to coordinate his limbs well enough to reach around her fake, balloon-sized tatas.
Well, they were sort of pretty, anyway. He’d like to motorboat them.
“I suppose I have some fond memories here.” Eli glanced to Alanso. “But not tonight so much.”
“Aww, having a bad day, honey?” She practically climbed into Eli’s lap.
Alanso wished he’d thought of that himself. Well, maybe they should go home. It could comfort him to curl up on their enormous sectional couch with Cobra and the rest of the gang.
“More Alanso than me. But yeah.” Eli tried to evade her wandering hands and edge toward Alanso.
“Oh boy, that’s no good.” Her overdramatic pout emphasized her full lips. She wormed her way between them and nestled her rounded booty against Alanso’s thigh. “I bet I can help turn things around for you guys.”
“Which one of us?” Alanso couldn’t believe she’d be as bold as she sounded.
“Well, your boss here can vouch for my skills.” She snagged a cherry out of her froufrou drink and twisted the stem into a knot with her tongue. A few chews and she swallowed the fruit, depositing the stem into his empty glass. “Wouldn’t mind trying you both on for size.”
Ward seemed to have vanished, retreating into the shadows to attend to patrons on the other side of the polished hardwood.
“More than anything, I need to take a whiz right about now.” Eli stood and brushed her clinging limbs from his body. She was like a grabby octopus. “You’ve had more than me, Alanso. Come on.”
“We’ll be right back.” Al grinned at the woman and her sparkly boobies.
“Then maybe you’ll give me a few dances before we hit the road?” She gyrated against him. He was only human. She felt good and smelled pretty. Club music acted like kryptonite on his better sense. It worked him up every time.
“Sounds good, Bambi.”
“It’s Fawn, baby.” She patte
d his bald head. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t forget after tonight.”
Batting her lashes hard enough to start a windstorm in Kansas, she turned and sashayed toward the juke box in the corner.
“Are you crazy?” Eli grabbed Alanso’s ear and dragged him to the men’s room.
“Nope. But I’m pretty hammered.” He laughed as he began to forget about why he’d been so damn depressed. “And I’m about to piss on your sneakers, maricón.”
“Fucker.” Eli shoved him through the swinging door, a begrudging chuckle sneaking around his disapproval. “Don’t you dare.”
They adopted their stances, whipping their cocks out without any awkwardness. Hell, they’d done this about a million times before. Except tonight Alanso remembered what it was like to taste Cobra’s cobra. What it was like to touch him, hear him, feel him.
“Mierda! I can’t go with a hard-on.” He concentrated on the business at hand.
“How the fuck do you have a boner?” Eli looked at him as if he were a freak of nature. “I’m pretty sure we broke some records tonight.”
“Eh. Good genes, I guess.” He sobered for an instant. “Look, Eli. What’s the deal with this girl? Was she hot? Do you like her? Can we…try something?”
“Like what?” Eli tried to stuff his penis in his pants, but the truth was he sported some wood himself, making it difficult to repackage his junk. “Today’s been wild enough, hasn’t it? Maybe we should call it quits before we do something stupid.”
“I’m asking you to do her. With me. I want to know if we can. I didn’t like seeing her touch you. But…I still like pussy, Cobra. I’m not, like, completely not wanting chicks anymore.” He washed his hands off, then scrubbed some cold water over his face. “Joder! This is hard.”
“I hear what you’re saying.” Eli took his time drying his hands. “I agree. I don’t know how to say what I want. But, yeah, like the crew. Like the guys. I want both.”
“So we’re bi, I guess is what I mean.” Alanso swallowed hard and looked up at Eli. “Right?”
“Uh, sure.” Eli shrugged. “Why do we have to call it something?”
“No reason.” He turned to leave.
“Wait.” A restraining arm wrapped around his shoulders from behind, tugging him toward the solid warmth of his best friend. “I want you, Alanso. That’s not going to change. And yeah, I still feel like messing around with other people. Women. Maybe the Hot Rods if they’re into it. Only if you’re with me. But…I’m not sure Fawn should be on that list. I’m kind of over sex for the sake of quick relief. It’s so much better when it means something. Like this morning.”
“I know who I’d like to have most.” Sally flashed through Alanso’s mind.
“Yeah, me too.” Eli rested his forehead on Alanso’s baldness.
“But I don’t want to fuck that up. This is like starting over. Nothing I knew about dating and how stuff works is true anymore.” Alanso hated the tightness in his throat. “I don’t have any swag when it comes to this. I need training wheels. Or…whatever Fawn’s packing in that skimpy shirt.”
Eli chuckled against him. The heat of his breath and the dampness of his lips weren’t helping the situation in Alanso’s pants.
“Okay, what you’re saying makes sense. Kind of.” Eli shook his head. “But I don’t think tonight’s the night. It’s not smart. We’re wasted. Let’s consider this when our brains dry out.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Alanso agreed. “Fine. Right, as usual. But can we at least dance some of this off so I’m not dying tomorrow?”
“I’m not so great at that. Not like you with those damn hips.” A groan fell from Eli’s throat.
“You weren’t complaining ’bout my hip action this morning, amigo.” He trotted toward the door before Eli could retaliate. “Come on. You’re drunk enough not to care what you look like.”
“Great. Real comforting. Asshole,” Eli grumbled, but followed.
