Torque by Gillian Archer (10 ebook reader txt) 📕

had to concentrate on driving because of the tears occasionally blurring the road.

When he pulled ahead of me, I huffed in annoyance. I didn’t know what he had planned, but he had to know by now that I was going to my parents’ house. He knew the route as well as I did.

A huge object came whipping at my car. I saw a glint of metal and slammed on my breaks. It smashed into my windshield with a horrific clash of glass and metal. I ducked my head toward my chest and stood on my brake pedal.

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.

My heart pounded in my ears as I screeched to a stop.

Was I okay?

What was that?

I had about a second to take stock of the stinging on my face and see the thick metal chain jutting from my windshield when my door wrenched open.

I screamed.

“Maddie!” Nathan yelled. His hands cupped my face as he peered down at me. “Are you okay, baby?”

I could only blink and nod stupidly at him.

“That son of a bitch! I’m gonna kill every last fucking King.” He ran his hand over my head, flicking a few slivers of glass away. “Stay here.”

And then he was gone.

I took a few gulping breaths, trying and failing to calm my racing heart. I could’ve died. That was the scariest fucking thing that ever happened to me.

I thought your life was supposed to flash before your eyes before you died. I felt vaguely disappointed mine hadn’t.

A giggle escaped.

It would’ve been a boring show. Maybe my brain decided to spare me the boredom.

I giggled again.

It was official. I was batshit crazy.

Okay. I could do this. Someone just tried to kill me. I should probably call the police.

Maybe that was what Nathan was doing. He probably had to go back to his bike to get his phone or something.

I popped open my glove box and found the scrap of paper with my roadside service details on it. I didn’t have to search long since I’d used it only a few weeks ago.

Should I stand outside and call or was it safer to stay inside my vehicle? My dad had lectured me about roadside safety when I got my license but that was a decade ago.

Maybe that was what Nathan meant about staying put.

I twisted around in my seat to see what he was doing.

But he wasn’t there.

“Wha—”

I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood up, looking at the spot I was sure Nathan had parked his bike. But it was empty. He wasn’t there.

He’d left me.

Alone and bleeding on the side of the road.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Nathan

A rage like nothing I’d ever felt before burned through me. They threw a fucking chain through her windshield. In front of me. I’d watched the fucker do it and hadn’t been able to stop him.

I wasn’t gonna rest until every single one of those fuckers was six feet under.

But I lost him at the I-80 interchange when traffic grinded to a halt, and he wove behind a tractor trailer and disappeared.

I darted through the halted traffic, looking every which way, but couldn’t find him.

It didn’t matter. I knew that patch he didn’t bother to hide.

Every last King who didn’t know my name, was damn sure gonna know it by the time I was done with them.

I took the next exit and circled back to where I’d left Maddie.

Maddie.

She stood shaking next to her car, the goddamn chain still jutting out of the windshield. A police officer asked her questions as he took notes. His head came up as I cruised to a stop behind them. He shoved his notepad into a pocket as his other hand went to his holster.

“Keep your hands where I can see them,” he ordered.

With my palms up, I slowly approached the two of them. A second cop came from around the front of Maddie’s car where he’d apparently been taking pictures.

“Identify yourself,” the second cop demanded.

“I’m Nathan Burns. Maddie’s boyfriend. I was riding behind her when this happened.”

The first cop kept his hand on his holster as I approached. “You saw the suspect?”

“Yeah, I tried to follow him on my bike, but I lost him on the I-80 interchange.” I leaned forward to look at Maddie, but she kept her head turned away. She wouldn’t even look at me.

“Do you know who did this?” The first cop asked.

“It was a Kings MC member. He didn’t even try to hide his patches.”

“Have you had any run-ins with the Kings Motorcycle Club, Ms. Roberts?” The second cop asked.

“Yes,” Maddie murmured. She sounded almost trance-like. “My roommate is having some troubles with them, and apparently it’s bubbled over to me. They slashed my tires a few weeks ago. One of them showed up to our condo and threatened me.”

“What!” I took a step toward Maddie but she flinched and backed away. “Dylan’s caught up with those fuckers?”

“Like you care. He told you weeks ago.” She turned toward me, the scratches on her face now plain to see. “And just now when they ran me off the road—which you saw—you left me to go play hero. Some fucking hero you are.”

“Who-kay.” The second cop raised his hands. “This is not a conversation to have on the side of the freeway. We’ll give you ride back to the station, Miss Roberts. And you, sir, please meet us there to answer some more questions.”

I’d rather have Maddie on the back of my bike. But before I could voice the thought, one officer ushered her into the back of their squad car. I accepted the business card the second cop pressed into my hand.

He stayed with Maddie’s car while the squad car in front of me pulled away with my girl inside.

I stood on the side of the road, watching helplessly.

And it didn’t get any better when I got to the station. Maddie was already inside talking to a detective or something while they had me in another room thumbing through photos of known Kings members. I didn’t