Page 27 of A Biker for Noelle
“Are you sure? You already do so much,” I try to insist.
“I’m sure.” She shoos me out the door. “Now, you two get out of here before you’re late, and Torin starts worrying about where you are.”
Nodding, I look at Zack. “See you later, buddy.” Then I follow Brewer out the door and down the porch steps to his truck. I’m about to climb into the passenger seat when a sports car pulls up. “Nice car,” I say after getting into the truck and turning to Brewer. “Do you know what kind it is?”
“A 1973 Ferrari Daytona.” He takes off down the driveway.
I watch one of Torin’s men get out of the car, but his name has slipped my mind. “Who is that again?” I ask.
“Poet,” Brewer informs me. “He’s hangin’ with June and your brother today.” He doesn’t offer any further information as he settles behind the wheel.
On the ride into town, I can’t help but wonder what kept Torin from coming back home to pick me up. I chew on the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should question Brewer for answers.
“You gonna spit it out?”
I startle at the question. “What?”
Brewer side-eyes me. “You obviously got somethin’ on your mind, so spit it out.”
I sigh. “Did Torin happen to say why he couldn’t pick me up?”
“Yeah.” That’s it! That is Brewer’s one-word answer.
I stare at the side of his face, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Club business,” he grunts.
“Does thisclub businesshave anything to do with Zacks’s father?” I ask.
Brewer shrugs. “It’s not my place to say.”
“Whose place is it to say?”
Brewer takes his eyes off the road and looks at me. “Prez.”
Feeling defeated, I fall silent and stare at the window. A moment of silence stretches between Brewer and me before he speaks again, “You don’t have anything to worry about with Prez. He’s as loyal as they come. And he doesn’t play around when it comes to the safety of those he cares about. Eazy hasdecided you and your brother belong to him, which means you belong to the club.”
“And what does that mean?” I ask.
“It means your troubles become our troubles, and that shit gets handled.”
“How is it handled?”
“That again falls under club business.”
A short while later, we arrive at the bar. “I’ll go take stock until Torin gets here,” I say as soon as Brewer unlocks the door and lets me in. Torin usually takes stock before we open, but I’ve watched him do it enough times to know how it’s done.
Brewer gives me a chin jerk. “All right. I need to make a call. Don’t let anyone in. Come get me when Charlie shows up.”
“You got it.” I grab the stock clipboard from behind the bar while Brewer disappears down the hall toward the office. Once I’m done counting what we have on the floor, I head to the stockroom at the end of the hallway, just past the office. As I’m counting through how many bottles of bourbon we have, I can’t help but think about what Brewer said in the truck about belonging to Torin. I will admit most women would cringe at a man saying she belongs to him because we don’t like to be viewed as property. But there was something about the way Brewer said it that made me feel…I don’t know… cherished. I guess I have a lot to learn about club life, and if I’m going to be with Torin, I have to accept not being privy to things that are happening, even when it’s something that has to do with me or my brother. I’ll admit my brother is an area where I draw the line. I’ve spent his entire life looking out for him. I’m his sister, but sometimes I’m like a mom.
Regarding Zack, I insist on knowing if he’s safe. So, the next time I’m alone with Torin, I intend to talk with him. I understand the club has a way of doing things, and there are things they will not share outside their circle, but I can’t be leftentirely in the dark regarding my brother. And right now, I can’t shake the uneasy feeling in my stomach that the situation Torin has been dealing with concerns Zack’s father.
“You good in here?” Brewer calls out, startling me.
I was so lost inside my head that I didn’t hear him come in. “Yep. I just need to take these empty boxes to the dumpster.”
“No worries. I got it.” Brewer goes to gather the boxes when his cell phone rings. He looks down at the screen. “I got to take this,” he says, then disappears out of the storage room.
