by K E Osborn
“Okay… so your drinks are free for the night thanks to the host. He told me to tell you he’ll be with you shortly. But for now, you’re not to leave the VIP zone. Got it?” the guard demands.
With a quick look to Xav, I scrunch up my face. Xav nods emphatically like he knows what’s going on as the guard walks away.
I turn to him and cross my arms over my chest in annoyance. “Xav, who the hell invited us here?”
He shrugs then shakes his head. “I have no fucking clue. But fucked if I’m going to be turning down free alcohol. Ari, my little lamb, let’s get fucked up on someone else’s cash.” He points to the bar, and they rush off. I begin looking around for any signs, any clues, but all I can see is what appears to be a birthday party happening in the VIP area. And I can assure you it’s not with anyone I know.
So, I figure I’ll go with the flow and get my drink on. Pushing off, I make it to the bar to see they’ve already ordered three rounds of tequila, and I giggle as Xav slides the shot glass over to me. I wince preparing myself, and I raise my glass clinking it with theirs and then down the hatch. The liquid burns, and I scrunch up my eyes. The hot, fiery liquor ignites my throat, but it’s a welcomed burn as my insides instantly warm.
Shaking my head from the buzz, I close and open my eyes loving the feeling. The loud music thumps in my ears, and I find myself swaying my hips to the beat of the song. Slowly and rhythmically, my ass moves on its own as I let the music flow through me.
A shudder runs up and down my spine. Goosebumps litter my skin. I bite down on my bottom lip as I take a deep breath from the feeling currently overwhelming me. I’m not sure what it is, but suddenly a hand slides in around my waist from behind. I’m shocked to the spot. Usually, unwanted attention would have me spinning and slapping the guy for making a move, but my body isn’t reacting in its normal way. Instead, I lean back against the hard chest. His other hand slides in and wraps around, moving to press against my lower stomach, and I take a deep breath smelling leather and aftershave. It’s a toxic combination. My chest heaves as I realize I’m melting into the arms of a man I hardly know, so I try to snap out of my haze.
He leans in, the stubble of his beard scratching against my cheek as he presses next to my ear, and it sends a shudder down my spine. “I knew you couldn’t keep away from me.” Torque’s deep, sexual voice enunciates in my ear, loudly over the music. But it’s only loud enough so I can hear him, and it’s enough to snap me back into reality. I stiffen my stance and pull away. Spinning, I glare just as Ari and Xav turn from the bar to notice me looking right at him. My eyes are first met with his broad chest. I swear the guy is the size of a barge. My insides squeeze as I inadvertently chew on my bottom lip, my eyes glancing to his arms to take in the tattoos covering his bulging biceps. My eyes slowly work upward to his chiseled jaw. It’s so masculine covered in just enough beard to make a statement, but not enough to be tatty. Swallowing hard, my eyes dart up further and, of course, he’s sporting that gorgeous smirk he’s too fucking good at. My knees buckle slightly as my eyes lock onto his intense ice-blues which sparkle with playful mischief. Surely, it’s illegal to be that good looking.
He’s not playing fair.
Huffing, I screw up my face and tilt my hip to the side making him grin even wider, which only aggravates me more. “You! You were meant to be ‘attending to business.’” I use air quotes. “That’s why you couldn’t come and deliver the money personally. So what? You’re lying to me now?” I ask.
Torque’s smile falters as he takes a step closer, and I tense up slightly hating that the closer he gets, the less in control my body feels around him. He raises his brow. “I don’t lie… that’s one thing you need to know about me. I did have business to attend to… still kinda am. What I never expected was for you to show up here, though. Have to say when I saw you outside standing in that line, I was surprised and thought I’d give you priority access.”
Jolting my head back, my brows squeeze together in confusion. “Your guys? The security here work for you?”
