Chapter One
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Holly asked, plumping pillows around Mary as she started to walk. Matthew, Duke’s son, was standing in the doorway laughing his ass off.
“Don’t start or I’m so going to whoop your ass on the court. Use this time to get some practice in,” Mary said. She hated this. Ever since she’d left home at eighteen she’d been living with her best friend Holly, but that was back at their apartment, not like this.
“You overdid it at the wedding and now you have to rest. You should have told us the Doctor ordered you to rest.”
“It’s in a cast, Hols. I wasn’t going to miss your wedding day. You’d have picked another bridesmaid, and I wasn’t going to let that happen.” Mary pushed aside some of her brown hair that had fallen over her eyes.
“She’s right,” Duke said, walking in. He held a spoon in one hand and a peanut butter jar with the other. “I wasn’t waiting around to marry you.”
“You’re a pain in the ass, both of you,” Holly said. “You’re on bed rest until that leg comes out of a cast, and I’m coming with you to all of your appointments. I don’t trust you, and it’s all your fault.”
Mary stuck her tongue out at her lifetime friend, at which Matthew laughed and Duke snorted.
“You just stuck your tongue out!” Holly glared at her. “I’ll get you back for that, little miss independent.”
She couldn’t take care of herself, and she’d torn several stitches in her leg for not listening to her doctor. Even though Pike, the bastard that he was, had been the best man, she couldn’t bring herself to miss her best friend’s wedding.
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to this.” She pointed at her useless leg propped up on the coffee table in the luxury of Duke’s ranch house. The place was a dream home, designed and built by the man himself. “I like working.”
“Mac’s holding you a job. Pike saw to that,” Duke said, taking a seat beside her on the couch. He offered her a peanut butter laden spoon, and she shook her head.
“I don’t want Pike doing any favors for me. I don’t need him or want him helping me out.”
“You’re Holly’s best friend. She’s my old lady, and what makes her unhappy means I don’t get any.”
“Dad, ew, I don’t need to hear this.” Matthew walked away sticking his fingers in his ears.
“If I’m not getting any, the club has a problem. You’re club property, Mary. I don’t give a fuck if you like it or not. It’s the truth.”
“I’m sorry.” She hated being a lump to everyone. Her parents were a waste of time and did nothing in their life apart from get drunk, screw around, and beat the shit out of their daughter when they could. “I’ll make it up to both of you.”
“Make us a couple of pies when you’re all better and we’ll call it even.” Duke slapped her thigh, handing her the peanut butter. “I’ve got to head out to the club.” He walked toward Holly. “You good to get Matthew to school?”
“Of course.”
Mary couldn’t look away as Duke sank his fingers into Holly’s long, blonde hair. The love he had for her friend was so beautiful that it made Mary’s chest hurt. She’d never get anything like that or even know what it was like to be desired.
Forcing herself to look away, she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, pushing the tears away.
“I love you,” Holly said.
“Love you, too.” Duke headed out the door, and Matthew came back into the room carrying a backpack.
“We ready to go?”
“Yep, my dad is picking us up. I really need to learn how to drive.” The sound of a horn honking alerted them to Holly’s dad, Russ. “Go on out and I’ll just finish getting Mary settled.”
Matthew didn’t argue as he left them alone. “He’s a good kid,” Mary said.
“Yeah, one of the best and he’s doing great at school, so I can’t complain.”
Chuckling, Mary saw the life her friend had already built up. Holly was Duke’s old lady, the stepmother of his son. She had a life, a future.
“I’m so happy for you.” Mary smiled at her friend, meaning every single word she said.
“You’re going to find that special man for you.”
“I’m not. There’s no one out there for me.” Mary reached up to take hold of her friend’s hand. “And that’s okay. You know, it’s all okay, and I’m not worried about it. Maybe I’ll get a cat to keep me going. I think a cat would be nice. The apartment will be a little lonely.”
“I’ve got to talk to Duke about it, but I was thinking of offering you a place to stay here.”
“No, Hols. You’re a married woman. I will not move in with you. I’m here until the leg gets better. Not a moment longer. I’ve got plans.” She kissed Holly’s hand. “Now, go, take your son to high school and then go watch those kiddies.”
“Stepmom. I have to be the youngest stepmom to a teenager.” Holly laughed. “See you soon.”
“Not before I see you first.” She picked up the remote on the sofa and flicked on the television. “I hate morning shows.” She groaned as a talk show came on. Groaning, she started to change the channels, wishing she’d brought a couple of cookbooks with her. With a cookbook she’d be set for the day. She loved looking through cookery books to change a recipe to suit her taste. Flicking through the channels, she settled on the cookery channel. She needed a book to jot down notes and ideas. “No one is here to find me.”
