Torched: Afterburn (Iron Serpents Motorcycle Club Book 2) (30 page)

Fuck, slow burn was right. It felt like a hundred and twenty degrees—and climbing—in there. Torch was getting close too, he moaned and groaned and clamped his teeth down on my neck.

The sharp stinging pushed me over the edge and my nails reflexively dug into his skin as my walls closed in around his cock. I cried out just as release came. “Shit, baby! Yes!”

A mere two seconds later, Torch tensed and hissed as climax hit. Seeing his muscles twitch as he slid his shaft in and out a few more times, I kegeled the shit out of it to milk every last drop.

He rolled to his back and slid an arm under my shoulders to pull me in. I rested my head on his chest and sighed in absolute contentment.

“You should probably head over to the compound soon,” Torch muttered. “You sure you wanna do this? Babe, if they catch you spying—”

“They won’t even know I’m there,” I assured him. “I used the satellite pictures to find the perfect tree to perch in, it’s about two hundred yards away from the fence and Biff has the coordinates. I’m just keeping track of people going in and out, right? No big deal.”

“But the drones—”

“I’d still have to be somewhat close and they’re easy to spot during the day,” I argued. “Don’t start second-guessing the plan now, bad things happen when people choke.”

“I know. I just can’t believe you’re cool with sitting in a goddamn tree for seven hours.”

“I packed candy bars and soda so I don’t fall asleep and fall out. Quit worrying, I’ve done longer stakeouts before. This’ll be cake.”

“Alright, but you check in with a call or text every fifteen minutes. If anybody gets close, you shoot to kill and get on your bike.”

Groaning, I rolled over on top of him and rested my chin on his chest. “Aye aye… You trust me, right?”

He smiled and brushed my hair away from my face. “You know I do. Doesn’t mean I don’t worry. I never wanted you to deal with this side of the life, you’ve seen enough ugliness.”

“And I’m still standing, aren’t I?”

“How are you so fucking tough?” he asked.

“I have you to catch me.” I stretched my head up and kissed him, savoring the moment like it would be our last. Despite the confidence I was trying to project, there was always the possibility of something going wrong. But I wasn’t about to let my mind go there. Besides, there really wasn’t anything to fear, death certainly didn’t make the cut on my list of worries anymore. I’d finally gotten to
live
, I’d been given the gift of experiencing the kind of love that some people went their entire lives without. So, whether the Reaper caught up to me in a few hours or years, I would go out a happy woman, the happiest I could ever imagine being.

“I love the shit out of you, Livia,” he said. “It’s you ‘til I die.”

Those were our words, the same ones engraved inside both of our wedding rings. He’d said them the night he claimed me, the evening he married me, and now the afternoon leading to us becoming the very definition of a team.

We had this.

“I love you too, Torch. It’s you ‘til I die.”

: 26 :

| TORCH |

Within minutes of the brigade pulling up to their predetermined command post spot—hidden from view of the compound by shrubbery and trees—Liv zipped over from her recon location and joined them. Hench, Tyke, Lump, Tank, and Bird had come in from other sides on their ATV’s. They were already earpieced and armed, including with the tranquilizer rifles. The Kansas City boys were surrounding the perimeter.

“There’s eleven guys inside,” Liv said, getting straight to business. “They started in the main building but I think they lost power from the generators because the lights went out. It must’ve gotten too hot, they brought lanterns and chairs outside after that.”

“Fuck, so much for trying to surprise and trap them in the building,” Torch muttered. “Grimm, Mace, and Gauge, start unloading the box van so the drone guys—”

“And girl,” she cut in.

“Really? Today?” he huffed. “Fine, so the drone guys and bossy ass
girl
can set up.”

She grinned and squeezed his waist.

“Is my old man still in there?” he asked.

“Yeah, Scully too.”

“Good.” He yelled out, “Okay, listen up… We only have eleven to deal with, as long as we surprise and contain them quick, they won’t have time to scatter all over the property. We drug the dogs, KC guys go over the fence and start making their way in from all directions, then we go in through the front gates and disperse to close them in tighter. Keep your earpieces on mute unless you need backup or have vital info, otherwise shit’s gonna get disorienting. The drones are marked with colored tape on the bottom, it corresponds to who’s operating it. If you need one and it’s close, say the color and location so the right person can get to you.”

The boys nodded their understanding and went to work gearing up, while Liv walked over to the back of the box van. It had now been emptied of guns and drones and would act as a command post. She did her thing, helping Biff set up all the laptops on the back lift. His old lady would handle dropping the dog food and then switch to an armed drone, joining Biff, Monk, and Retro in manning them.

Torch followed suit and grabbed two Kevlar vests, one of which he handed to her. “Put it on,” he demanded.

They rarely wore tactical shit and had the militia outnumbered, but those fuckers didn’t mess around. They probably had machine guns and grenades hidden in every corner of the compound. The more the club’s members—and Liv—could protect themselves, the better. Torch had no intention of dying for a worthless cause.

“I will,” she mumbled, busy typing away and staring at her computer screen.

He shook his head, glad she was focused but still questioning himself over allowing any of this.

Within minutes, everyone was ready to go.

Torch grabbed his woman and pulled her in for a good luck kiss and ass squeeze. “You’re gonna keep me alive, right?” he asked.

“I’ve got your back, baby,” she rasped in his ear.

He grinned and kissed her again, before running off to join the boys heading for their position at the front gates. They stayed away from the fence and circled around, stopping about a hundred yards away behind some thick brush.

“I’ll take out the gate guy,” Grimm mumbled, screwing a suppressor on his gun.

Torch gave him a nod and unmuted his earpiece. “Showtime,” he said.

“Copy, sexy beast,” Liv said back.

