Torched (23 page)

Out in the courtyard, Elf and Chew were boxing in the ring, neither of their wasted asses landing many hits. But it was just a cock-off for the girls cheering them on anyway. Retro, Monk, and Bird were standing around the fire pit smoking cigars.

Out of nowhere, he got a whiff of a familiar, cheap scent and felt a pair of arms wrapping around his waist from behind.

“Hey, sexy,” Nadia purred in his ear as her hands slid down into his jeans. “What are you doing all by your lonesome when I could be keeping you company in your room?”

Nadia was a nice girl. Fucked in the head with daddy issues, but nice. And had a banging body to boot—huge tits, round ass, tiny waist. She was in his rotation and he probably screwed her a little more often than the other crawlers.

He wasn’t an idiot, the girl was in love with him, always dropping the words “old lady” whenever he was within earshot. She’d noticed his thing for dark hair and dyed hers. She also regularly fucked Zed—sometimes they fucked her together—and some part of that batty brain of hers was convinced that three-ways would make him happy enough to claim her. But what the deluded bitch didn’t realize was that he’d never make her his. She was weak. All she’d done by changing her appearance was turned herself into a poor carbon copy of the woman he
really
wanted.

Not that he’d make her his old lady either, but fuck if he didn’t want inside that luscious pussy again.

Eight years. Christ, eight fucking years.

He turned around and put his arm around Nadia’s shoulder. Her light brown roots were showing, just another reminder that she was nothing but a poser, a two-bit club hussy trying to be what she thought he wanted. Mostly for her own benefit.

“Not tonight, Nad,” he said. Jesus, when the hell had he started turning down sex?

“Aww, come on, baby,” she cooed, clearly drunk off her ass with the rest of them. “It’s not like you’re doing anything better out here.”

Torch grimaced, more irritated than humored by her pathetic ass. “Go see what Zed’s doing. I’m good.”

“Zed’s busy with Tess,” she argued.

Was she deaf or just stupid? He didn’t want anything to do with her tonight. Or maybe any other night after this. She was getting on his last nerve. “Well then go find some other cock to suck on. There’s plenty around. Go.”

She pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest. “Is this about that dumb bitch who showed up the other night? All the guys are talking about her like she’s some fucking trophy. They say that you have a thing for the cunt.”

Stupid, she was fucking stupid. He wasn’t up for having his buttons pushed tonight, definitely not by her. Who the fuck did she think she was, talking shit to him? About Liv of all people.

He reached around and angrily fisted her hair, pulling her head back so she had to look him in the eye. He was only going to tell her this once. “Listen to me carefully, Nad… I don’t want your nasty ass. Go find some other dick or get the fuck out of my clubhouse. I’m cutting you some slack for talking shit to me ‘cause you’re fucking blitzed, but this is your first and only warning. You
ever
step out of fucking line like that or I hear you running that goddamn mouth about Liv again, I’ll personally—and
permanently—
throw your ass out. We clear?”

She inhaled sharply and looked like she was trying not to cry, but nodded. “Yeah… Sorry, Torch.”

He let her go and took a step back, watching her scamper away.

He hadn’t even noticed Biff standing a few feet away, a smug smile on his face.

“Not feeling a knockoff when the real thing’s just a short ride away, huh?” Biff smirked.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Torched huffed, lighting up a cigarette.

“Oh come on, everybody sees it. Your very particular preferences when it comes to women. Grimm filled me in on her looks. Liv’s obviously the original.”

Was
everybody
all up in his shit? Where the fuck was all this coming from? He still buried his dick in a blonde or redhead here and there. “I still have no idea what you’re talking about, brother, so shut the fuck up. What did you find out?”

Torch had asked Biff to spend the afternoon digging into what Liv had been doing for the past few years. She’d proven herself reliable, but it was still one hell of a coincidence that she happened to end up less than fifty miles from him. Either there was something else she wasn’t saying, or fate was one hell of a conniving bitch. Maybe a little of both.

“She covers her tracks, that’s for sure,” Biff said.

Of course she did, she
un
covered other people’s tracks for a living. Torch didn’t expect Biff to be able to get much on her—he was definitely no match in hacking skills—but while she had the computer know-how to operate anonymously, Biff had contacts all over the country he could call. No one could ever be truly anonymous these days. “Tell me you got something.”

“A little. She’s been in the state since last fall. Must be paying cash for rent and utilities because the guy that owns her place has the electric and water in his name. She bought and registered her bike in Albuquerque six years ago under a different name. The address is one of those strip mall mailbox places and she renews it by mail every year. She’s never filled out background checks on any guns, so I assume her stash is black market.”

“None of this is helpful—”

“No, but Ty wrote down some credit card numbers while she was in the shower.”

Ty had been at her house for days, of course she had to shower at some point. Still, Torch felt his fists reflexively clench at his sides.

“They’re all those prepaid cards that aren’t tied to a name or bank account,” Biff continued. “I had a friend pull up the transaction records. Looks like she uses a card for a few months, then switches over to a new one. Not sure why she still had the old ones with as hard as she works to stay a ghost.”

“Save the personal commentary, man. What did your friend find out?”

“She’s used them all over. Nevada, Oregon, Nebraska, and Colorado. Those are just the four that she had on her, dating back three years. No interesting purchases though, mostly just living essentials.”

Well, that was interesting. “Four states in three years?”

Biff nodded. “Yup. Either she’s some sort of nomad that gets bored in one place, or she’s running from something. I’m thinking the latter.”

Was she still running from that asshole who’d beat her up all those years ago? She couldn’t be. If she was, the shit between them ran a lot deeper than just some domestic violence.

