Chapter 20
Ace – Six Weeks Later
I frown as I check my phone for the fifth time and see no new messages from Pidge in the past hour, which, in my books, is an hour too fucking long, and yeah, I get it, I know she’s cooking, but still.
I want to hear from her, no, I fucking need to hear from her like I need air to breathe.
Seven weeks we’ve officially been trying, four months since she’s been in my life and dug herself underneath my skin. I now understand the brother's temperament with their women, and fuck me, that is a scary thought, especially when I’ve run from that kind of shit.
“Five,” Tank says as he leans against his bike next to mine while we wait for Doc, Trigger, and the prospects to fill up, and I look his way with a raised brow.
“That is how many times you’ve checked your phone,” he says, and I swallow hard and look away, and he finishes, “I would tell you how many times you’ve checked it since being gone, but I lost count… ”
I look around the small gas station, not knowing how to mention Pidge.
We’re doing good, fuck, she’s basically living with me because her parents' home is hard for her to be in. Now that she’s not fighting to keep it, things are well, fuck, they’re perfect to be honest.
I go to sleep with my cock still inside her sweet, tight heat, my arms wrapped around her, and I wake up in that same position, sleeping the best I’ve ever slept before I make love to her.
We laugh, we joke, we have food fights before having sex on the counter at home.
We have food fights at the diner and a day here or there I’ll find a slime ballon or glitter balloon falling on my head.
Instead of getting mad, I’ve come to realize it’s when she wants me around her more, I’ll shower and go to the kitchen and work in there with her.
I realize the pranks start when she’s feeling vulnerable, like her fears are overriding her and I’m always there to shove that fear aside, just like she shoves mine to the side.
We’re growing closer, our love is strengthening, and yet I’m petrified for the club to be in the know, or worse, my fucking mother, who continues to text every day, pleading with me not to give up on love.
She’s no longer trying to get me to move back to the club, she can see that being out on my own is what I need. She’s just not letting me get away with not hearing from her and letting Pidge go.
Fuck, I hope she never finds out about my girl, otherwise we’ll never get rid of her.
“You have a girl,” Tank says with a little hurt and I swallow hard and rasp, “Brother,” but he cuts me off and says, “I get it, you want to keep things on the downlow, you want to be able to see if your relationship can last just please fucking tell me it isn’t Harriet or AJ.”
I snort, “Like fuck would I ever get with them,” and he sighs in relief, making me chuckle.
“Who knows about your girl?” he asks after a couple of minutes of silence, and I clear my throat.
“Dirty, Trigger, and Piston,” I admit, and Tank glares at me, making me wince.
“You told a Huntsman but not me? Seriously?” he snaps, and I sigh.
“Piston recognized the signs on the last run, and I didn’t really tell Dirty and Trigger, I just didn’t hang up the phone when I claimed my girl.
Then I needed Dirty’s help getting my girl’s step-sister and stepmother out of her house which is the only reason why he has met her.
They were making her life hell, but her dad put stipulations in the will. ”
“How’d that go?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“Fucking horrible, they didn’t take it very well, and they’ve been popping up where my girl has been, especially when they heard she was talking to realtors about possibly selling the house, something I think she will regret if she does sell it.
She managed to get a restraining order, though,” I mutter, the urge to slice their throats fucking strong.
Several times, one or both tried to intimidate my girl, showing up at the diner or college, and the last time they went to the house, they were escorted away by the cops. I want nothing more than to handle them for her, but Pidge made me promise I wouldn’t.
She seems to think they’ll disappear soon enough, or Ruth will be arrested because she hasn’t even tried to pay back what she owes.
I sigh as I look around the gas station, my heart pounding as I don't hear my phone go off, making me antsy. We’re a hundred miles out of town, been gone for three days, I’m fucking tired, and I need my eyes on my girl, or at least get a fucking text from her would be nice.
I’ve had a few from Dirty reminding me we still needed to talk about the coke, but fuck, just one message, is it too hard to ask?
Fuck I feel needy and it is terrifying me…
Just as I think it, my phone rings, and I physically relax, making Tank curse, seeing how far gone I really am for my girl. I answer the phone without looking at the screen.
“It’s about time, Pidge,” I answer, and she chuckles.
“I was working, prick,” she replies, and I grin.
My fucking girl.
“You ever going to stop calling me prick?” I ask with humor, and Tank, who was mid sip, spits his drink out, water spraying everywhere as he coughs, and I bite back a grin.
“Never, I think it suits you,” she replies with sass, and I chuckle.
“Fuck, it’s good to hear your voice,” I sigh as I relax against my bike, and instead of fucking off, Tank gets comfortable to hear the conversation like a dickhead.
