Page 18 of Tormented
“I—I’m . . . .” My voice is weak, and he doesn’t hear me as I try to get his attention.
“Same goes for the rest of you,” Hooch warns, standing with his back to me as he blocks my view of the people crowded around the spectacle. “We have one fuckin’ rule that’s easy to follow around here, and that’s to respect our women. Now get,” he bellows. People scarper left and right, blending back into the masses going about their evening like nothing is amiss.
I guess for them it isn’t.
“I’m okay,” I finally manage to get out.
Hooch spins, a frown pulling his brow in. “No, you ain’t.” He half turns, lifting his chin to see over the heads of the people milling by the bar. “Dog!”
“Yeah?” comes back from the crowd, the attractive young blond pushing his way through people to reach us.
“Cover the bar for a bit.”
“Sure thing.” He gives me a sly wink as I let Hooch guide me from the area.
We round the bar just in time for me to see Sawyer lead Ramona into King’s office. I dig my heels in, Hooch crashing into my back, my heart racing as she follows Sawyer and closes the door.
“What you lookin’ at?” Hooch follows my line of sight, but finds nothing except the office door.
“Nothing important,” I say on a sigh, passing him and heading for the back deck.
He shadows me into the dim light, lifting a hand to acknowledge our Cali president, Tap, sitting off to our right as he sucks back a smoke.
“What did you want me for?” I ask.
“What do you think?” he deadpans.
I could count the people who know some of my history on one hand, and Hooch, he has one of those fingers earmarked as his. A night of weakness, too much alcohol, and a sniff of the good coke he always carries, and I let him in on part of why I ran away to try my luck on the streets.
“I’m fine. I just . . . I haven’t been sleeping too well.”
“Me either.” He reaches out, using a huge bear paw to gently sweep my hair free of my face.
I stiffen, but allow it, because after all, it’s Hooch, a guy I trust to keep my best interests at heart, one of the few men who look out for me with no expectation of anything in return.
The man I trusted enough to lose my virginity to in another drug-induced moment of weakness.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m being so selfish.” He’s just lost his father and sister to Sawyer’s old man, and here I am bleeding on about nightmares.
“You weren’t doin’ it on purpose.” Hooch avoids my concerned gaze.
“Still.”
“Still.”
I tentatively place my hand over his. He turns his palm over and links his thick fingers around mine. It’s awkward, but needed. I can suffer for a while if it helps him heal.
“I’m sorry I missed the funerals.” It had to have been hard on Hooch, losing close to his entire family in the same week.
“You didn’t miss much,” he says quietly. “It was fuckin’ weird to be honest. Like havin’ a party without the guest of honor.”
Neither body made it out of Carlos’ compound. Neither family member had a chance at being laid to rest properly.
“I can’t even guess how that feels.”
He gives my hand a light squeeze and then lets go, sucking in a huge breath as he shuts down and returns to the hard-ass joker everyone knows and loves.
“You ready to tell me what’s keepin’ you awake at night, then?”