The guys snickered.

“Knock it off,” he groaned.

“Okay, okay,” she replied. “Ty, Hench, Lump, Tank, and Bird, I’m bringing the dogs to you in that order, get ready.”

Torch listened for the drone as shit went silent, but couldn’t even pick up a whisper. Whoever designed those things had done a hell of a job.

And judging by how quiet the next few minutes were, Liv was doing a hell of a job too. Not a single bark rang out before he heard her voice again. “The fence is clear.”

“Kansas City, you’re on,” Torch ordered. They all copied.

Thirty seconds later, Biff piped up. “Did a sweep, KC’s all in.”

“Okay, we’re moving,” Torch replied.

He let Grimm take the lead and waited for him to sneak up on the gate guard. After hearing two muzzled gunshots, he ran out, followed by the rest of the guys in single-file formation.

They funneled in through the gate and split off into pairs. The meeting was being held smack in the middle of the property, so each pair took a position circling the area. If any of the militia guys snuck past them and got to a weapons stash, shit would get a lot more complicated.

Two by two, they all fell in their places behind various structures and stated it over bluetooth.

“Drones are in the air,” Liv said.

Torch went last so they could all mute and did the countdown. “Get ready. Five, four, three, two…” He pressed the button himself and a second later, took off running around the building he was behind, while Zed went around the other side.

Yelling and shit breaking rang out before any gunshots did as they closed in on the meeting. He’d ordered the guys to do their best to capture Scully, Mason, and his old man alive. One of those assholes knew where the coins were.

Chaos broke out as the council member started shooting and tried to scatter for cover. A militia member he didn’t recognize ran towards him with his gun drawn, but Torch put a bullet in his head before he could pull the trigger. Seeing the back of another running by, Torch lunged at him and took him down to the ground. He slammed his face into the dirt to disorient him, then flipped the guy around. Again, not one of the three they were looking for. He jumped to his feet and put a couple bullets in his head too.

“Shit, I popped Mason by accident,” Jet alerted them over the earpiece.

Fuck. And then there were two.

With pops of gunfire breaking out all around now—including from the sky—he ducked behind a barrel and got a lucky break. Scully and another guy had broken free and were making a run for it. He lurched forward and went after them.

Right as the two split up, Torch felt a bullet whiz by his foot and jumped to the side, sending himself rolling. But just as he was about to stand up, he saw the guy Scully had been running with turn around with his weapon pointed.

His gun still firmly in his grip, Torch lifted his arm to fire, but two blasts rang out before he could and the man fell forward.

He looked up in the air and saw a drone, the one with pink tape. He pressed his earpiece. “Thanks, babe.”

“Anytime,” Liv replied. “Scully’s about sixty yards to your eleven o’clock, he’s heading for the orchard. Follow me.”

Christ, how fucking hot was
this
shit? “Copy.”

Ignoring his inconveniently twitching cock, Torch quickly reloaded and went after Scully. That son of a bitch wasn’t slipping through their fingers, the fence would slow him down if nothing else.

Liv’s drone led the way as he ran between more buildings, a field, and then straight for a cluster of trees near the front of the property, where he managed to hone in on the back of Scully’s head. He was too far for a decent shot but Liv took one, sending Scully jumping as the bullet ricocheted off a tree close to him.

Scully disappeared into the dense orchard but Torch kept running after him.

“What the…” Liv muttered. “Torch,
stop
. He’s climbing up a fucking tree to get a shot at you. Two o’clock.”

He ground to a halt and looked in that direction. “Don’t kill him,” he demanded.

The next thing he heard was the drone fire. Twenty yards away, he saw Scully drop to the ground.

Shit.

“Shoulder shot,” Liv assured him as he sprinted over.

Scully was trying to get to his feet when Torch grabbed him and took him down.

As they started fighting, Biff’s voice called out, “George is making a run for the gate. Torch, you’re the closest.”

Son of a bitch,
that
fucker definitely wasn’t slipping out.

Scully took advantage of the split-second distraction and swung at Torch’s face, landing a hard punch to his cheek. But as quickly as it had happened, Scully was being thrown to the ground from behind.

“I got him, take the ATV!” Grimm yelled out.

Torch jumped on it without thinking twice and headed for the entrance.

“Liv!” he heard Beanie roar in his earpiece.

She didn’t answer. “What’s she doing?” Torch demanded. He sped up, assuming she was probably about to make him regret everything.

“She’s going after George on her bike,” Beanie said.

“God-fucking-dammit!” Torch seethed. “Babe, turn your ass around!”

She still didn’t say anything.

He went flying out through the wide open gate, trying to catch up to his wife and old man before either one did something fucking stupid. A couple hundred yards up, he spotted both sets of tail lights.

“Liv, back off,” he hissed. “I’m right behind.” What he’d do when he got close, he didn’t know. Stopping a car with an ATV wasn’t bound to end well for him, and shooting George in the head wouldn’t help them find the coins if he knew where they were.

She was obviously aware of the predicament. “Hang on, I’m at a bad angle for him,” she finally said.

“Get outta the fucking way,” he ordered, close enough now that his headlights brought the action into full view.

She didn’t listen. Instead, she shot out the back window and threw something at it. Her brakes flashed and the bike veered to the left, a second or two before a flashbang went off inside the gray car. She narrowly avoided getting swiped as it started to spin out, but must have hit gravel and went flying off the bike anyway.

“Babe! Fuck!” He angled towards her.

“I’m alive, go get him,” she yelled,

Leave it to his fucking woman to make him think she was about to get herself killed, right before making a break for it with inches to spare. It was like every other situation where she tried to push his goddamn buttons right up to the point of making him blow. He’d deal with that shit later.