Grasping For Freedom (16 page)

"Jesus," he half hissed, thrusting his pelvis off the bed.

The smooth hardness of his cock heated her tongue. She moaned, sucking and caressing him with each lick. Her sex throbbed in pleasure, enjoying having the control of taking care of her man.

She bobbed her head, which made her nipples brush against his thighs. She whimpered as the need to have him touching her became too much. Suddenly, he sat up and rolled her over onto her back.

"Want more of you, sunshine." He stretched across the bed, grabbed a condom from the nightstand, and handed it to her.

She tore the wrapper with shaky hands, because his mouth was on her breast. She arched up into his mouth. "Okay..."

He moved up her body until he kneeled on the bed in front of her. She lifted her upper half, and rolled the condom onto him. She sprawled her hands on his ribs as he came down, and spread her thighs. As his mouth connected with hers, his cock slid into her wetness. He absorbed her moan, and she clung to him, taking his thrusts. Needing to move, she pushed and went with him as he rolled onto his back again and she straddled his cock, fully taking his length.

Skin to skin, she rode him. His eyes told her how much he enjoyed what she was doing. Rocking back and force, she rubbed against him. His hands captured her hips, helping her keep up the rhythm. She let her head fall back on her shoulder and closed her eyes. Only his harsh breath, the slapping of their bodies, and the sweet suction of her body holding onto him filled her senses.

"So fucking beautiful," he said, lifting her up and giving her height to plunge back down on him.

His cock touched something deep within her, firing her body, taking her breath. She begged and moaned. The act almost too close, too deliberate, too wonderful.

Then he lifted her again and put her back down hard, over and over. She leaned forward, and planted her hands on his chest, taking over the movement of her body with her legs. In, out, in, out, stroking him until her toes curled and her body screamed for release.

His grunts turned to a groan. The vibrations rocked through her. Her orgasm reached out and grasped onto her, stimulating her into one giant blast of pleasure. At the same time, he held her down, grinding himself between her legs, shuddering through his climax.

Delirious, still sensitive to the throbbing of his cock inside her, she lay down on his chest. Sated and relaxed, her limbs hung loosely around him, her sex pulsating in aftershocks every time his cock sighed in pleasure.

He wrapped one arm across her back possessively, holding her securely to him. She glowed in the aftermath.

Several minutes later, he whispered, "Sleep, sunshine. I'll protect you."

That's exactly what she did.

Sometime later, she woke up under the covers, alone in the bed. She sat up with a jolt. A light came from the main room of the cabin. She stood, wrapping the blanket around her, and walked out of the bedroom.

Torque sat on the couch, fully dressed down to his black boots, with the door wide open, staring out into the night. She never hesitated, but walked right to him and sat on his lap, covering them both with her blanket. Snuggled against his chest, she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Tell me why you never sleep all night in the bed and you like the door open," she said.

His arms went around her, shifting her body closer, holding her tight. After a while, she thought he wasn't going to answer when he finally began. "I had several different prison cells over the seven years I was locked up, and none of them had a window. All I wanted was to look outside and feel the breeze on my skin, to look farther away than ten feet. Every night—fuck, I hated the nights, I'd dream the walls were closing in on me."

She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to interrupt. He never talked about his time in prison, and she was afraid to ask and bring up the past he wanted so hard to forget.

"My one highlight of the day was the hour long period the guards would usher a group of us outside within the secured area." His chest rose and fell. "I loved the summer time and to feel the heat from the sunshine on my skin. That hour outside was the highlight of my day. For an hour, I felt alive, normal."

Sunshine.
She turned her head and kissed his neck. "That's what you call me."

She felt him nod, and he said, "Best feeling in the world being with you, all day and night now."

Oh, wow. She snuggled closer. Her heart overflowed with wonderful. Others might call her crazy for finding love in the middle of her life falling apart, but she had no other word to describe how Torque made her feel. If what they had wasn't love, she didn't know what love was.