Putting her leg on the floor, she grabbed her crutches and started moving around the sitting room. When she didn’t find a single pad of paper, she moved into the kitchen. Holly would never be in the kitchen without a notepad. Looking from one drawer to another, she cried out in victory when she saw she was right. There was a small notepad that was already stained with grease. In her excitement she’d dropped one of the crutches, and when she turned, her foot banged against the cupboard. Pain flooded Mary, and she lost her grip, dropping in a heap onto the floor.
“Bad move, Mary, very bad move.” She went to her elbows, groaning at the position she was in. Tucking the notebook, uncomfortably, into her bra, she grabbed her crutches and started to slide across the floor. “This is so totally humiliating, and now I’m talking to myself. I blame you, Holly.”
“Mary?”
As if her day couldn’t get any worse. She heard Pike close the front door. Why was he here? Why was he letting himself into Duke’s home? Closing her eyes, she rubbed at her temples wishing the ground would just swallow her up so she wouldn’t have to face him. Leaning against the cupboard she squeezed her eyes shut trying to catapult herself into another world. This wasn’t a movie, though. It was real life, and she couldn’t force the world away.
“What are you doing in here?”
Opening her eyes, she stared at the man who had torn her heart out. Pike, the VP to Duke. The club ran through his veins just like his blood. He was a total bastard, and she despised him.
“I’m having a party.” The sarcasm dripped from her voice.
“Mary!”
“I was getting a notebook. Why is it so damn important?” Reaching up she started to haul her body off the floor. She was going on a diet and cutting him completely out of her life. She’d lost over ten pounds since that night he’d taken her virginity and cut out her heart. Holly didn’t know about Mary’s latest promise to herself to diet and get in shape. She’d also joined a gym that she took the bus to get three times a week. With Holly no longer with her, she’d have to find another way to work out.
The whole change to her life was to expel the bad shit, namely Pike. Her life was going to change, and she was determined to move on.
He grabbed her around the waist helping her up.
“Get your hands off me.” She struggled against him even as his large hands gripped her waist tightly.
Think about those hands on other women, fucking them, giving them pleasure and not you.
“I’m just trying to help you.”
Gripping the counter in front of her, she glared back at him. With one hand still on her waist, he leaned down for her crutches.
Before she could protest, he placed her arm around his neck, and started leading her back to the couch.
“You shouldn’t be on your feet.”
“How did you know?” she asked, lifting her foot back up to the coffee table. She was tempted to grab her pain pills but decided against them while he was in the room. The pills would only show weakness, and she wasn’t weak. She was strong, stronger than ever before.
“I heard Duke telling Raoul about coming and checking on you. Holly’s worried.”
“Then why are you here?” Reaching into her shirt, she grabbed the notebook and saw she had dropped the pen.
“Here you go.” Pike held a pen in front of her.
She took it, thanking him at the same time.
“I decided to come and see how you were doing.”
Tapping the pen onto the book she stared at her foot. If she could, she’d walk away from him.
“I always wanted to claim a cherry for my own.”
“I’m fine, and you can leave.” She opened the book, grabbing the remote to turn the television up. Mary kept herself facing the screen even as Pike moved close to her.
“Mary?”
“Next time tell Duke not to bother to send me anyone. I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself. I’m here because Holly can’t handle me being alone. When I get the all clear from the doctor, I’ll be gone.” She gripped the book in her hand tightly. Part of her was tempted to leave Vale Valley behind and never look back. Holly had a family, love, and Mary didn’t have to worry about her. Once she was out of town she’d forget about this life and finally move on.
“That’s not going to happen.”
She flinched as he touched her shoulder.
“Mary?”
“Don’t touch me please. Get your hands off me.” She lifted her hand up in the air as if to ward off a blow. Pike wouldn’t physically hurt her. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.
“I’d never hurt you.”
Tears filled her eyes. Pike had hurt her in ways that would stay with her forever.
“Next time Duke wants one of the men to check on me, make sure it’s anyone but you.”
His hand tightened on her shoulder, but she still wouldn’t turn.
“You’ve got to give me a chance here, baby.”
Opening her eyes, she stared straight ahead feeling every inch of his body pressed against her back.
“I don’t have to give you anything. You’ve taken enough. Please leave.”
They were both silent. The only sound to be heard was their heavy breathing.
“Mary?”
“I’m sure your presence is being missed at the club. Leave, Pike. I’ve got nothing to say to you, and there’s nothing here for you.”
“Look at me.”
“No.” Licking her dry lips, she tensed up as he gripped the back of her neck. “Just go.”
He was going to fight her, refuse to leave. The tension in his body mounted, and yet, he stood up. “Fine, I’ll give you space, but it’s not going to change the fact we need to talk.”
“We don’t need to talk.”
She whispered the words settling down on the couch once again.
“Don’t move around on your leg, as otherwise you’ll make me do something you’ll regret.”
Unable to help herself, she turned to stare at him. “Yeah, like what?”
