by Jordan Marie
I don’t know if that’s enough.
“So what’s the plan? You going to sit around here all day and try and look pretty?”
“I’m not the one of us that spends a fortune on their hair to make it soft so all the girls want to touch it and fall to their knees to worship you.”
“Fuck you. You can’t talk. You tatted your fucking cock with the sign of the devil.”
“Not my cock. Just close to the cock. Besides, there was a reason for that.”
“What’s that?”
“Well I’m called Devil for a reason. Plus, women love to play with the bad boys. I wanted to point them in the right direction.”
“You’re such a cocky bastard.”
“Never claimed to be anything different.” I shrug and he flips me off.
“So we’re going to stay in this damn place for another day?” Diesel asks, and I frown, thinking about that. I scratch the side of my face through my beard and think his question over.
“No, man. You have Ryan and I know how hard it is for you to be away from him right now. You go on home, I’ll be fine.”
“Not going to happen, Ese.”
“You’ve seriously been hanging around Skull too damn long,” I mutter at his nickname. Diesel’s not got anything Spanish about him, but he uses words here and there—most commonly Ese, because he’s heard it often, because he likes it… Who the fuck knows really?
“Let’s go find some lunch and check the town out if we’re going to stay for a few days. I like to know the lay of the land.”
“Torrent might—”
“Christ, we won’t be gone that long. Your dick can’t be so wrapped up in her already that you can’t go find dinner,” Diesel mutters and I frown.
“You need to get back to Ryan. Just because we foiled the last kidnapping attempt—”
“Crusher and Dani will keep him safe, but I’ll head back tomorrow. You decide tonight if you’re going to stay another night. If you are, I’ll give one of the other men a call and have them come down here to watch your back.”
“Don’t you think that’s going more than a little overboard?” I ask him, frowning.
“If the way Wolf was looking at that girl is any indication? Fuck, no I’m not overreacting. You’re getting ready to wade into some dangerous territory, Devil.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I respond and not to be a bigger asshole, but I don’t care what he says. If there’s a chance that I end up with Torrent when all of this is said and done, I’ll take that chance every day of the week.
Which is further proof that I really am wrapped up over this woman. The biggest problem with that is, I can’t be sure what Torrent will do… or how she feels.
Torrent
“You really think you got what it takes to beat me, Tor?” Wolf asks, gripping his hammer tightly.
“Dude, you are so going down!” I boast, holding my hammer the same way.
“You willing to make a bet?”
“What are we talking?” I ask, eyeing him warily.
“A little friendly wager, Tor, unless you’re… chicken?”
I narrow my eyes at Wolf, and fight the urge to smile.
“Fine. What is it that you want to bet?” I ask, determined to win.
“If I win, we eat at La Pena’s tonight.”
I cringe, because I hate Mexican food. I can handle taco salads or tacos at home, but to eat out I avoid those places.
“And if I win?”
“You tell me,” he says and I think it over.
“If I win, you let me move back into Dad’s house, no bitching.”
His face goes hard—like I knew it would.
“Damn it, Tor. I can’t do that. I need to know you’re safe and right now you’re safer inside the club.”
“You took out Crash and anyone involved.”
“The club still has other enemies, sweetheart. You know that.”
“I need this, Wolf. It’s not like Pop’s house isn’t right next to the club. I can practically stand on the porch and yell at you if you’re in the back courtyard.”
“Tor—”
“I don’t want to be at the club, Wolf. It’s not my life. And you don’t need to be my nursemaid all the time. You have a life and it’s one I’d rather not… witness.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Come on, Wolf. Those damn club girls hang all over you.”
“There’s one way to stop that, Tor. You got my jacket. Everyone knows how I feel about you—including you. Give in.”
“Wolf—”
“You love me, Tor,” he says and my heart squeezes. I ruined a lighthearted moment bringing this up. I should have left it to later, been wiser about picking my battles. It’s too late to stop it now, though.
“I do love you, Wolf. You know that. But I don’t love you like… I should.”
“That can come in time,” he says, and he sounds so confident. He was my father’s pick for me. He’s protected me and cared about me my entire life. He loved my father as much as I did. Things would be so simple if I could give him what he wants. He’s a beautiful man, caring, loving…
He doesn’t make me feel like Devil does…
That forbidden thought springs up, even though it shouldn’t. I do my best to squash it down. I can’t think about Devil. The temptation to go to him this morning was so strong. There’s no point though. Devil’s life is on the other side of the state and it doesn’t include me.
“What if it doesn’t, Wolf? That’s not fair to either one of us.”
“I’m willing to take my chances,” he responds.
“I—”
“Change of plans,” he says and I frown.
“What does that mean?”
“If I win, you give me two weeks where you seriously think of me as your man, and let me prove to you that we can work. Oh… and we eat at La Pena’s.”
“But—”
“And as an added bonus you can move back into your dad’s house.”
“There’s no catch?”
