FIRE & RUIN
Chapter 20
THE TOWER
Kait rolled into the Nest slower than usual. The courtyard had mostly returned to normal after Krait Day, with fewer bikes scattered around and only the familiar ones left behind.
She cut the engine and stayed in the saddle for a moment, her eyes already scanning the yard.
Lane’s bike wasn’t there.
Kait sighed. She needed to see him. The past three days had been hell without him, without his kisses or the feel of his hands on her.
She swung off the bike and headed into the bar.
A couple of the guys were already there, beers open in front of them as they talked quietly. One of the prospects behind the bar greeted her when she stepped up to the counter.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Kait leaned against the bar, trying to settle back into the familiar rhythm of the place.
“Hey, Toast.” Kode took the stool beside her. “How’s Prince?”
“Good. He just got set up at Don and Loraine’s. Docs say he’ll be back on the road soon.”
That earned a couple of nods from the guys nearby.
“Cool. Good thing you’re back.”
Kait reached behind the bar for a beer, opened it, and took a long sip.
“Place looks normal again.”
“Yeah, mostly. Klaus left for Europe with Ulver and Otto this morning.”
Kait’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“Yeah. I don’t think shit’s all that good over there.”
“Fuck. That sucks.”
Kait stayed at the bar for a few more minutes before heading upstairs. She stepped into her room and closed the door behind her, shutting out the noise from downstairs.
She dropped her bag and went straight for the shower.
The hot water felt good, but no amount of steam could wash the hospital off her. She could still smell the bleach and latex gloves, the stale mixture of medicine and antiseptic that seemed to have followed her all the way back to the Nest.
When she finished, she changed into fresh clothes and headed back outside.
The moment she stepped onto the walkway, she saw Lane crossing the courtyard below. He moved quickly and with purpose, heading for the stairs a few steps behind Don.
Kait started along the walkway toward the chapel.
Lane spotted her when he reached the middle of the staircase. He slowed and let Don continue ahead without him.
For a second, neither of them said anything.
Lane took a deep breath, and some of the tension left his face.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” she said softly.
He reached for her hand and gave it a quick, tight squeeze. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
“I gotta talk to you about something. I got it all figured out. Meet me at the lake house at one.”
Kait nodded.
“Okay.”
She hesitated before lowering her voice.
“I missed you so much.”
Lane closed his eyes for a second.
“I missed you more than you can imagine.”
His hand slid to the small of her back as he guided her toward the chapel.
Inside, the table was full again except for Kolton’s and Klaus’s spots. Kait took her seat and kept her attention away from Lane. If she looked at him too long, she wasn’t sure she could hide how badly she wanted to be in his arms.
Lane felt the same and didn’t look at her either.
Don took his seat at the head of the table.
“Toast. What’s the latest with Prince?”
Kait looked around at the men seated with her.
“He was discharged earlier today. He’s at home. Well, at Don’s, actually. He still needs to rest up, so he won’t be getting back on a bike yet.”
Don smirked.
“Well, he ain’t got one anymore, so I guess he can’t.”
A few laughs went around the table.
Don raised a hand, settling everyone down again.
“Okay, so… mainly two things here. Both are gonna shift things around a little.”
The room quieted.
“First, I sent Klaus to Europe to check on some things for us.”
Kait frowned slightly. Kode had mentioned Klaus leaving, but apparently there was more to it than she’d heard at the bar.
“He’s gonna sort out Finland and Sweden. Sounds like there’s more going on over there than bad weather, so he’ll be gone as long as it takes.”
A few looks passed around the table.
“Man, he better be back before Christmas,” Kode said. “It’s gonna be weird without Santa Klaus.”
“For sure,” Blaze said.
“We’ll see.” Don settled back in his chair. “Second. Huntsville.”
That got everyone’s attention.
“Barry’s done. I took his president flasher on Krait Day.”
Kait looked up. This was the first she’d heard about it.
“I’m appointing Kount as president.”
Her fingers tightened beneath the table before she could stop them. Her eyes went straight to Lane.
He gave the slightest shake of his head, just enough for her to see.
“He leaves tomorrow morning.”
Kait drew in a slow breath and tried to steady her heartbeat.
Don continued as if nothing had shifted.
“Business as usual for the rest of us.”
Kait finally looked at Lane again.
“Kriket, Diablo, Mack… Toast.”
Her attention snapped back to Don.
“Y’all are on the next run. Rollout in thirty.”
Kait nodded once.
Don looked around the table. “That’s it.”
