by Debra Kayn
"I'm sorry." She kissed the back of his knuckles.
Without letting go of her hand, he wrapped his other arm around her neck, bringing her to him. Her warmth against the length of his body relaxed him even more. The extra energy came out of him in a chuckle.
"We'll survive," he said.
"Just like that, you're okay with whatever decision they make?"
He pressed his pelvis against her. "No matter what, you'll be in my bed every night. My cock will be inside you every day at least once or four times, and when I wake up, you'll be there with your happy, making my life a better place. I'd say I'm okay with that."
She lifted her chin, her eyes swimming with tears. "But your family..."
"Yeah." He swallowed hard. "I've trusted them the whole time I've been a member, and I'll go on trusting they'll do what's right for the club. Club comes first."
There were many times over the years, he'd backed up Rain, Jedman, Raul even though he was originally the president of Lagsturns MC, and Remmy, more times than he could count. He'd covered tracks, wiped records, and made the community of Pitnam clean and safe for everyone's family. Nothing would change because he claimed Brandy. He'd make her life safe and the Bantorus family safe the moment the meeting was over whether he wore the Bantorus patch or not.
A door slammed in the bar. He turned his gaze down the hallway, and shook his head in amusement at the trouble headed his way.
Crystal and Taylor marched toward him, purses swinging off their shoulders, high heels clicking on the tile floor, and both wearing determined expressions on their face. Raul and Slade's women were pissed, which wasn't an unfamiliar sight, unfortunately. Though he usually enjoyed their attitudes, because they were his brothers' women and he didn't have to deal with them.
Taylor ignored Brandy, who'd moved to his side when Slade's woman and lunged for Torque. He braced and caught her.
"I'm so pissed off." Taylor wrapped her arms around his neck. "But, congratulations."
"Thanks," he said.
Then Taylor stepped back and punched him in the gut. He oofed on a chuckle.
"It's not funny." Taylor fisted her hands on her hips and glared. "I just heard they're voting. As soon as I can get past that door, I'm going to tell every one of those assholes off."
"Sweetheart, let them be," he said, cupping Taylor's face and running his thumb over the scar on her face that she'd received from the ex Los Li member who'd dared try to take her life.
"You could've died saving my life," she said through clenched teeth. "Slade knows this. He owes you. I owe you. Kurt and Lee owe you."
Brandy stepped forward. "You saved her life?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Yes," Taylor and Crystal said.
Crystal leaned over and kissed Torque's cheek. "He also backed Raul when Los Li came after me. He helped keep me sane when I thought I'd lost Raul and never let me go unprotected."
"Holy shit," Brandy whispered, moving away.
Brandy walked halfway down the hallway, turned and marched back toward him. "I'm not the only woman who has had trouble with Los Li."
Torque, Crystal, and Taylor shook their head. He brought Brandy back to his side and tucked her under his arm. "I don't know how I'm standing out here keeping the Bantorus women entertained, but you all need to go do something else."
More clicking came from down the hall, and Torque spied Tori jogging down the hallway. He groaned. The guys inside had no idea that dealing with the women alone was punishment enough for him.
"I can't even talk right now, I'm so furious." Tori came to a stop and sucked in a breath. "Damn Rain, damn Slade, damn each one of those men. Are they drunk? How can they forget everything you've done for them? You've saved their asses, you're always the one they come to when they need help, and you've taken more runs then all of them combined, so they could stay in Pitnam with their families. You've even babysat Lilly, and Rain doesn't allow just anyone around our daughter."
Brandy's eyes widened. "You babysat?"
"It was the middle of the damn night. Lilly slept the whole time," he muttered.
He leaned his head back against the wall and blinked up at the ceiling. Hell, he hadn't done anything special. He survived and he was a Bantorus, just like all of them. The women were making shit up, and making him into someone special because they had nothing else to bitch about today.
