End of the Line by Nicky James

TWELVE

Killian

Leo wasn’t crying when we got back. His eyes were red, and he wore a weak smile when I entered the room. I hadn’t wanted to leave, but if Dodger and Tyler hadn’t dragged me away, I might have exploded. Leo’s story had kindled a fire so rich in my blood, it had taken over an hour for it to simmer to something more manageable.

I’d seen the bruises decorating his body. I’d seen the fear behind his eyes in the bar bathroom when I’d hardly been able to talk him into saving himself.

Dodger tossed the few bags of supplies we’d bought on the floor beside our packs. Tyler announced he was taking a shower. Willow lay on the far bed, scanning the television directory for something to watch. When Dodger joined her, I went and sat beside Leo, who was alone on the second bed, looking unsure where to put himself.

I handed him the bag of goodies I’d gotten for him at a shop on the corner.

“I bought you more candy. I thought you might be getting low.”

His eyes lit up as he dug through the brown sack finding packages of Starburst, Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, and Pop Rocks.

I didn’t know anyone who got more excited over sugar.

“Thank you. I’ve never had these,” he said as he read the Pop Rocks package.

“They’re fun. You’ll see. Thought it might cheer you up.”

His smile faded as he set the candy aside and went back to staring at his hands. “Willow thinks I should call my father and tell him what happened.”

“What do you think?”

He picked at his nails, his face pinched with worry. “I don’t know. I’m scared.”

Nail picking turned to hand wiping. The action grew manic in a matter of seconds until I placed my hand over his and stopped it. “The blood’s gone, Leo,” I whispered. “It’s gone.”

He paled. “I feel it sometimes. I washed it off, but it’s like it’s still there. It itches and burns.”

“I know.”

“I’m not a violent person.” Leo lifted his head, his expression begging me to understand. “I didn’t want to hurt him.”

“I know that too.”

“It doesn’t feel real. It feels like an awful nightmare I can’t wake up from. I still see it when I close my eyes. I can hear him yelling.”

A burst of laughter erupted from the other side of the room. Leo startled. We both glanced at the pair on the bed.

Dodger and Willow had found a movie and were sprawled on their stomachs, watching it. It was a comedy that had Dodger giggling and snorting. Willow elbowed him and rolled her eyes like the notion of comedy was ridiculous, but there was a lightness to her features she couldn’t hide.

They were giving us as much privacy as they could in the small room, and I appreciated it. Willow peeked over on occasion, checking on Leo. For all that she could come across as cold and uncaring—aloof—she’d developed a soft spot for our new friend.

We all had. For someone who’d experienced more of the world than all of us combined, Leo was the one who was lost.

The shower ran in the bathroom. When Tyler finished, I planned to encourage Leo to wash up so we could lie down. It was getting late, and with the stress of the evening, a hot shower and a good sleep would help. I knew deep down our dip in the water at the grove hadn’t helped him feel any cleaner.

“While we were gone,” I said, drawing his attention from the other two, “we found an internet café and searched for information about what happened at your hotel or about that guy, Barrett. There’s nothing. The only thing we could find was news about you and how you’re missing. They aren’t sharing details. It just explains that you vanished overnight. It says your parents are working in conjunction with the police to try to locate you, and it’s believed you left the province and could be traveling west. However, they are repeatedly asking the public not to approach you and to call immediately if you’re spotted.”

They hadn’t claimed Leo was dangerous, but the implication was there. The whole report was subtle and alluded to many things they weren’t directly saying.

Leo’s face crumpled. I felt his anguish like it was my own. I couldn’t imagine being in his shoes. He was afraid, and I didn’t blame him. I would be too.

Leo glanced at Willow and Dodger when Dodger hooted with more laughter. When he turned back, wariness filled his eyes. “I’m tired.”

“I know. How about we stop talking about this for now? You don’t have to decide what you’re doing this second.”

The shower cut off, so I encouraged Leo to collect a few things so he could be next in the bathroom.

Tyler came out wearing nothing but underwear, his hair an explosive mess of tight red curls. Willow took one look at him, averted her eyes, and fake gagged. Ignoring her, Tyler flopped onto the bed, asking, “What are we watching?”

