The entire clubhouse knew the rule: giant biker Tank never touched the club girls. What they didnât know was there was no ruleâonly the brutal wall heâd built after destroying a woman with his massive length years ago. Sheâd pushed him to take her, but he was too big, too rough. She ended up in the hospital needing stitches. Since that night, Tank hadnât touched a woman. Until Maxine walked into the clubhouse. The clubâs only real mechanic. 20. Betrayed by her sister and ex, kicked out by her parents, surviving on her own sweat and skill while every other woman spread her legs for protection. She didnât flirt. Didnât simper. Didnât need to. She was different. And Tank wanted her with a hunger that terrified him. Other club h0res had triedârubbing against him, whispering f!lthy promises. Nothing. His body stayed dead. But Maxine? Just one glance he grew rock hard, aching with raw need. He fled like a coward to the bathroom, slamming the door, chest heaving as he yanked himself free. He imagined her bent over his custom Harleyâbare, breathless, trembling. That fierce innocence in her eyes slowly twisting into desperate pleasure as he bent her to his will. How sheâd gasp when he stretched her open, shocked at the side of herself she never knew existed. No loud moaning. No screaming. Just one soft, broken gasp: âTankâŚâ Wide-eyed. Breathless. His hand wrapped around her throat. Her legs shaking under his brutal thrvsts. Mine. Youâre fking mine, Maxine. Only mine. ***** Maxine POV âGo home, you have worked too much overtime this week. Have an early night and give that boyfriend of yours an early treat.â My boss practically urged me out the door, a wicked grin on his face. âOkay, okay, Iâm going. Iâm going. I straddled my bike and started her up. This was going to be a great night. Today was my boyfriend's birthday, and I was going to give him a special gift. I had brought new, cute clothes, and I cleaned up. I was ready to give him my all, my first, my heart, take the big plunge. I felt I was ready. I pulled into the driveway to see my sister's and my boyfriendâs cars. I had no idea my sister was coming home today. She was still at college in her final year, though I heard she wasn't doing so well. The poor golden girl has not met up with expectations, not that I was worried. My ex-boyfriend showed up three hours early; our date was not for a few more hours. What was he doing here already? Walking in the back door, I heard voices and headed towards them; they were in Dadâs office, with the door slightly ajar. I moved silently to the door and waited outside to hear what secrets they were having now. They occasionally do this when they are planning something and donât want to include me, but I'm puzzled as to why my boyfriend and sister were included. âWe never planned for it to happen.â My sister replied softly, as if she were some kind of victim; she was an expert at that. She should have been an actress; she would have won multiple Oscars by now. âWhen?â Dad asked, and I waited in the hallway to hear what this was all about. âChristmas day, we had too many of your special eggnogs, and things got heated. The party was more or less over; the presents had been given out, and the food had been eaten. We were all mulling around, talking, when Zoey said something, I donât remember whatâbut we went upstairs to continue talking, and ended up in Maxineâs room. We did start by just talking, and before I knew it, we were together, like I said, and I was so lost in that moment that I forgot to use protection. When we came out, no one seemed to notice we had been gone, so we pretended it never happened.â My boyfriend replied, and my heart just hit the floor, as I took in that my sister and boyfriend did something in my bed at Christmas. MY BED. I slept in that bed. I feel suddenly sick at that thought. How could they do that to me? She stole another boyfriend from me again. But he was just as much to blame; I guess our relationship was not that strong yet. Not on his side at least. He continued to pretend and take me out on dates, as if that never happened. Now I feel cheated, dirty, ashamed, and angry all at once. What if she hadnât gotten pregnant, and I ended up married to that cheating man? Would her wedding present be to tell me she had had a relationship with him first? I wouldnât put it past her to do such a thing. She had done that before with my boyfriends, and I guess this one was just as vulnerable to her advances as the last one. âHe gave me the best Christmas present ever.â My sister crowed with delight. I could imagine her pregnancy. âThis is good news. I have wanted grandchildren, and the last grandchild I would have expected would be from you; you have never kept a relationship for long.â Mum said, sounding excited at the news. âWhat now?â My sister asked, still playing the perfect victim. âWe get married?â My now ex-boyfriend suggested âsounds more like a question. âWhat about Maxine?â My sister asked, as if I were an inconvenience that needed to be sorted out, and now they think about me, but it didnât sound like concern. âWhat about her? This is about my first grandchild, and his or her safety comes first. She will have to live with it.â My mother spat, revealing that famous favoritism, because she had always taken my sister's side in everything, even when proven wrong. They never backed me up. âI am technically her boyfriend.â He started to say something, but was interrupted. âNot anymore, you're not. I will arrange with the local publican to hire the outdoor garden area, and we shall have an engagement party this Saturday. Get that sorted before you start to show, and Maxine will show her support.â Dadâs voice floated out, sounding resolute. I had no say in this, not that I wanted to be his girlfriend any longer; he had proven not to be what I wanted in a guy. âShe will have to leave. I need her room for the nursery. I would prefer it if she didn't attend the engagement party. What will those who know she was the real girlfriend show up, and see that it was not Maxine getting engaged?