T
hree fleet haulers filled with cars ready to deliver to Lagsturns MC in California sat idling in the parking lot of Cactus Cove ready to go. Brandy stood on the sidewalk away from the motorcycles lined up and hugged her middle. Life had changed fast, but nothing could prepare her for the danger Torque and the other members of Bantorus MC were willing to take.

Her level of worry ranked as high as her worry over her dad. She loved her dad, but his choices had always been his own. Torque's choices came because of the kind of man he was, and she carried the blame. She'd never be able to live with herself if something happened to him, because of her.

She'd experienced the bad, the good, and the unobtainable with him. There were things about herself she had never known, and he taught her new things every day. Like, she craved his attention, not because his touch, his words, his time was hers. It was because she was better for having him in her life. She was happy with him. Somehow, they'd taken the impossible, and found a way that complimented both of them.

Now Torque was putting his life on the line to get her dad to safety and keep her out of the hands of Los Li.

"It'll be okay, honey," Taylor said, wrapping her arm around Brandy. "They've all been riding together for years, especially the first riders. They know what each other are going to do before it's done."

She nodded. "I wish I could help. This is my fault, and I should be with them at least."

Taylor squeezed her. "Welcome to lockdown. The best thing we can do is stay inside, so the men don't worry."

"I know, but if it came down to keeping Torque's life out of danger, I would agree to go back with Los Li to stop all of this. Maybe I should try to—"

Hands grabbed her arms and whirled her around. She shrieked, heart racing. Torque's face filled her vision, and she sagged in his arms.

"I swear, if you fucking step outside the bar while I'm gone, I'll beat your ass when I get back," Torque said, his face a rage of anger.

"Babe—"

"Don't babe me this time, Brandy," he said, shaking her shoulders.

The use of her name hurt. Used to having him call her sunshine, she wanted to take her statement back and erase what she'd said, but she couldn't. Today's run was too important, and he had to know there was still a choice on what they could do.

"I'm scared for you," she said.

His chin lowered and he inhaled deeply, gazing at her. "I know you are, but I've promised you I'm going to get your dad back for you if I can draw Los Li out."

"I know." She fisted his vest. "I'm scared of losing you. I should be the one getting my dad, not you."

He brought her to him, kissing her forehead. "Attitude and bitching with no commonsense. You fit in with all the other Bantorus old ladies."

"You're insulting me," she muttered.

He chuckled and looked down into her face. "Facts, sunshine."

Rain walked behind Torque and slapped him on the back. "Line up."

Torque kissed her, deep, possessive, and full of adrenaline. She moaned against his lips, overwhelmed. This was not the way she wanted to save her dad. Torque had no idea what he was riding into or how to deal with her father if he managed to find him.

He pulled back. "Stay inside. Bruce and Jedman will make sure you follow orders. Nobody will touch you."

"Okay." She nodded. "If you find—"

"I will find your dad," he stated.

"When you do, don't hurt him, okay? He's going to go crazy, and he could hurt you. Keep telling him Brandy loves him. Sometimes...sometimes that helps." She pressed her hand to her neck. "Call when you know anything, or even if you don't."

He moved backward away from her. "Go inside, sunshine."

Confidence rolled off him. She stood watching him walk away in his black leather riding chaps, full leather jacket—which were sleeves zipped into his vest, and his flame tattoos creeping up his neck. He pointed to the door. "Go now."

She turned and joined Taylor, Bruce, and Jedman as they surrounded her and led her inside.

Shut inside the bar under lock and watch, she sat at the nearest table and sank her head into her hands. Her stomach flipflopped and she continually swallowed the anxious feelings. Doubts crept into her head.

She should be concentrating on sending all the positive energy she could to Torque, to her dad, and yet inside, she had a hard time not mourning the loss of the two most important men in her life. She rubbed her hands over her face. She couldn't act like this. Torque would hate it if she gave up now, and she was not a quitter.

