HEELEY
I spent most of my Sunday reminiscing about last night. My crazy whirlwind time at the club with Torque.
I wonder if he’s okay. I wonder how things went with those Andretti dudes. All I know is he shut down on me, told me to leave, and I have no idea if I’ll even see him again.
My gut is telling me no.
We said goodbye, and it sure felt final.
I hate that it did. I’ve been playing that time over and over in my mind again today while I should have been studying. But no, Rylan ‘Torque’ O’Shea is on my damn mind once again. He seems to be everywhere I look.
At work—he’s everywhere. The memory of him being here plays over and over again. No matter what I do, and I can’t seem to focus on anything right now. My mind can’t concentrate on what it needs to, and that’s work where I am right now.
“Heeley? Heels. Damn, girl, will you wake up,” Ari berates throwing a cup of ice at me, the cubes smacking me in the chest as I shake my head, and they tumble to the floor clanking and smashing apart while she chuckles at her own joke.
I huff and turn, grabbing the handheld dustpan and broom and get to work cleaning the mess up as Xav and Ari both look at me raising their brows.
“What the hell had you so deep in thought you didn’t hear us talking about Chris Pratt’s junk? I mean…” he pauses for dramatics, “… you saw that pic in the tabloids, right? I know you couldn’t actually see his cock, and it was only the outline through his pants, but damn that man’s packing, and I don’t mean boxes,” Xav blurts out.
“Yes, yes, I saw the pic.” I smile. “You both tagged me enough times for me to notice. And yes, it’s great. Sorry, my mind’s elsewhere.”
“Mm-hmm, on a certain biker who’s also packing?” Ari replies.
While putting the dustpan away, I roll my eyes and then lean against the counter hoping some customers will come in and save me from his line of questioning.
“Look, we shared a kiss—”
“A hot, steamy, sensual, sexual… oh my fucking God, toe-curling kiss,” Ari interrupts.
“Okay, fine. Yeah, one of those. But… it’s over now. He has much bigger things to think about than me.”
Xav slumps his shoulders and shakes his head. “I don’t believe that for a second. I saw the way he looked at you. The way he tried to take possession of you, Heels. He’s not done with you. Even if he thinks he is, he’ll be back. Mark my words.”
“Well, what if I’m done with him?”
They both burst out laughing. Bending over in a fit of hysterics, I tip out my hip in annoyance as they continue to carry on at my expense.
“Oh, good one, Heels… the way your mind wanders off thinking about him all the time, I’m one hundred percent sure you’re nowhere near done with him yet, either,” Ari laughs.
With a quick shake of my head, I head out the back to try and busy myself with something, anything, to get away from these two annoyingly right people. I move over to the fridge and figure I’ll restock it, try to rearrange it around, so the items with the closest use by dates are near the front. Beginning with the cans of whipped cream, I grab the cans one at a time and start moving them, sorting them by date, trying to numb my brain with the mundane task. I vaguely hear the bell of the shop door ting, so I know customers are coming in, but I also know Ari and Xav are out there, and if they need me, they’ll call.
“Ahh… Heeley. There’s someone here to see you,” Ari calls out.
Looking up at the clock on the wall, it’s almost nine at night, which is closing time for a Sunday. Who the hell would be coming in to see me now? I have a can of whipped cream in my hand and don’t bother to put it down before I turn and walk out the front. My mind is running through the possibilities—maybe it’s Mom or Dad coming to check up on the place.
I round the corner and stop dead. Torque’s standing at the divider waiting for me with a weak smile. Letting out a small puff of air which moves my hair, I swallow hard and take a step forward, the dividing bench in the way as I place the can of cream on the counter between us.
He looks down at it and smirks his fucking gorgeous smile as he glances back at me. “What is it with you and whipped cream?”
An image of me in an all too compromising position with Torque, and some whipped cream flashes into my mind. I clear my throat as I slide the can away from us. He chuckles.
I look up at him and take a deep breath. “I thought we’d said our goodbyes. That I had to leave and never come back.”
He looks down and sighs. “Yeah, I did say that. But someone told me I basically need to suck it up…” He stops, his eyes flash with something—maybe regret—and then he continues, “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Heeley. I’m a fuckin’ idiot. Please, let me make it up to you?”
Opening my eyes wide, I’m a little shocked. Torque's usually all brash and bravado, but right now he’s being straight with me. I appreciate the effort, so I nod and relax my shoulders looking at him kindly. “Okay, sure… what did you have in mind?”