Leo took it all in. “They really don’t care, do they?”

“Nope.”

“But I might be a murderer.”

“You’re not, and we all know it.”

He turned and studied my face. “And you? You seemed pretty upset earlier.”

“I was, but it was because of what happened to you, not because of how you handled it. I told you. It doesn’t matter what’s in your past. All that matters is here and now. I meant it.”

He couldn’t seem to understand. I took him by the hand and guided him to the bathroom. When I went to leave, he stopped me with a soft touch. He was in my arms, hanging on for dear life before I could ask what was wrong.

The tears returned. I held him, hugging him tightly. He cried into my neck, quiet sobs as his body shook and trembled. I closed the door with my foot so we wouldn’t have an audience.

It took a long time for Leo to calm.

He pulled away, sniffling, wiping his face. “I’m such a mess.”

“Have a shower.” I caught a runaway tear with my thumb. “You’ll feel better.”

When I tried to leave a second time, Leo grabbed my arm. “Don’t go. Shower with me?”

His words halted me on the spot.

He’d been so shy at the grove, unable to undress while I watched, barely able to make eye contact. That shyness was gone.

He didn’t wait for an answer. Leo stripped out of his clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He stood naked with sad, haunted eyes, waiting for me to catch up.

Under the wash of fluorescent lighting, his smooth milky skin called to me.

“Are you sure?”

“Please.” He held out a hand.

I couldn’t deny him. The attraction between us had been smoldering to life bit by bit over the past few days. It burned in my core. It ached in my bones. The taste of his mouth was unforgettable, and I’d relived those kisses we’d shared over and over. But my conscience warned me Leo might not be in the right frame of mind. He’d been attacked, terrorized, and forced to take violent action against the man responsible. The trauma had left its mark.

Leo touched my hand and wove our fingers together. I stepped closer, unable to resist scanning his body and taking him in. Behind the array of healing bruises was a stunningly gorgeous man. He was a portrait of perfectly drawn lines and angles. He wasn’t muscular, but his lithe, thin frame and smooth skin were hypnotic.

Leo stripped me out of my clothes piece by piece, adding them to the pile on the floor. When he peeled my underwear down my legs, my cock sprang free, hard and at attention. I caught his stolen glance. The hint of a smile touched his lips.

A shiver rippled up my spine.

He turned to start the shower, and I was rewarded with a magnificent view of his ass. Two impeccable globes with a pair of dimples nestled above. Once he’d set the temperature, he took me by the hand and guided me into the stall.

I was at his mercy. If this was nothing but a means of releasing stress and tension, I wouldn’t stop him. I hoped it was more. I liked Leo, more than I should, considering he was in a class so far above me I didn’t deserve him.

The water was tepid at best. Whether Tyler had stolen all the heat or it was the best there was to offer at the shitty motel we’d chosen, I didn’t know. For a while, we stood under the poor pressure of the shower, letting it rain on us as we sized one another up. Leo hadn’t released my hand. Droplets of water rolled down his face, dripping off his nose and catching on his lashes. It darkened his blond hair.

“I’m normally much surer of myself,” he whispered.

“It’s okay.” I touched his cheek, needing to feel him, to soak him into my skin.

Under the surface, Leo was still raw. He couldn’t hide it. I didn’t have the words to make it better. But Leo didn’t want words. He gave my hand a tug, bringing me closer. I took hold of his waist with one hand and cupped his face with the other. My heart thudded hard and heavy as we stared into one another’s eyes.

Then we were kissing, wet and sloppy and desperate.

And it was good.

I wanted to crawl inside him and never leave. I wanted to soothe his aching heart and protect him from any more pain.

The world and all the troubles that had found us faded away. It was Leo and me and nothing else. I could kiss his silky, soft lips until the end of time.

Leo’s slick body pressed against me, warm and smooth. It sent an electric current of need through my system. His tongue glided with mine, hot and demanding. Our lower halves brushed together, and I found him equally aroused. The contact brought more sweet noises up his throat, and I savored them.

