Torque by Gillian Archer (10 ebook reader txt) 📕

“Nathan could ID Rag’s bike. That, plus the information I gave them about the Kings drug running operation gave them the leverage to flip Rags. He’s going to testify against the Kings and their supplier. They’ll go to jail, and he’ll probably end up in witness protection.”

“What about you?” I asked Dylan. “Will you have to testify or go to jail?”

Dylan shook his head. “They won’t even need my testimony, since they got Rags and no doubt another King once they start bringing them in. Our lawyer said they’ll most likely give Rags immunity on everything he’s done, including the assault on you.”

“But you won’t have to do any time. Or testify against the baddest motorcycle gang in California. Sounds like a fair trade to me.”

“And all because Nathan chased after Rags.” Sabrina raised her eyebrows.

I snorted. “Like he knew that at the time. He just wanted to kill the SOB.”

“Because he does things for the people he loves.” Sabrina laughed. “Is it sinking in yet?”

Nathan Burns loves me.

A giddy warmth spread through me. Honestly over the past few days something Dylan had said when we had our big blowup nagged at me. The whole “not Nathan’s type” jab had hurt. And made me feel not worthy. It was easy to get lost in my anger because it was better than thinking that I was lacking and that was the reason Nathan had wanted to fix everything in my life.

But no, Nathan had done it because that was how he showed his love.

Don’t get me wrong, we were going to have a huge conversation about boundaries, but that giddy feeling was multiplying inside me.

Nathan Burns loves me.

I bit my lip as my face flushed. “So what I do I do? I swear I feel like I’m in high school again.” I rolled my eyes as excitement filled me. “A boy likes me and I like him!”

Dylan cleared his throat. “This is the part where you grovel.”

“Me?” I frowned. “Why do I have to grovel?”

“Are you serious?” Sabrina shook her head. “You kept a secret from him—a big secret—that almost got you killed. Could’ve gotten Dylan killed too. You don’t think you did anything wrong?”

I winced. I’d been so focused on how everyone had wronged me I hadn’t taken a second to think about how I’d hurt them. And I had. The guilt about the secret had been eating me up which was why I’d demanded Dylan tell the truth. I guess it didn’t matter whether he did or not. I should’ve been the one to tell Nathan what was going on. Especially since it involved all the people he loved.

“You’re right, Dylan. I’ve got to grovel.” I sighed as my mind raced. I thought about Nathan and love languages and all the labels we’d used lately. And I had an idea. “And I think I know the best way to do it.”

Dylan wrinkled his nose. “Ugh.”

“Gross.” Sabrina shook her head. “I don’t want to know about that.”

“Get your minds out of the gutter.” I rolled my eyes. There would be plenty of that, but later—after the groveling. “But I will need your guys’ help.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

NathanThe next day

“I don’t know, man.” I sighed as I stared at my clasped hands. “Short of kidnapping her, I don’t know how to make her listen to me. And honestly I’m more than a little pissed at her anyways.”

Ryan grunted next to me after Felicity slapped his face. His words were muffled by her hands when he spoke. “And probably not the best plan considering how she freaked out because you were taking over her life.”

“That’s not what I—”

“Sorry. Just repeating what Hope said after she talked to Sabrina after she talked to Maddie.”

“Jesus.” I rubbed my palm over my face. “It’s like high school all over again.”

“I dunno.” Ryan grinned. “I sure as hel-heck didn’t have one of these in high school.”

Felicity stood on Ryan’s stomach as he reclined on the sofa at his place. Grabbing his ears, she bent down face to face to him. The sheer joy in her face contrasted against the reverence in his. Ryan loved that little girl more than anything.

Damn.

I sighed again. I was starting to feel like an angsty teen. Mooning after a girl who apparently didn’t want me. But Maddie was having such a hard time getting out of her lease, and I had an attorney on retainer. And maybe I had gone over the line with looking for a job for her. But I meant well.

Shit, was there a sadder sack expression than that? I meant well.

“Nathan’s sad, Fliss.” Ryan mocked me with a pouty face.

“Na!” Felicity sprang off Ryan and leapt toward me. “Na. Na. Na.”

I caught her and let her walk on me like she had with Ryan. It was impossible not to smile when looking at that face. And I didn’t mean Ryan.

“I’m babysitting for you guys Friday night.” I made a face at Fliss even though my words were for Ryan. “You two need some alone time, and I want to spend some time with my favorite girl. It’s not like I’ll have plans on Friday.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“I am. I’ll be over Friday. Plan on it.”

“Fine.” Ryan sighed. “Anyway, I was talking to Hope about you guys and—”

“Argh. Can we give the whole sad sack relationship a pass for now? I really don’t even want to think about it anymore.”

“Will you let me say just one thing?”

“Like you can stop at one thing. What?”

“Just… Will you listen to her when she does finally reach out? Give her a chance to tell you what’s on her mind?”

I swallowed back my first impulse to lash out at Ryan. It burned like hell to take love advice from my little brother, but clearly he had shit figured out. He had a fiancé and a happy baby. What did I have?

Fliss grabbed my nose so I sounded nasally when I answered. “Sure. I can