TORQUE
Three Days Later
The tracking device attached to the gun shipment hasn’t moved, and we’re in limbo about what to do. The brothers are becoming restless. The need for retaliation is building, but my thoughts on trying to maintain the peace is still my main aim. Even though Ace is coming to me every day with a new business that’s caved and had the buyer sell to them for less than the market value.
I still have no idea why Andretti’s doing it. Or for that matter, how?
How is the big question here.
It’s an interesting way to do business that’s for sure. But I guess acquiring a business for less than its net worth and then turning them around and making a profit is a damn smart way to make a splash in the entrepreneurial world of big business. It will certainly make people much higher up, take note—politicians, the police force, the justice system. I can see where this is headed, and I seriously have a fucking issue with it.
My biggest problem is I can’t fucking concentrate. My mind’s playing in circles. And while I need to focus on the Andrettis, my brain is constantly battling thoughts of Heeley.
Wondering how she’s doing.
Is she okay?
Is she as miserable as I am?
I know she’s safe, at least. I haven’t pulled her tail, and Zane’s still on the job. I’m hesitant to remove her tail even though I know we’re not together. Not yet. Not until I know the Andretti situation is handled and finished. She probably knows, but she hasn’t said anything. Hell, neither of us have said anything at all since she left. It’s killing me.
I drank myself into oblivion the night she left, and I spent the entire next day in bed trying to recover. That’s not me. I don’t do this shit. I mean, I’m a fucking president of a fucking outlaw motorcycle club.
Grow some balls, man!
But, to be honest, my patience is wearing thin and just getting intel on Heeley is no longer enough. So I’m going to go and check on her myself. I know this is heading into stalker territory, but I need to know she’s okay for my own self-preservation. Then maybe that will allow my head to clear a little.
It’s getting late as the moon lights the onyx sky. I probably shouldn’t be riding alone in times like these, but I’m only heading five minutes away. I need to feel the air on my face, the musical symphony of the white noise around me, and the Zen-state as I glide through the stress in total peace and harmony.
The journey will be quick, and I’m only going to do a ride-by anyway. Just a glimpse.
Yanking on my helmet, I start my engine and hammer down as Gatekeeper opens the gate letting me out. The wind pummels against my helmet, and I finally feel a sense of relief wash over me. Being trapped in the confines of the clubhouse for the past three days has given me cabin fever. Getting back out onto the open road, my tires humming against the asphalt sends a wave of euphoria though me. You can’t beat the exhilaration, the relaxation as you glide through the air with your senses in overdrive and no limitations—the pleasure changes you forever.
The ride to Fox Froyo Bar doesn’t take long, my intention is to simply ride past, look through the window, spot her, and keep riding. But my bike seems to have other ideas as I pull up across the street and park my bike.
Yanking off my helmet, I hold it in my hands. I’m far enough away that I hope she can’t see me without having to literally look right at me. I can see straight in through the window, and as she moves from the back room, the room where it all started, my breath catches as she holds a can of whipped cream in her hand. The memory makes me smile. Actually, I chuckle out loud as she moves up to the counter and places it in the cooling fridge. She looks so fucking fabulous, I can barely stand it, in those tiny white shorts and her white and red pinstriped top.
Oh God, and that apron.
She looks like my Heeley.
The girl I know.
My cock starts to harden against my jeans, and I shake my head as I watch her talk to Xav and Ari. As usual, there are no customers in the shop, and I wonder why.
As I look closer, Heeley seems different. Her usual spark—it’s gone. She appears upset as Ari wraps her arm around her shoulders and comforts her. I wince as I take a deep breath fighting against everything in me to go in there. Closing my eyes, I swallow hard. I fight the overwhelming urge to rush in there and tell her this is fucking stupid.
But she wanted this.
A life without me. A life without drama.
I get it.
I really do.
And I need to give her the space she needs, if that’s what she wants as much as it’s killing me right now.
As if to sense me, Heeley turns her head, looking out the window directly at me. My eyes shoot open, and I tense, my muscles going taut as I almost fall off my bike. Her eyes stare obviously seeing me.
Quickly, I put my helmet over my head then start my bike. She turns almost as if she’s going to walk out to me, so I hesitate waiting for her, but then she swallows hard, tears forming in her eyes, and I shake my head hating that I’ve caused her any sort of pain.
“Shit. Good one, idiot,” I murmur to myself as I hammer down and take off narrowly missing an oncoming car as it honks its horn at me while I ride as fast as I can to get away from her. My heart pummeling a million miles a minute as I breathe heavily.
Shit! I didn’t want to upset her.
That wasn’t my end game.
Hell, she was never supposed to know I was even there.