I slipped my hand around to his back and down his spine, taking a firm hold of his ass, rutting and grinding against him. Leo whimpered and gasped against my mouth, saying, “Yes, oh god, yes. Killian, please.”

I backed him against the shower stall and scrambled blindly for Tyler’s soap since he’d left it behind and I’d not brought any with me into the bathroom. It was a three-in-one Irish Spring wash. I had to break the kiss to get some into my palm without spilling it, but when Leo saw what I was doing, his pupils blew wide. His lips were rosy and abused, calling out to me.

Kissing him again, I took us both in hand, slicking the soap over our lengths and stroking us together.

I could have listened to Leo’s moans and tiny noises of pleasure all day.

He dug his fingers into my sides as he panted and whined and thrust into my palm, dragging his cock against mine. Trembling with the building pleasure, I broke from his mouth and lavished his neck, kissing the fading bruises and tasting his skin. I sucked up a ripe hickey, claiming him. A mark of passion, not a mark from abuse. I was completely absorbed in the sheer bliss of having him moaning in my arms.

“Killian,” he whimpered, a desperate tone in his voice. “Please.”

“Are you going to come?”

He nodded before his forehead landed on my shoulder, his hips rocking, seeking more, pushing deeper into my hand. “So close.”

I sped up. The heat growing at the base of my spine told me I wasn’t going to last much longer either. My skin tingled, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I peered down between our bodies, watching as our cocks slid together through my hand.

In the next second, Leo gasped and cried out, his fingers biting into my flesh. Hot jets of cum coated my hand and cock. It was the kick I needed to take me over with him.

I gasped and swore as the orgasm made my legs shake. It was glorious and debilitating and perfect.

After, I took Leo’s chin in my hand and kissed him hard, sucking his tongue and biting his lip. He groaned and sagged against me, our panting breaths combining under the steady, cooling flow of the water.

A shout from the other room startled us apart. “Yeah. FYI,” Dodger yelled, “we heard all of that.”

Leo’s eyes blew wide, his cheeks flaming. “Oh god.”

I snorted. “Oops.”

We both laughed and collapsed against one another.

It took a long minute for my head to stop spinning and for my limbs to function again. Leo stayed curled in my arms, tucking his face against my neck. I stroked his back and kissed his temple.

His heart banged against my chest, his hot breath feathering against my skin.

“You good?” I asked.

“Yeah. Really good.”

Maybe he’d simply needed something to relieve stress. Maybe it was more. Either way, I hoped he didn’t have regrets.

When he peeled out of my arms, he wore a coy smile. “So now we have to do the walk of shame.”

“Screw them. They’re just jealous.”

He pecked a sweet kiss on my lips. Without words, we took turns washing each other. I didn’t know exactly what Leo was feeling. He seemed to be taking things in stride. I didn’t know how long he’d stick around and travel with us or what tomorrow might bring, but under the cooling water of a shitty motel shower, I was happier than I’d been in a long time.

I wasn’t one to worry about the future. I lived in the moment, and this moment with Leo was one I knew I’d remember for a long time.

Of course, when we left the bathroom, we earned a few smirks and whistles from our companions. I gave them the finger and took Leo to bed.

That night we slept close. Willow shared the double with us, but she stuck to her side. Dodger and Tyler took the other.

Leo burrowed against my side, wrapped all around me, and slept hard. When he woke in the night from bad dreams, I pulled him closer and didn’t let go.

* * *

We stayed at the motel for four nights. Dodger had contacted RaptorZ and a few other rail buddies to keep an eye on the lines while we stayed glued to the TV and the news. We’d been right. After our frantic escape from the bar, the freight lines had all been shut down while the police had scoured and torn apart the area. It made me wonder what the police knew and why they weren’t reporting more. Was Barrett dead? Was Leo implicated? Did anyone know the truth? Or had the man lived and shared a bunch of lies with the authorities?

Was it Leo’s family’s money that had kept a lid on the news? The reports were vague. It wasn’t like Leo was a missing child, so the overwhelming concern over his whereabouts without an explanation was hard to buy. He was twenty-three. Plenty of young adults jumped ship and took off into the world on their own for any number of reasons.