He tenses slightly, his jaw clenching. “See this is where my plan kind of falls apart. I don’t really have anything planned. I wasn’t sure what your answer would be, so I thought I’d wing it—”
“Smooth, real smooth,” Xav murmurs under his breath.
I’d forgotten we have an audience. I think Torque had too by the quick movement of his head turning to look at Xav and Ari as they stand in the corner watching us.
I roll my eyes and look at the clock. “Well, I finish in five minutes or so... how ‘bout we just chill out for a bit. No clubs. No fellow bikers or friends—”
“What? We can’t come?” Ari interrupts, and I glare at her.
“No…”
She and Xav both pout as Torque smiles.
“Just you and me. Hanging out together. What do you think?” I ask.
His eyes light up, and he nods. “Fuckin’ perfect.”
“Finish up now, sis. Ari and I can close up shop,” Xav says with a bright smile.
“We can?” Ari asks, and Xav glares at her. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, course we can. You go. Have a good night,” she emphasizes the word ‘good’ for effect.
I nod with a smile and start undoing my apron around my waist and move to hang it up as I head toward the back area to grab my stuff. “I’ll just get my things and meet you out front.”
Torque nods as I turn to head for the backroom. “Thanks, guys, appreciate the help,” Torque’s gravelly voice chimes through the front of the store as I hear him walk out. Grasping my stuff, I can’t control the smile which is spreading across my face. I shrug on my leather jacket, grab my backpack, and head back out.
“Be safe,” Ari calls out, and I snort rolling my eyes.
“Oh, not even… I’ve known him all of what… three days? Give a girl some credit,” I call back as I pull the divider open and walk through closing it behind me.
Ari and Xav both snort and shake their heads. “I would have done him in the back room the night he came in, but that’s just me. I’m a hussy like that,” Ari calls out. Xav bursts out laughing as I shake my head and step out the front door. Torque’s waiting at the curb, leaning against his gorgeous looking Harley. My eyes go wide checking out the shine on the chrome, and I’m super impressed by the immaculate sheen on this thing. He smiles as I walk up to him, and he looks me up and down.
“You sure do look great in leather. You’ll fit right in on the back of my bike.”
I grin and look at the blue Kawasaki Ninja 250 motorbike that’s parked right next to Torque’s, raise my brow moving in beside it and lean against it. His eyebrows furrow, and he tilts his head as I grab my helmet from the handlebars and bring it to my stomach with both hands. “Maybe that’s because I already look good on the back of a bike.”
He stands up suddenly letting out a big puff of air as his hand rushes to his chin rubbing it furiously. His eyes bugging out of his head, and I can’t decide if he looks angry, impressed, or horny. Maybe a mixture of all three.
“This is your ride?” he asks, looking over my sports bike.
I nod with a smirk. “I know it’s not a Harley, but it’s what I can handle, and it’s mine.”
He shakes his head, his body moving slightly like he’s uncomfortable. I’m just not sure why. “Fuck, Heeley. I mean… I don’t know if I can handle this.”
“What do you mean?” My brows scrunch up in concern as he stalks toward me.
He looks me up and down, and his eyes take on a darker shade. They look almost menacing, but underneath the blue tone, they’re filled with lust. It’s unmistakable, and I swallow hard as he steps up to me making me move my helmet to my side so he can step in closer to me.
“I mean, you may be riding a crotch rocket, of all fuckin’ things, but the fact that you can ride a bike at all…” his mouth curves into a smile, “Well, fuck, foxy… I’m all kinds of hot for you right now, and I don’t know if I can hold it in.”
Swallowing hard, the buzz around us flickers and ignites hot as he steps closer to me. I’m addicted to the tangy scent of his aftershave teamed with the smell of leather that’s flooding my senses making them work in overdrive. It’s like everything’s happening at once. All my emotions are firing, and all my thoughts are kicking off making my mind think of only one thing.
Torque’s lips on mine.
I move my helmet subtly to the tank of my bike as his body steps right against mine. The pressure building between us, he inches closer and closer. The chemistry is firing off in all directions. His hand slides up against my cheek in a tender caress, and I gulp as he looks into my eyes. The intensity is burning, my skin prickling in goosebumps as he leans in, his lips press against mine hard and fast, and I don’t have time to think about anything other than the fact that we’re kissing, again. My hands instantly loop around his neck, pulling him closer to me, threading through his hair as his hand on my cheek moves into the back of my hair and tightens into a fist. Our tongues dance together as our mouths collide in a frantic kiss. It’s hot, and I want to feel more of him.
