Chapter Seven
Three weeks later
“How are you holding up?” Holly asked, taking a seat at Pike’s table.
Mary smiled, thinking about the last three weeks of living with Pike. She’d not seen anyone besides Holly or Duke. Pike wouldn’t allow Mac or anyone else to enter his home. She didn’t mind and loved the protective way he was being. At the same time, she didn’t allow him to get too close. When she woke up to find him holding her, she’d move away.
“From that smile I say everything is going well?”
Holly rested her chin on her hands, raising a brow.
“We’re having sex. We’re having a lot of sex,” Mary said. Her cheeks were heating under Holly’s watchful gaze.
“But?”
“I won’t let it go any further.” Mary looked down at her cast. They were restricted to what they could do sexually, but Pike had a big imagination.
“How can it not be going any further? You’ve had sex, right? That’s as far as it can go.”
Mary bit her lip. “It’s not just about the sex. I, erm, I won’t let him cuddle me or kiss me unless we’re having sex. There have been times I’m standing around the kitchen because the doctor said I could, and he’ll come up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. I tell him not to. I can’t do it, Hols. I can’t let him have that part of me.”
“You’re having sex without the commitment?”
“What do you think I should do?” Mary stared at her friend hoping she’d have some insight. “I mean, he’s being really sweet.” She pointed across the kitchen to the book stand he’d built for her. “He did all of that for me. Have a look around. He’s packed the kitchen with my own stuff.”
“I think he’s trying to tell you something,” Holly said, turning back to face her.
“My cast is coming off in a couple of days. The doctor told me the rest was just a precaution, but everything is looking good. I went to the hospital the other day.”
“I know. I’ve been waiting to find out what went on at your appointment. Pike’s pretty protective of you.” Holly took a sip of her coffee. Getting to her feet, Mary walked toward the drawer where she’d stored the notebook she found. “Should you be walking around?”
“I’ve got some mobility. Honestly, it doesn’t even hurt to move anymore.” She handed the book to Holly.
“What’s this?”
“Have a look.” She’d found the notebook the other day. It was full of notes on everything she’d made a note of herself.
“I don’t understand. This is your giant wish list. I remember you writing this.”
“I know. I remember, and you remember. It was in Pike’s office drawer.”
“What were you doing going through his office drawer?” Holly asked. “You know they don’t like you snooping.”
“I’m not a fucking rat or a snitch, Hols. I was looking for a pen. I couldn’t find a working one, and he wasn’t around. I found this, and I couldn’t help but look.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I think he somehow got into our apartment and found my wish list.”
“This is a good thing, Mary.”
“How? He can break into our apartment, our private space, but he can’t give me two minutes of niceness after he took my fucking virginity.” She dropped down into her chair. “Do you even think I’d be here if not for this stupid leg? I’d not even seen him for weeks.”
“You danced with him at my wedding.”
“I didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t going to hurt you because I didn’t like him.” Mary tucked some hair behind her ear. Pike spent a great deal of time washing and brushing her hair. The moments where he took care of her were the ones she cared for most, and yet, they were the ones she hated.
“You’re going to fight him every step of the way?”
Tears filled her eyes, and she growled out her frustration. “Crap, I refuse to cry over that man.”
“You’ve been in love with him all of your life, Mary. I don’t think that’s just going to stop because you demand it.”
“I do demand it. I don’t want to be having these feelings for anyone, least of all Pike. He broke my heart, and I’m not going to let him stamp all over me again.”
Holly reached out to take her hand. “You’ve got to do what makes you happy. I love you, you’re my best friend, and you’re so going to be the godmother to my child so that I can spend quality time with my man.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Duke and I have already talked about it. We think you and Pike would be awesome together.”
“Ugh, there’s no getting away from him.”
Holly chuckled. “That usually happens when you’re determined not to love someone. I was talking to Duke, and he told me Pike hasn’t been around the club much. He goes to the meets, does what he’s ordered, and leaves.”
Mary had noticed he was home a lot more. When she and Holly shared an apartment, they could go a couple of days before they saw each other if their lives got busy. Now, she saw Pike every single day. She saw him when she woke up in the morning, at breakfast, sometimes at lunch, and he was always home for dinner, then at night. Nights were her favorite, yet they were the moments she hated as well. Every time he touched her, she wanted to give in and submit more than her body to Pike. He showed her each time everything he’d failed to give her that night all those weeks ago. She’d come more under his hands than any other time.
