Torque

by Gillian Archer

  Austin shook his head. “You can’t do that. We have a contract.”

  “Well maybe you should read it more closely. I think you’ll find that we can. So that’s the deal, gentlemen.” James intoned gentlemen like an insult. “We’ll talk more Monday. Come prepared to make a plan. As always, lovely to see you.”

  None of us said another word. I could see the fucking writing on the wall. This was step one in that bastard’s playbook. James had always wanted control over the show, but up ‘til now we’d given the network more than enough drama to keep them happy.

  Rage built within me. I let my expression do the talking for me. That was one part of anger management I’d never gotten a handle on.

  Seeing he wasn’t going to get another rise out of us, James smirked in that fucking annoying way of his and slipped out the door.

  “It’s bullshit!” The words ripped from my chest before I consciously thought them. My mug sailed across the room, shattering against the door James had closed. I briefly fantasized that it’d been his face instead.

  “Holy crap, Nate.” Ryan jumped and then turned concerned eyes to me. “Are you serious? Get your shit under control.”

  “How can you guys just sit there and take that bullshit?” I jabbed my finger in the direction James had disappeared. “He threatened to cancel us so that he can fucking control us. Are you blind?”

  “It’s not that big a deal,” Austin said vacantly.

  Ryan whirled around to face Austin. “What the fuck?”

  “Are you serious?” I looked at him incredulously. “We might as well quit. If we go along with his fucking plans now, pretty soon we’ll have scripts and shit, and that was never what our show was supposed to be about.”

  “Calm the fuck down.” Austin huffed. “We’re not going to sell out like that.”

  I shook my head. “We don’t have the clientele to make it on our own right now, Aust. Before the show, ninety percent of our customers were West Coast Kings, and ever since,” —I tipped my head in Ryan’s direction— “they haven’t come back. It’ll take us time to build up a customer base again, and the economy is in the shitter. We can’t quit the show now.”

  When the president of the Kings MC found out that Ryan had hooked up with his daughter and knocked her up, he and the rest of the club beat the shit out of the Ryan—used fucking chains to do it—sending him to the ICU. They’d only stopped beating on him because James had intervened.

  It was hard to remember how much we owed that fucker, James, when he acted like such a tool the majority of the time.

  “I don’t see how we have a choice,” Ryan said quietly. “We need the show. Like you said, Nate, we can’t stand on our own right now. Not in this economy.”

  “I don’t see what the fucking problem is,” Austin retorted. “We need a receptionist. I spend at least an hour every day listening to voicemails since Sabrina went part time. If I have to spend another minute weeding out fangirls from actual businesses who want to work with us, I’m gonna go insane. The network is the one giving us the ultimatum—not James. I don’t think hiring a receptionist is the fucking mountain I wanna die on. It would be nice to have someone around here answering the phones and scheduling clients and shit.”

  I shook my head. “This is how it begins. If we roll over on this, we don’t control the show anymore. They’ll have more notes and concerns and bullshit.”

  “And when it becomes too much, we push back.” Ryan answered. “I don’t see how there’s anything else we can do right now.”

  I don’t know who these pod people were, but they weren’t my brothers. They were both just so apathetic. Where were the passionate men I built bikes with? The ones who cared so much it came to blows when we couldn’t agree? “At the very least, we should talk to our lawyer. Find out what exactly James and the producers can do.”

  “You do that.” Austin tilted his head at Ryan. “Can we talk? My office?”

  Ryan’s eyebrows went up. His eyes bounced between me and Austin before he answered. “Sure.”

  Austin pushed away from the table and headed for the door. “Let us know what Evan says. Ryan?”

  Ryan tossed me an apologetic look before following Austin out the door.

  What the hell was that? Austin hadn’t even been in the room. I don’t think he even knew what the fuck we’d been talking about. Because if he had, there was no way his response would be to roll over and accept it. This had been Austin’s baby. First the shop, and then the show. He had a whole fucking dynasty planned out. Magazine covers. Interviews. Meet and greets. Austin had convinced us all that it was the path we needed to be on.