He chuckles with a nod. “Ahh, yeah… everyone here works for us. Club Modesty is owned by The Chicago Defiance MC. Vibe, my brother over there…” He points to a biker who’s sitting down with a woman either side of him. He’s a well-built man, with a blond set of locks that sweep down his face but not in an overly long way. And his blond beard makes me think he would be perfect for a role in the television show Vikings. “He runs this joint. That’s how he got his road name. He lives for the music, for the vibes. He wears earbuds under his helmet when riding, says it helps him see the road better, whatever the fucking hell that means.”
“Sounds like gibberish to me. But you’re deflecting the situation here, Torque,” I blurt out.
He raises a brow and smirks. “We have a situation?”
“Yes. You avoided seeing me? Why?”
He smiles salaciously. “Oh, did it make you sad I didn’t come and see you myself?” He steps into my space, and he’s so close the friction of his leather cut rubs against the leather of my dress.
Flaring my nose, I grunt. “No... I just thought you might have had the decency to pay your debts in person, not send a lackey and blame it on ‘business’ when clearly that ‘business’ is partying it up in a club.”
He lets out a deep belly laugh, and I scowl at him as Ari and Xav stand back sipping on another drink they’ve somehow managed to get. “Oh, Heeley, you’re so fucking feisty when you’re turned on—”
“What?”
“But don’t worry…” His hand swoops out grabbing my hip and pulling me to him. Our bodies press against each other, and I can feel everything. Swallowing hard as I look into his eyes, he shakes his head. “I know how to handle feisty. And, foxy, am I gonna have a good time handling you.”
I gasp, but my body won’t make any kind of effort to move from his grasp. “You can’t talk like that, and why are you calling me foxy?”
He chuckles. “Fox is your last name, is it not? Plus, woman…” he looks me up and down, “… you are foxy.”
I scoff and fold my arms over my chest, half in annoyance half in delight that he thinks I’m foxy, but then I wonder how the hell he figured out my surname. I open my mouth to ask, but he interrupts. “If it makes you feel better, the business I’m attending to is over there.” He looks over his shoulder to a girl in the corner, who’s standing with a bunch of people including Trax and Lift and also Tremor, the prospect we met earlier. It seems a lot of his crew are here as I take in a few more guys with the same cut Torque and the others are wearing. Then I look back to the girl and wonder what he means by she’s the business he’s attending to.
Shaking my head, I stiffen my shoulders. “What do you mean she’s your ‘business?’” I use air quotes to accentuate the word.
He chuckles. “Jealous? Already? Shit! I have gotten under your skin.”
I groan and push away from him. Then turn to walk off when he reaches out grabbing my elbow and pulls me back to him with a much weaker smile. His stance is softer, but his eyes are intense. “Heeley, that’s Neala,” he says so matter-of-factly like I’m supposed to know what that means.
“Okay, great, thanks for filling me in. She looks like a lovely girl.”
He stifles a laugh. “She’s actually a bit of a shithead when she doesn’t get her way. It’s her birthday. She turned twenty-one. So she’s all legal and technically a woman and all that. It’s doing my head in, but little sisters have to grow up some time. Right?”
My mouth drops open, and I stumble on the spot slightly. He has a little sister, and the reason he didn’t personally come to see me was because he’s throwing her a birthday party. Well… shit. Now, I feel like the mother of all assholes. “Oh.”
“This is fucking gold,” Xav states, making Torque and me turn to see him recording us on his cell.
Torque grunts and reaches out, grabbing the cell from him and slams it against the bar. Hard. The screen shatters, and the cell cracks alon
g the back. I jump slightly.
Xav stands there, mouth open wide, but with a slight smirk. “Holy shit.”
“Never, and I mean ever, record a biker’s conversation, kid. You got me?” Torque demands.
Xav nods, but a grin beams on his face. “Fuck. You’re so cool. Can we be friends? Please?”
Ari spits out some of her drink with a laugh, and I shake my head still reeling from Torque’s outburst.
Torque softens. “Yeah… I guess. I’ll get you a new cell… by the end of the night. Okay?” He relays this information like it’s the most normal thing in the world to do after completely destroying someone’s cell in a fit of rage.
Xav smiles even wider if that’s possible. “A new iPhone X?” Xav questions.