“Shoot, I better go. I love you, Mary.” Holly got to her feet.
Following her friend toward the front door, Mary saw her out, and she was alone in the large house. Hobbling to the kitchen, she was washing up the cups when the door went again. Pike let himself in so it couldn’t be him.
Walking to the door, Mary smiled. Mac stood on the other side.
“Hey,” she said. It had been three weeks since she’d last seen him. “You’ve not come to tell me my job is going, are you?”
“No. You’re my partner.” He pulled something from behind his back. “I came to see how my best girl was doing.” He held a large bouquet of roses. The blooms were a deep red.
“They’re beautiful.”
“Oh, they’re not for you. I just used them as bribery to get past the door,” he said.
She chuckled, taking the flowers from him. “Do you want to come in?” Mac really was a good friend.
“Is Pike in? He’ll kick my ass.”
“No. He’s out at the moment. Come on.” She opened the door for him.
“You’re on your foot.”
“Yeah, I’m going to the doctor in a couple of days. He believes everything is fine for me to now have the cast completely removed.” She didn’t doubt that was up to Pike. The first few weeks at his place and he’d bossed her around, not letting her do anything but rest.
“Who would have thought Pike had it in him to take care of you?”
“I sure didn’t. I still can’t believe he likes me.”
Mac stood in the kitchen as she filled the kettle. “Here, let me get that.” He took the kettle from her, placing a hand on her waist.
Mary tensed up. She’d never gotten close to Mac. He’d offered her dates, which she’d declined at first. After Pike screwed her in more ways than one, she had gone on a couple of dates with Mac, but she’d never done anything keeping her own space. They were friends, and it wasn’t ever going to be anything more.
“I’ve missed you, Mary.”
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He placed the kettle behind her. The moment his hand was free, he cupped her cheek.
“You’re a brilliant cook, and you know how to make a business work.”
“I said I’d be your partner.” She placed her hands on his chest, wanting to push him off.
“And I look forward to us working together.”
The sound of a gun cocking had her turning toward the sound. Pike stood with his gun pointed at Mac.
“I suggest you get your fucking hands off her.”
“Pike?” Mary asked, shocked by the anger on his face.
“I told you to stay the fuck away, Mac.”
Mac let her go, and Mary used the counter to hold herself up. “And I didn’t exactly listen to instructions.”
“You’re going to leave and forget about this partnership crap. Mary’s not doing it.”
“That’s not your call to make,” Mary said, angry that he was taking over her life.
“You can’t stop the partnership.”
Neither of the men was watching her.
“I can’t? Why don’t you tell her who’s been paying for her job, huh? Why don’t you tell Mary who persuaded you to give her a job?”
“What?” Mary asked, looking from one man to the other.
“Why don’t you tell her who it was that told you to try one of her pies?”
Looking from Mac to Pike, Mary saw the truth on Mac’s face. “You weren’t going to employ me?”
“The diner wasn’t doing so well. I couldn’t just fucking give you a job.”
“Who paid for my job? The club?” Mary asked, looking toward Pike.
“No, I paid for your job. I gave Mac your salary along with a little extra.”
“I stopped doing it.”
“You’ve denied two payments, asshole. That doesn’t mean you stopped it.”
Mary rubbed at her temples, unable to comprehend what the hell was going on.
“Pike paid for your job, and yes, he wanted me to keep an eye on you, but everything changed. I do like you, Mary, as a friend.”
She looked at Pike, shaking her head.
“I’ve been taking care of you for a long time,” Pike said.
“No, you better shut the fuck up.” Mary slashed her hand across the air in front of her. “You’re both liars. How dare you? Was the partnership a payoff?”
“No, I was offering you that. I want us to be a team. The diner is thriving. We’re going strong. I want to share it all with you. We’re good together, and I care about you, but I’m not going to pretend that there’s something there between us. We’re friends. The partnership was my idea. You’ve got all the ideas, Mary, and I respect them where I once did not.”
“You’re a liar, Mac,” she said, tears falling down her cheeks. She noticed he said care, not love. They were friends, or at least she thought they were. “You didn’t want me to work for you as a waitress?”