â Mum added. Yep, that was my mother, trying to regain her dignity and save face. I couldnât take it any longer. I was devastated enough, and listening further to their support for the love for the cheater was eating me up inside. I didnât want to cry in front of them; the tears were a mix of anger and hurt. I pushed the door open, revealing myself standing there. All faces turned to look at me. âLet me get this straight. You took my boyfriend to MY bed, did that with him, leaving your mess in my bed, as a sort of Christmas present for me. Guess that made your day, thinking I was sleeping in your mess. Now you want my bedroom for the child baby you have created, and I am what, just pushed out the door? Like yesterdayâs trash?â I asked to ensure I understood correctly that the whole family was fine with me being tossed aside. âExactly, I am taking your boyfriend, your bedroom, and you, my dear sister, have to move out.â My sister sounded like she had won the lottery. Her face beamed at her triumph. âFine with me.â The look of shock would have made me laugh if I were not so numb inside. I moved away to my room and packed what I could into my duffel bag. I will come back for the rest later, when they are not around. My heart was breaking, not because I lost my boyfriend, although that hurt a lot, considering that what I was going to give him for his present today was saved for doing something foolish at least. But also because both parents were supporting this deception, as if it were the best news they had received in a while, that they had been trying to get rid of me for a while, and now succeeded in a spectacular way. I walked downstairs and looked at them. âWhen I find a place to stay, I will be back for the rest.â I spat at them, a mixture of hurt, anger, and defeat. I never fit into the family, a black sheep, so maybe I should become one. I had always had top grades, won awards, done my best, but even being first, I was still last. My best friend was the only place I could think of going to; it had to be temporary. Jenny will be cool and let me sleep on her couch till I find a new home. I climbed onto my bike and took off to the only sanctuary I had over the years. Jenny welcomed me into her home, like I knew she would, and together we had a pity party consisting of drinks and vanilla fudge ice cream. We called the family and my ex some interesting names, some of which I had never heard before, but they sounded good. The drunker I got, the more inventive the names became. The next morning, after waking up on Jennyâs couch and remembering yesterday, it did not go as planned. I pulled myself together, had a quick shower, and left for work. It was eight in the morning, and Jenny was still asleep when I left. That might be okay for some, but my workday today would be ten hours long, and I was running late. âYou're late, night must have gone better than planned,â Mike said jovially. They sort of knew what I was planning last night. The others chuckled along with Mike. I grumbled some shiet and got to work. By the end of the day, Mike pulled me to his office. âOkay, out with it. The guys have been tiptoeing around you all day. What happened? He rejected your advances?â He asked, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place, looking at me with concerned eyes, a father figure, better than my dad had ever been. So, I told him what happened when I got home and where I spent the night, and now I'm looking for a place to stay. I was proud of myself; I didnât cry, or whine, or show any emotion at all âjust explained my predicament in cold, emotionless words. Clear and succinct. He said he wouldnât say anything in the shop, but would talk to the prez. I had no idea why, but I was not in the right frame of mind to question it. Maxine POV Today was my sister's engagement party; engaged to my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, you heard me right, my ex. What a joke that was. I had been with Dan for six months when my sister, who was a year older than I, came home for Christmas and ended up with my boyfriend. Sheâs a shameless woman, always has been, but I never expected him to sleep with her. I thought we were secure in our relationship. The only good thing I took away from this was that I never went to bed with him; my innocence was still intact, not that I was trying to keep it - I just never got the chance to lose it. She always managed to have any guy I was interested in dump me for her, and when she got bored with them, sheâd move on. So, in a way, I didnât have a boyfriend till she moved out of her home and headed to college. But when my sister came home and met him, she seduced him and got pregnant. He did the whole âget down on one knee and proposedâ scene. Apparently, it was romantic, but I wasn't there when he did it because they didnât want me around. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was glad to have my girlfriends around me, helping me get over it. They say, I dodged a bullet. I agree with them, stupidly. He might have been a sports jock with good looks, but doing this tells me he was weak and shallow, and I was too good for him, or so my BFF says. I prefer to believe them over the excuses my ex made. I had to move out of my home after I had a massive fight with my parents a few days ago, when the truth was exposed; they supported her, not me, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door and the evil sister. The engagement party was intended to introduce him to her friends and make the relationship official, but I was not invited. My parents want nothing to do with me. I made them all uncomfortable, considering he was my boyfriend first. Anyone working out the timeline for the baby can piece it together, and see they were cheating on me, and it would have been awkward, and too many questions would have been raised. Not that I needed to say all of that, I kind of said it all before, but grrrrr, I am so angry at how my so-called âfamilyâ kicked me out of my so-called home, with no care for me or my feelings. It was easier to push me away and disown me than have to explain to them that my sister cheated