My chest deflates and what feels like a twenty-pound weight is lifted from my shoulders. With a nod, I hand over his president patch. It’s so damn good to have my brother back where he belongs. He gladly takes the patch and pulls me in for a man hug. Lots of back slapping and muttered apologies are spoken before we both take our respective seats, the brothers all sitting back appearing much more relaxed, hopeful.
“Now, I met a guy on my ride...” he begins and most of us chuckle. Leave it to Viking to bring in more business while he’s in the middle of a damn emotional crisis. I nearly mention Cherry but decide to hold back. I’m just glad my brother’s where he belongs. That’s what I need to concentrate on right now.
“Have you heard the news?” Honey flicks her long, honey-blonde hair over her shoulder, greeting me as I step into our room.
“News?” I pretend like I don’t care, but if she’s bringing it up like this then it means I probably won’t be fond of whatever it is that she has to say.
“Yep,” she pops the p and I roll my eyes. “Blaze was telling me all about how the boys want to let some new hang arounds into the club. Guess their needs aren’t being met after all.”
“They’re not boys,” I mumble. “So, new club sluts?”
“Mm-hmm, you know those bitches are going to be all over Odin’s dick too. He’s young, fine, and the VP.”
Please don’t hold back on my account. Jesus. I’ve had more than enough of her snide comments. “Honey?” I call, my voice extra syrupy sweet than usual.
“Yeah?” She grins and it’s full of bitchiness, nothing kind whatsoever about it.
“Shut the hell up.” With a huff, I leave our room, slamming the door in my wake. I can’t be around her right now; I may end up pulling out some of her fake ass weave.
I get three steps before colliding with a hard chest. “Shit!”
“Cherry?” I look up, straight into none other than Torch’s ominous stare. The man is always so serious.
“Crap,” I breathe way too loudly, confident he heard it. “Torch! Oh hi, I didn’t mean, I, uh...sorry about that.”
He blinks, and a quick flash of his tongue swiping his bottom lip has my heart pitter-pattering for an entirely different reason. Torch is dangerous, but also a bit beautiful in his own cutthroat sort of way. “You good?” His gravelly voice rasps, bringing an onslaught of goosebumps to cover over my flesh.
I nod, not used to him doing anything past barely acknowledging that I exist. Even that is pushing it for this man. That’s fine though, I try to stay out of his way and not catch his gaze. “Thanks, I didn’t mean to plow into your chest.”
His mask slips for a moment, his lip tugging upwards a smidge. “Don’t sweat it. Someone fucking with you? You seem to be in a rush.”
Blowing out a breath, I shake my head. “No, just getting away from Honey.” I fling my hand toward the door I’d slammed moments before our collision.
“That, I can understand.”
A giggle leaves me, most likely from my overactive nerves. I’m stressed from what Honey shared with me and then mix that in with being this close to Torch, it has me all jumbled up in my head. “Right.”
“Was she being her usual bitchy self again?”
With a shrug, I take a step to the side to give him and me some breathing room. “She was just informing me that there will be some new club whores around the compound and basically saying I wasn’t good enough.” I don’t know what spurs me on to open up to him, but I’m a bit emotional thinking about the potential truth in her words. Maybe it was the weird run-in with Viking, when he told me that Odin has a soft spot for me. The conversation with the president gave me a bit of hope, I suppose.
“I’m going to let you in on a secret that all the brothers are aware of...”
“Okay,” I utter, gazing up at him expectantly.
“She’s jealous and especially of you.”
This time I burst out laughing, his brow rising in amusement. “No way…have you seen her? She couldn’t be the least bit jealous of me.”
He nods. “I have, and I’ve seen how my brother favors you. Tell me Cherry, have you looked in the mirror recently, or for that matter thought about how you treat all of us?”
I swallow a bit rough at what he’s implying.
“You havehiseye and she doesn’t. Seems like reason enough for Honey to show her ass to you and try to get under your skin. “
This man never says two words to me and now he’s offering me comfort. Did I get whiplash on my way out the door? “Thank you for saying that,” I manage to get out as Odin storms around the corner, halting when he sees us.
“Torch?”