Chapter 22
Ace
I squeeze my eyes tight, then open them again and try to focus on the road, tiredness pulling me and I speed toward the diner, my need to get to my girl fucking consuming, not speaking to her all fucking day has made the urge almost unbearable to get to her quicker.
Goddamn Caleb and his fucking hide-and-seek games.
Instead of hiding our bodies, his idea was to hide objects, meaning my phone was hidden in the fucking tumble dryer all fucking day, and when he finally had to give up where he’d hidden it after Dirty and Holly got home, I had twelve missed calls from Pidge.
The last conversation we had was this morning before she left for work, and I explained that I had to watch the kids today because Dirty needed me. Since then, nothing from my end, which, knowing my girl, her mind has done wonders.
I’m not the only one with commitment issues.
Pidge’s upbringing wasn’t the best after her dad married Ruth, and she was put off relationships; it’s why she was still a fucking virgin when we got together for fuck’s sake, and now, she’s probably ready to bolt.
I pick up speed as the diner comes into view.
Holly had another panic attack and had a therapy session, but needed my brother, and I was happy to take kid duty to help him out as long as he put off the talk about my cocaine use.
He wasn’t happy about it, but he did agree, and the day turned out to be good. The kids were happy, but the fact that I didn’t have my phone made me more tense, which Caleb and Lyra didn’t pick up on, both finding it funny when I couldn’t find it, yet they could find all their toys I’d hidden.
Damn, kids are lucky they are cute.
I rev my bike as I pull up near the diner, but I frown at the scene in the alleyway before my heart stops recognizing the woman up against the wall.
Molly, my Mol, is leaning against the wall as some fucker's lips touch hers—touching what is mine. I shut my eyes tight, that image burning into my mind as my heart physically breaks and for a second. I want to leave, I want to ride away and hurt her as much as this scene is hurting me, to break her heart as my shreds to pieces, but then despite what Mama did, what she put Dad through, despite my insecurities, I remember Anchor’s story: someone staged an affair, and his woman was held captive for years.
Determined not to repeat the same mistakes, I look at the scene again as I get off my bike, and promise myself not to be blind like my brothers.
I know Pidge’s heart, and this isn’t it, cheating isn’t it.
“What the fuck?” I snap to gain their attention, and I gage their reactions as I walk closer and instantly I recognize the man, Rylan, who hasn’t liked that Pidge chose me when he’s pined for her.
I watch their body language closely, his head rising and I just know the fucker is smirking at her, satisfied that I’ve caught them, and I curl my lip at him.
He has hold of Pidge’s wrist and her body is trembling.
Dead, the fucker is dead.
“Want to tell me what the fuck I’ve just walked in on?” I demand, stepping forward.
The idiot turns his head, his motion deliberate, then finally states, “You’ve just walked in on me kissing my girl, so why don’t you fuck off?”
Ballsy, I’ll give him that but this stunt has just cost him his life.
Pidge has completely frozen and I know she believes I’ve taken this the wrong way, but I haven’t. My eyes are open, unlike my brothers or the affiliated brothers, I can see the situation for what it is.
I watch them until my gaze locks onto a needle shaking in Rylan’s hand, the movement only catching my attention because the idiot is trying to move it up unnoticed, hoping I won’t see.
Mother fucker was going to drug my girl…
Growling lowly, I grip the back of his jacket and yank him hard.
He stumbles, and I grip his neck and his eyes widen in shock as I sneer, "Were you about to stab a needle into my girl?
" Leaning closer, I hiss, "Were you really planning to drug her, all because she never looked at you as more than a fucking friend? "
A dark stain appears on the front of Rylan’s jeans just as slim hands wrap around me from behind reminding me I can’t snap his neck.
Clenching my jaw, I force myself not to kill him…yet. Instead, I shove him to the ground, then gently rub my girl’s trembling hands, trying to calm both of us as I make a silent promise that Rylan won’t get away with this while Pidge is breathing.
"Run," I sneer.
He scrambles up, his eyes darting to Pidge and I know he'll try again—he thinks the MC is all talk, no bite but he's about to learn the true meaning of the brotherhood.
“I thought you made twenty,” Pidge mumbles against my back as the fucker runs down the street, and I hum and admit, “For a second I let my trust issues rise, but then I remembered who you are, your heart, and I saw what really happened.”
“I love you, Luca,” she whispers, “I’ve hated not hearing from you today, it scared me.”
I turn and quickly cup her cheek before we lock eyes, and her fears shine bright.
Fuck…
“Pidge,” I whisper, “Caleb and Lyra wanted to play hide and seek.”
She winces, already knowing their game, having played it a few times with them, and she confirms, “Your phone?”
I grunt, “My phone, in the tumble dryer, on silent.”
Her lips twitch and I give her a mock glare, and her laughter erupts, which is music to my fucking ears and I pull her into my body as I relax around her.
“Fuck I’ve missed you,” I mutter against her head, and she hums.
“I’ve missed you too, especially after hearing AJ complain continuously because her man wasn’t in yet,” she replies, and I pull back a little with a furrowed brow.
“I didn’t know AJ had a man,” I say, perplexed, then mumble, “I need to give the man a drink to thank him for taking the heat off me.”
Pidge snorts, “You apparently are her man,” and I shiver in disgust.
“I haven’t even looked at the woman, let alone touched her,” I grit, and Pidge chuckles, “I know, it was just a lot…”
“I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper as I gently kiss her lips, and hers tilt slightly.
“This can’t be healthy, Luca,” she murmurs, but I just shrug and mention, “Don’t care. We’re learning together, Pidge, and we’ll get there.” I brush her lips, then say, “Go switch off the kitchen while I grab your bag from my office.”