The door of the meeting room opened. He brought his gaze to Brandy first and nodded, assuring her that whatever happened, nothing changed between them. She was still his woman, and he'd protect her. Kissing her softly, he told her to stay with the other women. Then he walked to the table with more confidence because when he'd stepped away from Brandy, he heard her whisper, 'Okay, babe' in her sweet and tender voice with no attitude.
As always, he looked at Rain. His president, one of the hardest men to read on a normal day, gave nothing away. "If you have nothing more to say, we'll go ahead and get to the vote."
Torque stood with his hands at his sides, his boots spread wide, his shoulders back. Brandy's acceptance gave him the confidence to move forward. He owed no one a story of his past. He wanted his brothers to accept him at face value, and he was self-assured that only then would he be truly satisfied with the outcome of the vote. "I'm good."
"Then sit your ass down in your chair. We have plans to make." Only then did Rain let himself smile. "You think any of these cocksuckers would let you remove your patches?"
Torque wasted no time. He sat and began the plan that would get Brandy free of Los Li, her father back in her life, and find out why the Mexican mafia wanted his ass dead.
Chapter Sixteen
For the next two weeks, Torque and Brandy kept up the charade of her working for Radiant while putting time in at Cactus Cove working. She moved in behind Torque at the pool table in the bar and leaned her body against him. Last night, the one phone call they were waiting for came. It'd been the longest weeks of her life, not hearing any news about her dad.
"Hey, sunshine." Torque continued his shot and then turned around.
She ran her hands up his chest, glad that the bar had closed and only Bantorus members remained inside. "What's the news?"
"I ride out tomorrow. We can't postpone delivering those cars any longer. Lagsturns won't wait without an explanation, and they're already nervous because we've put it off four days." He smoothed her frown. "We changed the riders around. Rain, Slade, Raul, Remmy, and I will be taking the load, and the second riders will drive the fleet."
"You think that's enough to bring Radiant out into the open?" she asked.
She'd given Radiant the information Bantorus fed her to try to set Los Li into a trap. Her mouth dried and she moistened her lips. Everyone voted for Torque drawing the danger toward him, and away from Pitnam and Brandy. She thought the idea sucked, but being a woman to a Bantorus member gave her no vote.
"I hope." He tilted his head. "You okay?"
"No." She kissed him. "Can we go home?"
Torque passed his cue stick to Jedman. Together, her and Torque walked out of the bar. She wanted to hide and keep him safe, but she was also hopeful the plan would work and Torque would find her dad.
Outside at three o'clock in the morning, only the parking lot lights lit up the gravel lot and there were too many shadows for her comfort. She shivered, wanting to run to the cabin and get inside. Finding out someone from Los Li shot Torque behind the bar and nearly killed him, she no longer felt safe on Bantorus land.
"Can't wait until this is over and we can go back to the house." Torque stepped onto the porch shielding her with his body, and unlocked the door.
She followed him into the cabin. Any future plans were on hold until she had her dad back and Torque safe again. "I find it strange that we had no connection until I set foot in Pitnam. The best thing in my life came from the worst thing to ever happen to me. How messed up is that?"
"One day at a time," he said, taking off his vest, folding it in half and
laying it over the arm of the couch. "We'll deal with everything once this is over."
"Yeah, okay" She yawned. "I'm going to jump in the shower."
She left him in the living room. Too tired to do more than strip, wash, shampoo her hair, and quickly get out of the shower. The only thing getting her through the days at the bar were the other girls, since Torque wanted to keep his routine in case anyone watched the activity around the bar.
Taylor, Crystal, and even Ginger had her back during the day. She hated Torque working at the garage, even if he always had two riders with him. He was brave enough to think he could end Los Li coming after her by himself.
Wrapping her robe around her, she towel dried the drips from her hair and walked into the bedroom. Torque stood by the dresser naked. His body never failed to make her weak. Broad shoulders, muscled arms, and a stomach she couldn't quit touching. She tilted her head and smiled, warmed all over. God, he had a tight ass.
