Rebel
Not long after he got home, Axel began barging into her room every twenty minutes, demanding to know the plans for his club party.
He was excited, so before she lost her patience, Diesel suggested that she find someplace else to send out the last of her instructions to their brothers and cousins and then finish drawing the last of her signs.
He’d called her to check on her, though his cool tone suggested he was still upset with her.
“Mind if I sit?”
His teeth flashed against his sun-kissed skin in a brief smile. He wasn’t as handsome as Diesel—or Kaia—but she understood why the biker girls chased Torrin. Black hair, blue eyes, nice body, and motherfucker written all over his face. “Suppose it isn’t a lecture? Suppose it’s guidance?”
“About what?” she asked, suspicious. He hadn’t been the friendliest to her in recent weeks.
He studied her, drank more beer, and gave her another small smile.
“I dated a girl I had no business with once. I was…an adult. She wasn’t.” He shrugged. “I thought she was.”
“I need to know this why?”
“Jekka was a handful,” he said, swallowing beer.
“When I found out her age, that witch didn’t care that I’d be arrested and the fucking key thrown away.
Wherever I was, she showed up. If I was sitting with a woman…
” He blew out a breath and sat the empty bottle on the table.
“I’m surprised I didn’t end up in jail with her jealous tantrums. I suppose my saving grace was she looked older than she actually was. ”
Folding her arms, Rebel leaned back in her chair and lifted a brow. He was obviously fishing for information. If it was for Diesel, fuck both of them. If it was to use against Diesel, then double fuck him.
“If Diesel fucks you, he’s going to have to cover his tracks.”
She blinked at his bluntness.
“Whether that’s covering his tracks by paying more attention to Jana or surrounding himself with other women, you have to be able to handle it.”
Hmmm. Was this Diesel’s way of testing her?
She’d asked him to trust her, but he wouldn’t give it easily.
But could she trust Torrin? Maybe he was one of Daddy’s spies.
Doubtful. Daddy sniffed out information with the accuracy of a bloodhound.
And Kaia was vulnerable enough to the brothers.
She couldn’t disrespect him and leave him to their viciousness.
“I’ll never sleep with Diesel. I have Kaia. ”
“Are you sure about that? Kaia’s not going to want to hold your hand forever.”
“What he wants isn’t your business. That’s between us. He’s my boyfriend—”
“Your chi or your huahua? I forget.”
“And Diesel has Jana,” she continued, throwing him a dirty look. “Even if I didn’t have Kaia, Diesel is still engaged.”
“Would that really matter to you?”
It hadn’t Saturday, but she’d been emotional and traumatized. She’d come to her senses since then.
“C’mon, Reb,” Torrin coaxed, chuckling. “Humor me.”
“And disappoint myself?” She shook her head. “No.”
“CJ’s a people pleaser.”
“A disease that we hope he finds a cure for,” she retorted.
His laugh was genuine this time.
“I’m still waiting for your guidance, Torrin. You have two seconds to get around to that—”
“Or what? Outlaw and Diesel aren’t here to force me away from the table.”
Fear surged into her. He was right. Bishop was somewhere on premises, but even if she screamed, he might not hear her in time or at all if he wasn’t nearby.
“I’m not trying to upset you, princess.”
“You could’ve fucking fooled me,” she said, unable to stop herself, settling her hands on her lap to hide their shaking.
“I want Diesel happy, Rebel. He deserves it, but you have to play your part.”
“He can’t be happy at my expense. That’s Jana’s forte, not mine. That will never be mine. Not for him, Kaia, or anyone in my life.”
“As if you’ll ever have any other choices.” He chuckled without humor. “Not because of you, but because your father and brothers will never allow you to.”
“If I go to college, they won’t be able to stop me,” she snapped.
“What’s the point in this conversation anyway?
Diesel’s unhappy? Whose fault is that? He’s the engineer of his own fucking misery.
I have my own problems to solve, so fuck him and you,” she said, her temper getting the best of her and making her forget her fear.
Torrin studied her, then asked, “You want a beer?”
“Have you been fucking snorting coke, jackass? I can’t fucking drink in the clubhouse. My parents aren’t here.”
“Lies, girlfriend. I don’t snort coke.”
She made a face at him.
“Are you completely happy with Kemo?”
“Did you seriously just combine Kaia and emo?”
“Brilliant, huh?”
“What do you want, Torrin?” she whisper-yelled, tired of him and the entire conversation.