HEELEY
Torque takes off, his Harley sliding sideways down the street without warning, straight into the oncoming traffic. My heart leaps into my throat as my hand races to my mouth watching as he swerves to miss the car. He races off so fast all the cars are honking at the scene he’s causing.
“Jesus! Guy’s gonna cause an accident if he’s not careful,” Ari calls out while resting her hand on my back. I let out a heavy sigh as my eyes well with tears again. “As I was saying before, if you miss him, and obviously he’s missing you if he’s showing up here to creepily spy on you while you work, then maybe… just maybe… you need to rethink this ‘never seeing him again crap’ you have going on?”
Xav nods. “I agree. As your much wiser younger brother, I believe you deserve to be happy, Heels. I know you haven’t known him for long, and yes, he’s dangerous, and yes, everything that happens around him seems dangerous, but have you seen what’s happening in this city, Heeley? It’s going to the dogs, and don’t you want to be under the protection of the winning side?”
Sighing, I glare at him. “This city will be fine. Surely, they’re going to keep their war in-house, and it’s not going to branch onto the city streets and businesses. We’re safe in our own little bubble here, Xav. I need to concentrate on working with Doctor Kline and med school. I have to focus on that right now. Anyway, this is my last week here, we should be celebrating not moping about over Torque.”
Xav slumps. “I can’t believe I’m never going to work here with you again after this week. This business won’t be the same without you, sis. And honestly, I can’t believe our parents are letting you leave, too.”
I let out a stifled laugh. “I know, right. I didn’t think for a second they’d let me go. But when I spoke to them and told them it was so I could work with a doctor at Northwestern Memorial, they honestly couldn’t say no. They know this is my dream, Xav.”
Xav rushes forward and pulls me into a tight hug, and I embrace him back and smile. “Love you, sis.”
“Love you, too, little bro.”
“I want in on this.” Ari leaps forward wrapping her arms around us both, and I smile feeling some of the weight of the moment slip away as we stand in my parent’s froyo bar in a giant group hug.
Three Days Later
Since seeing Torque outside the froyo bar, my mind has been playing tricks on me ever since. I feel like I’m seeing him everywhere, but I know that can’t be the case. I’m confident I’m going slightly insane. Who knew someone could impact your life so much in such a short amount of time. I haven’t known Torque for long. Actually, it’s not long at all. But somehow, he’s weaseled his way into my psyche, and now I can’t seem to get him the fuck out. Everything I do, everything I see, even the food I eat, reminds me of him. How is that even possible?
It’s fucking ridiculous is what it is. I need to pull my shit together because I’m walking through the halls of Northwestern Memorial for my first shift with Doctor Kline, and I need to have all my attention focused on whatever it is I’ll be doing with her. The fact she knows Torque isn’t helping the tirade of memories running through my mind as I mindlessly wander the corridors wondering where the hell I’m meant to be.
Finally getting sick of floundering around like a damned fool, I find a nurse and smile at her. “Hi, I’m wondering if you can help me. I’m looking for Doctor Rebecca Kline’s office?”
She smiles wide. “Oh, gosh, you nearly made it.” She grabs my shoulders and spins me around to face a door, and off to the slide, it reads Doctor Rebecca Kline.
I burst out laughing and shake my head. “Wow! Doing great so far,” I murmur, and the nurse giggles.
“Don’t worry, the halls are a maze, you’ll get lost plenty of times before you find your way around…” she pauses then continues, “… I’m Christine. But everyone calls me Tiny. Yeah, I have no idea why.” Her big grin plasters all over her face as I look her up and down. She’s crazy short, must be only just hitting five foot. She has short brown curly hair, and the most flawless chocolate skin I’ve ever seen. She’s drop-dead stunning.
Letting out a small laugh, I nod. “Nice to meet you, Tiny. I’m Heeley. I’m going to be Doctor Kline’s new… umm… not really sure?” I’m hesitant to say anything because it’s not all that clear what Bex has in mind for me, let alone what she’s told people about me coming here to learn. So I leave the whole thing as a question, rather than me explaining what I’m actually doing.
Tiny smiles wide. “Oh, great. Yes. She told us you were coming in. Said she’s seen your work in the field, and you’ve done some good stuff. I’m excited to be working with you.”
Opening my eyes wide, I smile at the sound of high heels make their way toward us. “Oh, Heeley, you’re here. Early too. Well done. Extra points. Come into my office. We can have a chat before we start on rounds,” Doctor Kline states.
I nod to Doctor Kline, and then I subtly wave to Tiny.