The news wasn’t telling us a whole lot about what was happening behind the scenes, and that was the worst of it.

According to one of Dodger’s friends, they’d reopened the rail lines the day after our bar escape, but there was still a heavy police presence in the area.

We laid low as everything blew over. If we needed food, one of us ran out to grab it. Never Leo. He’d calmed over the past few days, but whenever there was a news report about him, he sat close to the television, watching with a pensive look on his face.

Every now and then, I caught him fussing over his hands.

He’d decided against calling his father.

No one argued.

He and Willow had shared many private chats, and I wondered what they talked about. As long as she didn’t upset him, it was none of my business.

We played endless games of euchre and knuckles—which Leo called the cruelest game in the history of the world. We watched movies. And we slept a lot.

On the fourth day, Dodger got a text from RaptorZ, who’d heard from another rider who was passing through the area that things seemed back to normal. The yard was quiet again.

“They probably figure I left somehow,” Leo said.

“We’ll go tonight,” Dodger said. “But we’ll be extra careful.”

No one argued.

It wasn’t always easy to determine the precise time a freight was scheduled to move through an area. They weren’t as predictable as passenger trains, and any number of things could cause them to be delayed.

We headed out after dark and made our way on foot to a spot where we’d caught out many times before. There was a bridge a short distance from the yard where trains passed over a rarely used service road. The bridge provided decent cover, especially at night. We could take cover in the shadows under the overpass until the right freight came through. Often, they were moving at a snail’s pace in this area since the yard was so close.

This would be Leo’s second time catching on the fly and his first time doing it with a pack of gear on his back. I hoped he was ready.

We took as many back roads as possible on our way out of the city. The train yard was in a more industrial part of town, less populated and surrounded by large warehouses and factories. We cut through several overgrown fields, hopped many fences, and crossed a few old parking lots until we hit the service road that would lead to our location. We followed it toward the overpass.

Closer to our destination, Leo made a strangled noise in his throat. He tugged my coat hard enough to rock me off-balance and hissed as he scrambled toward a small ditch at the side of the road, dragging me after him. Everyone followed without question. None of us were wearing our balaclavas yet, but we dug them out of our pockets and pulled them on in the height of Leo’s panicked exit.

“What is it?” Tyler asked, tugging his down over his face.

The service road belonged to CP Rail. Ninety percent of the time, it was desolate. It was used by heavy trucks to carry shipments to and from the rails, but mostly those shipments happened during the daytime.

Leo poked his head up and pointed. In the distance, sitting in a shadowy location under a collection of ancient sagging trees, was an unmarked black car. I couldn’t tell the make or model. It was so well hidden, none of us had seen it on our trek up the road.

Squinting into the dark, I made out two men, also dressed in dark clothes, leaning against the hood, peering in the opposite direction. About three hundred yards farther ahead was one of the gates that kept the public off CP property.

“Shit. Are they police?” Dodger asked. “I thought they’d left. What the fuck are they doing all the way out here?”

“Not the police,” Leo said. “Those are my father’s men.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “How can you tell?”

“I’d know them anywhere.”

“What should we do?” Willow asked. “We have to get past the fence and to the overpass.”

“We’ll go wide,” Dodger said. “We’ll cut across this field and stay low and quiet. They won’t see us. Once we’re far enough away, we’ll hop the fence and cut back to the road. Nice tag, Green.” Dodger slapped Leo’s shoulder.

It took another half hour to make the circuit and avoid the men in the fancy car, but we made it to the overpass. We nestled together in the darkest spot we could find, and Tyler and I pulled up the freight schedule on our phones, trying to sort out when our ride would be moving through. The problem was, if we got on the wrong freight, we would end up in Saskatoon instead of Moose Jaw where we needed to be for Dodger. Worse yet, we could wind up on the line going south that crossed into the United States on its way to Minneapolis.

Dodger found a scanner and listened so he could figure out what train might be heading into the yard and when. The scanner was also our first line of alert if we were spotted.