Torque takes a deep breath and nods his head once. “Fucking hell. Yeah, fine. Whatever.”
“We’re going to get along just fine you and me, Torque. I can tell.” Xav slaps Torque on the back.
Torque looks to Xav raising his brow, and Xav removes his hand quickly as he takes a slow step back from Torque. Xav turns taking another sip of his drink while a slow smile creeps up on his lips.
I turn to face Torque and attempt to say something about breaking people’s property when he grabs my hand and starts pulling me. I don’t have time to say a word before we’re off. I glance back to Ari and Xav, and they wave as I take small, fast steps to keep up with Torque’s long and robust strides.
“Where are you taking me?” I call out from behind him as he drags me over toward where his men, and his sister, are currently standing. My muscles tense. I have no idea how to react to these people, or what he even wants me to say to them. But as I’m dragged over there, they all turn to look at me and smile.
“Heeley. It’s good to see you again. Nice to see you out of that cute little froyo uniform and into something more um… biker lifestyle. You’ll fit right in with us dressed like that,” Trax approves.
Looking down at my leather dress, my forehead creases as Torque’s hand moves to the small of my back. I want to push him away, but the problem is it feels too fucking good having him touch me. The warmth of his hand penetrates right through the layers of clothing, taking over every ounce of sense and sensibility I have. So I let him stay right where he is.
“I’d say you look good tonight, too, Trax, but you look exactly the same as you did the last time I saw you. Just a little less cowering and hiding from the bad guys,” I tease.
The other bikers all look from me with a smirk at Trax, who raises his brow and tilts his head. “Still see that sass is there in abundance. Lucky you’re under Torque’s protection, or I’d be bending you over my knee and slapping some sense into you right about now.”
I shrug. “Lucky me then, ‘cause I can tell you now, a slap from you wouldn’t have the desired sexual effect you’re going for, Trax. It would make me feel more like a little girl being told off by her overbearing father. Plus… I mean, I can think of far better ways to sexually punish a woman for speaking out of turn. Spanking is… so last year,” I mock.
All the guys’ eyes widen, and Torque’s hand on my back stiffens as I hear a low growl which makes me smile.
Neala bursts out laughing and steps forward with a drink in hand. Her smile is contagious. She’s ridiculously pretty. Her face is pale. She kind of reminds me of a pixie with her hair being such a rich chocolate color that it’s bordering on almost black. She’s wearing a gold headband around her temple, and on the side, there’s a diamond shape encrusted with red jewels. It’s very sweet and suits her perfectly.
Neala reaches out placing her hand on top of mine, and instantly I warm to her. “Oh my God, I love you. A girl who can give shit to these ferals as much as I can. Halle-fucking-lujah! It’s about time we got a new girl on the scene. One who isn’t afraid to talk back to these assholes,” she chirps while looking from me to Torque, who scoffs and takes a step closer, so his front is now firmly against my back, which in turn, makes me melt.
What is it with this man?
I let out a small giggle as I put out my hand out for her to shake. “So, I’m guessing it’s your birthday, and it’s your party. Neala… was it?”
She nods. “Yep. The big twenty-one today. Finally, I can drink alcohol…” she ducks her head down and smirks, “… legally. And I’m loving that I can party in the club I designed for my brothers.”
Opening my eyes wide, I gasp, looking around the premises. I knew a woman had designed this. It has all the flair of a woman’s touch. However, I thought it would have been done by a seasoned professional.
“You designed, Club Modesty?” I ask, and she nods.
“Sure did. I’m studying interior design, and for one of my larger assignments, we had to design a club. So I mocked up a design, and it was right at the time Torque and Trax were building this place. I showed them my project, and they loved it. So they used my project design and made it a reality. I kinda love them for that… fuckers,” she adds on the last word, making the bikers nearby chuckle.
“Wow! That’s nice of them.” I turn to look at Torque who’s smiling at me, his hand still firmly on my back.
