Chapter 35

**MARLOWE**

I hadn’t seen anything out of Torin all day, and I now wandered around the compound. The evening sky was lit with bright stars, casting a silver glow over the landscape. The air was alive with the hum of engines and the murmur of voices, the scent of leather and gasoline hanging heavy in the air.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as I made my way through the bikers, and glancing around, I saw Jax watching me. A small shudder rippled down my spine. The man made my skin crawl. But it wasn't the biker that troubled me right now. It was the knowledge that Torin had had feelings strong enough toward Sobain to make her his ol' lady at one time, and to be honest, I didn't like it.

I had always thought of Torin as mine, and I felt a sense of jealousy. I tried to push the feeling aside, telling myself that it was petty and childish, after all, I had no claim on him. As the night wore on, I finally spotted Torin sitting with Sobain more and my heart twisted with every smile or touch they exchanged. I knew I had to leave, to get out of there before I did something I would regret. But I couldn't bring myself to leave, not yet. I was obsessed, it seemed, in making myself miserable.

Sobain’s laughter filled the air, a stark contrast to the darkness that had embraced my mood. She seemed so happy, so carefree, and it only made my own emptiness more apparent. I felt like a ghost, invisible and unnoticed as I watched them. I tried to look away, to focus on anything else, but my eyes kept drifting back to them. I couldn't help myself. It was as if I was a moth, and they were the flame that I was destined to burn myself on.

As the night wore on, I found myself getting more and more agitated. I couldn't understand why I was feeling this way, why I couldn't just leave. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, not yet. I was trapped, caught in this cycle of obsession and self-pity. And so I stayed, watching Torin and Sobain, ripe with envy as I waited for the moment Torin would notice me across from them.

But it never came. Finally, having enough, I stood, and wandered away from the bonfire, away from the light and warmth of the flames. Finding a log, I dropped down onto it, my thoughts in a myriad of directions. The sound of a twig breaking jolted me out of my reverie, and jerking around, I felt the same sense of unease of earlier shiver through me at seeing Jax standing before me, his eyes filled with a piercing intensity as he stared down at me.

Quickly standing, I made to go around him, when he reached out and grabbed my arm. "Where ya going, sweetheart?" he sneered, his voice low and menacing. I tried to shake him off, but his grip was like a vice, his fingers digging into my skin. I could feel the heat of his body, the tension in his muscles, and see the look of hunger in his eyes.

“Let go of me,” I hissed, twisting and turning as I tried to break free of Jax’s grasp. He was too strong, but I could tell it was becoming an effort for him to contain me.

As his hot breath hit me in the face, my skin crawled, and raising a leg, I kicked at him, at the same time trying again to jerk my arm free.

Jax had always given me the creeps, but until now, I had never felt threatened by him, for with a snarl, he tightened his hold, his fingers digging cruelly into my arm. It hurt, and I knew I would have bruises tomorrow from his nails digging into my flesh, but the bruising on my arm was the last thing I was concerned about; I needed to get away from him, and fast.

Things had rapidly escalated and were getting out of control. What had, moments earlier, been nothing more alarming than an unpleasant confrontation, was now quickly becoming the possibility of something so much worse. The look in his eyes had shifted from hunger to frightening, and his intent was clearly written within their depths.

At the sight, I began to really fight against him, kicking and using my free arm, I punched at him, but in a matter of seconds, I was on the ground, and Jax was standing over me, unbuckling his belt. Elbows digging into the dirt beneath them, as feet pushing in assistance, I started scampering on my butt backward. “Jax, you don’t wanna do this,” I urged.

A mirthless laugh escaped him. “You’ve thought from the get your pussy’s too good for the likes of me. Well, by the time I’m done, ain’t no man gonna want you or it. I plan to make damn sure of that!”

As Jax's hateful words spilled from his mouth, a figure had stepped out of the shadows directly behind him and Torin drawled, low and menacing,. "Jax, what the fuck you think you’re doin', man?"

Jax glanced over his shoulder at Torin, his face wearing a sneer. "Back off, brother. You and I ain’t got no beef. This is between the bitch and me."

Torin chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. "I don't think I’ll do that, Jax. I have a bit of a problem with a man hurting a woman.”

Jax took a step away from me, and one toward Torin. “I said, back off!”

Torin stood his ground. “Walk away, Jax!” he hissed.

My eyes narrowed as I watched the interaction between the two of them. I knew Torin was dangerous, but I had never expected he would come against a club brother like this over me.

Jax shook his head, then pointing between him and Torin, he stated, “You and I, we ain’t got no problem, unless you wanna make one. So, why don't you just leave me and Marlowe to handle our business."

Torin laughed again, the sound even more sinister than before. "You really think I’m gonna do that? Now, I’m going to say this once more, and only once more. *Walk away*.”

Like the idiot he was showing himself to be, Jax took another step toward Torin, and with a shake of his head, Torin, his voice a low growl, muttered, “Marlowe, go!"

I didn't need to be told twice, and scrambling off the ground, I turned and ran.
~~
An hour later, I was taking in the bruise developing on Torin's cheekbone as he growled, "My God, but you're trouble!"

I felt a frisson of anger wash through me at his words. I knew he was referencing the encounter with Jax, and as I hadn’t been at fault for what had gone down, I snapped, “What the hell did I do?”

Shaking his head he muttered, "Jesus you really don't have a clue do you?"

Feeling piqued, I hissed "No I guess I don't. Why don't you enlighten me?”

"Oh darling, I fully intend to. Look at you. You were out there in the middle of a bunch of bikers with your ass half hanging out of your shorts, and with legs that go on for miles, wearing a t-shirt, that is so small it looks like it should be worn by a three year old and no fucking bra beneath it. Its no wonder Jax was sniffing around you."

I was taken aback at his words and huffed, "I'm not dressed any different than any other chick here."

Torin just stared at me, then stated, "That may be so, but the other chicks aren't mine!"

Damn, the man knew how to get to me, but I wasn’t ready to not be mad, yet.

As I glared at him, Torin reached out and grasped a strand of my hair, then in one swift move, he turned and pushed my back up against the wall. His mouth swooped down to take mine, at the same time, sliding one hand down the back of my thigh, as lifting my leg he encircled his waist with it and pushed into me, grinding his pelvis against mine. His arousal rubbed against the sensitive nub behind the material of my shorts, and he groaned, “Do you realize I can feel your heat? Jesus, but you drive me fucking insane!”

Reaching up, I pulled his mouth back down to mine, I buried my fingers in his hair, taking and giving as our lips and tongues danced together.
It was much, much later before we left the room.
~~
Days passed and I was dealing with total confusion over Torin, for after we had gone our separate ways after leaving the bedroom, we had fallen into some kind of...hell, I didn't know what we'd fallen into. We'd become like ships passing in the night, uttering the occasional, "Hi, how are you," when we happened to see each other about the compound.

With each encounter, I further felt my heart shatter, for once again, Torin had gone all aloof, and I couldn’t help wondering what he dealt with in his mind that caused him to become a stranger at those times. It was obvious something was eating at him, bad, and was causing his eyes to look tired, dispirited.
As well, he'd wrapped himself so tight in an aura of detachment; he'd damn near cocooned himself within it. His detachment was worse than usual. The winds he'd been blowing up to this point had been varied and shifting. Yet, this…this was different, and it scared the shit out of me. It was like his emotions were shutting down, and I was afraid I was losing him completely.