Hunter.

"Good morning, sweetness," Torch says, licking his lips and looking like it's just another day.

Like he didn't just give me two mind-blowing orgasms. Like he wasn't still between my legs. Dear Lord! If Beth could see me now, she'd kill me. How did I completely lose control?

"What was that?" I ask Torch like an idiot.

"You don't know?"

"Okay, I know what it was, but why? Why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to. Because you wanted me to. In fact, I think we should do it again. You're way too uptight. Let's go for round three," he decides, pulling my body back to his mouth. I start kicking in a downward motion, hitting his back with the bottoms of my feet.

"No! Stop that! Will you get up from there??"

"That's not what you were saying a few minutes ago."

"Torch..."

"No. You called me Hunter. I think the correct phrase was, 'I want you to eat my fucking...'"

I whack him over the head with my pillow to shut him up. That's when I see the handcuff that he conveniently unhooked himself from hanging on my arm. That's a good reminder. A great one, really. He grabs the pillow midair and grins at me.

"Stop! Stop giving me that look!"

"What look is that, sweetness? The one that says I know what you taste like first thing in the morning? That I can still taste you on my tongue?"

I jump off the bed, needing to get away from him to think. "You don't get to do this. This doesn't get to happen now!"

"Why the fuck not?" he asks, and his easygoing attitude is definitely missing now.

"Oh, gee, I don't know, Torch, maybe this!" I growl, shaking the arm that still has the handcuffs attached to it. He stands up, his cock rock hard and his body a piece of art, and I'm doing my best not to get distracted. But it's hard! And, yes, the pun was intended. I'm dying to give in, but know I can't. At least, not yet. I need to figure out my next move, and whatever it is, it has to help me escape and get to Beth, not get laid.

"How about you let me show you how women love it when I cuff them?"

"How about you cover up your boner and let me go back to sleep, where I was quite happy before you woke me?"

"You weren't complaining, earlier."

"I was asleep!"

"The fuck you were!"

"I was, in the beginning! And will you cover up, damn it?"

"Why, sweetness? Does the sight of my cock bother you?"

"Yes!"

"Does it make you hungry?" he asks, shaking it.

That does it. It's time I stopped plotting. If Torch wants to be a dick, then it's time I show him what happens.

"Fine! It does. Is that what you want to hear? I liked fucking you. I enjoyed it."

"Enjoyed it?"

"Immensely," I tell him, disgusted. "But that doesn't change the fact that we were a one-night stand and you're holding me here against my will."

"It doesn't change the fact that we still want each other, either, or are you going to deny that you're turned on right now?"

"No. I'm not. I'm big enough to admit that I like sex and you're pretty good in bed."

"Pretty good?"

"Will you get over your gigantic ego? Jesus, it's a bigger choking hazard than your cock. You're a man who's had a lot of sex. Of course you're good in bed. but there are others out there who are just as good. You're not special because you know how to give a woman an orgasm."

"I think I gave you more than that, but maybe you need a reminder."

"What are you going to do with me, Torch?"

"I've been trying to tell you..."

"No, I mean what's your endgame here? You have me. So, what now? Are you going to drag me back against my will to my cousins so they can finish what my fucking grandfather and father started?"

He seems taken back by my question, and I have no idea why he should be.

"We don't make deals with the fucking Donahues," he says.

"Then what exactly are you holding me for?"

"Your sister nearly destroyed my brother!" he growls. "Do you know what it did to him to think he killed the woman he loved? Do you know what it did to him to discover Beth was alive and to find that out through a man he fucking hates? Throw in the fact that he has a daughter he didn't know about..."

"Bullshit!"

"What?"

"You heard me! Bull-fucking-shit! Your 'brother' knew Beth was alive and had his daughter, but when she reached out to him for help, he paid her to disappear!"

"You're fucking insane. That shit did not happen."

