Torque by Gillian Archer (10 ebook reader txt) 📕

my siblings were already there—except Dylan. Did he hitch a ride with Ryan, or was that fucker in the wind?

I put my kickstand down and swung my leg off my bike as my gaze passed over the street. And Maddie’s childhood home. All the curtains were closed, but I could tell by the glow that they were home. Maddie was inside. Pissed at me. At Dylan.

God, I just wanted to hold her and know that she was all right.

I couldn’t even begin to make up all this with her, not to mention the ridiculous fight we had that led to the crazy scene on the I-5.

Fuck me.

I sighed and turned back to Aunt Wendy’s house, but the rumble of a motorcycle made me pause. The bike cruised around the corner before slowing and pulling into Wendy’s driveway right behind me.

Dylan.

Rage boiled through me. I couldn’t even think. I waited until he got off his bike and took off his helmet before I swung.

Wham!

My fist slammed into the side of his head and he hadn’t seen it coming.

And I didn’t give a shit.

“Oof!” Dylan’s hands came up to protect his face. “What the hell?”

I swung again, plowing my fist into his stomach.

“Omph.” Dylan hunched over. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? She could’ve died tonight. Because of you!” I roared and swung again. I got about three more shots in before someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me away.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ryan shouted in my ear. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Get off me!” I struggled in his arms. Rage clouded my vision. I wanted to make that fucker bleed. He had to hurt just as much as Maddie had tonight.

But Ryan and someone else pulled me away no matter how much I struggled.

All I could think about was Maddie. And how this asshole had put her life in danger. I had to punch him again. A few more times. Something to get this rage out of me. But the arms holding me back wouldn’t let me go.

Dylan knelt on the driveway, holding his bleeding mouth with one hand and his ribs with the other. Sabrina hunched over him, talking softly, while Ryan and Logan asked questions I was too agitated to answer.

A piercing whistle cut through the mayhem.

“What the hell is going on?” Aunt Wendy shouted. “Someone wanna fill me in?”

I just stared at Dylan, waiting for my moment.

“I don’t know,” Ryan answered her. “Nathan called me to have everyone come over, and the second Dylan pulled up, Nathan started wailing on him.”

“Nathan?” Aunt Wendy asked, coming to stand in front of me. “Nathan. Take a breath. In and out. And another. One more. That’s it. You ready to talk?”

“I’d rather beat that asshole a few more times.” My teeth ground as the repressed rage bubbled under the surface.

“Right. But how about we use our words instead?” Aunt Wendy raised her eyebrows. “So what’s going on?”

“Apparently Dylan has gotten buddy-buddy with the West Coast Kings. Only he must owe them money or something because they came after Maddie.”

“Maddie?” Dylan gasped as he stood upright. “What did they do to her? Is she all right?”

“Like you give a fuck. Apparently, they’ve been threatening her for weeks. Are you seriously gonna play like you didn’t know?”

Dylan swiped at his still bleeding mouth and looked away, guilt written all over his face.

“Right.” I shook my head, so fucking disappointed and pissed. “You got my girlfriend to lie for you for weeks. She put her life on the line, and for what? What are you in with them for? Money? Drugs? What the fuck is going on, Dylan?”

“Can we not do this here?” Dylan looked around like the neighbors were listening in.

“I don’t give a fuck where we are!” I shouted, straining against the arms still holding me. “Tell me what’s going on!”

“No, he’s right.” Aunt Wendy put her hand on my chest. “This isn’t the place for this conversation. Let’s all go inside. Dylan, is anything broken?”

“Nah.” Dylan shook his head slightly. “Just sore and bleeding.”

“Good.” Aunt Wendy gave me a shove toward the house and turned to Dylan. “There’s no reason to avoid coming inside and answering every single question Nathan has for you. But we’re going to use our words and not our fists. Right, boys?”

Dylan nodded.

But I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t going to make a promise I might not keep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Still Nathan

We all filed into Aunt Wendy’s house, Ryan and Logan steering me toward the sofa on the opposite side of the living room. I stared stonily as the rest of the crew trooped in. Sabrina, Rachel, and Aunt Wendy hovered over Dylan before pushing him toward the bathroom to get cleaned up. Sabrina’s father, Brian, and Austin pulled in chairs from the kitchen. They set them up across from me and sat. Everyone watched me, like I was the asshole here.

I know Austin was trying to get me to break and say something, but I wouldn’t.

Finally, Dylan entered the room, his bottom lip noticeably swollen but not bleeding. Pity. I hadn’t hit him hard enough.

“All right,” Aunt Wendy said from her perch next to Brian and across from me. “Now, someone tell me what’s going on.”

No one said a word.

Aunt Wendy raise her eyebrows. “Nathan?”

“Dylan’s the one who needs to speak up.”

“Me? All I did was roll up. I barely had time to get off my bike before you were wailing on me.”

“Because you almost got Maddie killed!” I shouted, clenching my fists.

“Children. Children.” Aunt Wendy yelled with her hands raised. “Because that’s what you all are acting like. Children. So if someone wants to use their words and fill us in on what’s happening, I’d appreciate it. And by appreciate I really mean demand it. Nathan, you start.”

I clenched my jaw. It physically hurt me to use words at the moment. All I really wanted to do was punch that smirking fucker’s face in. I glared at him instead. “Apparently Maddie and Dylan