Kait was on her feet immediately. She didn’t look at Lane or wait around long enough to give herself a reason to.
Lane remained seated for another second, frustration already setting in.
The lake house wasn’t happening now.
He pushed out of his chair, hoping he could at least catch Kait before she left.
“Hey, son,” Don called after him. “Stay back a second. Let’s get Huntsville figured out.”
Lane turned toward the open door, trying to catch sight of Kait, but she was already heading down the stairs with the others.
He reluctantly went back to his seat.
Don started laying out his expectations for Huntsville. He talked about the long-term plans for the charter, keeping the members tight, getting the clubhouse back in order, and staying ahead of anything that could turn into a problem.
Lane heard him, but he couldn’t make himself listen.
He just needed this conversation to end.
Every minute Don kept talking was another minute Kait was getting ready to leave.
Finally, Don dismissed him.
Lane was already on his feet. He headed straight for the door and down the stairs, hoping he could still catch her before they rolled out.
He stepped into the courtyard and stopped.
It was empty.
All four bikes were gone.
Lane stood there for a moment, staring at the empty lot.
What the fuck is happening?
DON & LORAINE'S HOUSE
The room was dim, the curtains drawn just enough to keep the afternoon light soft.
Kolton lay back against the pillows with his shirt off and bandages wrapped tightly around his ribs. One arm rested across his stomach while the other hung loosely over the side of the bed.
Loraine stood beside him, adjusting the blanket over his legs with more care than it needed.
“When she comes over, don’t sit up too much,” she said, smoothing the fabric. “Let it look worse than it feels.”
Kolton breathed out through his nose.
“I don’t need to pretend. This hurts like shit.”
“I know, but you’re stronger than that.”
He glanced at her but didn’t argue.
Loraine picked up the glass on his nightstand, checked how much water was left, then set it back exactly where it had been.
“Kode said Don sent her on a run tonight. She should be here tomorrow.”
Kolton’s jaw shifted.
“She’s already been with me all week.”
“And she’ll keep coming as long as you don’t rush it.”
He stared at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at her.
“You really think she’s gonna just forget about everything?”
“Of course. She feels terrible for causing this, and we need to keep reminding her of that.”
Kolton sighed.
“Well, she actually didn’t…”
The sound of small, uneven footsteps coming down the hallway interrupted him.
Kyle appeared in the doorway, dragging a blanket behind him. His hair was a mess and his eyes were still heavy with sleep.
“Dad?”
Kolton’s expression softened.
“Hey, buddy.”
Kyle walked into the room and climbed onto the edge of the bed without asking. He was careful at first, then less so once he got settled.
“I wanna stay here.”
Loraine stepped in before Kolton could answer.
“Not tonight,” she said gently. “Daddy needs to rest.”
Kyle frowned. “I’ll be quiet.”
“I know you will.” She brushed his hair away from his forehead. “But he’s hurt. He needs some space.”
Kyle looked at Kolton, then at the bandages wrapped around his ribs.
“He’s always hurt.”
Kolton’s face tightened for a split second.
Loraine paused, but only briefly.
“Go on,” she said, helping Kyle back down from the bed. “Say goodnight. You can see him in the morning when he feels better.”
Kyle didn’t argue. He looked at his father one more time before turning around and padding back down the hallway, his blanket dragging along the floor behind him.
Once he was gone, the room fell quiet again.
Loraine went back to adjusting Kolton’s blanket with the same careful movements as before. When she finished, she leaned closer and lowered her voice.
“It’s going to work. Trust me.”
The back door opened.
No knock. No warning.
Lane stepped inside like he always had. He’d grown up in this house. Knocking had never been part of it.
Loraine turned toward the sound.
Kolton lifted his head from the pillow.
“Kount. Hey, man.”
Lane didn’t answer right away. His attention went straight to Kolton, taking in the bandages around his ribs and the way he was lying against the pillows.
He walked over to the bed.
“How you holding up?”
“Been better.”
Lane nodded. “Yeah.”
Kolton shifted and winced.
“Docs say I’m lucky.”
Lane reached down and fixed the edge of the blanket where it had bunched near Kolton’s ribs.
“You are.”
Loraine watched from the other side of the room, her arms folding across her chest.
“And you have your family here for you,” she said.
Lane ignored her.
Kolton glanced between the two of them, picking up on the tension without understanding where it was coming from.
“And Kait,” he added. “She’s been taking care of me. Pretty much the whole time.”
Lane’s hand stilled against the blanket for half a second.
