Torque by Gillian Archer (10 ebook reader txt) 📕

driver’s seat. I shut the door behind myself, gripped the steering wheel, and closed my eyes. Was this really my life? Did I really just make a date with Nathan for tomorrow? I leaned back and squealed. I wanted to call all my friends and crow that my lifelong crush had just asked me out on a date.

But I couldn’t.

The only friends who understood were Nathan’s family. And I didn’t want to make it awkward for them—or hear their lectures on dating the baddest of the Burns brothers.

Aside from that, my life was kinda perfect at the moment.

Right up until the moment someone knocked on the passenger window.

I jerked and opened my eyes to find Nathan crouching next to my car. Nathan, who had just asked me out. And the same Nathan who just heard me squeal like a teenage fangirl.

My face burning, I shoved my keys into the ignition and turned the engine over so I could roll the window down.

“Um, yes?”

“Everything okay?” Nathan asked, bent over with his hands on the roof of my car. His face too close to mine.

“Everything’s good.”

Nathan nodded slowly, a slight smile curving his kissable lips. His eyes twinkled. “This is the part where you drive home.”

“Home,” I whispered back. “Right.”

“Drive safe, Maddie. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He tapped the roof of my car then took a few steps back.

Embarrassed as all heck, I was still grinning like a fool as I pulled away.

This was my favorite dream ever. I hoped I never woke up.

And conversely, I couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring, because I was going on a date with Nathan Burns.

Chapter Eight

Nathan

I woke up the next morning feeling lighter than I ever had before. Usually, I’m an ass in the morning. Grumpy, surly, and maybe a few other dwarfs too. But not today. I practically had a spring in my step as I moved around the shop.

“What’s with the whistling?” Ryan scowled as he collapsed onto his bench next to mine.

“I know, right?” Austin chuckled. “Someone got laid this weekend.”

“You mean you, don’t you?” I returned. “You’re the one who just got engaged.”

A satisfied smirk stretched across Austin’s face. “Fuck yeah, I did.”

I just shook my head, thankful that the attention was off of me. I hadn’t thought about what I’d tell my brothers. Maddie wanted to keep shit quiet about us. And I was kinda worried they wouldn’t approve. They’d all have an opinion and want to share it with me. Aggressively.

“But back to you. What’s got you all chipper and fucking annoying?” Ryan groaned, rubbing his eyes like he was exhausted. “You’re usually the one barking at us for being annoying before noon.”

I lifted a shoulder. “Just got enough sleep, I guess. What’s up with you? Why is the perkiest brother the crankiest brother this morning?”

“Fliss is teething again. She’s miserable so we’re all miserable.” Ryan growled, sounding like a wounded bear.

Austin and I exchanged glances. Ryan was gonna be fun to film with today. Maybe we could squeeze a nap in for him before the crew showed up in an hour.

“Is Dylan in yet?” I asked. “I got a text from our lawyer, Evan, that he’s going to call at eight. It’d be nice if we were all in the room.”

Austin shook his head. “I haven’t seen him.”

“Me neither.” Ryan stood up with a groan. “I’ll go see if he’s in the paint shed.”

I shoved him back down with a light tap. “Get some coffee and wake the fuck up. I’ll go see if the kid is here yet. We’ll meet in the conference room in twenty for Evan’s call.”

“Yup.” Austin whistled as he walked across the shop floor toward his office.

Ryan groaned something, buried his face in his arms, and slumped against his bench.

I headed out the back door but stopped about halfway across the lot when Dylan roared up on his bike.

He killed the engine and took his sweet time removing his helmet. Like I’d get annoyed at having to wait and leave. You’d think after twenty-seven years my brother would know me better than that. If anything, it just pissed me off more.

Or maybe that was what he was going for.

“What’s going on?” Dylan asked after he finally got his helmet off and swung off his bike.

“We’ve got a meeting in the conference room at eight to talk to our lawyer. Did anyone fill you in about the meeting you skipped out on Friday?”

“Nope.” His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to read the message.

“Nope to the conference call or nope to the filling in?” I blinked at my baby brother as my cheerful mood went into a tailspin. “What the hell is going on with you? You miss an important production meeting and skip family dinner with Aunt Wendy—who is fucking worried about you by the way. You might want to pick up the phone and tell her you’re alive.”

“Noted. See you at eight.” Dylan didn’t look up from his phone and headed toward the paint shed.

What the hell was going on with him? I swear to god, it felt like my brother had turned into a stranger. It’d all gone to shit when the bastard sperm donor got paroled. It was still hard to look at Dylan and know that he’d chosen that asshole over his family. He’d murdered our mom and Dylan had wanted to give him another chance. Dylan had been a baby when the asshole had killed her, but it was still hard to get past it. At least for me.

And the sperm donor had gone and burned down Aunt Wendy’s restaurant—with Sabrina inside—and tried to burn down our shop too. All over some crazy vendetta about the civil case against him over twenty-five years ago.

Because that was who the asshole was. He hadn’t changed. He wasn’t rehabilitated.

I hoped he rotted in prison this time around.

And Dylan should be on his knees apologizing to the family, begging for our forgiveness.

I hadn’t heard