“We spoke an hour ago,” she says softly, and I hum, “I know,” before I admit, “I struggle when I don’t hear from you.”
“Have you had the urge?” she asks without any judgment, and my heart fucking flutters at her concern.
“No, Pidge,” I admit, “I haven’t, I just wanted to speak to you.”
“Fuck,” Tank whispers, but I ignore him, my sole focus on my girl.
“You know you could have called me,” she whispers, and I swallow hard.
Know I could have, but I think I’m still testing her, testing us, which, yeah, my nickname is right, I am a prick.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter, and Tank tenses but doesn’t say anything.
“Don’t be sorry, Luca,” she says, and I swear if Tank tenses any further, he’ll fucking crack.
I’m guessing he heard her call me my legal name.
“I love you, Pidge,” I say, and I swear I hear the smile in her voice as she replies, “I love you too...” Just as Doc announces, “We’re rolling out in five.”
“I guess you’ve got to go?” she confirms, and I grunt, pissed she can’t just stay on the phone.
“Yeah, Pidge, but I’ll be home tonight, alright?” I say, and she hums in confirmation, then says, “I’ll wait up.”
I smile and ask, “Promise?”
“I promise, ride back safely, I love you,” she replies just as I hear the kitchen bell for another order.
“Love you too, baby, go make some people happy with your food,” I say before I hang up, then swallow hard, feeling Tank's eyes glaring into the side of my head.
“Had the urge for what, brother?” Tank demands when I don’t look his way, and I sigh.
“The urge to do a line of coke,” I admit, and he curses up a storm, gaining Trigger's attention, who tilts his head, but I just shake my head at him, not needing him involved in this.
He needs to focus on Ash and his two boys which is what I told him after he tried to corner me over it and I promised I’d speak to Dirty when I’m ready.
He nods and goes towards the prospects to ensure they’re all set, and I look at Tank, and nothing but anger radiates from him.
“The missing supplies?” he demands.
“I put money in the club's account for it,” I admit, and he growls, “That is not the fucking point, and you know it!”
“Look, I was in a bad spot, it was the only thing to stop me from breaking before fucking helped. I haven’t done it in months but I do still have the urge, my frustrations get the better of me and normally a good fuck would help but now, fuck, now, I need to hear my girl’s voice, I need to know she’s okay,” I explain and he shakes his head.
“Your mother really fucked up,” he grunts and I nod in agreement but mention, “I’m learning to trust again brother, she’s helping me but I just, sometimes that voice in the back of my head tells me I’m going to hurt her or she’ll let me down and I just need that reassurance, it’s why no one knows about us.
We’re not a secret, but we’re also not flaunting our relationship while we figure out our path together, and I certainly don’t need my parents involved. ”
“Fuck,” he grunts as he drops his head, and Doc calls, “Let’s roll out, I want to get back to my family,” and I start my bike up while Tank just shakes his head, at a loss for words, and my stomach drops.
He’s disappointed.
***
Four hours later, I let myself in the side door and walk into my kitchen.
Coco comes bounding to me, making me smile as I give him a fuss before I toe off my boots and hang up my cut.
I will admit, I miss having him on the runs but knowing he’s here with my girl, it fucking settles me.
I hear the TV in the living area, and everything inside me relaxes as I walk towards the noise before I lean against the door frame and take in the sight before me.
Fuck she’s a vision.
Pidge sits cross-legged on the gray couch, wearing my shirt, the one she refuses to give back, and nothing else, her hair cascading down her neck, and Chloe nestled in her legs.
“I could get used to coming home to this,” I say softly, and she looks my way, her eyes bright as they lock with mine.
“You’re home,” she whispers, and I hum as I shove off the door and walk over and kneel before her, cupping her soft cheek.
“I missed you, Pidge,” I murmur, and she smiles and sasses, “bet you never thought you’d say that to a woman,” and I grin wide.
“No, I certainly did not,” I agree before I lean forward and take her lips with mine, home instantly consuming me.
Without breaking the kiss, I stand and lift her at the same time causing Chloe to hiss and jump off, clearly not happy that I’ve taken my woman from her and Pidge wraps her legs around my waist, her fingers grabbing into my hair.
Our tongues touch just as I begin walking towards the stairs, adamant to spend the rest of the night inside my girl.
Four days without her was four days too fucking many.
“I hope you're not tired, Pidge,” I whisper against her lips, and the little minx licks my top lip before sucking my lip ring into her mouth, and I groan, kissing her harder as I make my way to our room.
I think it’s time we take this relationship to the next level. I think it’s time we move in together, and even though I’m petrified and I have the urge to run, or worse, do a line, it’s a thought that I cling to the whole night I’m inside my girl.
I’m not letting her go, no matter what.