Page 8 of Torrent’s Treasure

Gunner checked his computer. “She’s a nurse at a hospital in St. Louis. She took a leave of absence to come home.”

“So realistically, with our deliveries, you and she could have met on a run. This could work,” Maverick said.

It could work? Torrent wanted to help Cecilia, but she’d been assaulted. How would she feel being forced to marry him and live together? When the Chief came looking, those hand marks on her neck would be gone. But the Chief knew his brother was with Cecilia, and then suddenly she’s living at the club. Would four weeks give them plenty of time to get everything taken care of? He was ignoring the fact he’d have a wife for now because how did he end up here?

But at least she’d have a life to decide if she wanted to live together. If she didn’t have the protection of the club, the Chief would kill her and her sister or sell them, which was something Torrent might need to check into. The club was positive the Chief was dirty, but they had no idea he and his brother were into human trafficking. They knew he was in charge of the drug racket in his town and had been willing not to mess with him because his racket didn’t interfere with theirs.

Torrent didn’t see how this would end well, but the Old Man and his wife had been kind to Torrent. He wasn’t letting anyone hurt Cecilia or Calliope.

“Okay, how do we do this?” Torrent conceded, feeling as if with those words a net was closing around him and his life would never be the same.

Chapter Four

Torrent walked to his room, holding the stuffed animal that Sally had told him to buy. He’d stopped at the store and been overwhelmed with the choices. Now that Church was over, he guessed it was time to face his soon-to-be-wife.

He was grateful for Sally. She’d offered to move Calliope and Cecilia into his room, which wasn’t really a room at all. When they’d built the clubhouse, all the officers had suites. Torrent’s was a two-bedroom suite that also had a small kitchen and a family room with a couch and two recliners. He was particular about his space, but he allowed the brothers closest to him to come hang out.

He knocked once to let them know he was coming in and opened the door, the blue butterfly held in his hand.

Cecilia and Calliope were curled up on his couch, a blanket over them, watching a show. Both jumped when he walked in. He paused and forced himself to talk.

“I’m glad you’re getting settled in. Sally suggested I drop by the store, but there were so many that I didn’t know which one you’d want. If you don’t like it, I’ll go get more tomorrow,” he said, holding the blue butterfly out to Calliope. A smile spread across her face. She jumped up and ran toward him. He braced and caught her as she threw her arms around him.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. She’s perfect. Just like my one at home,” she said.

Torrent nodded. He didn’t have much experience dealing with kids. He was glad she liked it. Maybe he should go tomorrow and get her some more. She’d lost her parents and been uprooted. Torrent hadn’t had parents that he would care if he lost, but he’d be devastated if something happened to Dragon and Sally. They’d saved him and treated him like a son.

“Are we staying here?” Calliope asked. Cecilia sat up straighter. He guessed she would want to know too.

“Let’s talk,” he said, grabbing a chair from his kitchen area and bringing it in front of the couch on the other side of his coffee table. He didn’t want Cecilia any more uncomfortable than she already was being in an unfamiliar room.

He settled in front of them once Calliope had sat down. Cecilia turned off the show.

“This is my suite of rooms, and yes, you’re staying here. There are lots of things we need to deal with tomorrow, but for tonight, I want you both to eat supper and have a good night’s sleep,” he said, explaining as little as he could. He’d gotten Dragon and the brothers to agree to wait until tomorrow to get all the information from Cecilia and get her agreement to marry him. It also gave him time to think of options if Cecilia flat-out refused to marry him. He wasn’t leaving them on their own to face the Chief. His club was his family, and he wouldn’t leave them for anything, but if Cecilia didn’t marry him, then she couldn’t stay at the club. If that happened and he couldn’t convince her to change her mind, he’d need to have another option to present to the club of how he could keep her safe and protect the club at the same time. The thought of the Chief of Police getting his hands on Calliope made Torrent physically sick.

“I’m going to need more than that tomorrow, but for tonight, I’m so exhausted. Waiting until we’ve slept seems like the best option,” she said.

He couldn’t believe her strength. She’d been through what no woman wants to and fought to make sure her sister didn’t suffer the same fate. She might be putting on a brave front now, but she’d fall apart at some point. No one came away from an encounter like that unscathed.

Cecilia finished the grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup that Torrent had made them. She’d been surprised when he’d asked about Calliope’s comfort food and then proceeded to make it. He’d also had a roll of cookie dough in the refrigerator that he’d asked Calliope if she’d be willing to make.

He didn’t talk much. There hadn’t been unnecessary conversation between them at supper. Calliope was a chatterbox and filled the silence talking about her stuffed animals and her friend at school. At ten, she was in the fifth grade.

Cecilia had to keep pushing away the thoughts of what Horace wanted to do to her little sister or she’d throw up. She’d decided while she waited for Calliope to come home that she would do whatever it took to keep herself and Calliope safe.

Now, she had to rely on someone else to help her keep them safe. She was torn about not talking about the future tonight. On the one hand, she needed to know what the club was going to expect for their help. She wasn’t naïve enough to think they’d help her for free. There had to be some type of agreement. But she was exhausted and barely holding it together. She was hoping maybe Calliope would watch television while Cecilia showered. Once she was alone, she could let down the tight hold she’d kept on her emotions. She desperately needed the cleansing of a good cry.

Growing up, Cecilia had always been able to compartmentalize when something happened. It was one of the traits that made her a good nurse in the ER and also with sexual assault cases. She could push her emotions away about what was happening to the person, or had happened, to help them through it. She was great in a crisis, but there were many nights after she got home from her shift at the hospital that she’d cry in the shower. Some nights she’d follow it up by relaxing with a good book and a glass of wine. She didn’t have any books or wine tonight, so she’d settle for the shower and a good cry.

Cecilia cleared the plates and bowls off the table, loading them in the dishwasher while Torrent answered a knock at the door. She breathed deeply, counting to relax herself. No one was coming into the room to hurt them. While they ate, Torrent had made it a point to say they were safe and no one would get on the property without them knowing it.

She put the last dish in, wiped down the table, and slid the chairs in.

Torrent carried a large sack. “Sally brought you both clothes.”

Cecilia waited to see if he’d continue. Nope, that was it—it seemed.

“I can put them in a bedroom. Which one will we sleep in?” she asked. If she had to examine how she felt about staying in Torrent’s suite, she’d say safe. The big, unsmiling man made her feel like nobody was getting through him tonight.