The riders left behind mingled at the counter of the bar in quiet tones, probably to keep their business from infecting the families present. Old ladies sat at the tables, holding babies, watching their older children play in the corner, and the teens played pool. The normal atmosphere she usually experienced on Friday and Saturday nights at the bar were absent. The solemn mood came out of respect for the first riders who were out on the run.

Across the room, Tori waved and walked toward Brandy. She mustered a brave front and put on a smile. Ever since Torque claimed her, the other women had gone out of their way to welcome her to the family. She still wasn't used to having others around to lean on, but she tried, for Torque's sake.

"Want some company?" Tori stood at her table.

Brandy scooted out the chair beside her. "Sure."

"I figured you were about ready to make a run to the back door, so I thought I'd try and talk you out of it. First lockdown is always hard, but it does get easier." Tori gazed over in the corner where her daughter was playing with some of the older children. "I think each of the old ladies has tried to break her way out of a lockdown at one time or another."

"Did any of them succeed?" she asked, wondering if she stood a shot at making it outside.

"Torque got shot in the last lockdown we had when Taylor went outside," Tori said, not pulling any punches.

The truth hit Brandy low in the stomach. She swallowed hard over the nausea that followed. Everyone praised Tori for her sweetness but right now, Brandy hated her for her cruel and unnecessary information.

"Twice," Tori added.

Brandy sat forward, curling in on herself. "Okay, I get your point. My ass isn't moving from this chair, now will you shut up, before I either punch you in the face or puke on your shiny little boots."

Tori smiled and patted her arm. "You'll do okay. Torque needs someone strong. You've got guts, girl."

"Yeah, well..." Brandy pressed her hand to her stomach. "I don't know whether to hate you or like you for how you stick up for Torque, so lay off what is happening outside the bar and distract me."

Tori laughed and quickly sobered. "What do you want to know?"

Where did she start? There were many things she was curious about and because her focus was on her troubles with Los Li and her dad, she hadn't asked.

She blurted, "Did Torque have something going on with Taylor before she got together with Slade?"

Tori's eyes widened. "No. Taylor and Slade were together when I parked my coffee shack in Pitnam. Nobody knew they were together, but they were."

"A secret relationship...wow." She searched for Taylor and found her by the pool table with a boy who resembled Slade in his proud posture and deadpan facial features. The lanky, cute, dark haired boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, was taller than Taylor and much too serious, but one of those boys all teenage girls thought were bad news and crushed on hard. "Is that their son?"

Tori looked behind her. "That's Kyle. He's Slade's oldest son from his first wife. That boy's a serious heartbreaker. He has his mind set on running Bantorus when he's older and I doubt if he'll let anyone stop him. Rain already has him prospecting, even though he's way too young. Slade also has a younger son, Lee. He's the one making sure Lilly doesn't put any of the Legos in her mouth over at the kids' table. You'll hear a lot from him in the future, he never stops talking. Great kids, both of them, and even greater now that Taylor has showered them with the love they deserved."

New respect for Taylor formed within Brandy. She studied the way Taylor smoothed Kurt's hair out of his eyes and the way the boy indulged her while still keeping his coolness factor. It took a strong woman to raise another woman's kids.

Gladys weaved her curvy body past the tables and leaned down to hug Brandy. She smiled at the woman who she had replaced at Cactus Cove. "How are you enjoying retirement?"

"It sucks. I've got too much time on my hands, and not enough people around to boss," Gladys said, slapping Orca who walked past with a lit cigarette. "Take the smoke to the back room, fat ass. We have kids in the building."

Orca snubbed the cigarette out between his fingers, pocketed the filter, and kissed Gladys's cheek. "Hey, sweet momma. I've missed your bitching."

"You have not." Gladys shook her head, but wore a grin, obviously loving being back with her boys.

The others wandered off. Brandy stared across the room, no longer seeing the people. The chatter, the clink of forks on plates, the squeal of children transported her to what was happening outside. With Pitnam bordering Oregon, the bikers were probably halfway to Portland. It'd take Bantorus MC two days to arrive in California and meet with the Lagsturns MC.

Then what?

What did it mean to draw Los Li out in the open?