Torch (Great Wolves MC) - Jayne Blue Page 0,46

if I was going to help him do things for you guys. He was excited about handing off some of the workload. I don’t know how my father managed to change his mind.”

She sighed. “It doesn’t matter now. That’s not what’s important. Just get yourself to Shannon’s and lay low until you hear from either Torch or one of us.”

“You promise you’ll let me know the second you hear anything?”

“You’re on my list, Sydney. I promise.”

With that, Nicole and I left her in that big, empty, unfinished house. It really was a beautiful spot. A quiet cul-de-sac with a tree-lined street and woods in the back. I slipped into the passenger seat of Nicole’s van. She drove out of the subdivision and headed east.

Shannon’s house really was just five minutes away. She lived in an older neighborhood in a small, brick ranch. She was waiting on her front porch as Nicole pulled up.

“You let me know if you need anything,” Nicole said as I got out. “Just see what you can do to keep that one from crawling out of her skin.” She gestured toward Shannon. I could see from here she’d been crying.

I waved Nicole off and headed up the driveway. There was nothing to say. I met Shannon’s eyes and pulled her to me. I gave her a hug like I’d done with Amy. These women couldn’t have felt different, though. Amy seemed to be made of steel. Shannon crumpled against me and sobbed. It was such a change from the capable, tough woman I’d met on my first day at the Den. She’d run me ragged and almost lost her job over it. Now I suspected Sticks had had some part in keeping her there.

Now, none of that mattered. It felt like a million years ago.

“Have you heard from Sticks?” I asked as she led me inside. The place was sparsely furnished but impeccably clean. She had two bedrooms and showed me to the one closest to the bathroom. There was a double bed with one tall dresser. I realized I didn’t have much to put in it. I’d left my chest with most of my clothes back at the Den. I carried only my overnight bag and two changes of clothes.

“Nothing,” Shannon said. “I can’t stand this. Do you think they’re hurting him?”

“No,” I said. “Sticks is probably with the rest of the club. Colt will make sure they’re all taken care of. I may not be the biggest fan of my uncle’s right now, but he’s very good at what he does.”

“Torch is patched,” she said. “Sticks is just a probie.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, channeling Amy. “He’s part of the family.”

Then neither of us could stand talking about our worries. We went into Shannon’s kitchen and started making dinner. It was simple. Just spaghetti and meatballs. We sat in companionable silence. Then exhaustion overtook me. I’d checked my new phone at least a thousand times. Nothing. No calls. No texts.

I took a shower and climbed into Shannon’s guest bed. The sheets smelled clean and freshly bleached. But the bed was cold and empty. I longed to have Torch’s arms around me.

I had no news except what was reported on the local television station. I hadn’t noticed at the time, but a news crew had filmed Colt and the senior leadership being led into the DEA van in shackles. Poor Amy. I hoped she wasn’t watching.

In the early morning, I woke to a sound that restarted my heart. The powerful roar of a Harley’s engine as it pulled into Shannon’s driveway.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Torch

It hadn’t been so long that I couldn’t remember the cold. In the few moments before I pulled into Shannon’s driveway and saw Sydney standing there, her face filled with love and concern, I could easily step into the skin of the man I was ... before.

I cut the engine and dismounted. Sydney ran toward me, arms open. I got mine up just in time to hold her back.

“Torch,” she said, her voice choked.

Shannon stood in the doorway. She had the same broken look on her face.

“Give me a minute,” I said to Sydney. I moved past her and went to Shannon.

“He’s holding up okay,” I told her. “Sticks is tough. I’m sorry he’s caught up in this.”

“When can I see him?” she asked.

“It’s best you don’t,” I said. “Not for a while. I don’t know how deep this is going to get. Sticks doesn’t need to worry about you too. Just lay low.