by Naomi West
A giggle came from under the bed.
“Have you seen her anywhere, Blue?”
Blue smiled. “Not me.”
“Is she in the dresser?” Bri pulled out one of the drawers. “Nope, not in the dresser. Did she fly out the window?”
There was another giggle as the curtains were pulled back.
Bri dropped quickly to her hands and knees. “There’s a monster under the bed!”
“Ava hide!” the baby squealed as her mother drew her out and hugged her.
It was an angelic scene, the kind of thing Blue hoped she would be doing with her son or daughter someday. Had Mother ever played with her? She couldn’t remember.
“Anyway,” Bri said, sitting back down again, “nobody can tell you what the right decision is. This is your life, and your baby’s life. Don’t listen to me or Spencer or even Torque. Do what’s right for you.”
“I’ll try.”
“Let me ask you this: do you love him?”
The answer rolled off her lips before she had a chance to think about it. “Yes.” Blue hadn’t even thought about Torque like that, to wonder if he meant more to her than just their physical relationship. Somehow, it had been more about the practical side of things than the emotional. She hadn’t even been sure she was capable of loving someone up until this point.
Bri raised her eyebrows, but she nodded. “That’s your first clue, then, and I can see in your eyes that you mean it. Just follow your heart.”
The doorbell rang suddenly, making Blue jump.
“Oh, that’s probably the mailman. I should have a package coming today. Can you watch Ava for just a second? I’ll be right back.” Bri headed down the stairs.
Blue looked at the baby, who was talking nonsense to herself as she dragged a pillow off the bed. Ava was adorable, but what was Blue supposed to do with her? The idea of having a baby had made her lose all sense of confidence in herself, both real and forced.
Downstairs, Blue could hear the muffled sound of Bri’s voice as well as a male one. She knew it was just the mailman, but there was something about it that made her feel wrong. She stepped hesitantly toward the bedroom door, but she still couldn’t hear what anyone was saying. When she heard a shriek of fear and a thump, Blue ran back across the room to peer out the window.
The guest room overlooked the driveway, where a ratty black truck waited near the curb. That was definitely not the mailman, and Blue didn’t like to think about just who it might be instead. Ready to run, she remembered her obligations. Ava had the pillow off the bed and was wearing it like a hat.
“Hey, sweetie. Do you want to play hide-and-seek?”
“Seek?” the little one asked.
“Yeah!” Blue replied, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. “Can Ava hide again? And then I can look for you!”
“Ava hide!” She giggled as she wriggled back under the bed.
Blue bent down to see that she was safely ensconced under the furniture. “Keep hiding, okay?”
“Ava hide!” the little girl repeated.
Hoping that would work at least long enough to keep the child safe, Blue barreled down the stairs. The front door was closed, and there was no sign of Bri. She swung open the front door just in time to see Rat and his men holding Bri by the arms and taking her toward the nasty old truck.
“Stop!” Blue called. She came out on the porch, every bone and muscle in her body shaking. She had been trying to avoid Rat at all costs, but there was no chance of that happening now. There was a little one upstairs who needed her mother.
Rat turned to look at her, and then he sneered down at Bri. “I thought you said she wasn’t here.”
Bri scowled at both Blue and Rat.
“If you’re looking for me, then take me,” Blue called. “But leave her.”
Rat’s men kept their hands on Bri, waiting for confirmation. He nodded, and Bri darted back to the porch.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Bri hissed. “I had them fooled.”
“But only for so long. I know it’s me they want, and they would have kept looking for me until they found me. I don’t want to be responsible for the path of destruction they might have caused while they tried. Just go back upstairs.”
“But the baby …”
“All I can hope is that they don’t know about that. There are other, more important, things to consider.”
Bri’s eyes flicked to the upstairs window, the one that belonged to the guest bedroom. She knew exactly what Blue meant. “Okay. But I’m going to find a way to get you out of this. We all will.”
Flame and Stubble had made it to the porch now. They reached out with their grubby fingers to grab at Blue, but she flipped her hands dismissively at them. “Don’t you fucking touch me. I’m coming.”
“Well, well. A willing captive. How very … convenient.” Rat let his eyes run down Blue’s body and back up to her face. “I can see why Torque has a thing for you.”
Blue had been angry when she had seen the bikers with Bri in their custody, but it curdled into fear when she got a good look at Rat. He was just as ugly as ever, but he no longer wore the patch over his eye. The eye itself had survived, with a puffy ring of scar tissue all around it from the beer bottle. She recoiled, but he snatched her wrist and pulled her close.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, his fetid breath assaulting her nostrils. “Don’t like what you see? Remember, little girl, this is all your fault.”
“It’s not my fault you’re an asshole,” she remarked. “You got yourself into this, Rat.” As she spoke, she realized none of this was really Torque’s fault, either. She had wanted to believe it was because it made it easier. It had helped her make a tough decision. But Torque had only been looking out for her best interests and trying to keep her safe.