  And now he couldn’t give a shit about anything.

  That familiar roil of anger twisted in my gut. First Dylan pulled a runner—although that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary—and now Austin pulls this shit. What the fuck was happening to my family?

  Of course Ryan—the peace keeper—wanted to go along with this shit.

  It was going to be up to me, like usual, to save the day.

  Everyone else was too busy sleepwalking through their lives.

  I pulled out my cell and made a quick call to our lawyer, Evan Stanton. But since it was after three o’clock on a Friday, the bastard wasn’t in. After leaving a message with his receptionist—and no, the irony wasn’t lost on me—I left the office, casting a quick glance at Austin’s closed office door.

  I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I felt more separated from my family than ever before.

  * * *

  The next morning, I sat on my patio with a cup of coffee, staring grimly at the pool in front of me. To say I wasn’t a morning person was an understatement. It usually took three cups of coffee to get me to answer with anything more than a grunt. There was a reason I’d lived alone.

  And it didn’t help that my whole family was avoiding me. Austin and Ryan had their little private meeting. Dylan was still MIA—his motorcycle suspiciously missing from the parking lot. And Sabrina was driving back after vising her boyfriends’ family a few hours south last night. She, at least, had the decency to return my text. Unlike my bastard brothers.

  To say I wasn’t in a great mood would be an understatement. I went to bed pissed off at my brothers, the production company, and most of the world—and woke up the same way. If not worse.

  Although the honey sunning at the side of the pool was a pleasant distraction.

  Hello, hottie.

  I couldn’t see her face—she was on her stomach with her head turned away from the building, but her body was banging—curvy and plump in that way that got me hard with just one look. Her dark chocolate hair was up in one of those messy buns girls liked to do to keep their hair out of their face. It was easy to imagine it coming down her back in a luscious curtain. And me holding it in a fist as I knelt behind her…

  Fuck.

  I hadn’t met whoever had moved into the end unit, but it was past time that I introduce myself.

  Ducking inside, I stripped down, pulled on board shorts and my favorite pair of flip flops. After grabbing a towel, some book Sabrina had been nagging me to read, and a pair of sunglasses, I shut and locked my door behind me and made for the pool.

  I didn’t have any kind of a plan. Didn’t know what I was going to say. Or do. I figured I’d just wing it.

  Reaching the condo’s pool, I tossed my stuff on a lounger. Ms. Hottie was in the same place, only now her head was turned the other way, so I still couldn’t see her face. From all appearances, and despite the book next to her, she was sleeping.

  I didn’t want to look like the creeper I was clearly being, so I did the only thing I could think of.

  I jumped in.

  Diving into the deep end, I started swimming laps. My arms and legs moving in a comfortable rhythm. Soothing. After the second lap, I forgot about the beautiful girl I wanted to talk to. After about the fifth lap, I forgot my anger with my brothers. After the tenth, I forgot about my rage against o
ur producer, James. After my twentieth lap, my stomach started growling.

  Damn, I was hungry.

  Resting my arms against the edge, I panted a little and took a break. My stomach growled again. Or maybe I was done. I needed breakfast.

  “I didn’t know you kept up with your swimming,” Maddie’s voice sounded from my left.

  I turned my head and because of the quick glimpse of her I got, I lost my grip. I plunged back into the pool with a splash, water invading my lungs.

  Ms. Hottie was Maddie.

  Maddie.

  As in my little sister’s best friend, Maddie.

  The revelation looped in my brain as I fought back to the surface. Breaking through, I coughed as I tried to breathe again. I pulled myself up onto deck, splayed out on my belly. But I didn’t stay there long.

  Hands pulled against torso, urging me to my side. I blinked, and Maddie’s face came into focus as she hovered worriedly above me.

  “Oh my god. Are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?”

  I tried to scoff, but it came out a rough cough and forced more liquid outta me.

  “Let’s get you into the recovery position. Hand under your head and this leg bent.”

