13. Skylar

Chapter 13

Skylar

As we walk into the club, I can think of a million other places I'd rather be, like going to the dentist to get a root canal, a gynecologist to get a pap smear, or even a firing squad. I'd try to talk Torin out of it, but I'm pretty sure that would be akin to beating a dead horse. The stupid man seems to have his mind made up. I could fight it. Yet, the thing is, his hot and cold attitude is driving me crazy. There's been a shift in how he's treating me, and I want to see exactly what he has in mind. I wasn't kidding; he was always supposed to be my first. Despite him being a jerk the last three years, Torin has made me feel more alive than any other man. I want him to make love to me. I always have. That doesn't mean I'm going to fall in line. If he really is going to give into this attraction between us, I will indeed make him crawl and beg before I will accept being with him fully. He's hurt me a lot over the last three years. Even if I still love him, I'm not going to be stupid and forget the past. That's not the kind of person I am. I'm too proud for that. Besides, my dad would kick my ass if I let Torin get away with that.

"Joker!" the men call out, and I exhale, letting him hear my irritation.

"Joker, let me down."

He turns his attention from Wheeler back to me. "I want you in my arms, Peaches."

I roll my eyes and slap my hand against his chest. "You're embarrassing me around my family. The last thing I want my family to think is that I am weak , you big doofus," I grumble.

Torin huffs and gives me a look that tells me he's not happy. However, he does put me down. He keeps one hand tight around my back, his fingers biting into my side. It's not painful, but the intent is clear. The man wants me to stay right by his side.

"Kyla!"

I look up to see Trudy walking over to us. I pull away from Torin so I can hug her. "Hey, woman," I laugh as she hugs me close. Trudy is like an older sister, only I'm probably closer to her than Thea. It's not because I don't love Thea—we're just different people. Thea keeps herself closed off. The only people she's ever let in are our parents, Mattie, Thomas, and Dom. She's always been more comfortable around men. I'm the complete opposite. That may explain my current issues with Torin. Men make me uncomfortable. I've never really been interested in dating that much. The one time I tried, it was with Chad. I didn't go out with him because I was in love—or even deep like. He was the school jock. All the girls wanted him, but he seemed to only want me. The attention was nice, so I agreed to some dates. Everyone said we were meant to be together. It just seemed like less hassle to continue dating him instead of breaking up and being pressured into going out with other guys that I had zero interest in.

Torin is the only man I've ever been physically attracted to. It never occurred to me to date any other man after I met him. I'm starting to see what a big mistake that was. Which, I suppose, is the main reason I'm thinking of going out with Carlos. He's a great guy, always makes me laugh, our families are close, and he's been hung up on me for a while. Torin's reaction to Carlos talking to me was shocking, though. I wish I could figure out what was going on in his brain. I shake that thought away and try to concentrate on Trudy.

"Girl, what gives?" she chastises.

"What do you mean?" I ask, not understanding.

"You're Joker's old lady?" she cries.

"I—"

"That she is, but I just convinced her tonight. We haven't told our family yet," Torin interjects, making me jump. I had no idea that he was listening to our conversation. He's standing right behind me, damn it. I thought the others would distract him longer. I sigh as not even a second later, I feel his arm snake around me again. I turn, giving him an annoyed look. He just winks at me. I hate how makes my heart run away with me. I get the feeling from Torin's smug look that he knows exactly how he makes me feel.

The bastard.

"Girl, how could you not let me in on the tea? You should have told me, especially after that last reading I gave you!"

"What reading?" Joker asks.

"Didn't Kyla tell you? I gave her a reading a few weeks ago with tea leaves. It's something new that I'm dabbling with."

"It didn't work," I answer before Trudy can blab.

Trudy gives her signature twinkly bell laugh that I normally loved to hear. Today, however, it just makes me want to growl at her to shut up. Telling her that probably wouldn't be too smart, though. Archie is pretty damn protective of his woman.

"Bullshit. This is proof that it did," she argues. I hold my head down in defeat as I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"What's proof?"

"You claiming Kyla as yours. The leaves revealed that she'd suffer loss and love and I swear the initial J was in the leaves. Obviously, the love part is you!" she exclaims excitedly.

"Or it could prove that we're not going to work out and he's the great loss," I mutter.

"Kyla!" Trudy admonishes.

"What? I'm just playing devil's advocate here. We all know what a man—whore Joker is."

I can hear Torin's rumble of discontent next to my ear. He puts a hand under my chin, forcing me to look at him. "There's something for you to get straight, Peaches. I'm not going anywhere."

"Peaches? Oh, that's so cute! I love you two together," Trudy squeals.

"You hear that, baby girl? She loves us together," Torin croons.

"We're not?—"

"We're not advertising it just yet, Trudy. We need time to tell Bull and Breaker."

Trudy nods understandingly. "I get it. She is the baby of the family after all. Doesn't matter that she's old enough to have a relationship or not. I dealt with the same thing with my big brother."

"I think with my family it's just they're worried about seeing me with a past that has him being … shall we say, a man-whore?"

"Peaches—" Torin growls and just as I'm preparing myself for his wrath, this screeching cry can be heard across the room over the music.