“Don’t let all that fool you. We’re only nice on the odd occasion, and only to people we truly care about. We’re a family, and like a true family, we stick close. You’re all new to this life, Heeley. Make sure you make the right choices,” Trax warns, taking on a far more serious tone than I’m used to with him. To be honest, I have no idea what he’s damn-well talking about, so I furrow my brows while I stare at him.
“Okay, I’m gonna take Heeley upstairs and have a chat. Keep my sister entertained, boys. It’s her party after all. Watch Ari and Xav. Oh… and Ace…” he calls out over his shoulder to another biker sitting just off to the side. He stands up and walks over to us. He’s tall, a little slimmer than Torque, but I can tell he’s packing a shit load of muscle under that shirt. The thing about this guy, though, which makes him different from the others is his hair. It’s tied back in a man bun, but not a tatty shitty one, one of those sexy gorgeous ones that make women drool.
What is it with these bikers?
I swear to God, every single one of them is fucking sex on a damn stick.
“What up, Pres?” Ace asks while tapping away on a cell.
“I need an iPhone X by the end of tonight. New. Give it to Xav over there at the bar as a replacement for the one I fucked up.”
Ace looks up at Torque and nods like he understands without even knowing what happened. That Torque obviously has a hot-head, and it’s a regular thing.
Does he do this often?
“On it, boss.”
“Cheers, brother.” He slaps him on the shoulder as he pushes against my back making me step forward away from everyone and begins to lead me away. I have no idea where we’re going, or what the hell he has in store for me next, or more importantly why the hell I’m even going with him, but I can’t seem to stop myself.
Torque leads me through the back and toward a hallway.
I should be feeling fear or at the very least some kind of apprehension.
I don’t know this man.
He’s a member of an MC.
But I get the sense he won’t hurt me. I don’t know how or why, but I can sense it, and for that reason alone, I believe I’m safe with him. I can feel ease washing over me, and as we step into the darkened hallway, he leads me to a stairway, and I take a deep breath as he gestures for me to step up the stairs with him. I swallow hard but nod.
Once we’re at the top, it opens up to a bright space. There’s glass paneling all around so you can see down to the club below, but the room is like an office, and the music is almost entirely drowned out. Kind of like it’s soundproofed. It’s so strange. I smile as I make my way to the edge of the glass and look down at the scene below. I can see Ari and Xav at the bar drinking up a storm.
I press my hand to the glass and take a deep breath as I feel Torque step in beside me. Natural energy fills t
he room, and my eyes shift to the side to peer at him. “This is your office?”
“Yeah, it’s how I knew you were here,” he divulges, and I drop my hand and spin to face him in confusion.
“Huh? How?” I ask, and he points to the six television monitors on the far wall that I didn’t even notice when I came in. They’re showing footage from all areas around the club, and one focused on the line out the front.
“Ahh… okay. So you saw me and radioed for your security guy to bring us in?”
He nods. “Yeah, couldn’t have you waiting in line. Plus…” he shrugs, “… I wanted to see you.”
My eyes shift to the floor. “You did?”
Torque steps in front of me grabbing my hands in his. His touch ignites something inside of me. My chest tightens at the mere feel of his hands in mine. I don’t know what it is about Torque. Or what it is that sets my heart into a syncopated rhythm when I’m around him. It feels good, but I know it’s bad. It’s so, so, bad.
“Heeley,” his deep, sexy-as-fuck voice filters through the room, and my breath catches in my throat.
“Mm-hmm?” I hum, and his hand comes up under my chin lifting my eyes up to look into his. “I know I should have hung around and paid you for the damage we caused last night, but there was a method to my madness. I fucking wanted to see you again. And as much as I hate to admit it, it’s the truth. The thing is, it’s been…” he rubs his chin, “… a long time since a woman has caught my eye. And the way you handled yourself when we came into your store…” he chuckles shaking his head, “… well, yeah, you caught my attention. I haven’t been able to shift your sass from my mind since. And that… that just doesn’t happen to me.”
“So what? Because I have the balls to bite back, it’s the only reason you have a hard-on for me?” I scoff.