"Really? Because I was there, Torch, and let me tell you, it happened and it nearly destroyed my sister. So, if you think I'm going to sit around and wait for you to drag me back to Kentucky just so your brother can fuck Bethie all over again, then you're the insane one."

"Damn it, Katie, I'm telling you that... that did not..."

"Save it. I was there. You weren't. In case you're wondering, pretty boy, if it's between trusting you and your overused cock and protecting my sister, she wins every damn time."

With that, I limp into the bathroom and slam the door, since I couldn't stomp like I wanted too. Once I lock the door, I slide down to the floor and stare up at the ceiling. I have to get out of here and find Bethie and Gabby. I can't let my stupidity be the reason she loses Gabby. Colin said he made a deal with Skull. He hired Skull to bring us back to him and in exchange, Skull gets to keep his child. Bethie and I were convinced he was lying, but it's clear now that he wasn't. It's also clear that I should've listened to my sister and never spent the night with Torch.

I just hope Bethie's not the one who ends up paying for my stupidity.

"So you're taking me back to Colin," Katie says dejectedly.

I refuse to feel guilty here. I have nothing to feel guilty about and she's not even trying to believe what I'm telling her, which pisses me off.

"Damn it, Katie. Skull will not turn you or Beth over to Colin," I tell her for the hundredth time. It's true, he won't. I conveniently leave out that Beth might prefer that to what Skull will do with her; that's a battle for another time.

"Yeah. Sure. You have such faith in your brother. Whatever. When are we heading out?"

I don't know if I want to shake some sense into her, or kiss her. "In a few minutes. I just need to say goodbye to Latch and Sabre first," I tell her, throwing my t-shirt on and rolling it down my chest. I'd hoped she'd change her mind about sex, but it seems she's intent on not having sex again. I don't know why that fucking pisses me off more than anything else, but it does. And the fact that it does, pisses me off even more. I mean the least she could have done was sucked my cock, after I gave her two orgasms. Her outrage didn't even bother coming out until she got hers. Women. Fucking hell. This is why I will never do a relationship. Never.

"They're not coming with us?" she asks, confused.

"No. They have to get back to Annie. Latch's sister got into some kind of trouble. They're going to drive straight through. Skull wants us to take our time while he gets things ready there," I tell her, refusing to look at her.

"You mean he wants us to drag our feet to give my sister time to come out of hiding and try to save me?" she asks. "And who is Annie?"

Really the fucking woman is too smart for her own good.

"I'd deny it, but you wouldn't believe me anyway, and Annie is their woman," I tell her, slipping on my boots. "I'll be back after I say goodbye to my brothers."

"They share a woman? Are you guys, like, polygamists? Shit. Bethie has no idea what sick fucks you guys are."

"Just because they happen to love the same woman doesn't make them sick. They're completely sewn up over her and treat her like a queen. If Annie's happy, you don't need to fucking judge her," I growl, really pissed off at her now. Shit, I don't think I'd ever be able to share a woman I loved fulltime, but it works for them, so what-the-fuck-ever. I don't ever intend on having a relationship that lasts more than a few weeks. Month, at the most. So it's not like that fucking matters.

"Of course Annie's happy. That's, like, every woman's fantasy. Shit I want to be her."

"You just got all self-righteous about it!" I don't like the idea of two men sharing Katie at all.

"Only because I thought they had, like, six wives or some shit. What you just described is hot as hell. Hmm, you seem to have a lot of brothers. Maybe you could hook me up with a couple to play with. If I'm going to be held there against my will, I might as well have fun."

"Sorry, baby. I offered you my dick last night and you turned it down. I'm the only option available to you. So, all of this," I say, making a sweep over my body like a game show model, just to piss her off, "I'll just give to someone else. You'll just have to go without any while you're at the clubhouse."

"Not likely."

Those two words bother me. Is she planning on fucking some of the other brothers? That shouldn't get to me; she's just a one-night stand. I'll most definitely be finding a replacement tonight since she seems to have her legs closed permanently. No matter my plans though, the thought of Katie fucking any of my other brothers pisses me off.