“I don’t think you are happy with Kemo, sweetheart,” he continued, ignoring her question. “Your heart’s been set on Diesel for too long for a dime store replacement to satisfy you.”
“Why are you…did Diesel put you up to this?”
“That’s a busy man. An attorney. Does he have time for…?”
“Manipulation? Games? We both know that’s his middle fucking name.”
“He learned from the best.”
She didn’t pretend not to know who he meant.
“Yeah. Daddy’s a master manipulator. Tell me something I don’t know.
Diesel graduated from the Outlaw School of Mind Fuckery and surpassed the teacher.
” She waved her hand to brush away that conversation.
“And Kaia’s perfect the way he is. Don’t talk about him like he’s irrelevant. He isn’t. Not to me.”
“Stop being selfish, Rebel. You’re stringing Kaia along to torture Diesel. You pretend you’re above Fia and the rest of the bitches. You want us to believe your body’s a sacred temple when we all know the fucking truth. You’ve shown it to us.”
Rebel recoiled and he swept her with a look that she couldn’t place, although deep down she knew. She knew he was talking about her videos. Trying not to cry, she pressed her lips together.
La traviata sounded from Rebel’s phone and she snatched it, happy that Mattie was calling to distract her and give her a chance to process Torrin’s words.
“CJ’s here,” Mattie whispered once Rebel picked up. “Rory sent me this weird message. I thought CJ was about to kill him.”
Torrin shoved back from his seat and walked to the bar, then sat on the stool and turned to face her. The heat of his gaze unsettled her.
“What did it say?” Rebel asked, trying to act normal, but her heart was pounding. She wanted to run to her room and hide from the world. “Why would Rory think that?”
“Let me send you a screenshot of the message. Can you come over? I-I need support. I think I made the guys mad.”
“Who else is there?”
“Besides CJ, Ryan and Grant are with him.”
“Don’t worry about them. They’ll survive. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks,” Mattie said, and hung up.
Just as she started to call Bishop, Kaia walked up.
Shaken by Torrin’s presence, Rebel had never been so glad to see him.
“Hey, babe.” Kaia bent to kiss her cheek. “I think I have everything…” His voice trailed off and he frowned. “Are you okay?”
Not in the least. “I, uh, I—”
“Diesel!” Torrin called.
Rebel looked toward the entrance. When she didn’t see him, she focused on the archway, where Diesel stood. He grabbed the hand of a tall, blonde girl in shorts and a tank top. His tie and coat were gone, his sleeves were rolled up, and two buttons on his shirt were undone.
He guided the stranger toward Rebel’s table.
The way the girl hung on him, it was obvious they’d had sex, but what did it matter to Rebel?
She had Kaia. Diesel’s cheating was Jana’s problem, not hers.
Except…when they halted at the table, Rebel saw that the girl wasn’t much older than her. Definitely not eighteen yet.
“Little sister,” Diesel said cheerfully, a motherfucker to his soul. “I’d like you to meet Tommi.” He smirked at Kaia. “Fia’s sister.”
The girl giggled.
Kaia turned beet red.
“Wh-what’s going on?” Rebel whispered, on the verge of bursting into tears from Torrin’s conversation and because of Diesel.
“Nothing new that I know of,” Diesel responded. “Unless you know something, emo?”
“Of course I don’t,” Kaia snapped, then turned his angry gaze to Rebel. “Let’s go to the house, babe.”
Rebel pointed to Tommi. “H-how old are you?”
“Not that it matters, but she’s sixteen.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, Diesel pulled her closer. Tommi laid her head on his shoulder. “Very experienced.”
Humiliation burned into Rebel and tears rushed to her eyes. Regret flickered across Diesel’s face, but then he looked at Kaia and his expression hardened.
“I—”
“What? Hate me?” Diesel smiled. “Been there. Done that. But what do you care? You have Kaia? Remember? You’re giving emo boy a complex. It’s almost as if he’s just my fill-in.”
Rebel opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Nothing that she wanted, at least. Because a sob escaped her.
She snatched her glass of water and threw it in his wretched face, then lobbed the glass itself at him. She should’ve knocked him out as close as they were, but he dodged her missile.
“Come on, babe,” Kaia said in a gentle voice.
She nodded, needing his kindness.
“Don’t you dare fucking leave with him,” Diesel said, shaking his head and spraying water in all directions.
Flipping him off, she allowed Kaia to guide her away.