Then again, she’d mentioned doing some bad things to stay alive and she wasn’t a fan of the law, so maybe the cops were after her. What kind of trouble was she in, exactly?

Fuck her privacy, she’d come to him. It may have been completely unrelated, but he figured that voided any agreement he’d made to leave her past alone. Torch patted Biff on the back. “Thanks, brother. I appreciate you getting all that.”

“I know she’s allegedly smoking hot and you two have some kind of history, but be careful, man,” Biff warned.

“Thought I told you to save the commentary.”

“I’m just saying… If she’s running and you get tangled up, her problems become the club’s problems. I know we owe her big time, but you better get to the bottom of that shit if you plan on making her a permanent fixture.”

Torch choked on his cigarette smoke. “Fuck, Biff. When have you known me to get in deep with a bitch? I can’t even spell
permanent
. Tried that shit once with Penny, never again.”

Biff smirked. “Never say never. From the sounds of it, one of the other boys might be tempted to if you don’t.”

“Who the fuck is
tempted
?” Torch hissed, his nostrils flaring in rage. Grimm, definitely him. Mace, Squid, and Gauge were also on the list of suspects.

“Every horny fuckface that’s seen her,” Biff laughed.

He would fuck them all up. If they only ended up with broken bones, it would be a merciful beating. “I already said it once, but spread the fucking word… Liv’s off limits.”

Biff threw his hands up. “Relax, man, I wasn’t there and I
have
a woman. You don’t have to tell me. I’m just saying that you need get a handle on the situation, whatever the situation is. Wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for you to… get in deep, as you put it. Maybe some solid pussy would keep you from being a grumpy fuck all the time. Just make sure she doesn’t come with trouble we don’t need.”

“I’m the fucking VP, man. Not gonna let anybody hurt this club. And you can forget that dumb shit you’re babbling on about. I don’t need a bitch tying me down, when there’s plenty of variety at this clubhouse every night to choose from.”

Biff grinned. “Whatever you say, dude. You’re the one that pushed Nadia off you a minute ago and haven’t so much as
looked
at any ass tonight.”

“Quit stalking me and keep this conversation between us, dickhead,” Torch huffed. He really was a grumpy fuck. “And keep digging. See if there’s a warrant out in Pennsylvania from around the time she left matching her description. You have the date.”

“I’m on it. No worries, brother.”

Biff may not have been worried, but Torch sure as shit was as. He wanted to fix it—whatever
it
was—despite every cell in his brain screaming at him not to open a Pandora’s box.

Fuck it. He had to repay her for saving their asses. Maybe she’d be more receptive to his help this time around. He found himself walking toward his bike and hopping on.

“Torch!” Buddha called out from the doorway, his jeans still hanging open and exposing his gut. “Where the fuck you going?”

“Need to ride. I’ll see you in the morning,” he yelled back, over the grunting of his pipes.

Buddha scowled, but Torch didn’t give him a chance to say shit else. He roared out through the gate and headed for the highway.

: : : :

He almost missed her driveway, the damn thing was so secluded. If it hadn’t been for that purple mailbox Ty had told him about, he would’ve sped right by.

The prospect had also told him about her security setup, so he knew she’d see him coming. Screw it, it wasn’t like he was trying to surprise her. He wanted to get her story and get the fuck out of there, before she had a chance get his dick worked up.

Crazy bitch.

Crazy,
sexy
bitch.

Fuck! Why was he doing this?

Turn around, turn the fuck around
.

Who was he kidding? He didn’t just want to get her story and leave. He didn’t know what the fuck he
did
want, but it was too late now. His legs had their own ideas and were carrying him up the front stairs without his brain’s permission.

It felt like walking a goddamn plank, the only thing missing was an ominous soundtrack that foreshadowed him jumping to his death. He just didn’t know whether that meant drowning or being torn apart by a shark. Make no mistake, Liv represented one of the two—choppy waters or a hungry shark—he just didn’t know which.

On cue, her front door opened as he climbed the last step.

Christ, why did it always seem like there should be a chorus of angels singing whenever she appeared? Well, maybe not angels. Did Hell have a choir? He was pretty sure the only thing that could come of this reunion was a whole hell of a lot of sinning.

He was also pretty sure Lucifer himself had sewn the tight purple yoga pants she was wearing, along with the skimpy black tank top that hugged her tits and waist in all the right places. And what the fuck was this woman’s aversion to underwear? Once again, she was
not
wearing a bra.

“Hey,” she greeted him. “What are you doing here?”

“Just came to say thanks, darlin’,” he managed to get out. He was coming up short on words, distracted by those little nipples straining against her shirt, just begging to be sucked. Fuck, he wanted to rip it off and feast on them all night.

If she sensed his spiraling loss of self-control, she played it down. “I take it you guys took care of the problem since Ty isn’t here against his will anymore?” she asked.

“For now.” He was already lost in those big, beautiful eyes again. Those goddamn eyes that he’d never forgotten. He forced himself to look down and cleared his throat. “Listen, babe, can I come—”

The door creaked open a little further and out from behind her leg, a little girl with a pink hat covered in plastic flowers and fake feathers poked her head around curiously.

Liv smiled down at her. “Chloe, this is my friend, Torch.”

Did Ty forget to mention she had a kid? That would’ve been a big fucking omission on his part.

“Hi Mister Torch.”

“Well hello, sweetheart,” he replied, taken aback. She looked nothing like Liv. Then again, maybe Liv was a natural blonde. He wouldn’t know. “That’s a very pretty hat you got there, Chloe.”

“Thanks, we made them!” From behind her back, she pulled out a bigger version. It was just as ridiculous. “Auntie Livie, our tea’s getting cold,” she whined, holding out the hat to her.