Page 59 of Pit

“Why?”

“Trust me.” I scoff, and he relents. “Okay, don’t trust me, whatever, just put them on. I have a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises,” I mutter, pushing my feet into the trainers and standing.

He takes me by the hand and leads me downstairs. I feel like everyone’s eyes are on me as we pass through the main room and head outside. He stops by his bike and pulls out the spare helmet before putting on his own. He senses I’m hesitant. The last time we did this, he took me to a murder scene. I shudder, and he smiles sadly. “It’s a good surprise, I promise.”

I get on behind him and the bike jumps to life. We ride for ten minutes before he’s stopping outside a small semi-detachedhouse. I climb off and hand him my helmet, looking around and taking in the quiet street. I follow him up the path, where he produces a set of keys and unlocks the door.

Inside, the place is beautiful. It’s cosy, with a lived-in look. “What are we doing here?” I ask.

He holds out the keys to me, and I frown. “It’s yours,” he tells me.

I gasp. “What?”

“I’m not saying you have to leave the club. In fact, when you do, I’ll be . . . well, it’s your choice,” he mutters, “but when you’re ready, I wanted you to have a place you can call home.”

“You bought me a house?”

He nods. “It’s safe here. The street is mainly nosey old people, and it’s a cul-de-sac, so no traffic will flow through. There’s a top-of-the-range house alarm as well as a panic alarm connected right to the police.”

“Why would I need a panic alarm?” I ask, my mind reeling with questions.

“You won’t, but I wanted you to feel safe.”

“Pit, this is all too much,” I mutter, not taking the keys.

He places them on the side. “At least take a look around.”

“I can’t live in a house owned by you,” I snap.

He pulls an envelope out from his jacket pocket. “I don’t own it, Tessa, you do.”

I stare wide-eyed. “Why would you do that?”

He shrugs. “Guilt. An apology. I dunno, Tess. All I know is I need you to be happy.”

“I can’t take this,” I say firmly. “You’ve lost your mind.”

“I think . . .” he begins, pausing and sighing, “I think I’ve fallen in love with you.” I freeze as the words pour from him, my mouth slightly ajar. “And I know you don’t feel that way about me, and after everything, I don’t ever expect you to feel that way. But I need you to forgive me, Tessa. What I did to you was terrible,and I can’t sleep properly or even eat because the guilt is ripping me apart.”

I want to forgive him. My mind is screaming at me to tell him that I think I feel the same, but my heart aches. I’ve seen the man he is and I can’t be a part of that. I take the envelope and give a slight nod. “I’ll stay here for a short while until I get back on my feet. But I don’t want your house, Pit.” I pause before adding, “And I don’t want you.”

He briefly closes his eyes before pressing his lips into a firm line and nodding in acceptance. He heads for the door. “Look around. I just need some air.”

I take my time walking around the property. It’s freshly decorated in creams and light greys. It’s bright, and every room has a huge vase of flowers. When I finally step outside, Pit is sitting on his bike with his helmet in place. When I stop beside him, he lifts the visor and forces a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “All good?” he asks.

I nod. “It’s kitted out with everything I could ever need,” I say.

“Yeah, I had the women do all that. It’s not really my area.”

I smile gratefully. “So, I was thinking, maybe I could stay here now, as in today.”

My words sink in and his expression tells me how hurt he is, but he nods anyway. “Great idea.”

“And I have a panic button in case I get scared,” I say with a small laugh.

He pulls out my mobile phone and hands it to me. I hadn’t even bothered with it since I went back to the clubhouse. “My number is in there,” he tells me. “Anything, no matter how small, just call or text me.”

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