Seeing those men on the service road had put Leo on edge. Willow and I both caught the signs of his rising panic. When the palm itching and hand wiping began, I patted the ground between my legs. I was leaning back against the cement wall of the overpass, legs sprawled. Leo moved between them and leaned back against me. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my chin on his shoulder. I showed him the rail map and the CP freight lines I had pulled up on my phone.

“That looks confusing.”

“It can be. But I’ve been studying them for years, so they make sense now.”

Using my fingers on the screen, I blew up the area where we were located, showing the Winnipeg train yard. “See how these red lines run in several directions?”

Leo nodded.

“We need this one.”

I showed him how to read the schedule and told him what Dodger would be listening for on the scanner. By the time I’d talked it all out, Leo’s panic had subsided. His body relaxed in my arms, and he sighed. I kissed his cheek, and he turned his head, smiling up at me.

“Are you okay?”

“I will be. Thank you.”

It was a long wait. Hours passed as we sat in the dark, chatting and telling stories. Passenger trains rolled overhead at predetermined times, always on schedule. At some point near midnight, headlights appeared in the distance down the service road, somewhere beyond the fence we’d hopped.

The black car.

A spike of adrenaline flooded my system, and I sat upright, forcing Leo to do the same since he was still in my lap.

He made a noise in his throat. “It’s them. Oh no. What’s happening?”

“They can’t get in here,” Willow said, touching his arm, staring at the bright beams in the distance.

“They’re probably giving up and leaving.” I squinted, but it was impossible to determine in the dark.

At the same moment, Dodger’s scanner crackled, and he drew it to his ear, listening. “Or…” He frowned. “We’ve got a freight moving in, and they’ve learned this is a hot spot for hoppers, so they’re planning to check it out.”

“Is it our train?” Tyler asked, scrutinizing his phone. “I’ve got two that are scheduled to come in back-to-back.”

“Shh.” Dodger held up a finger as he listened to more chatter on the scanner.

The headlights remained in the same spot. They didn’t turn around and leave, but they didn’t advance either.

“I think this is us,” Dodger said.

“Are you sure? VIA Minneapolis is due to come through first. We’d be fucked if we ended up on that one.”

“Are you the one with the scanner in your fucking hand?”

I shot Dodger a look. “Dude, chill.”

“I’m telling you this is our ride. We need to get closer to the line and stay low.”

The incoming train sounded in the distance, trumping the heavy clang we’d been listening to in the distant yard. Everyone found their packs and fit them on. We had to go farther down the line so we wouldn’t be lit up by the spotlights over the bridge.

The area was mostly secluded, but since it was a popular place for hoppers, the bulls were known to haunt the lines.

As Tyler checked to see if it was clear, Willow cursed. “Guys, we have a problem.”

The headlights down the road were advancing. The car was driving up the service road toward us.

“Shit,” I said.

“Did they get through the fucking gate?” Dodger hissed. “What the fuck? How do they have access?”

“We need to move. Now, now, now. We can’t stay under the bridge, or they’ll see us. Go out the other side and run. Stay low.” I shoved Leo after the others when he remained transfixed on the approaching car.

“They’ll see us in the overhead lights,” Willow said as we all jogged to the other side of the overpass.

“If we stay here, we’ll get busted. We don’t have a choice.”

The freight was nearly upon us. The squeal of metal brakes sang in the air and vibrated down my spine. Tyler hit the end of the overpass first and ducked out, running hunched over, climbing the small hill on the other side toward the tracks. Dodger and Willow followed him. Next was Leo. I took up the rear.

I didn’t know if the people in the car had seen us or not, but they were closing in on the bridge fast. We ducked around the other side and out of sight, clamoring toward the rails. Our train would pass through the yard first before reaching this spot. We had to catch fast and get out of sight, especially if those guys were looking for hoppers.

For Leo.

This was fucked up. Leo wasn’t practiced enough for this kind of frantic jump. We should have had more time to analyze and prepare. We didn’t even have time to evaluate cars and choose an ideal location. If we ended up riding suicide, we’d all be in trouble.