“Maybe later you can play with it. If you practice the motion of the ocean.” Alanso didn’t wait for a response. He strode over to the dance floor, undid a few buttons on his shirt, and showed off his chest and abs as he undulated to the beat of Don Omar’s “Taboo”.
When he curled his fingers to beckon Fawn or maybe Eli, who stood behind her, they both answered his call.
A couple hours later, Eli believed he was much more grounded. The loopy daze and comforting numbness had worn off. In fact, some of him felt like he’d gotten internal road rash. He couldn’t wait to faceplant into his bed. Or maybe Alanso’s. Those damn sheets had been as luxurious as they looked.
“You boys going to invite me in for a drink?” Their courtesy cab driver licked her red lips and tossed her hair as she parked in front of Hot Rods.
“I don’t think we’re up for that tonight, Fawn.” Eli climbed from the car. “Sorry we dragged you out of your way, if that’s what you expected. Go ahead and pull up to the pump. I’ll fill your tank for your trouble.”
“I’d rather a tour of your shop instead.” She winked at him. “I have a thing for big engines, you know?”
Alanso caught his gaze and shrugged. What was five more minutes before getting upstairs to the rest of the guys, Sally and bed? Ugh. It seemed like a lot, but what could he say? She had carted their lame asses home.
“Sure.” He opened her door and handed her out. Mostly so she wouldn’t bust her ass in those crazy cowgirl boots. Last thing they needed was a lawsuit.
Of course she took the opportunity to falter, snugging up tight to his side and encircling his waist. Though he knew it was just his hormones talking, Eli couldn’t deny she felt nice. Toned, yet soft in all the right places.
Maybe he was being too rash. He’d had her once before. At least, he’d come in her mouth after a behind-the-bar blowjob. When he’d offered to return the favor, she giggled and said she’d take a rain check. He’d assumed she just liked the power of reducing a guy to begging. Now he wondered if she expected him to make good on his debt.
Alanso glanced over at him and mouthed, Please?
The uncertainty mirrored in his friend’s warm gaze stabbed Eli hard in the gut. If this would ease his worry and erase some of the stress of the day, instead of adding more, who was he to make that call for them both?
“Shit.” Eli remembered too late that he’d tossed his keys to Roman. Double shit when he grabbed the handle, tested it and the heavy metal swung open. “It’s impossible to find good help these days.”
He made a mental note to follow up on security measures in the morning, then held the door for their guest. When Alanso passed, Eli whispered, “You’re on. Let’s see what we can do. Together. Practice for when it actually counts.”
Alanso winked and trailed his hand over the bulge in the crotch of Eli’s jeans. “My turn.”
Chapter Ten
Salome twirled her paintbrush, then dabbed it in the purple oils she’d mixed up to exactly the right hue on her palette. She swirled the bristles through the paint then began to stroke it onto her canvas. Which wasn’t actually a canvas at all. Nor was it a car for once.
The memorial rock she decorated mimicked the one that held a place of honor in Tom’s memory garden. Surrounded by wildflowers, it had become a spot for all of them to go to contemplate what they’d lost and the home they’d found.
Alanso should have a marker for his mother. Something to remind him of the adoration his heart had harbored since he was a little boy. He’d loved the woman who hadn’t abandoned him by choice. Now maybe he could give himself permission to admit it. At least Sally hoped he’d work up to that stage eventually.
Art was the only thing that could calm her when her mind raced along dangerous curves. She couldn’t put the brakes on imagining all the horrible reasons the pair of Hot Rods hadn’t answered her calls. Or Tom’s, for that matter.
Where had they gone? Were they safe? Was Alanso okay?
She switched brushes and added an elaborate swirl of contrasting green behind hi
s mother’s name.
And then she heard it. The roar of an engine. It didn’t sound like Eli’s Cobra, but no one else would pull up at this hour. Maybe they’d taken a taxi.
“Oh thank God.” She finished the section she worked on, unwilling to risk a color mismatch in the morning when it’d cost her just a few minutes to complete the design. She was nothing if not a perfectionist.
Besides, it’d take a bit for the guys to pay the driver and collect themselves. Especially if at least one of them had been drinking. Still, why hadn’t they called her for a ride?
Her nerves got the better of her.
Cans rattled as she slopped thinner into them then dumped in her brushes. A few more details and she’d be set to advance. Ready to open her arms to Alanso, she covered the switch with her fingers. About to shut the light to her workspace off, she prepared to welcome him home. Gently, with warmth and empathetic kindness. In some ways, she’d lost her entire family too.
And that’s when she heard a gasp.
“I knew you boys would change your minds.” Obnoxious fake giggling followed.
They didn’t! They wouldn’t!
Sally cracked open the door to her studio and saw… Yes, they surely would.
Artificial platinum blonde hair whipped around as the object of their combined attention squirmed onto the hood of the Fisher restoration they’d just finished today.
Sally couldn’t believe they’d brought some skank to the garage. Even worse, Eli let that bitch make an ass print on the perfect paint job she’d slaved over for a full day. Those fucking pricks!
She tried to drum up more anger. But the truth was, it hurt.
Watching them together last night had bruised her heart. She wanted so badly for them to reach out and enclose her in their circle of desire, trust and love. But they hadn’t. The only thing that had kept her spirits lifted was the stupid idea that maybe they were taking things slow. Finding their way.
But, it looked more like despite their constant flattery, she just wasn’t their type.