Page 1 of Torqued Off

1BREE

“Bree,we have someone new coming in today for a possible membership,” Gia Maldese walks into the room and every head turns. She’s a commanding presence and we all take notice. Doesn’t hurt that she’s incredibly beautiful, too. But now that she has Beck, her boyfriend who is the male handsome, imposing version of her, I try to keep my fangirling to a limit.

I stand to get ready. “I’m on it. Name?”

“Quinn Fox.”

“Cool name.”

“I’ve known her for over twenty years. I used to be her babysitter a long time ago.” She rubs her belly. It’s getting bigger every day and now she’s limited what she can do. She used to do the newbie riding checkouts, but now that she’s sidelined by the surprise growing inside of her, I was able to weasel my way into the position and I really enjoy it. It wasn’t that long ago I was the newbie, and I’ve always felt like I didn’t fit anywhere, when I drove through that giant garage door into the parking bay, I knew I was home.

And I haven’t had a home in a long time.

Turns out forgetting my past was way harder than driving away from it.

“And now she might be babysitting your baby?”

“Would be an odd twist of fate, right?” she asks as she hands me an info sheet on this Quinn.

“I don’t know, sounds kinda sweet to me.”

She nods. “Actually, it really would be. But I want you to take good care of her. She’s new to riding, so no showing off. Just make sure she’s got the basics down and help her understand the Red Lipstick rules.”

“Will do.”

The Red Lipstick MC Club has lots of rules and we all have to be able to recite them. I run the riding rules through my head.

1. Safety first. No helmet. No long pants. No boots. And there will be no ride for you.

2. Don’t show off. Both wheels stay on the ground.

3. Race and you’re gone. We follow the speed limit and rules of the road.

4. Enjoy yourself. If you’re not enjoying this, why are you doing it?

5. Lastly, follow the club rules and don’t become a statistic. There’s a reason medical professionals call these machines “donorcycles.”

These rules keep us safe on the road.

And then there’s the club rules. They keep us safe inside of the building and with each other. Most of us have had times in our lives when we haven’t felt safe.

I’m not an exception.

And we need to feel trust with someone. That’s what Red Lipstick does. It gives us someone to trust with the rules becoming the backbone for secure and boundary driven relationships.

I grab my helmet from the rack. “She out front?”

“Yep. Thanks, Bree.”

“Anything for you Gia.”

The first time I met her, over six months ago, I thought maybe she might be someone I could get to know better. I laugh to myself as I create a fortune cookie in my head, adding…in bedto that sentence. My penchant for “love the one you’re with” probably would be a heyday for a psychiatrist.

Their notes would read: Never loved by her parents, she took to trying to love anyone and everyone.

And she fucking enjoyed herself…while fucking.

I chuckle to myself. Totally worth it. I’ve had more pleasure in my twenty-four years than most women probably get in a lifetime. Although it’s been a couple months now since I’ve engagedin bedwith anyone. I just seem to have taken a break. Maybe it’s I’m more busy at the club, but maybe it’s something else entirely.

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