I pull her hand to follow, but pause when I see the bruise on her wrist, freezing to take a hard look at it.
Dead, the fucker is dead, dead, dead!
Shaking my head, I walk towards the door and guide Pidge inside the diner. I head to my office, a plan forming to make it look like that fucker stole from May’s bar and ran while expecting Pidge to head to the kitchen, but instead, I notice her rushing after me and I raise a brow at her.
“Uh, wait, Luca,” Pidge quickly says, and I put my hand up to stop her and say, “I’ll only be two seconds, Pidge. Tinker can clean the kitchen tomorrow,” as I open my office door, then suddenly freeze—something hard hits my head, and flour pours over me.
Fuck.
I cough, causing flour to splutter before I slowly turn towards my girl, who is biting her fist to stop her laughter from coming out, and I blink again.
“I t-tried to tell y-you,” she stutters, her laughter escaping, and I nod slowly causing flour to drop.
“My punishment for the radio silence that wasn’t my fault?” I confirm and she giggles—my little minx giggles.
Raising a brow at her, I say, “Right, that’s it,” then lurch forward. She squeals and darts inside the diner, and I chase her, her laughter echoing through the empty room.
Like I said, music to my fucking ears, flour and all…
***
I lean back on my bike as I cross my arms over my chest and suck at my lip ring, watching Rylan fuck Gabby against the wall outside May’s Bar which I’m not surprised about—Gabby’s probably part of whatever plan he tried to pull and him still being in town just makes him a fucking idiot.
Trigger sits next to me, smoking in silence and I raise a brow at the idiot.
“Does Ash know you’re smoking?” I ask with curiosity as Gabby’s moans echo around us, and he grunts.
“I don’t do it a lot, only when I’m worried, and brother, I’m worried about you,” he admits, “You’ve called out of the blue and asked for help killing two people, but you haven’t explained why or explained why in the fuck you have flour all over you.”
“That fucker accosted my girl—he’s wanted her for years, but she’s always turned him down.
I caught them in a compromising position, and he had a needle ready to drug her—with Gabby’s help most likely.
The flour? That’s just Pidge’s prank after my day of radio silence—Caleb hid my phone and I have to tell yah, I’m glad Cole’s old enough to just want to draw now following in your footsteps. ”
Triggers mouth open and closes several times, the man is completely speechless as Gabby screams, “Fuck yes, I love you in my ass, maybe we should get your dick pierced so I can feel what it would be like fucking my man…”
No, fucking way…
I shudder in revulsion as I look their way to find the man thrusting in her ass as he grips her tits to hold her to him.
Dis-fucking-gusting, but like I said, not surprised she’s involved.
Women like her and Abby and Ruth are fucking menaces, and when they want something, fuck anyone else or the hurt they will cause to get what they want.
This is why I have issues, because of women like them, like my own mother, whom I still can’t seem to trust.
I shake my head while the moaning gets louder.
I left Pidge in bed thoroughly fucked, and even though we had sex in the shower after the two times I fucked her in the diner after catching her and ensuring she got covered in flour, not all has come off me.
“Does that mean you are finally admitting that you lost the bet?” Trigger asks, and I snort at the sudden question.
Honestly, I didn’t think he’d go with that one. I thought he’d ask about the cocaine.
“No, I haven’t lost the bet because there isn’t a baby or a baby on the way, or at least I don’t think there is,” I admit, and I swallow the sudden lump of fear building.
All the times Pidge and I have fucked in the nearly three months we’ve been together, I haven’t used a rubber, fuck, I haven’t even thought to grab one, which should explain what she means to me, but there could be a chance she’s pregnant.
She isn’t on anything, or well, she hasn’t said she is, but I am her first, and she had no reason to be on contraception, and just like me, it hasn’t come to her mind because I’m all she sees.
“Fuck, please tell me you haven’t tried to trap her because brother, that shit can go wrong,” he mutters and I sigh, “I haven’t tried to trap her, we just haven’t been using anything,” I look at the man and I express, “I love her, I really fucking love her, and it is scary as shit considering what lengths I went to in order to run from the pain Mama caused.”
“The cocaine?” he confirms, and I grunt as I look towards the two fuckers.
“Yeah, the cocaine, but she quiets that urge, she quiets a lot of fucking things, and now, I need to end this fucker for what he tried to do,” I mutter.
Trigger nods and states, “And I’ll be right by your side, through everything, brother, you have me at your side.
You get the urge to do a line, you fucking call me, I’ll be your main guy, I won’t let you lose your line of sight, and I won’t let you lose your girl just like you ensured I didn’t lose mine. ”
I swallow at the emotions burning deep inside me, and I choke, “Thanks, brother,” and he nods before grinning, “You ready to kill some fuckers?”
I chuckle as I climb off my bike and grab my piece just as Gabby and Rylan climax, Gabby saying my name, Rylan saying my girl’s making me fucking angry, and I grab my phone and message Shaun, one of the two prospects in the van a mile out, waiting for our text to collect the bodies to get ready.
“Let’s go kill your girl’s demons, brother, so you can get home to her, and I expect to meet her soon,” he says, and I chuckle as I stalk towards the two unsuspecting idiots, my thoughts back with Pidge spread out on our bed, ready to take my cock into her tight heat, which makes it twitch.
Yeah, I want to get home to my girl, because it doesn’t matter how many times I have her, my body always wants more, and tonight, I’ve just proven to myself I can trust her, and to me, that is one big fucking step to be putting my patch on her back.