Page 37 of Torch

Cara smacked her lips. “I didn’t drag her. I just trapped her head in my truck and drove around a little. I didn’t even break her neck.” Cara shrugged and kept eating.

At this point, Kira and I quietly giggled together. She was dead serious and didn’t see anything wrong with what she just said. Now I saw why everyone kept telling her not to do anything crazy.

Tammy folded her arms and scoffed. “Is all of this supposed to be scaring me?”

Cara laughed, setting her steak knife down. She reached into the leather cut she had on and pulled out a gun. Calmly, she placed it on the table. She picked up her knife again and started cutting into her steak. “If I have to stop eating my food to fuck you up, it’s going to take God and all his angels to come down here to resuscitate you.”

Cara never looked up from her plate. She just ate calmly, further scaring the hell out of me. I didn’t think she was bluffing either. Tammy smartened up and stormed off. Morgan looked like she wanted to say something else, but eventually she and Emily followed Tammy.

Once they were gone, everyone visibly sighed in relief. Sara looked at her sister, surprised. “Wow. I thought for sure you were about to beat her ass all through this restaurant.”

Cara placed a piece of steak in her mouth and chewed. “I don’t have time to deal with Viper’s shit. When I dragged Jayda, he followed me for two weeks, took all my weapons, and edged me every fuckin’ night. That thirsty-ass bitch is not worth the trouble.”

It was quiet for a moment before we all roared with laughter. Despite the little hiccup with Morgan and her friends, tonight was fun. I could definitely see us doing this again. My situation with my family might have been a shit show, but my personal life was forming into everything I’d ever wanted.

For the longest time, I had to fake every smile and pretend to be happy. On the inside, I was hurting like hell. All I wanted was pure happiness. Now that it was here, I couldn’t regret it. Even if that meant I would always be at odds with my family.

Chapter Thirteen

TORCH

As I drove up the dirt path leading to my home, I took my time. I wanted Brit to get a good look around and explore the grounds. It wasn’t too much, but I wanted her to get familiar with the place. When I pulled up to the restaurant to pick Brittney up, my sisters and all the Ol’ Ladies started catcalling and teasing us. Brit couldn’t hide her blush even if she tried.

I was happy to see the Ol’ Ladies welcoming her in. That was a good sign. Don’t get me wrong, their approval wasn’t necessary, but it was a relief. I knew how close all the girls were. They were a true sisterhood, and they stuck together.

On the way here, Brittney told me how much fun she had with them and how she couldn’t wait to do it again. That led me to believe nothing had happened during dinner. Trouble always seemed to follow the girls. We never blamed them because they never went looking for problems. Women were catty and loved starting problems with them.

So, needless to say, I wasn’t shocked when she told me they had, in fact, had a run-in with Morgan and her friends. However, I was in disbelief that it didn’t turn into a riot. Especially when it came to Cara. She was territorial as hell when it came to Viper. I gave Brit a warning to try and get her sister and her friends in line. Because once Cara snapped, nothing and no one would be able to stop her.

“Oh my God! Whose house is that?” Brittney exclaimed.

I chuckled when I followed her gaze. I couldn’t say I blamed her for her reaction. “That’s my parents' place.”

Brittney turned to me with wide eyes. My parents had basically built a mini-mansion on the clubhouse grounds. Their home equaled three of the homes we built put together.

Brittney turned to me to say more, but we pulled into my driveway, halting her words. She stared at my home with her mouth dropped open. My house wasn’t as big as my parents', but it wasn’t small either. I had six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Along with a game room, plus my man cave slash home gym. I pushed the button to open my garage door. After I parked my car inside, I cut the engine.

“Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you inside so I can give you a tour.”

“Okay,” she said quietly. I could tell she was deep in thought. Once we got settled, I would ask her what she was thinking about.

I got her bag from the back seat, grabbed her hand, and led her inside. I heard her gasp behind me. I turned and saw her gazing around my place in awe. Since we entered through the garage door, we were standing in my living room. It was sleek and spacious. I had an oversized black sectional with gray-and-white velvet pillows. A ninety-inch television screen was mounted on the wall, with a black marble fireplace beneath. My floor-to-ceiling windows were covered with gray silk curtains.

“Christian, your place is stunning,” Brittney marveled as she traveled further inside to explore.

I beamed with pride. Most people who came here thought I had hired a professional decorator. But I had designed my home all alone. “Thanks, beautiful. Would you like a full tour, or do you want to settle and relax?”

Brittney grinned. “No, I want to see everything.” I grabbed her hand and led her around from room to room. When we got to my game room, she shrieked and took off to the other side. “Oh my God! I haven’t seen a SEGA in ages! How do you have this?”

I chuckled as I made my way over. “It wasn’t easy, but I found a collector who sells vintage game consoles. But what do you know about a SEGA?”

Brittney turned to me, placing her hands on her hips. “If you must know, I am the reigning champ among my cousins in Mortal Kombat. No one has ever beaten me.”

I smirked down at her. “Well, we’ll have to see if you still got your skills.”

She playfully rolled her eyes and scoffed. “That’s fine with me, but don’t cry when I beat you.”

“Same to you, baby.” I grabbed her hand and finished the tour in my man cave. I led her over to my newest installment in my home. My mom almost had a heart attack when I finally showed it to her.