She tossed the towel in the corner of the room, bringing Torque around. She took in the front of him and moved toward him at the same time. He was beautiful, all hardness and badass. Her exhaustion turned to lazy lust.
His scars at his shoulder paled in comparison to the rest of him. She trailed her fingers over the roughened edges. Thinking about what he'd gone through ate away at her constantly. She was the one who was responsible for bringing Los Li back into his life.
The injuries still bothered him, even though he never complained. She'd see him rubbing his shoulder at the end of the day, and he always shrugged her concern off as him being tired from working at the garage. But she knew the truth.
"Let me take care of you, babe," she said, tilting her face.
A low growl came first, and then she was up in the air and tossed on the bed. Torque landed on her, bracing his weight. The pressure against her body brought a tremble of desire through her. Tonight, she wanted it all about him.
"Nuh uh," she said, pushing his arms until he rolled onto his back.
She moved with him, on her knees, and her hands on his chest. She glanced down, gave him a smile and the dreamy desire in his eyes had her crawling backward. Situated between his legs, she wrapped her hand around his hardness, putting her lips on him, taking him in her mouth, one slow inch at a time.
"Jesus," he half hissed, thrusting his pelvis off the bed.
The smooth hardness of his cock heated her tongue. She moaned, sucking and caressing him with each lick. Her sex throbbed in pleasure, enjoying having the control of taking care of her man.
She bobbed her head, which made her nipples brush against his thighs. She whimpered as the need to have him touching her became too much. Suddenly, he sat up and rolled her over onto her back.
"Want more of you, sunshine." He stretched across the bed, grabbed a condom from the nightstand, and handed it to her.
She tore the wrapper with shaky hands, because his mouth was on her breast. She arched up into his mouth. "Okay..."
He moved up her body until he kneeled on the bed in front of her. She lifted her upper half, and rolled the condom onto him. She sprawled her hands on his ribs as he came down, and spread her thighs. As his mouth connected with hers, his cock slid into her wetness. He absorbed her moan, and she clung to him, taking his thrusts. Needing to move, she pushed and went with him as he rolled onto his back again and she straddled his cock, fully taking his length.
Skin to skin, she rode him. His eyes told her how much he enjoyed what she was doing. Rocking back and force, she rubbed against him. His hands captured her hips, helping her keep up the rhythm. She let her head fall back on her shoulder and closed her eyes. Only his harsh breath, the slapping of their bodies, and the sweet suction of her body holding onto him filled her senses.
"So fucking beautiful," he said, lifting her up and giving her height to plunge back down on him.
His cock touched something deep within her, firing her body, taking her breath. She begged and moaned. The act almost too close, too deliberate, too wonderful.
Then he lifted her again and put her back down hard, over and over. She leaned forward, and planted her hands on his chest, taking over the movement of her body with her legs. In, out, in, out, stroking him until her toes curled and her body screamed for release.
His grunts turned to a groan. The vibrations rocked through her. Her orgasm reached out and grasped onto her, stimulating her into one giant blast of pleasure. At the same time, he held her down, grinding himself between her legs, shuddering through his climax.
Delirious, still sensitive to the throbbing of his cock inside her, she lay down on his chest. Sated and relaxed, her limbs hung loosely around him, her sex pulsating in aftershocks every time his cock sighed in pleasure.
He wrapped one arm across her back possessively, holding her securely to him. She glowed in the aftermath.
Several minutes later, he whispered, "Sleep, sunshine. I'll protect you."
That's exactly what she did.
Sometime later, she woke up under the covers, alone in the bed. She sat up with a jolt. A light came from the main room of the cabin. She stood, wrapping the blanket around her, and walked out of the bedroom.
Torque sat on the couch, fully dressed down to his black boots, with the door wide open, staring out into the night. She never hesitated, but walked right to him and sat on his lap, covering them both with her blanket. Snuggled against his chest, she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Tell me why you never sleep all night in the bed and you like the door open," she said.