His hands move down to my ass, and he hoists me up to sit on the seat of my bike. I hold onto him for dear life thinking at any moment my bike’s going to topple over, but he has a hold on me firmly. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he moves in so close I can feel his hard cock pressing against the seam of my shorts while we kiss on my bike in front of my parents’ froyo bar at nine on a Sunday evening for everyone to see.
The kiss is hot. It’s frenzied. And fuck do I like it. I don’t even care about his public display of affection. All I care about right now is that Torque is kissing me, and at this moment, I’m turning him on to the point of a raging hard-on. It makes me feel alive, and I haven’t felt this way in a very long time. It’s invigorating. It’s adrenaline pumping. And mix that with the emotions of kissing Torque, it’s a high I don’t want to come down from.
Honk. Honk.
A car horn and a group of men catcalling from a car window breaks the tension as Torque releases our lips, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. We’re both panting for breath as I try to hide my smile and hold back a laugh. He looks to the car driving off down the street, and I clear my throat as I attempt to get a hold of my raging libido. My clit is throbbing like crazy and having Torque’s hard cock still pressing up against it, isn’t doing anything to ease the damn pressure.
Torque looks back to me. My legs drop from around his waist as he finally takes a small step back, and he smiles shaking his head. “She rides a bike,” he murmurs with a chuckle, and I let out a small laugh.
“She does.”
He takes another step back putting an actual gap between us this time, and he smiles so wide his toothy grin is so fucking gorgeous it makes me melt. “Fuck me! You’re so full of surprises, foxy. Now take me back to your place so we can…” he pushes his eyebrows up and down, “… hang out.”
I snort out a laugh and nod. “And just like that, the demanding biker boy is back, ladies and gentleman.”
He rolls his eyes subtly rearranging his crotch, but I don’t miss it as he turns and grabs his helmet off his bike and places it over his head. I slide off my bike and grab my helmet pulling it on as I glance to the window of the froyo bar to see Ari and Xav standing there with big grins on their faces. I shake my head, and they both give me the thumbs up. I flip them the bird, making Torque chuckle as the roar of his Harley’s engine comes to life. I slide on the back of my Ninja and start her up, her engine sounds weak in comparison to Torque’s bike, but I still love the rush of the feeling of the vibration between my legs as I look to Torque. He shakes his head, and I can just imagine his smile beneath his helmet as I kick back the stand and walk my bike back getting ready to take off.
The ride home should be fun.
I’ve never ridden with someone on my tail before. So having Torque following me is actually quite exciting.
I pull out and yank on the throttle. My bike lurches forward, the strength and power thrusting beneath me giving me a thrill as I take off down the road. Torque doesn’t hesitate and is beside me in an instant. I smile loving that this is something we can share together. The open road, the wind in our hair, the love for two wheels.
I have no idea what his riding style is. Is he brash? Does he obey the road rules, or does he bend them like I do? I decide to test this theory when I notice a line of cars parked at the top light in both lanes. There are at least four cars in each lane. I smile knowing this will be a breeze for my small bike, but for Torque’s bigger, more masculine ride it might be a little trickier. But I want to push him.
So I race forward, lane splitting all the way between the cars, racing to get to the front of the traffic lights. I giggle under my helmet as I pull to a stop looking back to see Torque, who, with no hesitation, follows me down the thin line. He moves in front of the car to my left and pulls up. I see his chest jolting like he’s laughing, and I smile wide knowing he’s enjoying this as much as I am.
When the lights change, I take off like a rocket speeding through the intersection, setting the pace way more than the speed limit.
After a while, I slow to the actual speed limit and drive the streets more like a sane person as we ride side by side. He casually looks across to me every now and then, and I smile liking that he’s watching me.
I flick the blinker to turn left, and we turn, and then I signal to my apartment on the right. He nods, following me into my driveway, and both the bikes pull to a stop and turn off at the same time. The intense roar of bike engines coming to a complete halt filter through the dimly-lit street as I kick out my stand and slide off my bike yanking off my helmet. My hair falls around my shoulders in soft waves as Torque jumps off his Harley, pulls off his helmet placing it on his seat, and turns rapidly. His broad steps race toward me, and I don’t have time to think before he grabs me, picking me up and twirls me around in a circle. I laugh, grabbing hold of his shoulders as he chuckles letting me slide down his body until I’m looking in his eyes. That surge, that buzz, that energy, it’s here again, and fuck if it doesn’t feel good.