Rat laughed, clearly not concerned with where the blame landed. “Tell yourself whatever you need to so you can sleep at night, but this all lands squarely on your shoulders now. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we’re at war with Satan Seed. If it hadn’t been for you, it might never have happened. Now get your pretty little ass in the truck, or I’ll put it there myself.” He yanked open the door, the stale reek of old cigarettes filtering out.
Blue hesitated for only a moment before she did as she was told. There was no choice if she wanted a chance at surviving, and it was a miracle that Rat hadn’t killed her already. “What do you plan to do with me?”
Rat let out an evil laugh as he climbed behind the wheel. He was far too close for Blue’s comfort, especially when Flame got in on the passenger side. She was practically squished between the two of them, and she pulled her muscles tight so she took up as little space as possible. “There are plenty of things I’d like to do with you,” Rat began, “but what ultimately happens is up to Torque.”
Her breath escaped her lungs as she heard his name on Rat’s lips. “Why?”
“Don’t you get it? If I have you, then Torque will come. There’s no doubt about it. He put that bottle in my face, and he’s going to pay for it.” Rat fired up the truck, and it rumbled underneath them. He backed out of the driveway and turned the truck around only to come face-to-face with a massive group of bikers as they came in the mouth of the cul-de-sac.
Chapter Fifteen
Torque
Torque had raced back to the clubhouse for reinforcements, and he knew as soon as he pulled up in front of the Hagens’ house that he had been right to do so. He’d found not just an old truck in front of Spencer’s house, but several bikes had been parked at the end of the street. Rat had not come alone, and he had brought more than his usual cronies. Still, the Bastards were outnumbered.
His fists tightened around his grips as he came to a stop. “Get out here, Rat!” he called above the noise of the engines. “Looks like this is the end of it!” There was no way the truck could get around them.
Rat turned off the vehicle and leaned his head out the window. “Sure. Why don’t you
come on over here and discuss it with me? Maybe we can arrange a trade.” He grinned, his yellow teeth showing.
Torque let his right hand dangle near his belt, where his pistol was ready and waiting. “There’s nothing to discuss. Just hand her over.” He had been focused on the Dirty Bastards, but his eyes flicked involuntarily to Blue, sitting in the middle of the truck. She watched him through the windshield with wide eyes. Her mouth was a firm line, but her fear was obvious. Torque knew she had plenty to be afraid of. Rat was a dangerous man.
“Now, why would I do that? I have something you want, and it only seems fair that you give me something I want.” He rubbed a dirty finger under the ring of fresh flesh around his eye. It was uncomfortable to look at, even knowing that he had deserved the injury.
Acer spoke up. “And what, exactly, do you want?” He glanced at Torque and made a tiny motion with his hand, telling him to be patient. It was a delicate situation, and the president had been in similar ones before. Still, Torque didn’t think they should have to work out a deal with a deranged man bent on vengeance.
Rat opened the door of the truck and got out, dragging Blue by the elbow. She looked to be in one piece, and Torque couldn’t see any visible injuries on her. She walked reluctantly next to him, but she was otherwise fine.
Still, his heart clenched to see her in the clutches of such a man. Their eyes met, and Torque knew right then and there that this wouldn’t go down without a fight. He hadn’t known her for a long time, but he didn’t need to. There had never been another woman who had stood up to him the way she had or made him question himself so much. She needed him while making him feel needed. There was no other woman in the world who could even compare to her, and Torque didn’t even care if she wanted to live a biker lifestyle or not. He would quit everything and be an investment banker if she asked him to. He was going to have Blue back, and he would do anything it took to get her. He swallowed as he looked at her, taking in that signature blue hair that fell just above her shoulders, the curves of her slim body, the angle of her cheekbone. She was absolutely perfect.
She was also innocent in this, and Rat should have known that. Even if he was still carrying a grudge against her for the mistaken slash of ink on his arm, it wasn’t worth all this. Deep down, though, Torque knew what the Dirty Bastard wanted even before Acer had asked him.
“It’s really not that hard to imagine, is it?” Rat gestured gracefully with his free hand like a gentleman of the theatre. “I want Torque. He and this little twit started this whole thing, and I’m ready to put an end to it.” The biker grinned, showing his yellowed teeth. “I’ll let you have her, and you just let me have Torque. It’s a pretty good trade for you, since I can think of plenty of ways to entertain myself with her.” He pulled Blue closer, and he looked at her cleavage suggestively.
“What’s to stop us from just taking her back and leaving?” asked Torque, trying to ignore what Rat was insinuating. “It looks to me like you’re outnumbered.” He had seen the bikes parked further down the street, and he had counted the Bastards’ numbers at around ten. That was almost nothing compared to the thirty members of Satan Seed at Torque’s back. If Rat wanted to stand up to them, then he was a fool.
“Not for long,” Rat assured him.