I'm jerked out of my thoughts when her voice brings my attention back to her. "You cannot seriously be contemplating wearing that t-shirt out of this room."

I look down at my blue t-shirt with the yellow writing that says Choking Hazard and has a yellow arrow pointing down to my dick. I look back at Katie with a smile. "You inspired me."

"Where the fuck do you get these shirts? And how do they let you out at night by yourself?"

"Don't be jealous, sweetness. I'd let you choke on my cock tonight over the chick I'll end up picking up. You're the one who told me no. If you change your mind before I head out, the offer still stands," I tell her with a wink. "At least, for a couple more hours." She throws a pillow at me, but I just grin. "I'll be right outside. Don't make me sorry I didn't chain you back up," I tell her, leaving my parting shot. I close the door just as she starts screaming. Good times really. I'd be lying my ass off if I didn't admit that I love sparring with her.

"I hate you!" the muffled yell broadcasts through the door.

"Sounds like you guys are getting along just great," Latch says. He and Sabre are standing over by their bikes, looking impatient.

"I always like to leave them screaming for more," I joke as we say our goodbyes and slap each other a little too hard on the back. I still say I hit harder. Bastards.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Sabre asks me. I swear, since he hooked up with Annie he worries over everything.

"I'll be fine. I'll drag my feet a day or two just to see if Beth is going to follow us, and it's not like the Donahues know I'm bringing Beth back anyway."

"Yeah, I know. I just got a weird feeling about this shit."

"You always have feelings lately. You're worse than a fucking mother hen. I'll be fine," I reiterate.

"Whatever, fucker. Just don't let your dick get in the way of the big picture."

"Shit, it takes a big picture to actually hold my dick."

They shake their heads and Latch's laughter is loud, which is good. Something is going on with him. He and Sabre haven't said a lot about it, but Latch is going back overseas soon. Shocked the fuck out of all of us that he'd leave Sabre and Annie, let alone Lucy.

"Check in, asshole," Sabre orders.

"Will do, mom."

"I'm serious, man. Something about this whole damn thing isn't sitting right with me. I'm not sure what it is. You mentioned Katie thinks Skull pushed Beth away. We know that shit didn't happen. So what the fuck really did?"

"You think it's the Donahues?"

"Maybe. Hell, I don't know. It just seems like the Donahues have always been one step ahead of us, even when we were at war."

"A mole," I answer, and it is an answer, because I've had the same thought. We all have. Skull and I have had that discussion often. Pistol was the number one suspect, but he tried to save Bethie and got himself gut-shot in the process. Fucker almost died. The fact that he put his life on the line for Beth is the only reason Skull hasn't killed the motherfucker himself.

"Maybe. There sure is something going on. You better watch your fucking back."

"Will do. You do the same."

"Always. Later, bro," Sabre says, starting up his bike.

He and Latch wave as I turn back around to look at the motel room where Katie is. It shouldn't make me fucking happy that I'm alone with her for a few days.

But it does.

He's watching me like a damn hawk, but so far he hasn't handcuffed me again. So there's that, at least.

I've been trying to be on my best behavior while being an ass to him so I don't rouse his suspicions. We've been driving all day and we're just now in Oklahoma. I was worried when he started driving, afraid he had somehow found out that Bethie was here, but he's too relaxed and laidback. Still, if I could get away from him now, it would be perfect.

We pull into a truck stop diner. I have a look around, secretly jumping up and down. These are my people. I can totally use that to my advantage. It's a giant gas and shower station with big rigs parked everywhere in the back, and there's a diner stowed away behind the main store. The trick here will be to get away. It won't be easy. He may not be chaining me to him for now, but he's not taking his eyes off of me either. I need to play it smart.

"Gee, Torch. You think you could spring for a steakhouse or something?" I complain.

"They have steak," he defends, shutting off my jeep.

"There was a steakhouse down the road that looked great. I bet they even show you to your seats and bring you peanuts."