“Riding with you… fuck, Heeley…” it’s all he says before his lips meet mine briefly. His kiss is hard, forceful, passionate, but quick as fuck before he pulls back and grabs my hand. “C’mon, I need to see your apartment now because I know you have more surprises in store for me.”
I snort and shake my head. “I think you’re going to be sorely disappointed, biker boy. My apartment is tiny and has nothing going for it.”
He shakes his head and shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. I still wanna see everything to do with you. C’mon, show me, woman,” he demands, practically dragging me off toward the front door.
I let out a small laugh at his excitement.
This should be fun.
The living room is filled with a golden hue as I flick on the switch and step inside through my whitewash front door. Torque’s behind me every step of the way, and I quickly scan the room making sure there’s nothing lying around I need to make a mad dash to clean up. It all looks pretty safe, for now. There are just a few stray coffee cups. Nothing too damning. Plus, my chaotic desk next to the kitchenette, but that’s never tidy.
I let Torque move through and then close the door, locking it behind him. I take a deep breath realizing that Torque’s in my apartment. With me. Alone. Swallowing hard, I step past him, a sudden nervousness sweeping over me as I head toward my kitchenette and straight to the coffee pot. “Coffee?” I offer.
He chuckles. “You drink a lot of coffee, don’t you?” Torque walks to the various assorted mugs lying around the room and starts to pick them up. I roll my eyes but let him do whatever he’s doing and get on with making the coffee
“Helps me stay awake while studying,” I reply as I pull out the filter and replace it with a new one.
He gathers three mugs and brings them over to the sink stepping into my side placing them on my minimal bench space with a smirk. “This kitchen’s tiny.”
I let out a small chuckle. “I told you my apartment wasn’t anything to get excited over.”
He raises his brow as I continue with the pot, and he shifts over to my desk nook area and runs his finger over my textbooks. I tense up slightly wondering how he’ll take the news of me studying to be a doctor. “So, why medicine? You’re not scared of blood? Doesn’t make you queasy?”
I snort, shaking my head. “Blood doesn’t make me queasy. I’d be a pretty shit doctor if that were the case. But I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was young. Dairy just doesn’t do it for me like it does for the rest of my family.”
He chuckles and nods. “Not sure how dairy products can really do it for anyone. But, if it makes your parents and Xav happy, then good for them.”
Smiling, I set the coffee on to brew. “Yeah, exactly. Okay, so while that’s doing its thing, I can either show you around or we can just… sit?”
His eyes light up making me nervous again, and he grins. “I think you should show me around.”
Taking a small breath, I nod, walking up to him. “There’s not a whole lot to see. I glance around my tiny living room slash kitchenette and shrug. “This is the kitchen, dining and living room.” I point to the door to my left. “Through there is the laundry.” I grab his hand. I don’t miss the way my fingers tingle when they lace with his as I lead him through the archway and into my crazy, chaotic mess of a bedroom. My jaw clenches slightly wondering how he’ll take my untidiness, but honestly, I don’t really care. He’s a biker, he’s probably seen far messier than me. But I think my nerves are more coming from the fact I’m pulling a man into my bedroom. My breathing hitches slightly as I lead him in. The room is dark, and I flick on the switch igniting the room in all its messy glory. He erupts in laughter, breaking my nervous tension as I glance at him, and he raises his brow as I assess his mood.
“Why are you laughing?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“Sorry. I honestly didn’t picture you as the poster child for sloth.”
I scoff out a laugh, and turn, slapping him on the chest. He chuckles and grabs my wrist pulling me to him. I stumble on the spot slightly as I turn to face him with a smile on my face. “I… I’m just…” I search for the word, “… busy with work and study. Trying to keep burly bikers from tearing up my life. Girl doesn’t have time to clean. So sue me.”
He slides his arms around my waist pulling me to him. My arms instinctively wrap around his neck as he looks deep into my eyes. It’s only now that I glance into his eyes, they stare back at me with an intense blue. It’s captivating as I smile at him, and he smiles back. “Damn that burley biker,” he murmurs as he leans down closer to me. “I’m sorry about last night, Heeley.”
My smile drops. “Did you fix everything with those guys?”