“I’ll take care of you myself. ‘Round the clock care at my own place.”
She glared at him, folding her arms over her chest. Mary didn’t dare say anything in case he wasn’t lying. She didn’t want to risk it.
When the door closed behind him, she finally let the tears fall.
****
Pike took out the packet of cigarettes in his pocket, and sparked one up. He was so pissed off, at himself and at Mary. Fuck, he hated seeing her hurt, and it was killing him to know she wasn’t really taking care of herself.
When he heard Duke talking to Raoul, he’d been so pissed. Why weren’t they coming to him to check on her? Before Duke could say anything to him, he was on his bike heading for the ranch.
Taking a deep draw on the cigarette, Pike stared up at the sky wishing for some kind of fucking answer that he knew wouldn’t come. Blowing out a puff of smoke, he finally closed his eyes. She’d hurt herself by going to the fucking wedding dancing, and now she was on bed-rest.
She was driving him crazy, and he didn’t like it. He’d fucked her a couple of months back, and at the start there had been real fire. The kind of fire you only ever read about or see between really special people like Duke and Holly. She’d flat out scared the shit out of him with what she made him feel. It was never like that with women. Then something snapped. It changed inside him, and he’d turned her first time into shit.
Putting his smoke to his lips, he marched back to his bike and started pushing it out of the driveway. When he got to the gate he saw Raoul enter, stopping as they were about to cross.
“Shit, man, what are you doing here? Duke’s been looking all over for you.”
“I’ve checked on her. You don’t need to worry.”
“I have. My job until Duke gets over the shit I pulled on Holly, I’m on babysitting duty to make amends. He believes it will strengthen my character a little. I don’t see why.”
“Why?” Pike asked, not really giving a shit about Raoul. He was one of the youngest members of the Trojans MC, and at times he wasn’t the smartest, but he had connections.
“I like Mary. She’s fun to be with.” Raoul smiled at him. “His kid’s also pretty cool.”
“You touch Mary and I’ll cut your dick off and feed it to my fucking dog.” He didn’t own a dog, but he’d buy one just to go through with his threat.
He wasn’t smiling, and Raoul got the message. “Fuck, man, if you want her why don’t you fucking claim her? Mary’s wanted you for a hell of a long time. No man is getting between those virginal thighs.”
Pike tilted his head to the side, glaring at the little shit. “No one talks about her thighs or getting between them, understood?”
“You’re a real buzz-kill, you know that?”
Straddling his bike, Pike fired up the engine. “I’ll go and talk to Duke. You stay the fuck away from Mary.”
Riding out of the ranch, Pike didn’t look back, focusing on the road in front of him. Raoul wasn’t a bad guy, and he’d learned his lesson with Holly. Everyone in the club knew they didn’t stand a chance with her. She’d wanted Duke for a long time, fought it for even longer as he’d been married to a slut at one time. That very slut was six feet under for putting Matthew’s life in danger and almost killing Holly.
The same men who’d hurt Holly had also run down Mary as she tried to help her friend. Yeah, the two friends hadn’t had the best of luck in the last couple of months. He’d also not been the best highlight of Mary’s life.
Driving toward the diner, he parked up outside behind a red pickup truck. His cell phone was ringing and vibrating like shit in his pocket. Turning off his bike so he could think, he answered the phone.
“What?”
“Where the fuck are you?” Duke asked, growling the words down the line.
“In town. I’m getting something to eat.”
“You’ve been to see Mary, haven’t you?”
“Maybe.” Climbing off his bike, he nodded to a couple of middle-aged broads who smiled at him. He was the same age as Duke and liked a variety of pussy to his little harem. The club offered them of all legal shapes and sizes from young to a little older. He wasn’t that interested in young pussy. Mary was the youngest he’d ever had. The very memory of her tight snatch wrapped around his dick had made it impossible to fuck anyone else.
“Fuck, Pike. I told Holly I’d keep you away from her friend. Shit, I’m the fucking president of this bastard club, and if you can’t do as I say, there’s going to be a few fucking problems.”
“Duke, I had to go and check on her. She’s hurt herself, and I needed to make sure she was okay.”
“It’s not your job. Mary wants nothing to do with you. You upset her, she tells Holly, then I’m the one dealing with your problem. I’ve left it alone for the most part. What went down between the two of you is fucking private, but you bringing it out like this, you’re going to make it my problem.”
“Has Mary told Holly about it?” he asked, needing to know if she talked to anyone at all.
“No, nothing. It’s all pretty silent right now. I don’t like it, Pike. Don’t fuck with Mary.”
“I’m just making a quick stop. I’m hungry.”
