Page 53 of Tormented

Only thing is, unless it fixes bikes, has a wicked temper, and a name that starts with ‘A’, I’m not interested.

So I’ve been sending the girls on wild goose chases about the compound, giving them bullshit clues about where I might be. It’s hilarious. Best free fucking entertainment I’ve had for a long time.

“You need to stop wastin’ their time,” Tap chastises. “If you ain’t interested, just tell them, would you?”

“Yeah, alright.” I fold my arms over my chest and widen my stance. “What did you want me out of bed for, anyway?”

He jerks his head toward the bar. “Got news from Lincoln.”

“What kind?” I didn’t do my usual and check my Facebook feed before I headed downstairs, too preoccupied with that damn wallet.

“Your father’s kind.”

I drop onto a stool as he prepares us a drink, and groan. “What’s the old bastard done now?” More death threats to his ex-wife—King’s woman? Sent the cops over on some bogus tip-off again? Nothing would surprise me.

“Set fire to the place.”

Then again . . . .

Well . . . .

“Everyone okay?” Namely Abbey.

Tap nods, setting water down in front of me while he holds a whiskey in his other hand.

I scowl at the asshole and receive a lifted brow in response.

“How bad was the damage?”

“Garage came close to being gutted. Few bedrooms were written off. But nothing structural. It’s all fixable.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep.”

“Fingers will be torn up about it, I bet.”

“He got Abbey to give him an inventory on what needs replacing—couldn’t face the mess himself.”

“Damn.” I swallow, reaching out to fidget with the bottle of water. “She okay? I mean, she was always in there with him and that.”

Silence has me turning to look at Tap. Smug prick smiles at me.

“What?”

“Call her up, if you’re worried.”

I snort. “Yeah, no thanks.”

“She might like to hear from you.”

“When my old man trashed her safe place?” I shake my head. “Don’t think so.”

Besides, she made it pretty damn clear what she thought of my advances before I left. So damn clear that I’m starting to think she was right, and I misjudged my own intentions.

Maybe I did want to take advantage of her? Maybe it wasn’t that I found some kind of solace in her disturbed mind, but that I thought if I broke in, infected her thought patterns she’d become as obsessed with me as I am with her.

But why? Why do I want the timid little kid who until now mutually shared my hate?