He lets out a small groan holding me tighter to him and breaking our gaze to look up at the ceiling. “Not even close.” He looks back to me. “But at least they didn’t get what they wanted.”
I swallow hard wondering what it is they could possibly want from Torque and his biker brothers. I want to ask, but would that be crossing some sort of line we’re not quite ready to be at yet? I guess there’s only one way to find out. “What did they want?”
He stiffens slightly in my arms and looks to me, almost like he’s assessing whether or not to tell me. He cracks his neck to the side then looks me in the eyes and speaks, “Neala.”
Pushing him in the chest, I jolt back in shock. “What?”
He huffs and scrunches up his face then takes a step toward me. I don’t back off. I don’t know why I shoved him in the first place. I was just shocked they wanted his sister.
“Heeley, the thing is… being attached to bikers brings a certain amount of trouble. Neala had a target on her back last night, and the Andrettis were using her to get to us. They didn’t succeed. We got her out before they could take her.”
I let out a huff and shake my head. “Oh my God…” I put my hand on my heart. “Is she okay? Did they hurt her?”
He steps forward again grabbing my arm, and I let him as his calloused fingers rub up and down my skin trying to soothe me. It helps some but not entirely. “No, my guys were there. But I’m hoping this explains my… reaction last night. Why I needed you gone. Why I tried to say goodbye to you…” He swallows hard and looks at the floor, the tension rising in the room as my heart pounds faster in my chest. “I know this is a lot to take in, and I understand if you want me to leave and make the goodbye stick.” He looks back up to me. “Foxy, life with me in it, it’s dangerous. The men hunting us hold no bars. Your life will be in danger if you’re attached to me, of that, I have no doubt. I don’t want that for you. I never did. That’s why I reacted like that last night. But the thing is, Heeley… I can’t stay away from you.”
His words push and pull me in so many different directions all at once. It’s like my head’s spinning. The thought of being in danger twenty-four seven is so fucking terrifying I have no idea how to handle that, but the thought of never seeing Torque again is equally devastating. I look up into his pleading eyes, and they draw me in. I step forward, needing to be close to him. His eyes widen in hope, in need. I have no idea what I’m doing. What I’m feeling. What the hell course I’m setting my life on, but I know at this moment there’s only one choice I can make. So I reach up, grabbing the back of his head and pull him to me.
My lips crash into his, my mouth opening instantly to let his tongue in. The kiss is deep, it’s intense, and it’s full of adrenaline as he backs me up against the side of my built-in closet. My back hits it with a thud as his hands snake up my body, touching and teasing, sliding inside my leather jacket and around my back under my shirt. His skin against my naked flesh is igniting heat inside of me, and even though his fingers are tracing the line of my bra, he doesn’t move to undo it.
His body presses against mine as we kiss feverishly, my hands running through his hair as I let out a small moan in his mouth. It seems to shock him as he slows the kiss, his hands work their way down from my skin as he pulls back, breaking the kiss. I let out a small breath as I try to gather myself, looking into his shining eyes.
He stares at me with a grin. “Fuckin’ hell, you’re a spitfire, Heeley. But tonight we’re having coffee and watching television. We’re hanging out. Like we said.”
Raising my brow, I clear my throat and tilt my head slightly, surprised by this information. “We are?”
He chuckles. “Yes, because if I get carried away with you tonight, I might not be able to stop myself, and… I wanna be able to take my time with you.”
Letting out a small giggle, I nod my head and swallow a lump that’s formed in my throat. “Oookay… at least you’re straight with me.”
He brings his hand up caressing the side of my cheek, looking into my eyes. The moment, a tender side of him. “I’ll always be straight with you, foxy.” He leans in and presses his lips to mine roughly, his fingers pressing into the side of my cheek more aggressively than the sweet tone of moments before. He pulls back looking right at me with a grin. “Coffee, woman,” he demands and turns breaking away leaving me reeling against my closet as he exits my bedroom.
I pant for breath as I slump my shoulders and shake my head. “Holy shit,” I mumble to myself so low I know he can't hear as I shake my head with a small grin and turn heading for my kitchenette.
Torque and I had our coffee and have been sitting comfortably on my loveseat, which I never noticed was small until now. I guess because I’m normally the only one lounging on it. But now I have a hunk of a man, the size of a small barge, taking up most of the couch, I can see how the quaintness of this loveseat is now meager. My eyes dart to the side, glancing at him as season two of The Game of Thrones continues to play reruns on the television, and I wonder how it got to be like this. Not merely three days ago this man came barreling into my froyo bar looking for a place to lay low, and now he’s here, in my apartment, in a comfortable silence, enjoying a binge fest of GoT. How did this happen?