“Good.”
Loraine stepped closer.
“She was so scared. Didn’t leave his side for one second. Every time I walked in, she was holding his hand or checking on him.”
Lane slowly straightened.
“That so.”
“Yeah. I knew they were going to get back together,” Loraine continued. “So much history between them.”
There it was.
Kolton shifted against the pillows.
“I don’t know about getting back together yet, but…”
Loraine reached down and ran her fingers through his hair.
“Trust me, sweetie. You guys will be back together in no time.”
Lane’s jaw tightened.
This time, he looked directly at her.
There was nothing loud or threatening about it. He simply held her stare with a coldness that made it perfectly clear he knew exactly what she was doing.
Loraine didn’t blink. A faint smile touched her mouth instead.
Lane looked back at Kolton.
“You need anything?”
“Nah. I’m good.”
“Alright. Get some rest. I’ll try to come see ya before I leave.”
Kolton settled back against the pillow.
Lane stepped away from the bed and walked past Loraine without another word. Neither of them moved aside much, forcing him close enough to feel the tension between them as he passed.
He was almost out of the room when her voice followed him.
“You’re doing the right thing by stepping aside.”
Lane stopped.
Only for a second.
He didn’t give her the satisfaction of turning around.
Then he walked out.
ROMA TRUCK STOP
They had been waiting almost forty minutes for the truck to clear the bridge.
Kriket had gone inside to grab something to eat, while Mack was near the pumps talking to one of the drivers. Kait sat alone on a concrete barrier at the edge of the lot, a beer resting between her hands as she watched eighteen-wheelers pull in and out beneath the lights.
She checked the time again.
There was no way they were making it back by one.
The lake house was supposed to be theirs tonight. After three days of barely seeing Lane, she was finally supposed to have him alone. No hospital. No Loraine hovering over her shoulder. No Kolton needing something. No club business pulling one of them away.
Now Lane was leaving for Huntsville.
President.
She still didn’t understand how the hell any of this had happened.
A few hours ago, all she’d wanted was to get back to the Nest, find Lane and disappear with him for a while. Instead, she’d sat down at the table and listened to Don announce that Lane was leaving Dryden like it was nothing more than another piece of club business.
Kait took a drink and stared across the parking lot.
Diablo came out of the store carrying two beers. He started toward Mack, then noticed Kait sitting by herself.
He hesitated before changing direction.
Kait watched him approach but didn’t say anything.
Diablo stopped beside her and held up one of the beers.
“You need another?”
She looked down at the one in her hands.
“Probably.”
He handed it to her but didn’t sit down right away.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
The answer came too quickly.
Diablo studied her for a moment.
Kait looked away.
He waited.
When she didn’t say anything else, he sat down beside her, leaving some space between them.
“You sure?”
Kait rubbed her thumb over the label on the bottle.
“Not really.”
Diablo nodded but didn’t push.
They sat quietly for a few seconds, watching the trucks move through the lot.
Diablo took a drink.
“Kount told me… about you guys.”
Her expression changed immediately.
Diablo kept his voice low.
“He told me what’s been going on. Said Loraine knows and she’s trying to get in the middle of it.”
Kait opened the beer he’d brought her even though she hadn’t finished the first one.
“Yeah… She knows everything,” she said. “I don’t even know how she figured it out, but she knows.”
Diablo stayed quiet.
“She keeps talking about Kolton. About how fucked up he is because of me. How he needs me there.”
Still, Diablo said nothing.
That made it easier.
Kait stared at the bottle between her hands.
“And she’s not completely wrong. That’s the fucked-up part. We got into it that night. He was upset when he left the party. If we hadn’t fought, he wouldn’t have taken off like that.”
She swallowed.
“He wouldn’t have crashed… Now every time I try to leave, Kolton starts talking about how he doesn’t want to lose me. How he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do without me.” Kait shook her head. “He told me he didn’t want to live without me.”
That got a reaction from Diablo, but he kept it small.
“Dude. He’s such a little bitch sometimes. I’m sorry but that’s fucking pathetic.”
Kait continued before he could say anything.
“Well, then you know how he gets. What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?”
Diablo looked down at his beer.
“That sucks, Toast.”
It wasn’t the answer she wanted, but at least it was honest.
Kait took another drink.
“And on top of that Lane’s leaving. What the fuck…”
Her voice softened when she said his name.
“He wanted me to meet him at the lake house at one. Said he figured something out and needed to talk to me.”
Diablo checked his watch.