"Oh look, sweetheart, speaking of your man-whore past, here's one of your prize stars. I hear she likes to be filmed. What did you two call your movie? Debbie does Cincinnati?" I ask, blinking up at him as if I'm completely innocent.

Trudy laughs, but you can barely hear it over the loud guffaws of Freeze, Archie, and Wheeler—though most of the club call him Big Willy. He's the chapter president and an amazing guy. He also makes the rest of his crew look small—and considering Freeze is freaking huge, that's saying something. I mean, sure Freeze is taller than him, but Big Willy is so broad it's scary. Trudy told me the man once lifted one of those extra-large, fireproof, gun safes—completely filled with guns, knives, and ammo—and carried it by himself from his room in the club to his office which is a good thirty feet apart. I figure she was over embellishing, but sometimes I wonder.

"You're going to pay for that one, Peaches," Torin warns.

I look at him and yawn. I don't bother responding because right about that time, Debbie barrels into him and jumps up, wrapping her arms around his neck. He reaches out and his hands land on her hips. I don't know if he does it out of familiarity, because this is probably how she always greets him, or if it's to brace her so that she doesn't make him stumble backward. A moment later, I wonder if he did it to enable her to lift and wrap her legs around his body so she could climb him like a spider monkey, or hell—with that fingernails-on-a-chalkboard squeal—a howler monkey. I sit down on a tabletop behind me and cross my legs, watching as she holds onto him.

"Joker! I missed you so much," she gushes. "When Freeze told me you were coming, I made sure I planned the perfect night for you!"

"Debbie, get down," Torin grumbles, looking very uncomfortable. I roll my eyes.

"If you want her down, drop her ass on the floor, Joker. Don't act like you don't have a choice." He looks over her shoulder at me.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Debbie-with-more-tits-than-brains snaps.

"My biggest problem is that I don't want to be here. I had plans, but Joker decided I needed to be here and didn't give me a choice. My next biggest problem is the asshole probably expects me to share a bed with him tonight?—"

"You will be in my bed, Skylar."

"See?" I respond, but more to Debbie than Torin. "Drop her, or I swear by all that is holy, Joker, whatever part of her she has touched tonight will not touch me or I'll chop it off one painful inch at a time."

Trudy giggles. "I swear to God, I love you, Kyla."

"Love you, too. So, what's it going to be, Joker?"

"You don't call me Joker. I'm not Joker to you and you're just doing it to make me spank that fucking amazing ass of yours."

"On that note, I'm going to leave you to play your games with Dumbass-Debbie, and I'm going to bed. Trudy? My room here free tonight?" I ask.

"Who the fuck are you calling a dumbass? I'll show you how shit is handled here. You don't disrespect me. I'm Joker's favorite. He chooses me over any other woman here at the club. You know what that means, don't you?"

"He's an idiot?" I deadpan.

"No, it means I'm in line to be his old lady," she brags, and I ignore how much her words bother me. I don't know why it should, that had been the gossip around here forever. Everyone said Torin loved getting his dick wet with Debbie. So much so that he never looked at another girl here, unless it was one of Debbie's friends. I really am starting to realize what an idiot I've been over the last three years.

"Trudy?"

"Yeah, honey, you can have your old room," she answers. "I can take you."

I take a deep breath of relief. The party here is just heating up. I can already see several club girls taking care of a couple of the guys in the back. I'm not a prude. I don't really care what people do. It's just not my scene. Even if what Torin did to me in the club was hot, showing my body in a public setting—while being with someone I love—is not what I want. The only reason I didn't stop what we did together back at Swank is because no one could see my body. They may have known what was happening, but they didn't see any part of me. I want that to be for my man to see—and him alone.

"Sounds good," I mutter. I slide off the table and stare at Torin—who still has Debbie clinging to him. I know it's pissing him off when I call him Joker. He's made it clear he doesn't like it, but he's not mine. That's becoming more and more clear. I was a stupid dreamer. That's going to end tonight.

"Peaches—"

I pull his cut from my body. "I don't need this. You can give it to your old lady there," I interject.

"Damn it," he growls.

"Think fast," I warn and then I toss his cut at him. He reaches out to grab it. I may have thrown it a little wide. Torin's forced to jump back to catch it. I didn't plan it, but I will say that it's kind of satisfying to see Double-D-Debbie fall down on the concrete floor. Unfortunately, I don't think it hurt her a damn bit. Her ass has to be so full of fillers that it's a wonder that she didn't bounce and crash her head into the vaulted ceiling above. Next, I throw Torin's shirt at him and before the bastard can say one thing, I walk away in my little black dress, with Trudy laughing and wrapping her arm around mine.

"Ow! What the fuck, Joker?" Debbie once again screeches.

"Skylar!" he growls, ignoring her—which is kind of satisfying even if it shouldn't be.

"Sorry, Joker. I'm going to my room. I'm completely worn out. I've dealt with too much bullshit today. Besides, I promised Carlos, that I'd call him tonight. Trudy, did you know Carlos's middle name is Javier? It also starts with a J, and it's his real name," I add, not bothering to turn around. Torin can kiss my ass. I'm done pining over the asshole. He doesn't deserve me.