Right on cue, the roar of motorcycle engines could be heard in the distance. The sound shot up Torque’s back and sent a pinprick of pain into his neck. He had been around bikes for a long time, and even before they were in sight he knew they were in trouble.
The first bikes came around the corner, riding in tandem, and then another rank came after them. There were more and more, piling into the cul-de-sac with their dark leather and shiny chrome. Even as they pulled to a stop, they revved their engines, creating a thunderous roar that bounced off the siding of the family dwellings around them and crashed against Torque’s ears.
He kept his focus on Blue, trying to decide how he was going to pull this off. He could shoot forward on his bike, grab her from Rat, and make an escape between the houses if there weren’t any backyard fences to stop him. But he knew the odds weren’t on his side. Rat could hurt her before Torque ever got to her, and he could easily shoot both of them as they took off. His chances of winding his way out of the residential neighborhood and onto the open highway before the Bastards caught up with him were too low. Worst of all, he would be leaving his men behind to finish a fight that he had started.
Still, he kept his gaze on her, trying to send her mental messages of strength. If Torque couldn’t protect her now, then she needed to protect herself. She was the key to all of this, and he couldn’t lose her. Blue’s hand drifted slowly up as Rat watched his backup fall in line, her fingertips resting just inside the pocket of her jeans.
Rat laughed, his left hand clutching at his big belly. His men laughed with him, but less heartily. “I guess our numbers look a little better now, don’t they? You didn’t really think I would be stupid enough to show up here and take a hostage if I didn’t think I could keep her, did you? Now, are we ready to talk?”
Torque’s finger itched, longing to wrap around the trigger of his pistol and take Rat out once and for all. But he knew, just as everyone else here did, that the first shot would be the start of something terrible.
“We’ll give you one last chance to settle this without spilling any blood,” Acer called out. “Just let go of her and let her walk over here. Then you can leave with your hide still covering your ass.” Several of the members of Satan Seed laughed at the joke, but Rat shook his head.
“You’re not hearing me, old man. I’ll give you the girl, but you’ve got to give me Torque. He did this to my eye, and I’m going to pay him back for it. I haven’t quite decided how I want to do it yet. I could shove a beer bottle into his face, but that’s already been done. Maybe I’ll slowly cut his eyes out, one by one, with a dull knife. Or I could cut off his balls and make him eat them.”
“I didn’t know you were in such a hurry to touch my nuts,” Torque retorted. “No offense, but I’m not really into that shit.”
A few snickers issued from behind him. Torque was glad they appreciated the humor, but he knew it wouldn’t do anything to hold off the inevitable.
“Flatter yourself if you want to, Torque, but you’ll die before this is all over.” He yanked on Blue’s arm, bringing her in front of him. She cringed away, but he pulled her close. “Now, are we ready to trade or what?”
Acer, sensing the anger building up in Torque, put his hand out to him to hold him off. “No. No trade.”
“All right. You wanted war, and now you’ll get one.”
“Wait!” Blue’s words caused the entire assembly to pause as her voice rang out. “Not here!” She looked at Torque with such desperation in her eyes that he wanted to run to her, to hold her in his arms, to tell her that it would all be okay. But her gaze flicked to one of the houses and back to him.
He understood. “She’s right,” he muttered to Acer, low enough that Rat couldn’t hear. “There are too many innocent people here. They’re probably all hiding in their houses, but you and I both know that bullets travel through walls. I don’t want to know what everyone will think of us for shooting up a neighborhood.”
The president’s hands clenched and unclenched at his side, the King and Queen of Hearts shifting as they contemplated the situation. “I agree with you, but what else are we going to do? How do we know the Dirty Bastards won’t try something tricky if we move this shindig elsewhere? How do we know they won’t hurt Blue?”
“Trust me, I’ve been plenty worried about that myself.” Torque’s guts twisted inside his body. Changing their battleground would mean the Bastards would have more time to plan. They could have a better assessment of Satan Seed, and perhaps even gain an advantage if they got to the new destination first. Most of all, it meant Blue would have to ride over there with Rat. He would never hand her over unless he had to. Torque hated the idea of leaving his woman in Rat’s custody for even a s
econd longer, but he didn’t see another way out of this.
“We’re just going to have to do it. What about that empty lot on Industrial Road?”
Acer scrubbed at his chin. “It’s not a bad idea. Nobody should be there, and I don’t think the city will have any complaints about collateral damage on the nasty old buildings nearby. You think he’ll actually go for it?”
Torque glared at Rat. “I don’t see that he has much choice. His men have surrounded us here, but that means they’ll catch their own members in the crossfire if they start shooting. They’d be idiots not to take a chance at reconfiguring themselves.”
The president nodded. “Sounds good to me.” He hollered out the suggestion to Rat.
The other man conferred with Flame and Stubble, who nodded their agreement. “All right,” Rat called back, “but only because I want more room to maneuver. And don’t try anything funny, or the girl gets it.”