His arms went around her, shifting her body closer, holding her tight. After a while, she thought he wasn't going to answer when he finally began. "I had several different prison cells over the seven years I was locked up, and none of them had a window. All I wanted was to look outside and feel the breeze on my skin, to look farther away than ten feet. Every night—fuck, I hated the nights, I'd dream the walls were closing in on me."
She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to interrupt. He never talked about his time in prison, and she was afraid to ask and bring up the past he wanted so hard to forget.
"My one highlight of the day was the hour long period the guards would usher a group of us outside within the secured area." His chest rose and fell. "I loved the summer time and to feel the heat from the sunshine on my skin. That hour outside was the highlight of my day. For an hour, I felt alive, normal."
Sunshine. She turned her head and kissed his neck. "That's what you call me."
She felt him nod, and he said, "Best feeling in the world being with you, all day and night now."
Oh, wow. She snuggled closer. Her heart overflowed with wonderful. Others might call her crazy for finding love in the middle of her life falling apart, but she had no other word to describe how Torque made her feel. If what they had wasn't love, she didn't know what love was.
Chapter Seventeen
Three fleet haulers filled with cars ready to deliver to Lagsturns MC in California sat idling in the parking lot of Cactus Cove ready to go. Brandy stood on the sidewalk away from the motorcycles lined up and hugged her middle. Life had changed fast, but nothing could prepare her for the danger Torque and the other members of Bantorus MC were willing to take.
Her level of worry ranked as high as her worry over her dad. She loved her dad, but his choices had always been his own. Torque's choices came because of the kind of man he was, and she carried the blame. She'd never be able to live with herself if something happened to him, because of her.
She'd experienced the bad, the good, and the unobtainable with him. There were things about herself she had never known, and he taught her new things every day. Like, she craved his attention, not because his touch, his words, his time was hers. It was because she was better for having him in her life. She was happy with him. Somehow, they'd taken the impossible, and found a way that complimented both of them.
Now Torque was putting his life on the line to get her dad to safety and keep her out of the hands of Los L
i.
"It'll be okay, honey," Taylor said, wrapping her arm around Brandy. "They've all been riding together for years, especially the first riders. They know what each other are going to do before it's done."
She nodded. "I wish I could help. This is my fault, and I should be with them at least."
Taylor squeezed her. "Welcome to lockdown. The best thing we can do is stay inside, so the men don't worry."
"I know, but if it came down to keeping Torque's life out of danger, I would agree to go back with Los Li to stop all of this. Maybe I should try to—"
Hands grabbed her arms and whirled her around. She shrieked, heart racing. Torque's face filled her vision, and she sagged in his arms.
"I swear, if you fucking step outside the bar while I'm gone, I'll beat your ass when I get back," Torque said, his face a rage of anger.
"Babe—"
"Don't babe me this time, Brandy," he said, shaking her shoulders.
The use of her name hurt. Used to having him call her sunshine, she wanted to take her statement back and erase what she'd said, but she couldn't. Today's run was too important, and he had to know there was still a choice on what they could do.
"I'm scared for you," she said.
His chin lowered and he inhaled deeply, gazing at her. "I know you are, but I've promised you I'm going to get your dad back for you if I can draw Los Li out."
"I know." She fisted his vest. "I'm scared of losing you. I should be the one getting my dad, not you."
He brought her to him, kissing her forehead. "Attitude and bitching with no commonsense. You fit in with all the other Bantorus old ladies."
"You're insulting me," she muttered.
He chuckled and looked down into her face. "Facts, sunshine."
Rain walked behind Torque and slapped him on the back. "Line up."
Torque kissed her, deep, possessive, and full of adrenaline. She moaned against his lips, overwhelmed. This was not the way she wanted to save her dad. Torque had no idea what he was riding into or how to deal with her father if he managed to find him.
