sure he’ll give me some extra time considering the circumstances.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he will. For an extra twenty-five percent.”
“I hate to bring this up,” Mace piped up, “but what about Scully’s offer?”
Hell no, Torch was putting his fucking foot down on that option. “We’re not running guns for Scully. End of.”
Mace squared off. “We should at least bring it to the table. You can’t just make that call, you two are the only voting members here.”
Mace was their enforcer and sat at the table, but as such—according to the club’s original bylaws—he only answered to Buddha and didn’t get a vote.
They both looked back over at Buddha.
“I’ve done more than enough damage, I’m stepping out of this,” he declared. “Bring it to the table, I’ll give Torch my proxy on that decision.”
It was a decent compromise. Pigs would fucking fly before Torch agreed to working with Scully and he could easily convince Zed to side with him, bringing it to three votes. That left Gauge, Grimm, and Squid and an even split meant they talked it over one more time. If it didn’t get four votes the second time around to make it a majority, whatever they were voting on didn’t pass. Either four of the six agreed to a move or it didn’t happen.
“Fine,” Torch agreed. “We bring it to the table tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, Buddha, you get with Cora tonight and see much time you can buy. Mace, call Gauge and see where he’s at, I think there’s a spare tire in the truck. If not, tell him to pick me up one.”
Mace nodded and pulled out his phone.
Buddha squeezed his arm. “Son—”
“No more talking, we’ll figure this shit out. Right now I need a smoke and some quiet.” With that, he walked off to go sit in the grass and try to figure out how the hell they’d come up with Cora’s money without asking his wife for a loan.
: 9 :
| LIVIA |
The kitchen quickly filling with smoke, I pulled my charred attempt at a home-cooked dinner out of the oven and flew across the room to open the patio door before the fire alarm started blaring.
I wasn’t quick enough; the fucking thing went off, sending obnoxiously loud and piercing wails echoing throughout the whole house. I climbed up on the counter to turn it off before my ears started bleeding, and sighed in sweet relief when it went silent. That was, until something brushed up against my leg. My nerves shot, I yelped and jerked back, sending myself flying off the edge.
“Whoa, baby,” Torch crooned, his strong arms catching me before I cracked my head open on the tile floor. He set me down on my feet but held on. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, my heart racing from a near-miss. “Why the hell are you sneaking up on me?”
“I called out. You didn’t hear me?”
I took a deep breath and shook it off. “No, I didn’t. Where did you get that alarm, a specialty store for the hard of hearing? Jesus, you can feel it in your sinuses.”
He leaned down and kissed me. “The real mystery is how you made it go off. I didn’t even think the thing worked.”
“Well, good thing I tested it then. The batteries are good, by the way, we can rest easy.”
“Good to know,” he said with a smile. He pointed to the stove. “Should I ask what that was supposed to be?”
“Well, it was supposed to be baked chicken, but I think the poor bird died in vain. Sorry, babe, at least you never have to worry about getting salmonella if I’m cooking. How do you feel about Chinese?”
“I’m not really hungry, sweetheart, but order something for yourself. And don’t worry, I didn’t marry you for your skills in the kitchen.”
“But my skills in the bedroom are top-notch, right?” I tried to snuggle up to him but was met with a stiff body. And I didn’t mean the appendage in his jeans. I took a step back and eyed him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just been a long day,” he replied. “I’m gonna go take a shower and do some
“Yeah, I’m sure he will. For an extra twenty-five percent.”
“I hate to bring this up,” Mace piped up, “but what about Scully’s offer?”
Hell no, Torch was putting his fucking foot down on that option. “We’re not running guns for Scully. End of.”
Mace squared off. “We should at least bring it to the table. You can’t just make that call, you two are the only voting members here.”
Mace was their enforcer and sat at the table, but as such—according to the club’s original bylaws—he only answered to Buddha and didn’t get a vote.
They both looked back over at Buddha.
“I’ve done more than enough damage, I’m stepping out of this,” he declared. “Bring it to the table, I’ll give Torch my proxy on that decision.”
It was a decent compromise. Pigs would fucking fly before Torch agreed to working with Scully and he could easily convince Zed to side with him, bringing it to three votes. That left Gauge, Grimm, and Squid and an even split meant they talked it over one more time. If it didn’t get four votes the second time around to make it a majority, whatever they were voting on didn’t pass. Either four of the six agreed to a move or it didn’t happen.
“Fine,” Torch agreed. “We bring it to the table tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, Buddha, you get with Cora tonight and see much time you can buy. Mace, call Gauge and see where he’s at, I think there’s a spare tire in the truck. If not, tell him to pick me up one.”
Mace nodded and pulled out his phone.
Buddha squeezed his arm. “Son—”
“No more talking, we’ll figure this shit out. Right now I need a smoke and some quiet.” With that, he walked off to go sit in the grass and try to figure out how the hell they’d come up with Cora’s money without asking his wife for a loan.
: 9 :
| LIVIA |
The kitchen quickly filling with smoke, I pulled my charred attempt at a home-cooked dinner out of the oven and flew across the room to open the patio door before the fire alarm started blaring.
I wasn’t quick enough; the fucking thing went off, sending obnoxiously loud and piercing wails echoing throughout the whole house. I climbed up on the counter to turn it off before my ears started bleeding, and sighed in sweet relief when it went silent. That was, until something brushed up against my leg. My nerves shot, I yelped and jerked back, sending myself flying off the edge.
“Whoa, baby,” Torch crooned, his strong arms catching me before I cracked my head open on the tile floor. He set me down on my feet but held on. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, my heart racing from a near-miss. “Why the hell are you sneaking up on me?”
“I called out. You didn’t hear me?”
I took a deep breath and shook it off. “No, I didn’t. Where did you get that alarm, a specialty store for the hard of hearing? Jesus, you can feel it in your sinuses.”
He leaned down and kissed me. “The real mystery is how you made it go off. I didn’t even think the thing worked.”
“Well, good thing I tested it then. The batteries are good, by the way, we can rest easy.”
“Good to know,” he said with a smile. He pointed to the stove. “Should I ask what that was supposed to be?”
“Well, it was supposed to be baked chicken, but I think the poor bird died in vain. Sorry, babe, at least you never have to worry about getting salmonella if I’m cooking. How do you feel about Chinese?”
“I’m not really hungry, sweetheart, but order something for yourself. And don’t worry, I didn’t marry you for your skills in the kitchen.”
“But my skills in the bedroom are top-notch, right?” I tried to snuggle up to him but was met with a stiff body. And I didn’t mean the appendage in his jeans. I took a step back and eyed him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just been a long day,” he replied. “I’m gonna go take a shower and do some
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