Kait gave a humorless laugh.
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“He say what it was about?”
“No. But it’s gotta be Huntsville.” She looked across the lot again. “What else could it be?”
Diablo nodded.
“But I don’t even think I’ll have a chance to talk to him.”
Her eyes dropped to the beer in her hands.
“Now I don’t even know if I’m gonna see him before he leaves.”
“Kount is not gonna leave without saying bye.”
“I hope not.”
Diablo let out a humorless laugh.
“You know… you two… it makes all the sense in the world, but it still blows me the fuck away.”
A sad smile appeared on Kait’s face but she wouldn’t help but worry.
Diablo didn’t try to tell her everything would be fine.
He just sat there with her with an arm around her shoulder, while another eighteen-wheeler rolled through the lot and disappeared toward the highway.
THE NEST - Later
The run wrapped clean, without any noise or problems. Just another drop done right.
Kait rolled back into the Nest with the others, their engines cutting out one by one behind her. The yard looked exactly the way it always did. Bikes lined the courtyard, a couple of the guys stood around outside, and someone was laughing near the bar.
Everything was normal. Almost too normal.
She swung off her bike and slowly pulled off her gloves, her eyes already moving across the courtyard without thinking.
Then she saw him.
Lane was outside the garage, getting the Hardline ready to leave.
Her chest tightened at the sight of him. He was already packing up.
Lane looked up and caught her staring. For a moment, neither of them moved. He looked like he had been waiting for her to come back.
Kait didn’t smile or say anything. She just held his gaze.
Lane gave the smallest tilt of his head toward the garage, then walked inside. A few seconds later, the main garage door started coming down.
Kait took her time. She didn’t rush across the yard or do anything that might draw attention.
Diablo was already by the truck, helping the driver down while Mack gathered the paperwork and talked him through the handoff. Everyone was busy with the usual routine, and no one seemed to be paying any attention to her.
She crossed the courtyard at an easy pace and went around to the side of the garage.
When she opened the side door, Lane was already waiting for her.
The second she stepped inside, he reached past her and shut the door.
Then he pulled her into him.
There was nothing slow or careful about the kiss. Four days of missing each other came out all at once, mixed with relief and the frustration of barely being able to get near each other.
Kait pressed against him, gripping his shoulders tighter as she kissed him back. She hadn’t realized how badly she needed to feel him again until he was there.
For a few seconds, everything else disappeared.
The Nest, the run, Kolton. All of it.
Then the kiss slowed, not because either of them wanted it to, but because they could get caught.
One of Lane’s hands settled against her back while the other came up to her jaw, holding her close.
Kait pulled back just enough to look at him.
“You’re leaving.”
Lane kissed her forehead.
“Yeah.” He looked back at her. “And so are you. You’re coming with me.”
Kait stared at him.
“What?”
“Come with me to Huntsville.”
“I don’t understand…”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you last night.”
She was still catching her breath from the kiss, still trying to get her head around the fact that he was standing in front of her after four days apart.
“How is that gonna work?”
“It’s perfect.” Lane’s hand settled at her waist. “Think about it. We get the fuck out of here. Nobody watching us, nobody getting in the middle of shit. We can be left the fuck alone.”
He meant it. She could see that much immediately.
For Lane, this wasn’t another problem.
It was the answer.
Kait’s chest tightened.
“You talked to Don?”
“Didn’t need to. This is the answer to everything. Now, you just transfer to Huntsville and forget about all this shit.”
Her eyes lifted to his.
The excitement in his face began to disappear.
“I… I can’t go anywhere, Lane.”
His hand fell away from her waist.
“What do you mean?”
“Kolton’s not okay. He’s not… right. I can’t just walk out on him.”
Lane stared at her for a moment before letting out a breath through his nose.
“Kait… He’s gonna be fine.”
Kait shook her head.
“He got hurt because of me.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“We argued. I said some shit to him, he left upset, and then this happened.”
Lane’s expression changed.
“That’s not true, that’s Loraine trying to get in your head.”
Kait shook her head. “It’s true.”
“No, Kait. It’s not.”
“I failed to protect another patch.”
“Jesus Christ. No. That ain’t on you.” Lane stepped closer. “You didn’t fail anybody.”
“I let him leave like that, Lane.”
“It don’t matter.” His brow tightened. “He’s a grown fucking man. You didn’t put him on that bike, and you sure as hell didn’t make him go a hundred miles an hour through a neighborhood.”
“He was upset because of me.”