  My eyes crossed as Maddie leaned over me, her plump breasts straining against her itty-bitty bikini and only centimeters from my mouth.

  When the hell did little Maddie Roberts get a body like that?

  Christ, how had I missed all of this?

  “Nathan? Nathan, are you okay? Oh god. I’m just gonna run in and grab Hope. She’s taken some first aid classes for the Boys and Girls Club. She’ll know what to do.”

  The panic in her voice snapped me out of my haze. “Maddie, I’m fine.”

  My wheezing breaths belied my words, but I’d stopped her from racing away.

  Although, given the way her tits bounced with only a few steps, I was kinda sad when she stopped moving.

  Fuck, what was wrong with me? This was my little sister’s best friend. Maddie firmly belonged in the friend zone. No matter how little her bikini was and how deliciously she filled it out.

  Friend. Zone.

  Right, my dick mocked as it pressed against my board shorts. I’d like to get friendly with her.

  Fuck my life.

  Chapter Five

  Maddie

  I stared back at Nathan in bewilderment. He was okay? Honestly, the whole thing had freaked me out. He was a strong swimmer—medaled in State championships his senior year of high school. That was ages ago, but still. I’d watched him swim laps just now. He was strong.

  “Are you sure?” I shifted my weight in indecision. I really wanted to get someone just to make sure he was okay.

  “Yes, Mads.” Nathan gave a harsh laugh as he sat up. “I just lost my grip on the stupid wall.”

  Everything from the way he laughed to his annoying nickname for me had me feeling about an inch tall. Like I was crazy to be worried about him. “I, uh, okay. If you say so.”

  “I do,” he bit out.

  I couldn’t even look at him. I returned to my towel, bent down to grab my book, and Nathan made a muffled groan behind me. The urge to check on him burned inside me, but at this point I knew better than to try. He’d only push me away again.

  When was I going to get a freaking clue? He’d friend-listed me years ago. Why couldn’t I get that through my head?

  “You’re leaving?”

  My lips twisted in the semblance of a smile, but I didn’t let myself make eye contact. “I’ve spent plenty of time in the sun already. Besides I should get ready for work.”

  “Really? You’re going into work at ten o’clock on a Saturday? Seems like a weird shift. Don’t you close early on Saturdays?”

  It was, and we did. He couldn’t even let me slide by with a ridiculous excuse?

  “Fine. I lied. I’m just trying to get the hell out of here. Is that okay with you?”

  A wounded expression swept across his face.

  And now I felt like the bad guy.

  “If you want to go, then go. You don’t have to be mean about it.” He almost sounded like a petulant child. But for the fact that he was all adult with his perfect six pack and gleaming chest muscles. I would’ve drooled if I wasn’t so annoyed. Did he have to look so yummy while being such an ass?

  And why was I still drooling over him? I was done mooning over this man.

  “Seriously? I’m the mean one? You all but called me stupid a second ago. Like I was crazy for being worried about you. I just—I don’t—Whatever. I’m done. Enjoy the pool.” I turned and walked toward the exit in a huff.

  “Mads, wait!”

  I whirled back around. “Don’t call me that! We’re not kids anymore. And I’m sure as shit not your fucking sister. It’s Madison or Maddie. Not Mads. Not Squirt. Not any of that shit. I’m a grown ass woman. Try treating me like one. We clear?”

  I didn’t even wait for his reply. I whirled and stomped through the gate, slamming it shut behind me.

  I couldn’t put my finger on what it was about the whole thing that pissed me off so much. But what I was certain about was that I was done crushing on Nathan Burns.

  Next time I’d let him choke on the pool water.

  Okay, maybe not choke. I’d call for help. Maybe throw in a life ring or something. But I was definitely done with my infatuation. It was time to move on.

  And I knew just the thing to help me.

  * * *

  “Okay, I know we’re supposed to be talking about the week’s book, but there’s something else I want—need you guys to help me with.” I gulped, staring at my two besties. We got together every week to talk about romance books, but today I had a different agenda.