“I’m going to have security beefed up and men outside, but no… no other conditions.”
“And if I win?”
“Then, you move back into your dad’s house, but you have to give me one week where you let me prove we could work as a couple and we eat at La Pena’s.”
“So either way, you get what you want?” I grumble.
“Either way we both get what we want,” he corrects. I study him, still not sure if I’m doing the right thing. But, in a way I want him to prove things to me too. What if he’s right and we could be good together? It’s what my father wanted and I got him killed. It’s one of the last things he ever told me. I need to try. I owe him that.
My hand moves down and I hit start on the machine. The little moles pop out, one on my side and one on Wolf’s. He wasn’t ready, but I was and I whack mine hard with the sponge hammer and I’m hitting the second before Wolf even realizes what’s going on.
“Motherfucker, Torrent, you don’t fight fair,” he growls, slamming his hammer down so hard the material bends back as it strikes the poor plastic mole a little too hard.
I giggle despite myself.
“Man up or shut up,” I laugh.
We spend the next five minutes hitting the poor defenseless moles that pop up. All around us are kids and their parents with tortured looks on their faces and it might be one of the best days I’ve had.
When it’s all finished, I am forced to look up into Wolf’s smiling face.
“I win,” he says twirling the cord to the hammer on his finger.
“Crap.”
“Shall I take my woman to La Pena’s for dinner now, or do you want me to show you how good I am at Skeeball?”
“I hate La Pena’s. What does that even mean, anyway?”
“It’s penalties or sorrow or something. I don’t know. I never worried about English much, let alone Spanish.”
“Well, it sounds like Little Penis—j
ust so you know. And since when did you get so good at all these games? I distinctly remember I used to spank your ass at Whack-A-Mole!”
“You were a little girl and I let you win. These days you’re very much a grown girl and when I think of spanking your ass—as you put it—it’s in a much different context.”
My gaze shoots up to his heated one and I feel butterflies in my stomach that are not all that unpleasant. Nervousness flutters through me too.
“Wow…”
“Ready, sweetheart?” he asks, and right now he looks every inch a wolf…
And I’m pretty sure I’m his prey.
“Ready,” I squeak—not sure if I am at all.
Devil
“Why are we here again?” I ask Diesel as we park up in the lot of a Mexican restaurant.
“You’re having food with me before I head out.”
“Diesel—”
“Wherein, I’m going to enjoy my fajitas and beer while you promise me not to do anything stupid until Fury gets out here to watch your back.”
“What the hell does La Pena’s mean anyways?”
“Hell if I know, but apparently it’s the only Mexican place around.”
“Couldn’t we go for pizza? Or fuck, what about a good old steak?” I grumble.
“You always want pizza. What is your hate against Mexican food, Ese? It’s good shit.”
“It tastes like shit, I’ll give you that,” I say with a sigh as we walk inside and I take off my shades, tucking them into the pocket of my vest. Diesel does the same with his as we wait to be seated. They take us back to a table, but both of us shake our heads no.
“We’ll take that booth over there,” Diesel says, finding one against the wall. The waiter looks at him strange but takes us over there with a shrug. Years of our lifestyle and being nomads until we found our own spot in this life has taught us both to keep our backs to the wall and our eyes on the crowd and the doors. “Two drafts,” Diesel orders as the waiter puts down salsa and fresh baked tortilla chips.
“You going to order for me too, Baby-cakes?” I ask sarcastically.
“If you don’t quit whining like a baby, I’ll order you a hamburger off the kid’s menu. Does that count?”
“At least it’s American food.”
“They have steak you know,” Diesel laughs.
“Do you see a baked potato on the menu? Or a loaded salad that has tomatoes and onions? Shit, eggs and bacon are nice too—with those crispy croutons.”
“Jesus, you really are a baby,” Diesel says disgustedly.
“Only about food,” I tell him, trying to defend myself. Once the waiter comes back we order our food and I go with a steak fajita and figure I’ll pick and choose what I eat. “Can I skip all that rice and bean shit? Just bring me French-fries,” I tell the waiter, making Diesel laugh.
“French fries?”
“At least it’s a potato,” I tell him and flip him off when he laughs harder.
My gaze moves around the room, automatically taking stock and monitoring it—even if I don’t need to. I even peg the two exit possibilities and the door that leads to the kitchen. Hell, maybe I have been in this life too long.
“So I called this morning and Fury will be here by evening,” the bastard says once he quits laughing at me.
“I don’t need a goddamn nurse maid, Diesel. I’m a grown man. Been taking care of myself for a while now. Hell, I can even wipe my own ass after I shit.”
“Quit being a prick. You know what’s going to happen if Wolf sees you sniffing around his woman.”
I go over Diesel’s words in my head. I take a drink of my beer and still replay them again. Finally, I look up at him and lay it out.
“I’m not convinced that she’s his.”
“She’s the daughter of a man who ran the club.”
“So?” I challenge him.