“In the beginning no, but …”
“But what?”
“Pike asked me to take care of you.”
She didn’t know what to do or say.
“Get out now before I fucking shoot you,” Pike said.
Looking at Pike, she waited for Mac to leave. He didn’t put up a fight, and she didn’t expect him to. She and Mac were never going to be anything more than friends and business partners, if she could deal with this latest revelation.
The sound of the door closing made her flinch.
“I don’t get what you’re doing,” she said. “You hated me.”
“I never hated you.”
“You’ve been paying for me to work?”
“Yes.”
His jaw clenched in anger.
“I can’t believe you’ve done this, you’ve been doing this.” Running fingers through her hair, she stared around the kitchen. “Since the moment I left high school you’ve been there.”
“Yes.”
“And you treated me like shit all these years.”
“Yes.”
She shook her head as the tears started to fall. “I can’t do this now.”
“You’re not going back to your apartment,” he said.
Mary turned back to look at him. “What?”
“I’ve been emptying out your apartment. There’s nothing left of it. You’re staying here, and Mac stays away.”
“There’s nothing there. We’re friends because of you, asshole. Not me. You pushed us together. Mac only cares about me. It’s not love. We’re friends.”
She slammed her hand against the wall. Her anger built to a fever pitch. “You’re not coming near me. I mean it.” She walked away, going straight to the spare bedroom.
What the hell was she to do with this information?
****
One week later Pike stormed around his home getting angrier than ever. Mary had left his home without him. The cast on her leg was gone, and she was already out with her independence.
Pulling out his cell phone he dialed Holly’s number. The last week since he’d caught Mac in his home had been a fucking nightmare. Mary wouldn’t let him near her. The day she was due to get her cast off, she’d called Russ to take her to the hospital. Pike had been pushed aside. She didn’t talk to him, look at him, or even answer him. Mary had cut him off completely, and he hated it. All of his hard work had gone to shit because of that fucker Mac.
“Hello,” Holly said, giggling. “Stop it, Duke.”
“Come here, beautiful. I want that pussy one more time.”
“Stop it.”
“Where’s Mary?” Pike asked, growling the words.
“Pike?”
“No, it’s fucking Santa Claus.”
“Very funny. Mary, she’s back at the diner working. She told me yesterday she was taking the breakfast shift that needed for her to be in the diner at six.”
“Fucking piece of shit,” Pike said, hanging up.
She’d kept him out of her business, and now he was pissed. Mac hadn’t even been in touch. Slamming out of his house, he made his way toward his bike. Putting on his jacket, he straddled his bike, turning it over. The vibration of the machine did little to calm his anger. He wanted to hurt someone, fuck them over, and have the satisfaction of breaking bones. Revving his engine, he rode toward the diner in time. With every mile he rode, the angrier he got.
The last few weeks had been perfect. She wouldn’t let him close, but she allowed him into her body. Mary cut him off every chance he tried to get closer to her.
What did you expect? You hurt her, and she’s not the kind of woman to take that shit.
Riding up to the diner, he got off his bike. The diner was full with the breakfast customers. He didn’t give a shit.
Storming into the back of the diner he found Mac flipping bacon while Mary stood beside him, helping. She didn’t have her cast on. Her pale thighs peeked out of her waitressing uniform. The uniform was a horrible pastel blue dress that hugged under her breasts. It didn’t complement Mary’s figure at all. What also didn’t help was the fact she made sure to wear it a size bigger. Everything she owned was a size bigger than she needed.
Without waiting for them to notice him, he walked up to Mary, grabbing her arm and leading her to the office.
“Pike, this is my diner,” Mac said.
“This is my fucking woman. Don’t get involved or I’ll put a bullet in your head.” He entered the office, slamming the door behind, and locking it.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Mary tugged her arm out of his hold, glaring at him. He dropped the blinds so they were in privacy. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“I wake up this morning to discover you’re gone.”
“So.”
“You’ve not long had the cast removed from your leg and you’re already working.”
“The doctor said I could go straight back to work. I don’t need to rest. I’ve been on rest for so long. I’m fine.”
Pike shook his head. “You should have told me.”
“No, I shouldn’t. We’re not a couple.”
