Page 36 of Iron Heart

“Hi,” she smiles as she approaches, looking a little shy. Her hair is down today — first time I’ve seen it that way. It’s thick and wavy, hanging down to her breasts, a little wild. For some reason I think of a painting of Venus I saw once in a book when I look at her.

“Funny running into you here.” Tori lifts her eyes to mine. Those icy baby blues soften a little, then shift over to Dom. “Hi,” she repeats, giving him a little nod. “I’m Tori.”

“Ranger.”

“Dominic,” he says. He gives her his best lady-killer grin and his standard line. “I’m Dante’s smarter and much better-looking little brother.”

The corners of Tori’s mouth curve up politely. “Pleased to meet you,” she says politely. “Do you live here in Ironwood?”

“I do now,” he replies, then lifts a hand and slaps the side of the truck. “Starting up a business here. Refrigerated transport.” He lets his gaze linger on her. “Hope I’ll be seein’ more of you around town. Ironwood sure looks a lot better than it did last time I was here.”

Tori tucks a lock of thick hair behind her ear. I think she blushes.

I just might fuckin’ kill my little brother right here in front of her.

“Well,” she murmurs, stammering a little. “Um, I’m just on my way out to do a story.” She shifts her eyes back to me, and her smile comes back. “A local psychic who apparently has predicted the wins and losses of every game the high school football team has played for the past ten years.”

“Oh yeah. Beulah,” Ranger nods. “Everyone knows about that. How the hell is that even news?”

Tori shakes her head ruefully. “It’s not. My editor wants a full feature on her. Focusing on her life story.”

I give her a serious look. “Sounds about as exciting as Jesus appearing in someone’s lawn.”

“Slow news week,” she chuckles, lifting a shoulder. “As they all are. Are you going over to my place today?”

I shake my head. “No time for it today. Tomorrow, probably.”

“Okay.” Tori turns to Dom, then to Ranger. “It was nice meeting you.”

Dom all but leers back at her. “Believe me, honey, the pleasure is all mine.”

The three of us watch her walk away. “Stop staring at her ass, you fucker,” I grit out at my brother through clenched teeth.

“It’s a free country,” he shoots back. “Thank God for women who sway when they walk. Lord have mercy.”

Ranger raises his brows at us.

“I’m gonna take off. I got some shit to do. I’ll see you back at the clubhouse later, Dante.”

“Okay, brother. See ya.”

Ranger strides back toward the diner, where his bike is parked next to mine.

“Come on,” I growl, trying to ignore how appealing punching him in the face would be right now. “Follow me to the clubhouse. And keep up. I ain’t slowin’ down for your ass.”

Back across the street, I hop on my bike and start her up, then pull away from the curb. I don’t bother to look behind me to see if Dom is there. Fuck him if he loses me.

On the way to the clubhouse, my thoughts keep turning back to Tori. I don’t know why it’s been so hard to stay away from her, but damned if it hasn’t been. All I know is, every time she’s around, my cock practically jumps out of my goddamn jeans. And if yesterday and today are any indication, I ain’t the only one. If Pretty Boy at the paper wasn’t enough, now I gotta worry about my own brother tryin’ to get her in the sack. Shit, even Ranger was lookin’ like he was gettin’ ideas.

Hell, I shouldn’t even care about any of this shit. Like Dom said, it’s a free fuckin’ country. It’s free to look, and Tori ain’t mine to protect. Dom’s kind of a whore as far as women are concerned, but then again, I suppose so am I. It ain’t like I’m actually worried for Tori’s welfare. Is it?

The keys to Tori’s house are in the front left pocket of my jeans right now. I can feel one of them slightly digging into the skin of my thigh.

I could shift my weight to make it stop. But I don’t. I like that it makes me think of her.

I think back to the fuse I left on her countertop a couple days ago. It was an impulse. Sort of anI was heremessage. At the time, I didn’t think too much about it.

But now, I wonder if it was a message more to myself than her.

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