As we head for her door, I walk next to Doctor Kline, and she hands me a coffee like she knew I’d be here. I smile as she opens the door and we step inside. She closes it behind us, and I look around her office. It’s exactly like I would have imagined. Great big desk. Large floor-to-ceiling window looking out over a massive green lawn area. A gigantic shelf of medical books. Even the potted plant I had envisioned in my mind is in the corner of the room with its leafy green foliage sprawling out in a perfect circular shape.
“Take a seat, Heeley.”
I nod as she sits in her desk chair, and I sit in the more comfortable stationary chair opposite her. “I just want to say thank you again… for this opportunity. I really appreciate it, Doctor Kline.”
She smiles taking a sip of her coffee. Then she places it down and sits forward, her hands on the desk in a fist like she’s going to talk seriously for a moment. “Okay, so we have to set some boundary rules first and foremost...”
Nodding, I sit up a little taller and listen attentively.
“The hospital doesn’t know of my involvement with the Chicago Defiance MC. That has to stay between us. Okay?”
Trying hard not to react to that statement, I merely nod but can’t help my eyebrows as they scrunch together.
I thought as a doctor she took an oath to always tell the truth. An oath to do no harm.
She smiles and licks her lips tilting her head. “I know what you’re thinking. How can I work for the club, and work here, too? It’s basically a double standard, right?”
I say nothing as she relaxes into her seat further. “The thing is, Heeley, I don’t know what you know about Chains’ and my relationship.”
“He’s your foster brother?”
She smiles and nods. “Yes. I’ve known him since he was ten. I’ve seen him grow up from this tortured boy, into a… well, tortured man. But with the help of my family, we brought him out of his shell as best we could. The first ten years of his life, Heeley…” she shakes her head, “… no person should have to go through what he endured. He’s my brother… not by blood, no, but in my heart always. I love that man more than anything. So when we were growing up, and he hurt himself, I wanted to be the one helping him. Knowing all the pain he’s already been through, I never wanted to see him suffering.”
I weakly smile knowing how she feels. It’s how I felt with Xav, seeing him suffer when he was in physical pain killed me every time. I know where she’s going with this. “Chains is the reason you became a doctor?”
She nods. “Yes. I wanted to be able to help him. Always. When he joined Defiance, our family was beside ourselves. The thought he was heading down a dark path nearly tore the family apart. But he showed us he was in it for the brotherhood. Sure, he had me, he had our parents, but he needed a brotherhood, men by his side to make him feel secure and to feel the security of men by his side. He never had that growing up. He needed to feel protected. We understood it once he put it that way.”
My body slumps thinking of whatever Chains went through as a kid, it must have been pretty bad. I feel for him. But I don’t think this is why I’m here right now. “So, how did you get involved with Defiance?”
She nods. “Surge has medical training, but he’s no doctor. Chains asked if they could count on me if needed. If it was necessary to bring a brother to a hospital and have no questions asked. If I could be that person to make people look the other way. I know we take an oath to do no harm, to report everything that needs to be reported, but Chains is my brother. And therefore, his brothers are my brothers. If I protect him, I protect them all. I know I can go down for it if I’m found out, but Defiance have people in all kinds of places, Heeley. Cops, judges, you name it. The thing is, I don’t see it as me doing a bad thing. To me, I am carrying out my Hippocratic Oath. If a brother comes in here, and he needs treatment, I give it to him and save his damned life. Because he’s a patient first, and that’s my job. To save lives. The cover-up comes after the crucial part. Because Chains is important to me. I know it’s risky. I know I could lose it all. But sometimes, when you love someone, you have to risk shit because they sure as shit would risk everything for you.”
Slumping into my seat, I let out a puff of air as my knee bobs up and down in agitation. “So you’re saying you can be a doctor, have your medical life, and still be a part of the club? Still, have a connection to the MC without it being an issue?”
She smiles at me and nods. “Yes, Heeley, you can have both. You just have to know how to play it. If you’re willing and you want to, I can teach you how to be a doctor and how to stretch the rules so you can live by the code and play by the biker code as well. You can be Torque’s Old Lady and still be the best damn doctor in town… besides me, of course.” Her chuckle fills the air, and I smile feeling lighter somehow.
I had no idea it was even possible to do both. But knowing Kline has done it for years and gotten away with it, makes me wonder if I’ve gone about this all wrong?
Maybe I gave up on us too soon?
Maybe I need to give this some more thought?
Torque means a lot to me, and it’s killing me being away from him.
“I can see your mind’s going into overdrive right now. But, we have work to do. I’m going to get you to shadow me today. Take as many notes as you want. Ask as many questions as you need, but most of all keep up and don’t touch anything. Think you can do that?”
“Yes, definitely.”
She stands from her desk, takes another sip of her coffee then places it on the desk with a huff. “Then let’s get to rounds.”