“And you think that makes it your fault?”
Kait didn’t answer.
Lane watched her face, and the longer she stayed quiet, the more he understood just how deeply Loraine had gotten to her.
“Don’t do this,” he said. “Don’t let her put this shit on you.”
“It’s not just Loraine.”
“Then who?”
“Me.”
That answer seemed to frustrate him even more.
Kait put her hands on his chest. “I said things to him I knew would hurt him. Then he took off, and a few hours later he was in the hospital fighting for his life… I can’t pretend that didn’t happen.”
“Just come with me. Let’s get you transfer and—”
“I can’t.”
Lane went quiet.
Kait could see the change in his face, subtle at first.
“Lane… He’ll hurt himself,” she said.
“Holy… shit.”
Lane turned away and dragged a hand over the back of his head before facing her again.
“I’m leaving in a few minutes, Kait. You get that, right? The only reason I jumped to the opportunity was to take you with me. Now I can’t take it back.”
“The timing is just—”
“Kait… I don’t know when I’ll be back here. I don’t know when I’m gonna see you again.”
Her eyes started to burn.
“I can’t.”
Lane stared at her.
This time there was no immediate answer.
“So that’s it?” he finally asked. “You’re choosing him?”
“No. It’s not like that.”
“Then what the fuck is it?”
Kait’s breath caught and felt the first tear slip down her cheek.
“I’m not choosing Kolton.”
Lane’s pupils were completely blown.
“You’re choosing to stay with him.”
“I’m only trying to make sure he’s okay.”
“He already has his mommy to make sure he’s okay.”
“I did this to him.”
“No, you fucking didn’t.”
“I will never forgive myself if he hurts himself, Lane. He’s at a breaking point right now.”
“No. Not just ‘right now.’” Lane shook his head. “This is who he is. Kolton’s been self-destructing his entire fucking life. You’re just his latest excuse.”
“You didn’t hear him the other night. He said—”
“I don’t give a fuck what he said.”
Kait wiped at her face, but another tear followed.
“This is our way out,” he said. “This is the best fucking thing that could’ve happened for us, and you’re telling me you won’t go because Kolton might do something stupid again.”
“I need time. I can’t just up and fucking leave.”
“Enough time that he convinces you to get back with him?”
Kait shook her head fast.
“How much you need, huh?”
“I don’t fucking know.”
Lane looked at her as if he had expected almost any answer except that one.
He brushed his hair back with his fingers.
“Maybe down the line I can transfer, but—”
“What, in a few weeks? A few months from now?”
Kait closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, something about him had changed.
“Why are you so scared?”
“Because I won’t be able to live with myself if something happens to him?”
“Why? ‘Cause you love him?”
Kait’s face dropped.
“And here I thought you felt the same way.”
“I do… Lane, I do.”
She stepped toward him, but Lane backed away.
“No. You obviously fucking don’t.”
She took a deep breath.
“I feel everything for you…”
“Well, whatever you feel for Kolton is stronger.”
“No. I—”
“I can’t talk about this shit anymore.”
“Just give me some time. That’s all I’m asking.”
“We don’t have time, Kait. I’m leaving right fucking now.”
He turned away from her.
“I’ll go once he’s okay.”
Lane stopped.
For a second, he simply stood there with his back to her.
Then he turned around.
“Once he’s okay?” His voice was quieter now. “What about you and me? Are we gonna be okay?”
Kait opened her mouth, but she didn’t have an answer for him. All she could do was shake her head as the tears kept coming.
“Please, try to understand.”
“I can’t.” Lane’s voice broke through the garage harder now. “You’re making no fucking sense to me right now.”
She reached for him.
He stepped back before she could touch him.
“Lane…”
“Stay with him, then.”
“No. Don’t do that.”
“I guess Loraine was right.” His jaw tightened. “What you two have goes a lot deeper than whatever the fuck this was.”
He turned and walked past her.
“Lane…”
The garage door slammed behind him.
The sound cracked through the room and left Kait standing alone in the sudden silence.
For a moment, she didn’t move. She stared at the closed door, breathing unevenly, as if some part of her still expected him to come back through it.
Then her knees weakened.
Kait caught herself against the workbench, both hands gripping the edge. She tried to breathe through it, but the first sob escaped before she could stop it.
Then another.
Her head dropped between her shoulders as everything she had been holding together for the past four days finally gave way. She folded over the workbench and cried until she could barely catch her breath.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to finally say.
“I’m sorry…”
But it didn’t fix anything.