The freight arrived, roaring along the line, its speed on the cusp of ideal. We ran alongside, needing to hoof it to keep pace, which wasn’t easy while carrying a heavy pack. I kept one hand on Leo’s, urging him to keep going as I scanned cars.

When I glanced back, it was in time to see the black town car emerge from the road under the bridge. We’d run far enough to be outside the bridge’s spotlights, but the moon was high and bright, so we weren’t hidden.

The car pulled to a stop at the side of the road.

“Faster. Fuck, we need to get on. Now. Pick a goddamn car.”

“We need to make a break for the trees and get the fuck away from here,” Dodger yelled over the wail of the train. “This is suicide.”

“We need to get on and leave,” I yelled back.

“The bulls are going to know we’re here. This isn’t going to work.”

“We need to jump,” Tyler called out as he checked cars. “Shit. There isn’t a good spot.”

Dodger peeled away from the group and veered toward a copse of trees. When no one followed, he spun back. “Are you people fucking crazy? If those guys see us, if they know we’re here, they’ll report it. The bulls are going to rip this train apart, and we’ll all go to jail.”

I glanced back, but I couldn’t see the car anymore. Had the men gotten out? Were they pursuing us? Had they called it in? We’d gone far enough our position wouldn’t be visible from the road, not with the small incline. “They haven’t seen us. We have to get out of here. Come on, man.”

“This one, this one,” Tyler yelled, snagging the hanging ladder and pulling himself up like the skilled rider he was.

For a beat, I didn’t think Dodger was going to join us. Willow caught the ladder next, and Tyler helped heave her on.

“Go.” I shoved Leo ahead of me. “Get up there. Don’t fall.”

I shot one last look at Dodger.

“Fuck,” he growled, but he hightailed it after us, glaring back at the road the entire time.

Leo managed to get hold of the ladder, and Tyler and Willow took hold of his jacket and heaved him inside the well. I made a clean catch, and Dodger was last to tumble in, landing on top of me. It was a small well like the one we’d been in leaving Montreal.

“Stay down.” I tucked Leo’s head to my chest and draped my body over his. We all lay in the well, panting, trying to catch our breaths. Dodger found the scanner and listened.

My heart slammed as I waited to see if we’d been had. If those men saw us, if they knew we were under that bridge when they’d approached, they’d call it in for sure.

“Be ready to move,” Dodger hissed over the train engine. “Nothing yet, but this could get ugly fast.”

We waited with bated breath for any sign from Dodger that we needed to bail. The train was moving slowly, but I couldn’t tell if it was coming to a stop or rolling through.

It was a heart-stopping few minutes before Willow lifted her head, eyes wide behind her mask. “I think we’re picking up speed.”

“Anything?” I asked Dodger.

He shook his head, a deep furrow in his brow.

We stayed quiet for another ten minutes as the train cleared the yard. Willow was right. We were moving faster. Still, no one moved. Dodger kept the scanner to his ear, and I listened to Leo breathe since my ear was pressed between his shoulder blades. We were a mass of tangled limbs, but the risks were too great to move or get comfortable.

After another long ten minutes, Dodger laughed and whooped. “We fucking did it, ladies and gents. Holy shit.”

We all scrambled into more comfortable sitting positions, a huge wave of relief rolling over the group.

“I was sure they’d seen us. They went under the overpass to our side of the track. I was sure they were going to get out and chase us down,” I said.

Tyler reached out and slapped Leo’s shoulder. “Green, you kick ass for a first-timer. Seriously, that was a freaking scary jump, and you didn’t flinch. There is no other newbie out there who could have done that.”

“I thought we’d be riding suicide for sure,” Willow said.

The adrenaline rush petered out, and the cold night settled in around us. It was a tight fit with five of us sharing the well, but we made it work. Dodger and I pulled out our sleeping bags and unzipped them, spreading them over the group. Leo curled up against my side, and we all closed our eyes for a bit. I wasn’t sure anyone slept.

We had about six hours to Regina and Moose Jaw. Unfortunately, we would likely arrive with the sun.

An hour and a half into our ride, it all went wrong.