“Your staring is gonna give me a complex, foxy,” he murmurs, though his eyes never leave the screen.
My eyes snap back to the television to see the men holding a very young-looking Arya and Gendry captive, then he takes one of the fellow villagers, straps him to a chair and places a bucket with a rat against the villager’s bare flesh. I turn up my nose as a man brings a fire-lit torch and holds it to the bucket making the rat scratch and claw at the villager’s bare chest to try and get out. His pleas for mercy ring through my living room, and I glance to Torque again to see him raising a brow as a sly smirk appears on his face.
I clear my throat and fold my arms over my chest. “This kind of thing appealing to you?” I ask, and he turns to me and shrugs.
“I think I could learn a lot from this show.” His face deadpans but gradually a slow smile turns up on the corner of my lips.
“What? Like how to fuck your sister? Torque, I knew you wanted to protect her, but—”
“Okay, smart mouth, settle down.” The playfulness in his eyes makes me smile as I let out a small giggle, and he brings his arm up wrapping it around my shoulders pulling me to him. It’s comfortable, and I don’t have any hesitations at all.
This is nice.
“Umm…” I murmur as I glance up at him while I lean into his side. He looks down to me and raises his brow.
“Just ask, Heeley.”
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I take a deep breath and decide to just go for it. I’m pretty sure he’ll be honest with me. “I know you’re a biker, obviously, and that means you don’t play by the rules. But… how badly broken are those rules exactly?”
Torque looks away from me. His hand tightening around my shoulder like he’s scared I might leave, while his other comes up rubbing his chin. “I… I don’t know how to answer that.”
Pulling my lips in by my teeth, I inhale through my nose and nod. “I think you just did.”
He finally looks back to me, his eyes dark, somber. He seems concerned. I’m not sure how to take this. He’s a biker on the wrong side of the law, that’s plainly obvious. I have no idea just how deep his corruption lies. If I want to be a doctor, I need to be aligning myself with the right people. I need to be seen as a model citizen. Torque can’t be good for my career. And though everything in me is screaming for me to run the other direction and to take the moral high ground—the inner rebel in me, the girl who opposes her parents in her career choice and just about everything else, the girl who rides a motorbike even though she knows one out of seven hundred and seventy people die in a motorbike accident—wants to explore this uncharted world with him. To see the dangers of this biker lifestyle with him, and to witness the other side of the fence where most women don’t dare to cross.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“Your mind working overtime there, Heeley? Wanna tell me what you’re thinking?”
I look up at him and crease my brows. “So, to be a doctor, you need to have a moral compass. You have to do things by the book. You have to do things by the law. You need to be a model citizen…” He nods, taking a deep breath, so I continue, “But can I do those things and still… live a little dangerously?”
His eyes ignite and shine so brightly as his lips turn up slightly. He shifts turning to face me more as his nostrils flare. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying… I’m not going to break the law. Will I bend it? Probably. I’m not a tight ass. But I won’t do anything that will land me in jail, that’s all. I’m saying that I don’t know what this is or could be with us, but I’m willing, if you are, to explore getting to know you more.”
His bright smile lights up his face, and he bows his head as he looks me up and down. “Well, that’s way more than I was expecting. As I keep saying, you surprise me. I thought I’d have you hauling my ass out of here by now, but I think you’re more of a rebel than you wanna let on. I’m gonna like getting to know you.”
“One thing, though. Those Andrettis… if I’m attached to you, will they come after me?”
His shoulders tense, his jaw clenching as he looks at me with narrowed eyes. “I won’t let that happen. I stopped them from getting Neala. They won’t get you, I can promise you that.”
“Will they come after my friends and family?”
His eyes bore into mine, intense and with stern confidence. “No.”
Nodding, I settle back into the loveseat and turn my eyes back to the television, my nerves not settled but eased slightly. The Andrettis coming after me, I can handle, especially knowing that Torque will be watching out for me. But them coming after Ari, Xav, Mom, or Dad… that would be a deal breaker.
“Good, now shut up. We’re missing the good bits,” I tease, and he chuckles tightening his grip around me again, and I lean my head down on his shoulder getting comfortable by his side.