Hanging up the phone, he headed toward the diner to see Mac. In his pocket he carried over five thousand to pay the man for Mary’s absence. Mary didn’t have the first clue what he’d been doing for her over the past three years and even before that. He didn’t care about her association with Holly. Pike had taken care of her because it was what he wanted to do. He was the one to have a special talk with her parents when her father hit her. Her parents had learned a hard lesson that day. When she’d graduated school he’d been sitting in the crowd, not watching Holly but her. Mary had no one apart from him who cared. He visited the principal’s office regularly to make sure her grades were good to great.
Whenever she needed someone he was there, but she didn’t know about anything that he’d done to make her life worthwhile. The job she had at the diner with Mac, it wasn’t great, yet it paid for her to live in the apartment, that he’d also lined up for Mary and Holly. He paid Mac who then hired Mary and paid her. When the job first started out, Mac had done it for the money. However, Pike knew something had changed. Mac steered clear of Mary, but he made sure Pike knew that he liked Mary, a lot.
He nodded to several of the townsfolk before making his toward the back of the kitchen. Mac stood at the fryer while also flipping a couple of burgers. It was early morning, yet some of the Vale Valley locals always liked to have a burger in the morning. The bacon was sizzling in the background.
“Hey, Pike,” Ron, a small kid with red hair, shouted toward him.
“You all right, kid?”
“Yeah.”
Mac looked up when Ron started speaking. “Take over here. I’ve got to talk. Follow me.”
He followed Mac to the small office in the back of the kitchen. Mac closed the door behind him, and Pike looked around the small space that was very neatly ordered.
“Mary do this?”
“Yes. She likes order and believes the problems I was having was because I couldn’t find anything. I’ve got a filing cabinet filled with expenses and shit. A very organized life at her hands.”
Mac was a good looking man the moment you got him out of the greasy uniform he wore. He wasn’t dirty but well kept. His family had owned the diner for a long time, and so when they stepped down, it was only logical for Mac to step up. If not for his family commitment, Pike was certain he’d be staring at another Trojan now. Mac had everything going for him. He was cold, hardened by life and loss, and he could fight. Pike had seen Mac fight just as well as the rest of them.
“Why are you here?” Mac asked, getting down to business.
“Here is the money I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me shit, Pike. I can’t take that. Not anymore.”
“You’ve been taking this for the last couple of years.”
“The last couple of years I’ve been struggling with everything. The food, the customers, money. My folks made this look so fucking easy. It’s not, and I’m not the best damn cook there is.” Mac ran a hand down his face.
“That why you entered yourself for the fights?” Pike asked.
Being in Vale Valley limited a lot of people in the kind of work they could do. Trojans made good money in their investments and the illegal runs they did. Duke kept them all clean so nothing bad could come back to them. This deal with the Mexicans, running coke, that was as dangerous as they were willing to go. They all lived within thirty miles of the nearest city, and that was where you could find what you need to earn a bit of extra cash, whoring, fighting, and all kinds of weird shit.
“I entered the fights for the money. This place, it wasn’t doing good and only barely staying afloat with my folks. I took over, it did worse.”
“Mary’s helped you, hasn’t she? She knows what she’s doing and earning her way in gold.”
Mac stared back at Pike. “She stopped the grocer from sending me low end products. She was here one day real early and watched me unload the delivery. Before I knew what was happening she took the order form and started to look over the stock. I was paying top money for food that was at its end, which was why I was having to order as often as I was. I was throwing shit out that was rotten. She took over, made sure I got the deal I paid for.”
“It’s not just that though. She cooks as well. I’ve seen the improvement in the menu. You’re using her.”
“I’m paying for her. I couldn’t afford her, and yeah, if not for you or Mary’s help this place would have been shut down a long time ago. I stopped fighting as we’re running at a profit. I don’t need your money, and I’m not going to do it to Mary anymore. She deserves better.”
Pike stared down at the envelope. “You’re taking this money.”
Mac shook his head. “I’m not. I’ve kept my end of the bargain. Mary doesn’t know why I first hired her and I’ll never tell her. I’ll never tell her about your involvement. Everything has changed now.”
“You must be losing money with her gone.”
“I’m paying her a salary still. Mary, she’s an asset to this diner. I’m not going to see my best asset go under just because her boss was an evil bastard who wanted her working.”
Pike gritted his teeth. “She’s off limits. You don’t get to fucking touch her.”
“Mary won’t let me anywhere near her. I would if she’d let me, but she’s got those walls all up. I’ve not got a chance with her,” Mac said. “When we first started out with this, I didn’t want anything to do with her. Over the last couple of years, I’ve come to like her, Pike. This isn’t just about you anymore. I care about her.”
Pike noticed that Mac didn’t say that he hadn’t tried to get with her.
“You’re not taking the money?”
“No.”
Pike didn’t want the money. This was the one thing he could give Mary without causing her further pain. Taking her virginity had been the biggest highlight of his life and yet the biggest mistake as well. Throwing the envelope onto the table, he left the office without a backward glance.