“Fucker, she’s not new to this life. She knows what wearing a cut that says you’re someone’s property means. She might be lost and in a world of hurt, but he’s laid claim to her and you trying to get in her pants puts your dick in jeopardy.”
“My dick?”
“I figure that’s what he will be cutting off if he finds it anywhere near Torrent.”
“Weren’t you the asshole that encouraged me to talk to her last night?”
“Yep, that’d be me,” he admits.
“So what the fuck is your problem now?” I ask him, more than a little irritated.
“You talked to her, she made her choice and I think you need to move on.”
“We don’t know that she’s made her choice yet,” I answer right as the waiter brings our food. Both of us remain quiet as that happens, but as soon as the waiter is out of earshot, Diesel starts again.
“Looks to me like her choice is pretty much made, buddy. Not to be a dick about it, but I think you need to realize that too.”
“What do you mean?”
“She didn’t meet you today—”
“Well, no. But—”
“And she’s looking pretty tight over there in the corner with Wolf.”
His words cause me to shut down. My gaze seeks out every fucking corner in the place.
I see her across from me in the far left. There’s a darkened booth and a couple facing me. They don’t see me though and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Wolf has his arm around Torrent. She’s resting her head on his chest. And he’s feeding her a piece of chicken from his fork. She’s smiling and he’s staring at her… with eyes only for her.
Fuck me… Diesel’s right.
She looks happy. She looks like she loves him.
She sure as hell doesn’t look like she ever thinks of me…not the way I do her and that shit burns hard.
The waiter comes by and leaves two more beers and I’d give anything if it was something stronger… right now I need it.
Torrent
“I can feed myself you know,” I tell Wolf, trying not to laugh as he brings another piece of grilled chicken to my mouth.
“What? The bet was I show you what it’s like to be my woman. That’s all I’m doing, baby.”
“By feeding me?”
“I’m enjoying it,” he laughs.
“I’ve enjoyed everything today. Thank you for this, Wolf. I hated you changed your plans for me, but I really did need it.”
“I wouldn’t take nothing for today, Tor. Even though you’re insistent on moving into your dad’s house.”
“I need to—for several reasons. If you really want to give this dating thing a try, it’s needed.”
“What the hell for?”
“So that we’re in separate spaces, of course.”
“I don’t know how you date, but most people these days have to be together to date.”
“To date, sure, but they don’t live together.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Wolf argues and the disappointed look on his face makes me smile.
“That’s because you’re a pig.”
“Hey, Tor! That’s not nice. I like you.”
I roll my eyes at him. “We should head out. I want to get started moving.”
“I thought we were going to try this relationship thing. How do you plan on doing that if you’re going to be moving the whole time?”
“Oh, but you see, this is how you show me what a wonderful boyfriend you are, Wolf.”
“I’m not sure I’m following,” he grumbles.
“You get to help me move and carry all the heavy stuff while flexing your muscles.”
“You’re a little crazy, Tor,” he laughs. “So, I help you move. What’s in it for me?”
“What do you want? And while we’re on the subject, why do I feel like I’m always making deals with you?”
“No idea,” he says with a smirk. “How about I get to sleep over?” He wiggles his eyebrows and that, combined with the smile on his lips, makes him look years younger.
“Oh no, not happening.”
“Tor, there has to be some PDA in a relationship.”
“PDA? How does sleeping over qualify as public displays of affection?”
“I was thinking of another P word… private.”
“I’m thinking of another P word too,” I tell him, sticking my tongue out.
“Dirty girl. I could show you that too if you want,” he says calmly.
“What? Oh! Oh my God! You are a pervert—which is a P word too, but I was thinking prick earlier.”
“I prefer it be called dick or cock, but penis is doable…”
“Can we stop talking about your thing? We’re only starting to date so the most we’re going to share is PG-13 at best, mister.”
“What does one get in a PG-13 relationship?”
“Hand holding, snuggles on the couch or a bed occasionally.”
“Gee, all of that?” he says dryly.
“And maybe if you’re nice some kissing and a little bit of touching.”
“Tell me more about this touching,” he urges, but I stop talking—because out of the corner of my eyes, I see the one face I wasn’t expecting and he’s looking right at me. “Tor?” Wolf asks, and I hear him, but I can’t tear my gaze away from across the room.
Devil is over there with his buddy and he’s looking right at me. His gaze is so intense that it feels like it’s branding me.
“Is that the asshole who was bothering you last night?” Wolf asks, his voice hard.
“He wasn’t bothering me.”
“He was outside your room when he shouldn’t have been,” he counters.
“I told you, we’re old friends. He was paying his respects and checking on me before he headed out of town,” I lie. I try my best to keep my voice normal, because it’s clear that Wolf is upset. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read the signs either. He doesn’t like Devil around me, but then, Wolf has never liked any man being around me. It’s a side to him that always set me on edge and one of the reasons I ran away from a relationship with him.