“You’re living in my house—”
She stepped closer to him, shoving him hard. He didn’t move.
“I didn’t have a choice. I’ve talked to the landlord of my apartment. You canceled everything. I’ve got nowhere else to live right now. I’d be elsewhere if I could.”
“You’re mine, Mary.”
“No, I’m not. Stop with all your possessive male shit.”
“My dick’s been inside you. You’re mine.”
Mary slapped him around the face. “Don’t you dare say that shit to me. I would have been yours, but you lost that right. You lost that chance.”
He cupped her cheek, wrapping his other hand around her waist to pull her close. “That’s where you’re wrong.” Pike slammed his lips down on hers to silence any protest. “I hurt you, and I know that. I can’t change what happened, but I’m going to make it better for you. I promise.” Stroking a thumb across her cheek, Pike plundered his tongue into her mouth, silencing her. He pushed her back toward the desk. The nice neat desk that she’d cleaned. Lifting her up onto the desk, her hands gripped onto his shoulders as he pushed up her dress.
One week he’d been without her, and he couldn’t last another second without her warm heat surrounding his shaft.
“Your pussy is mine. No one is going to know how warm and tight you are.” He tore the panties she wore, pocketing them. Unzipping his jeans, he pulled out his cock, putting a condom on quickly.
“Please, Pike, please,” she said.
He tugged her to the edge of the desk, running the tip of his cock through her wet heat before slamming it all the way inside her.
Growling, he held onto her waist tightly as her warmth surrounded him. One day he’d be inside her without the condom. He couldn’t wait for that moment. Until then, he’d have to use a condom.
He had to gain her trust that he lost.
“Move, Pike, I need to … to…”
“Tell me what you need, Mary. Tell me what you want.” Claiming her lips, he stopped her from telling him what she wanted. Slowly he withdrew from her pussy and glanced down to see his latex covered cock. The condom was slick with her cream, and he didn’t stop, pushing back inside her.
“I need you to fuck me and to do it hard.”
“Your wish is my command.” Pulling out of her, he yanked her off the desk, turning her over so that her beautiful ass was in the air.
“What are you doing?”
He stroked his hand over the delicate globes. “We couldn’t do this with your cast. I didn’t want to do anything that would hurt you.” Opening her legs slightly, he ran his cock through her pussy lips, coating the shaft with more of her cream. When he was at the entrance, he glided his hand up her back to grip her neck. “Now I can.” He rammed inside her growling as she screamed. Mac and Ron would hear what he was doing to her. “You can be mad at me. Hate me, scream at me all you want, Mary, but I can give you this.” He swiveled his hips, going deeper inside her. Slipping his free hand between her thighs, he stroked over her clit, using everything to his advantage. “I can show the entire fucking world and have you screaming out in orgasm every night.”
“What … what do you want?” she asked, breathlessly.
“I’ll take your attitude and I’ll take your hate, but every night you’re in my bed, fucking my cock.”
“You’re not getting anything else. I don’t forgive you for taking over my life, and I don’t forgive you for hurting me.” She cut off as he pinched her clit.
“Do we have a deal?” He’d work on getting her to fall back in love with him. It wouldn’t be easy, but then nothing in life was ever easy. Fighting for love was damned hard, and in the end, it would all be worth it. She would be his woman.
“Deal.”
“Then Mac is nothing to you other than a business partner.”
“Yes.”
Bringing her to orgasm, Pike slammed inside her finding his own release within seconds.
Collapsing over her, he kissed the back of her neck.
“Get out of me,” she said, tensing underneath him.
“What?”
“You’ve had your fun. Get out.”
Pike gritted his teeth. This he hated more than anything. She wouldn’t allow him the chance to get close to her. He could fuck her, but nothing else.
“Mary?”
“I’ve got work to do. I’ll be home at some point tonight.”
“What the fuck do you mean some point tonight?” he asked, angrier. He withdrew from her body. Removing the condom, he watched her smooth down her uniform then bind her hair back into place.
“I’ve got stuff to do. You’re not going to own me.”
“I’ve owned you a long time.”
She smiled. “And you lost that right. I’ve got to work.”
“You’re still working here?”
“Yes. I know you don’t like it, but I do like working here. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
Throwing the used condom into the trash, he zipped up his jeans. “Fine.” Opening the office door he walked over toward Mac. Slamming his fist into the guy’s face, he slammed him up against the wall.