  “Are we finally doing an apartment search?” Sabrina asked with a frown as she leaned forward on Hope and Ryan’s couch.

  Technically it was supposed to have been my turn to host, but I didn’t feel comfortable hosting it in Dylan’s condo. And Hope didn’t mind—or at least that was what she’d said.

  I snorted. “I wish. I still can’t get my landlord on the phone, and he’s never around when I’ve tried to swing by his place. I can’t afford two rents, so I’m couch surfing until I can get him to agree to let me out of my lease.”

  But I wasn’t hopeful. Especially with the specter of unemployment looming over me. I was going to be living my parents again before the end of the year, homeless, jobless, and single. I just knew it. How did my life turn into such a shitshow?

  “And even then, you might need to hire a lawyer.” Hope raised an eyebrow. “Some landlords are assholes when it comes to ending a lease early. They know they have you on the hook, so they’re not going to do you any favors they don’t have to.”

  Sabrina nodded. “It would help your case if you called the police on your neighbor. You need some documentation to back you up.”

  “Yeah, okay. Thanks. Really. But I don’t want to talk about my screwed-up living situation anymore.” I hunched into my end of the sofa, feeling kinda attacked. I wasn’t ready to hear all the solutions to my problems. Or at least not that problem.

  Although maybe they were right. It would be silly to spend time and effort dating when my life was in shambles. What was I thinking?

  I cleared my throat unevenly. “So this week’s book. What did you guys think?”

  “Wait.” Sabrina interjected. “Are we seriously not going to talk about whatever you needed help with?”

  I laughed, but it sounded suspiciously like a sob. “Nope. It was my apartment. So this week’s book. Opinions?”

  Sabrina waved her hand in the air. “Nope. Not buying it. Did something happen at work?” She waited a beat then continued. “Or with Nathan?”

  I tried to hide my reaction, but I flinched when she said his name.

  Sabrina swore under her breath. Then, louder, “What did the clueless ass do this time?”

  “Which one of my brothers are you talking about?” Ryan asked he walked down the hall t
oward us, holding his daughter’s hands as she attempted to toddle in front of him.

  I shot daggers Hope’s way. We were supposed to be alone here. This was girl time. Some things were sacrosanct.

  “Sorry,” Hope muttered even as she beamed at her family. “What’s my baby girl doing?”

  Fliss babbled and beamed up at her mom.

  A wave of longing swept over me that didn’t lessen when Ryan bent down to kiss Hope on her cheek. I’d never had a thing for Ryan—he was like a brother to me—but I couldn’t deny that I wanted what Hope had. A man who loved her, a gorgeous happy baby, and a ring on her finger.

  “Sorry to interrupt, ladies.” Ryan grabbed the almost toddler and held her out to her mom for a quick kiss before settling Fliss on his hip. “Fliss and I were a little late getting dressed up for our date. Which one of my pigheaded brothers are you pissed at now?”

  “Do you even have to guess?” Sabrina snorted.

  “It’s either Nathan or Dylan. Austin is too busy planning his proposal.”

  “What?!” The three of us shrieked.

  “Shit.” Ryan winced. “I wasn’t supposed to spill that.”

  “Shipt,” Fliss babbled.

  “Ryan!”

  “That’s my cue to leave.” Ryan ran to the door, paused to grab the diaper bag, and yelled over his shoulder. “Love you, beautiful. Have fun, ladies.”

  And with a slam, he and Fliss were gone.

  We all stared at the door for a second and then blinked at each other.

  Finally, Sabrina started cackling. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

  “He better not be doing any more cursing around her.” Hope glowered. “Fliss will be cussing like a sailor by the time we send her off to preschool if he’s not more careful.”

  Sabrina laughed. “She can barely say mama and dada. I think you’re safe. I can’t believe Austin is proposing.”

  “I can’t believe it’s taken him this long to do it.” Hope shook her head. “They’ve been together almost—what?—two years? It’s beyond time.”

  I nodded along and bit my lip. A pang lit up inside my chest, and I tried to hide my pain.