With a sob, I turned and began pushing my way through the men who had gathered in the hall and doorway, obviously having been watching the fight. But as I passed Rook, he reached out, trying to stop me. With a shake of my head, I continued forward. I couldn't deal. I couldn't emotionally handle what I had just learned, and I needed time. Time alone. Satan…was Torin.~~The courtyard was lit up like Wrigley Field, but I kept to the shadows. Phantoms within the bright lighting. The same type of phantoms that wandered within my mind. A collection of shapes and ghost events. Torin was alive, yet he wasn't. Satan was Torin, and Torin was Satan. But they were definitely two different men. The Torin I had said goodbye to, the Torin I had grieved, was not the man I had come to know as Satan. And Satan was not the Torin I had known, the Torin whom I had loved. Yet there was so much of Torin in Satan, my heart had recognized him, had reached out to him, but my mind had told me Torin was dead.
An hour later, the skirmish was over—for now at least. We were exhausted, bloody and a few less men, but they were down a hell of a lot more than we were. After they surrendered, we'd allowed them to gather their fallen, then escorted them out of our territory with a warning to never fucking show their faces in our area again. Afterward, I returned to the clubhouse, and Burdock met me at the door, stating, "We're moving in fifteen. Grab your gear. I'll brief you on the way."I hadn't even had the chance to ask about Marlowe before he was walking away. I was shifting from being involved in a biker skirmish, to a black bag operation in a matter of minutes, my mind still on Marlowe. I grabbed a hasty shower to wash the blood off, then slid into my usual apparel of a black t-shirt and pants, that I reserved for assignments. After twisting my hair into a long tail, I pulled it up and placed it back into its customary man-bun. Once finished, I slid my equipment bag over my shoulder and s
**~MARLOWE~**As the first bullet had hit the building, it had startled the shit out of me. The second, third, fourth and fifth—I'd lost count after that—had me ducking and covering. It's not a common thing for a girl to hear bullets peppering the building she's in, and let me tell you, I can't think of a damn thing that can get your heart pumping any fiercer—no joke! With my heart pounding away like a drummer for a heavy metal rock band, I'd begun crawling toward the door. The wayward thought crossing my mind that by the time I got back to the bomb shelter, I might have to change my panties.I hadn't known what the hell was going on out there, and I hadn't known whether I was in a good place or bad. Either way, I hadn't liked it. When I'd finally reached the door, I'd inched it open and poked my head out. A bullet had whizzed past me, and I'd quickly ducked back inside. The thought, damn, damn, double damn, had echoed through my mind as the bullet had been way the shit too close.I
As Rook drove one of the pickups that had been stored in a building, we were both silent. My thoughts were all over the place. His… I had no idea. To be honest, I didn't know what my thoughts were either…what to think, how to feel. Torin was hurt, but…. Then all pretense drained out of me—this was Torin, no matter what he was calling himself. And despite my earlier thoughts, Satan and Torin were one in the same. It was then the tears came. Yes, Torin had hurt me, lied to me, and deceived me. But right now, none of that mattered, he was hurt, maybe worse. I didn't know, and that was the bitch of the thing. But whatever his condition, it wasn't good. If Burdock felt it was bad, then it was bad. He was not the type to inflate a situation.Mind wandering, I turned my head, looking out the side window. A bobbing headlight behind us caught my attention, and as I watched, another appeared, then another, and another, until there were at least a dozen motorcycles behind us. As they quickly
**~MARLOWE~**This was unbearable! Torin had been in surgery for hours and I just kept thinking, hold on, don't let go. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. God and I had never been on close terms. I had long ago decided he didn't exist, but right now, if he truly was there, Torin needed him. So, putting aside all my disbelief in God's existence, I became a hypocrite and prayed, placing all the cards in His hands. I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know how many times a person could ask the same favor repeatedly. But until I knew Torin was okay, the supposed man upstairs was going to be bombarded with my pleas. My butt had long ago fallen asleep, and standing, I signaled Rook to stay seated when he made to climb to his feet as well. "Stay where you are, I just need to move around a little," I told him. With a quick nod, Rook settled back into his seat, and raising his coffee cup, he sipped at the now luke-warm contents, his eyes following me as I made my way over to a window, peering
I felt like I had spun a bottle all my life and its neck had always come to a stop, pointing in the wrong direction. I guess I had unknowingly spun the bottle again, and once more, I'd been pointed in the wrong direction. I wanted to mean something to Torin, not just a passing steamy as fuck night four years ago that I had been unable to forget. I knew he'd cared, and I felt he still did, but he was pushing me away, and I didn't know why. He had been the one; the one I would have spent the rest of my life with—made babies with, but that dream had died the same day as I'd been told he had. I had tried to move on with other men, to forget, but I just hadn't been able to—none had ever measured up, none had lit the spark Torin had. That night in the pickup with Rook on the way to the hospital, I had forgiven Torin of the hurt he induced within me by hiding the fact he was alive. I had spent the last month in his presence. Yet he had never once let on who he truly was, and I didn't unde
