Page 41 of Pike

“Don’t overthink shit, Feather. We don’t know anything.”

“How do you know I’m overthinking?”

“Because I am, too.” I nod my head as Van opens the truck door and ushers me in. I climb in and settle in the seat while I watch him walk around and climb in. This could only mean something bad, right? He wouldn’t get me if Pike were okay. And locking down the clubhouse? That’s bad, right?

“It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know just yet. I just know the guys are on the way to him,” he says, looking straight ahead and driving.

“Where is he?”

“Not too far from us,” he replies, keeping his tone even. I know he’s trying not to scare me, and I appreciate that, but I need to know. I need to know what’s happening to him.

“Is he hurt?”

“Can you stop with the questions, Feather? I don’t know much of anything, and it’s stressin’ me out,” he says.

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I’m sorry. I’m just stressed. I don’t know what the hell is happenin’ anymore than you do.” I close my mouth and don’t ask any more questions as we drive toward the clubhouse. When we get there, I see guys outside with guns in hand, and I cover my mouth with my hand. This is bad. Worse than I thought it would be. One of the guys waves Van through and then steps back into place as I watch. We pull up and Van parks the truck before motioning for me to get out. I climb out and walk to the front of the truck when he grabs my arm and tugs me along with him. Once we’re inside, the door relocks, and I see the magnitude of what really is happening.

All the girls are here, even the club girls. The guys are all on edge, guns in their hands. My heart kicks up a notch as I look around to see if Pike’s here yet. I don’t see him anywhere, so I walk over and take a seat with the other girls. A few look over at me with sorrow in their eyes, while the others don’t even look my way. What the hell is happening? Instead of sitting here and watching them watch me, I shove off the couch and walk down the hall toward his room. I’d rather be alone than out there with their glares. I don’t even know what they’re looking at me that way for.

I walk into the room and drop onto his bed. It smells like him in here so I lay down and pull his pillow to my chest. I hope that whatever is happening, he’s okay. I have to pray he’s okay because I don’t think I can lose him. The reality of my thoughts slams into me. Am I falling in love with him? It would be so easy to. Pike makes it easy.

Thoughts run through my head as I wait for anyone to tell me anything. Finally, the door opens, and I sit up straight as I see Van coming into the room.

“He’s not good, Feather. He’s been beaten to hell.”

“Oh my god. Are they taking him to the hospital?”

“No, he refused to go. He wants to come back here. We have a Doc on his way,” he tells me. My heart sinks in my chest. He’s hurt. He’s truly hurt.

“How bad?”

“I think the psychological shit is worse,” he confesses.

“What do you mean?”

“From what I’m told, he watched two of his brothers die today.” I deflate. I hunch over, clenching my stomach as I think about what the hell he went through. He watched two of his friends die today. How can that be? How can he recover from that? A tear falls down my cheek when Van walks over and rests his hand on my back.

“Get the fuck away from her,” I hear the growl and anger in Pike’s tone as soon as I lift my head, and our eyes lock. He quickly looks away from me and at the floor. Van moves his hand quickly as I stand to my feet and walk toward Pike. I reach out my hand and rest it on his chest. Slowly his eyes move to mine and hold there. I’ve never seen a man so broken in my life. I see the pain in his eyes, and it kills a piece of me.

“Pike,” I whisper his name. He shakes his head slowly as the guys stand around him.

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

“You wanted me here.”

“Not in my room, Feather. Not now.” My chest clenches as I look at the others and back at him. He’s not joking. He doesn’t want me in here. Bowing my head, I lower my hand, but he reaches up quickly and grabs it in his. My eyes shoot back to his, and I see the hurt.

“You’re not leavin’ this clubhouse.”

“I don’t need to stay,” I tell him.

“You’re not leavin’.” His growl scares me a little, and I jump before nodding my head. I won’t leave, but he doesn’t want me here either. The pain sits heavily in my chest as I pull my wrist from his grasp and walk out of the room. I’m down the hall when the tears start to flow. I thought what I was feeling for him was real. I thought I could love that man and now he’s kicking me out? No. He’s been through something traumatic. He’s dealing with it. This is just his way of dealing with it. He’ll come around. I swipe the tears cascading down my cheeks when I see Mask walking toward me.

He motions for me to follow him. I walk through the room and into the office, where he sits at the desk.

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