Page 22 of Pike’s Redemption

“Mobsters.” I laughed. “They have the weirdest people working for them.” It was the absolute truth, though. “My mother kept her housekeeper, who worked for my dad. She was nutty as a loon but made the most insane pavlova, and she could stitch like nobody’s business.” Hollis wrinkled her nose at me as if I was saying something outlandish, but she hadn’t been with my cousin that long. I’d wager that she’d be having to up her first aid skills before long.

Instead, she diverted the conversation and asked, “Is pavlova that meringue stuff?”

“Yeah, exactly right. They make a little nest of it and put custard in the middle with fruit. My mom loved the way she made it. I’m not even kidding when I tell you that was why she brought her.” I wasn’t even lying. I wouldn’t say I liked pavlova, but my mom — whew, she’d pick it every time for dessert.

“Crazy,” Hollis sympathized. “Well, I’m pretty sure we looked through the whole house. What room are you picking?” We had already decided that the farmhouse was just about perfect and that I would steal it from Max. I was in love with it and with Arizona.

“The one facing the private courtyard with the fountain. I’m guessing that Ronnie will want the one downstairs anyway.” I didn’t mention that it was because the courtyard was nice and secluded. I could open the doors and put my bed right in front of the doors. It’d be like a fantasy with the fountain and the desert air. The things Pike and I would get up to as soon as I moved — I shifted uncomfortably. We’d had an incredible night in more ways than one. Pike was a giving and talented lover, but the fact that he opened up to me moved me the most. Most of my experiences with men in my life had shown me that they weren’t willing to show me their hearts and their emotional struggles. How could I be a partner if they wouldn’t do that? Of all people, Pike surprised me with how willing he was to share his inner thoughts with me. If I was honest, I was falling hard for the biker.

“Figured. That one is so perfect,” Hollis was saying. Drawing my attention back to her, I nodded as we continued through the house.

Ronnie had already staked her claim to the downstairs of the house. I’d looked briefly, but it had a bonus room, a bedroom, and a large office that she’d declared would be perfect for her computers since there was a daylight basement, and they’d stay cool. I’d prefer the upstairs where I could get plenty of sunshine anyway.

After Max reminded us about Ronnie’s appointments with her doctors in Phoenix and warned us about the guards, he handed over the house keys. “I’ll say goodbye then.”

“Thank you, Max,” I said, squeezing him tightly. He’d been very kind to us over and over, staying in touch with my mother regarding Ronnie’s medical issues that were still a concern and forking money hand over fist for private doctors. I wasn’t sure how much Ronnie appreciated his mother-henning … but I remembered what it was like without it.

“When will you make an honest man out of my brother?” He asked Hollis, keeping clear of her, careful not to crowd her. I’d noticed that she preferred men not to touch her unless it was my cousin, and it was evident that either Max had taken note or that Dimitri had told him. She seemed comfortable with Maddox, but he didn’t ever hug her goodbye. I hadn’t asked about it, and she hadn’t explained. We had just met, but I hoped we’d become good friends. I’d keep her secrets if she ever wanted to share them.

“Soon,” Hollis hedged. “Maddox and Helena are getting married first. I want them to have their day to shine. We might elope.” She winked at me. We had chatted about this topic a few days earlier. She’d had some of the wedding magazines out around the house. Hollis wasn’t sure she wanted a fancy wedding, which I understood. She just wanted to be married to Dimitri and be able to wear a dress he bought her from Colombia. Other than that, she couldn’t care less. I had mentioned she could get married on their patio with a small group of friends, and she liked that idea but thought they’d wait until after Maddox and Helena got married. She didn’t want to ruin their moment, which was thoughtful. If I ever got married, I would never want to have a fancy church ceremony with a million eyes on me. I’d been to a couple of those for friends from law school and a few for the family — the bride stuffed like a sausage into some cupcake dress, barely able to move.

“As long as you elope and invite me,” Max said darkly to Dimitri, narrowing his eyes so they were just slits. “Don’t say those vows without me, mudak. I don’t want to miss it.”

“I should go back to not talking to you,” Dimitri grumbled, but I could tell he didn’t mean it. He clasped Max tightly across the back, holding him to him for a moment and whispering to him in Russian so low that I couldn’t hear, but Max closed his eyes in relief.

Finally, we said our goodbyes, and Ronnie and I headed back to Dimitri and Hollis’s, but we were excited about the prospect of moving to the farmhouse. I couldn’t wait to tell Pike about it.

CHAPTER

TEN

PIKE

It had been quiet the last few days if you didn’t count the dead animals I’d found on my doorstep. We hadn’t had any issues, but now we’d had a series of arsons in so many days. Kicking the rubble of the shop wall, I looked over at Cross with a grimace. This was the third arson to hit one of our businesses. These weren’t accidents. Fuck.

“We got to figure this shit out.” He tossed a can against the back wall in frustration. “We’re losing product, and we’re lucky nobody got hurt. Really lucky.”

He definitely wasn’t wrong about that. I wasn’t as worried about the product as I was about people getting hurt. With the bodies being dropped and these fires, my nerves were frazzled. We’d examined burn patterns — and looked for clues... all to no avail. There was nothing here. Whoever was doing this was smart.

“Prez, look what I found,” Axel said, hauling a guy with him that reeked of gasoline even from where I stood.

“What do we have here? It looks like we have ourselves a little firestarter, don’t we, boys?” Pulling some gloves out of my pocket, I yanked them on with anticipation. You know this is our property here, right?”

“I’m not talking. You can do anything you want.” The guy was foolish, probably around thirty, but definitely not from around here.

“Okay,” I said, looking around the area until I found some cable and wire. Kicking it loose savagely, I yanked it until I could pull it from the moorings. “This will do.”

“Should I get a chair?” Cross asked. He wasn’t as game for prolonged torture, but he was in. No matter what happened, I knew I could count on Cross.

“Yeah, bring one over here.”

Trussing my little arsonist up, I tied him tight to the chair and surveyed my handiwork. “You didn’t struggle much,” I said.

“Didn’t see any point,” he said sadly. “I’m already dead.”

“You are,” I agreed. But when you find out your options on how you’ll die, you’ll wish you had tried a little harder to get away.”

“There’s already been a fire.” One of my MC guys muttered.

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