Silently, I gave a nod and he slid from the bed, making his way across the room toward his dresser. My eyes followed him, appreciative of his tight ass, the sculpted curve of his back and shoulders. He was absolutely gorgeous. As he turned to face me, there was no denying his arousal, nor the fact he was well endowed, for his cock thrust outward, long, thick and hard. Though I was already wet, I grew more aroused at the sight. Shifting my hips, I drew my knees up, squeezing my thighs together; trying to relieve some of the ache between them.God, I was more turned on than I'd ever been in my entire life. Unable to draw my eyes away from Torin as he climbed back on the bed, I gazed into his eyes, as holding up a necktie, he stated, "I'm going to tie your hands to the headboard, princess. You okay with that?"Holy Mary, Mother of God! He was going to do WHAT?! My breathing began pulling through my mouth like I'd been running a marathon. HOLY—FUCK! I'd had fantasies about him doing t
The realization slammed into me that I needed a friend, someone to talk to, to help distract my mind—my heart.Thirty minutes later, I'd changed clothes, washed my face, and cleaned my teeth. As well, I pulled a brush through my hair. As I did so, I avoided looking into my eyes, for I hadn't wanted to see the pain etched within their depths.~~Over the next hour, as I worked in the bar with Ginger, we girl-talked and knocked back the occasional shot of whiskey. Senseless, non-specific conversation flowed between us, something I was in need of. After a while, she finally broached the subject of me and Torin. "So, I saw you going after Tonya last night, then follow Satan out. How'd that come out?"I gave a shrug, muttering, "We had sex."Shock held Ginger hostage for a second before she gasped, "Come again?"I gave a shrug. "I mistakenly thought he was making love to me through the night. However, this morning he made it clear he'd been doing nothing but fucking.""Wait, hold up. This
Over the next few days, we were like two animals trapped in a cage, fighting our instincts and our fears. We talked little, our communication mostly in the form of touch, of love-making that was both fierce and desperate.But as the weeks went by, our anxiety lessened, becoming more a shadow in the background of our lives, than the monster it had been.Though bound to the house, under the circumstances of the cartel actively seeking us, I tried to make the best of it. Torin getting nerves had become commonplace, but under it all, I knew the cause and tried to maintain.However, though the fear receded greatly, for me, it had never completely left. I couldn't speak for Torin, as he had always kept everything close to his sleeve, and in our time together in the safe house, that hadn't changed.After awakening one morning and nursing a cup of coffee, my phone rang, and picking it up I saw it was Casey."It's over," she told me. "You can return to your old lives."I sat for a moment stunn
~MARLOWE~I wasn’t sure how the hell it had come to this. Witness Protection! Oh my God! Never in my life had I thought I’d ever be in this position. But dammit, that's exactly where I had found myself! I’d done everything I could to adjust. It just hadn't happened. The first few days had been awful. I'd ran to the window every time I'd heard a vehicle, a motorcycle, even freaking voices!They’d told me that I had to cut all ties, leave everything behind, even my name. I'd assumed the name Rachel Peters, a young widow who had moved to a small town to start over. I'd felt like I was in a fictional crime novel, except it was real---all too real.Now though, just as I was beginning to get comfortable being Rachel Peters, Casey shows up in my living room, her voice grim, she immediately starts tossing out orders. "We have a problem and we're going to need to move you."Panic set in. Well fuck me! I couldn't help thinking."What's happened?" I asked, immediately setting about gathering my
As the days went by, the boredom of the safe house began to drive me crazy. I had nothing to do. Thankfully, Casey kept me up on the progress they were making with the data on the USB.I was happy for the information she gave, but it wasn't enough. I needed to hear about Marlowe. However, no matter how many times I asked, the only thing I was told was that she was being protected. What the fuck did that even mean? Was she in witness protection, or not?A few more days had passed when, finally, Casey entered through the front door, her face unreadable. "The DA's ready to see you," she stated. "He's going to offer you immunity if you give him your full cooperation.""When do we leave?" I asked, more than ready to get this entire fiasco behind me."Now," she stated, "But one wrong move and the deal is off the table," she told me."Don't worry" I told her, bracing myself for whatever was coming.Minutes later, as we drove to the DA's office, I played over every situation that could possibl