“Whoa, fuck,” Ron said in the background.
“You touch her, you die. You do anything to hurt her, you die. She’s mine.”
“Are you claiming her?”
“She’s mine. That’s all your ass needs to know. You’re not a Trojan. I am. Mary, she’s mine.” He was saying a lot of that lately.
“I haven’t touched her, Pike,” Mac said.
“Leave him alone,” Mary said, coming to the door.
Pike wrapped his fingers around Mac’s neck. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than seeing him dead.
Mary placed her hand on his arm. “You’ve not got a right to want him dead. You made him important.”
This was all his fault. Releasing his hold, he grabbed Mary, slamming his lips down on hers. He made sure he did it in complete view of the customers in the diner. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Putting his sunglasses on, he left the diner, angry as shit. He rode his bike to the clubhouse, parking up, and slamming through the doors.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Duke asked, looking up from the papers in his hands. One of the mechanics, Billy, stood beside him. Billy was eighteen, young, temperamental, and begging to be part of the club.
“Do I need a fucking reason?” He stormed over to the bar taking a seat. Daisy was sitting at the bar with Raoul. The clubhouse went silent as Pike vibrated with anger. He wanted to hurt someone or something.
“So, rumor mill has it you’ve got the sexy little Mary staying with you,” Daisy said.
It was the wrong thing to say or do. Pouncing on Daisy, Pike started ramming his fists into any available flesh.
Daisy wasn’t a kind man. Within seconds they were fighting around the clubhouse. Several of the whores, including Baby, were jumping out of the way.
Pushing Daisy against a table, Pike gripped the man’s jacket to throw him against something else. Daisy stalled him, slamming him into the wall.
“When I say stop, I fucking mean stop.” Duke pushed in between them, holding both men apart. There was no use fighting Duke. The moment they did, he’d put them down. Duke didn’t earn his right to be president by being a pussy. During his anger and lashing out at Daisy, Duke had ordered them to stop. “What the fuck?”
“Ask him,” Daisy said. “He’s gone off the fucking deep end. Last I checked Mary was free fucking pussy. No one had claimed that shit.”
Pike lunged. Duke kept him still.
“You stay still. You don’t get to fucking move right now, Pike.” Duke stared at each of them. “I’m going to lower my hands. If one of you even fucking blinks you’ll be doing toilet duty for the next month. Neither of you will get near pussy.”
Slowly, Duke lowered his hands. Standing tall, Pike forced himself to stay still. He wouldn’t back down or go anywhere else to ruin his chance of being with Mary. No pussy meant sticking to the club, and he wouldn’t do that. His relationship with Mary was hanging on by a thread.
“I heard what Daisy said. Mary—are you claiming her?” Duke asked.
“I can’t, not yet,” Pike said. He’d claim her in a heartbeat.
“What?” Daisy asked.
Within seconds the brothers took notice. It wasn’t unheard of for the brothers to bring in new whores to share. Claiming a woman, it was rare, especially for an old lady. Holly was the first woman to be claimed in over five years.
“You’re making Mary your old lady?” Raoul asked, stepping closer.
“Yes.” He spoke the words through gritted teeth.
“I take it she doesn’t know that,” Holly said. All the brothers turned to look at the woman who’d entered the clubhouse. “You told me to meet you here, Duke.”
“It’s okay. What’s said in the club stays in the club. You’ll not repeat any of this shit to Mary.”
“I won’t even though she’s my best friend.” Holly glared at him, and Pike stared right back. “You better make sure she knows your intentions.”
“I will.”
“You’ve got a battle on your hands. Mary refuses to let you close. I’ll be in your office.” She touched Duke’s shoulder on the way past.
“You better know what you’re doing,” Duke said. “No more fights in my club.”
When Holly came, Duke went to play.
Within minutes Pike was calm, his aggression finally gone from attacking Daisy.
“I’m sorry, man,” Pike said.
“No, I didn’t know you were going to claim her. Next time keep us informed of what you’re doing with your woman. You’ve been determined not to for so long,” Daisy said. Pike shook Daisy’s hands. “Holly’s right, though. You’ve got a battle on your hands.”
“It’s a battle I’m going to win.”