Page 7 of Pike
“You are not a burden, Chloe. You’re my sister. My family.” She hugged me, stroking my hair the way she used to do to calm me down.
“I just bring death and destruction,” I heaved out.
“Listen to me,” Faith said as she put her hands on my shoulders. “Ash would have died anyway. You know what these men are capable of. You think if she gave you and Gemma up, they’d have let her go?”
I shook my head, trying not to think about her final moments. Somewhere deep inside I knew what Faith was saying was true. But it didn’t ease my guilt.
Chapter Six
Pike
How the fuck did Chloe master that broken waif look that made everyone within a ten-mile fucking radius just want to protect her? She looked so broken while she tried to look brave, thinking that we were kicking her to the curb. She held back tears with clenched jaws as she assured us she’d clear out by the end of day.
It was goddamn infuriating, the way she summoned all of her strength and all anyone wanted to do was protect her. It had to be some fucking cosmic joke, the universe was punishing me with this shit, making the one woman in the world I wanted fuck all to do with look like that. It wasn’t that she was pretty even though she was a fucking knockout, it was that vulnerability that she refused to use as a weapon.
Diesel stepped in front of me, and dropped his hands to my shoulders. “I know you’re hurting brother. This shit fucking sucks up one way and down the other, I know. But we have a job to do.”
I nodded because I knew he was right. MC business didn’t stop because we were sick or injured or grieving. Protecting the club and our interests was a twenty-four-seven job.
“This isn’t a punishment,” he promised, his voice low and gentle. “It’s a chance for you to deal with your grief and your anger. It’ll be quiet up there so you can get your head back on straight. You’ve been a mess these past four months. For your own good you need to take a break.”
I nodded again. “Yeah, I got it, Diesel. Seriously, I do.”
“Good. I’m counting on you, Pike.”
And I would die before I let Diesel and the MC down. I wasn’t totally surethatIcoulddo it, but I would damn well try. “I got this,” I said with more confidence than I felt. “I should, uh, talk to her.” Before anyone—including myself—could talk me out of it, I went after Chloe and Faith.
They weren’t in the bar area, and the front door was closed. I turned right to go down the hall that led to the back door, but their voices stopped me halfway there. I stopped and turned with a simple plan, tell Chloe about the plan. She and Gemma would listen to me, they would do what I said, and they would live. But before I could knock, their voices grew louder.
“He hates me, Faith. He rightfully blames me for Ash’s death, and I just can’t. I won’t,” Chloe said.
At least she was aware of the situation. More conversation was muffled behind the door before Chloe’s shouted words echoed loud and clear.
“It’s cruel to force him to look at my face every day, a constant reminder that his only remaining family is gone. I can’t do that to him. I won’t!”
Shit. Motherfucking shit. Her words were like a gut punch. And a chest punch. And a karate kick straight to the dick. This shit was why I didn’t want to do this, why I couldn’t spend time with her. I’d been nothing but a next-level asshole to her and she was thinking about my feelings.
“Don’t do this to him, please. Talk to the others and make them see how wrong this is, Faith. Please!”
I’d heard enough, hell I heard too fucking much, and I didn’t feel like staying for more. My fist, raised and ready to knock, fell back to my side and I was getting ready to walk away when the door opened.
Faith stood between us, her back to me giving me an unobstructed view of Chloe’s tear-stained face. Her sad green eyes.
That was when I finally walked away.
***
Tonight was my last night of peace and quiet for the foreseeable future, and I planned to take advantage of it with a few beers, maybe some takeout and Metallica. That plan was shot to shit when I pulled up at my apartment and found Falcon and T-Bone waiting for me. “I don’t remember sending out any invitations.”
T-Bone grinned and shook his head as he pushed off his bike. “Figured you could use some company tonight. Shit’s been crazy but tonight it’s just us.”
I walked past them both. “Figured you’d be with your woman,” I grumbled at my best friend. “And figured you’d be withawoman.”
Falcon was impossible to offend and he only shrugged, letting out a low laugh. “There will always be a willing woman waiting. Tonight my brother needs me.” He clapped me on the back and raised a case of beer. “I brought supplies.”
“Pizza and wings are on the way,” T-Bone added when I unlocked the door.
“I guess now I can’t turn you fuckers away.”