I’d dealt with Casey quite a few times over the years and she always had a way of making me feel like I was the most dangerous man in the room, even when she had a whole squadron of cops at her back. When she finally pushed through the locked door leading from the offices and into the lobby, her eyes scanned me like a hawk eyeing its prey."What do you want?" she asked, not bothering to hide her disapproval."I got some information you'll be interested in," I told her, holding up the USB for her to see.Her gaze flickered to the thumb drive, then back to me. "What kind of information?" she asked, her voice suspicious.I hid a grin, knowing she didn't trust me. "The kind that will take down the whole Cartel operation," I replied, holding the thumb drive out to her. "Everything my uncle had on all his enemies, his partners, his dirty dealings."Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't reach for it. "What's the catch?""There isn't one," I replied. "Just take them down."Casey's eyes searched m
~TORIN~I watched the chaos unfold from a distance, my bike idling between my legs. The flames coming from the warehouse lit up the night-sky, but I felt no remorse for the body inside being consumed by the fire. It was done, and the mother fucker had deserved his death.As I easily dismissed my uncle's life, my thoughts turned to Marlowe. I had played a dangerous game, yes. But the outcome had ensured her safety—even if it had meant losing her. I was ready to rest, but before I could, I knew I had one more matter to take care of…Lucien.The fire grew, a beacon of destruction and I knew it was only a matter of time before the police and fire department arrived; we had to move.Placing the toe of my boot on the shifter, I placed my bike in gear and Burdock and I began moving forward. In the distance I could already hear the wail of sirens approaching and I felt a smug satisfaction knowing the evidence of my uncle's crimes would soon be nothing but ash.We turned a corner, and the adren
Carlos laughed, a harsh, brittle sound that echoed through the empty space. "You think Hell would want either of us? There is a far darker place for people like you and me.""That may be so, Uncle," I stated sarcastically, "But I know what's on this," I told him, gesturing toward the thumb drive, "and I know how badly you want it. So, let's make a deal."The silence between us was deafening as we stared at one another. Then, with a nod, Carlos gestured to the table in the center of the room. "Let's see what you got."When we approached the table, I pulled the USB out, placing it on the table's surface. "This is everything you need to take down your enemies," I told him. "Now tell me you’ll back your goons off Marlowe."Carlos’s smile grew wider. "Ah, the lovely Marlowe. My son says she’s quite fetching," he said, his eyes glinting.My fingers curled inwardly, the urge to pull my gun strong, but I held back, I wanted the mother-fucker dead. But I needed to know Marlowe would be safe b
~TORIN~I watched Marlowe disappear through the door, the slam of it echoing behind her. I'd done what I had to do to keep her safe. But at what cost?I took a deep breath. She'd never forgive me for using her as I had, but I’d done what I had to. Better my uncle believe she was in possession of something he wanted, than the alternative.Walking over to the table, I picked up the USB—the small drive contained secrets that could bring down the entire Dinelli empire—secrets that had cost my parents their lives. I clenched my fist around it, feeling the plastic bite into my skin—a reminder of what I'd given up in the name of vengeance—my heart, my soul, maybe even my humanity.Restless, I paced the floor. Marlowe was hurt and angry, but it was a small price to pay for her life. The USB was my only leverage against my uncle now that he had placed a target on Marlowe's head. For a year, I had hidden, faked my death, and gathered information on my uncle and the Cartel.Mind racing, I contin
Without another word, I turned and walked away. Before I made it to the door, Torin grabbed my arm. “Dammit, Marlowe—” he began but I cut him off.“Don’t you fucking dare try to find some excuse to make what you've done sound better!” I shouted.“I’m not,” Torin breathed quietly.We stared at each other, the space between us a battlefield of unspoken words, unspoken feelings. His grip tightened, not painfully, but enough to assert his presence. Without looking at him, I wrenched my arm away and finished making my way to the door.As I reached for the doorknob, my hand trembled slightly. The smell of his aftershave, faint and intoxicating, circled around me, and for a moment, I was lost in the memory of our past—his touch, his kiss, the way he'd made me feel. But that was before. Before the lies. The betrayal.I jerked it open and stepped into the night. The door swung shut behind me, a final act of defiance and I strode toward LadyBug, my eyes stinging with unshed tears, leaving me fe
Half an hour later, I made my way through the shadows, my senses on high alert for any sign of danger. I’d been unable to get a hold of Rook, and unable to let things rest until I did, I’d parked LadyBug a little way up the road from the Dinelli estate, and set out on foot. Now, as I reached the edge of the property, I heard a sound of twigs breaking underfoot, and before I could react, I had the barrel of a pistol pressed against the side of my head."You've got some nerve," a man's voice sneered right next to me ear. "You do realize this is private property, right?"I swallowed hard, my hand inching closer to the knife I’d placed in my waistband and fingers wrapping around the handle. “Private property? No, can’t say I did,” I lied, securing the knife in my grip.The man took a step closer, his bulk brushing against my back, but keeping the gun firmly in place. “Boss don’t take kindly to strangers crawling around the grounds,” he sneered. Afterward, he chuckled, a sound that sent ch