open the Coffee Shack,” she said.
“Tough.” His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “Tori … when someone’s scared and loses themselves inside their head, something major’s going on. I’m guessing something’s been going on for a long time for you to close yourself off. It took me forcing whiskey down you to thaw you out. I’ll tell you now, I don’t like having to do that. We need to fix what’s going through your head so it doesn’t happen again.”
“What?” She shook her head. “I’d never drink whiskey. There were lemons … ”
The night’s happenings tickled her memory. Her chest tightened, and she pulled in air through her nose, worried that if she opened her mouth, she’d be sick. What had she done?
“What did you see last night?” He kept stroking, caressing her hand.
She dropped her gaze. “Nothing.”
“You saw everyone outside … ”
“No.” She glanced away.
“Taylor sent you inside the bar.”
She pulled her arm, and he finally let her retreat. Thinking he was done interrogating her, she stood.
“Did the Lagsturns scare you?” He followed her away from the table into the sitting area of the one-room cabin. “Did one of the men hurt you?”
She searched the floor for her sandals. “I need to go.”
Finding her shoes under the hide-a-bed, she slipped them on and hurried to the door. She turned the handle and paused. “Thank you for helping me last night,” she whispered.
“Tori?”
She refused to turn around and witness the pity she heard in his voice. Instead, she waited, giving him her attention. “Yeah?”
“I’ll be over in an hour to walk you to the Coffee Shack. I’ll walk you back when you close,” he said.
She nodded, because it was easier than arguing. Then she slipped out the door.
It took all her reserve not to run to her cabin. Sheer panic, the kind that made her muscles freeze in place and her heart race until she thought she’d explode, filled her whole body. She had to leave. Today.
Pitnam was no longer safe, and even though she’d wanted to stay the three months she’d agreed to in the contract, she couldn’t. Not even her new friendship with Rain could convince her to remain in a place where people shot at each other, and she woke up in someone else’s bed.
Chapter Nine
The fifteen top participating members of the Bantorus club gathered inside Cactus Cove. Rain finished assigning everyone to different areas around town. Two riders to patrol a square mile upped the coverage from the norm. Typically, one rider kept an eye on the north side of Pitnam and another biker watched the south.
With Lagsturns in their territory, he wouldn’t take another chance of letting them rally. Especially not in his own damned parking lot.
“Torque, you’re on watch outside. I want Tori covered twenty-four/seven.” He motioned to Ronny and Slade. “All three of you. Round the clock, alternating hours, figure out who does when, and let me know. I don’t want anyone falling down on the job, got it?”
Everyone nodded. He turned as the front door opened. Surprised to see Tori step inside, he momentarily lost what he was saying. Ignoring the others, he stayed behind the counter, keeping his eye on Tori. She hurried toward Gladys. Damn.
He continued to watch her as he closed the meeting. He lowered his voice. “I’ll take over after the bar closes until six.”
“Got it, boss.” Torque moved away and punched Ronny on the shoulder. “Going out now, and plan on enjoying the sunshine. Nice day for a ride.”
Damn it, he’d forgotten to talk with Gladys about her okaying Tori’s stay in the cabin. Gladys knew he was the only one who assigned members a cabin. They weren’t damn rentals for every single woman who was traveling through town. He’d have to deal with that after he removed Tori from the bar again.
He could’ve sworn he’d gotten it through her stubborn skull that she was not to step out of her cabin without him. He picked the
“Tough.” His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “Tori … when someone’s scared and loses themselves inside their head, something major’s going on. I’m guessing something’s been going on for a long time for you to close yourself off. It took me forcing whiskey down you to thaw you out. I’ll tell you now, I don’t like having to do that. We need to fix what’s going through your head so it doesn’t happen again.”
“What?” She shook her head. “I’d never drink whiskey. There were lemons … ”
The night’s happenings tickled her memory. Her chest tightened, and she pulled in air through her nose, worried that if she opened her mouth, she’d be sick. What had she done?
“What did you see last night?” He kept stroking, caressing her hand.
She dropped her gaze. “Nothing.”
“You saw everyone outside … ”
“No.” She glanced away.
“Taylor sent you inside the bar.”
She pulled her arm, and he finally let her retreat. Thinking he was done interrogating her, she stood.
“Did the Lagsturns scare you?” He followed her away from the table into the sitting area of the one-room cabin. “Did one of the men hurt you?”
She searched the floor for her sandals. “I need to go.”
Finding her shoes under the hide-a-bed, she slipped them on and hurried to the door. She turned the handle and paused. “Thank you for helping me last night,” she whispered.
“Tori?”
She refused to turn around and witness the pity she heard in his voice. Instead, she waited, giving him her attention. “Yeah?”
“I’ll be over in an hour to walk you to the Coffee Shack. I’ll walk you back when you close,” he said.
She nodded, because it was easier than arguing. Then she slipped out the door.
It took all her reserve not to run to her cabin. Sheer panic, the kind that made her muscles freeze in place and her heart race until she thought she’d explode, filled her whole body. She had to leave. Today.
Pitnam was no longer safe, and even though she’d wanted to stay the three months she’d agreed to in the contract, she couldn’t. Not even her new friendship with Rain could convince her to remain in a place where people shot at each other, and she woke up in someone else’s bed.
Chapter Nine
The fifteen top participating members of the Bantorus club gathered inside Cactus Cove. Rain finished assigning everyone to different areas around town. Two riders to patrol a square mile upped the coverage from the norm. Typically, one rider kept an eye on the north side of Pitnam and another biker watched the south.
With Lagsturns in their territory, he wouldn’t take another chance of letting them rally. Especially not in his own damned parking lot.
“Torque, you’re on watch outside. I want Tori covered twenty-four/seven.” He motioned to Ronny and Slade. “All three of you. Round the clock, alternating hours, figure out who does when, and let me know. I don’t want anyone falling down on the job, got it?”
Everyone nodded. He turned as the front door opened. Surprised to see Tori step inside, he momentarily lost what he was saying. Ignoring the others, he stayed behind the counter, keeping his eye on Tori. She hurried toward Gladys. Damn.
He continued to watch her as he closed the meeting. He lowered his voice. “I’ll take over after the bar closes until six.”
“Got it, boss.” Torque moved away and punched Ronny on the shoulder. “Going out now, and plan on enjoying the sunshine. Nice day for a ride.”
Damn it, he’d forgotten to talk with Gladys about her okaying Tori’s stay in the cabin. Gladys knew he was the only one who assigned members a cabin. They weren’t damn rentals for every single woman who was traveling through town. He’d have to deal with that after he removed Tori from the bar again.
He could’ve sworn he’d gotten it through her stubborn skull that she was not to step out of her cabin without him. He picked the
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