with my boyfriend, and hey presto, a baby was on the way. Because I was kicked out of the house, and only had a short time to pack anything, I took the opportunity of the party to sneak into the house and take more of my possessions, like opening my father's safe, and grabbing every piece of paper relating to me, and a little money too, no a lot of money, and grandmaâs jewelry that she left me. So, with the help of my BFF, we packed my belongings and took them to her place until I found a new one. I ride a motorcycle, so I need help. I have the money to buy a new place, but I'm unsure if I want to stay in this town now. Once my apprenticeship is over, I might move away. I stayed that night at Jennyâs place, as I figured out what to do. Today, I am moving into my new place âa bungalow above the bike shop where I work. I am in my final year of apprenticeship, and I am a motorcycle mechanic, proud of it, I might add. I can also work on cars and trucks. If it had a motor, I could fix it; I always could, thanks to my knack for it, which I developed since I was eight, when I fell in love with engines. My Grandpa taught me, kept me out of everyone's way. I guess you could say I was a tomboy, with no frills and lace. My Grandpa kept me sane and busy, so the BS in our house didnât hurt me as much. The place has two bedrooms and is fully contained, meaning it has everything I need. I had purchased some new sheets and towels, that sort of thing, but it had a fully stocked kitchen; I only needed to buy the food. It might be small, and above a noisy bike shop, but at night it was a quiet area. No one would break into this shop; the local bikie gang owned it. They were good guys, scary, but so far, no trouble for me. My BFF, Jenny, was helping me take my belongings upstairs when a group of bikers arrived and assisted us. I had five boxes and two suitcases filled with all sorts of items. âThanks, guys, for the help,â I said sweetly, my BFF batting her eyes at them and swaying herself suggestively as she walked and thanked them. She makes me laugh with her antics, which are totally opposite to mine. I like jeans and am rarely seen in a dress, whereas she was seldom seen in jeans. âWe got a party at the clubhouse, tomorrow Saturday, you should come and relax a bit, bring your girls with ya,â Bruiser suggested as he walked me to the settee, pushed me down, and handed me a drink they had brought with them. This was how they acted around me, ordered me about. Sometimes, I'm okay with it; other times, I get all worked up and growl back at them. Today was acceptance. I know they mean well, and I feel lucky to have them as family; they try to make me feel better. âThat sounds like a blast, count me in, and I can bring two other girl friends with us. Max, do you want me to pick you up?â Jenny offered, taking a drink from one of the guys. She was not a drinker; however, in this situation, I could see her not refusing anything they offered. I guess I'm going, whether I want to or not. âNo, Iâll ride over,â I replied as one of the guys ordered pizza. âThatâs the spirit. Nothing like the wind in your hair to blow the cobwebs away.â They stayed because they didnât want me to be alone, not on my first night here. Pizza arrived not long after, and my little bungalow was soon feeling too small and crowded, with six huge bikers in the room. Some sat on the floor; others pulled up one of the three kitchen chairs. I know, I know, three chairs sound odd, but that's what was here, and beggars canât be choosers; the rent was dirt cheap, and I think the boys are the ones to make sure I had everything I needed. They found out about my situation the next day, because, I was still quiet at work, which was not like me, often I am singing to the radio, or swearing at something, so one of the guys walked to me, to find out what gives, and I softly told them, what went down, and when word got around the bikers heard I needed a place to stay, because I was kicked out of my home and why, they came to me, like protective brothers. Now I have a whole gang of bikers who have my back. I feel privileged to call them friends. They even offered to rough the ex up for me, but I refused the offer, because strangely, I was happy to get rid of the loser if he was a cheating build. Better now than when I am fully invested in our relationship. Plus, I was in deep enough shite with my parents and sister without making it worse. The pizza was gone, my BFF left for home, and the guys did too. It was late, well, for me, midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly because I have to be up for work at five. Tomorrow, being Saturday, I have the morning shift before the party later. They let me leave work early so I can move in here. âHey, donât forget to come, we need our prettiest mechanic at the party, some of the boys might need a tune-up,â Bruiser said with a laugh as they climbed on their bikes and left. I know what sort of tune-up he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with a motor. I looked around my new home. It wasnât much, but it was all mine. The guys were great; they took the empty pizza boxes and beer cans with them, and the place was relatively clean. Not at all what you would expect from a group of rowdy men. The clubhouse. I had never been to it, despite having worked there for nearly four years, and they had never extended an invitation to me. I know they had lots of parties; maybe I was too young. I turned twenty recently, but they might think of me as the fifteen-year-old who showed up one day and told the boss I was going to be his apprentice. He laughed at first and said he would give me a go to prove myself. He thought I was joking and that I would be gone by the weekend, but over the holidays, I worked hard and have been here ever since. Maxine POV The beeping sound of my phone alarm made me sit up and look around. It took a moment to remember where I was. The room had a small curtain that barely kept the light out. There was a streetlight just outside my window. I can envisage myself getting better blackout curtains soon. Although it was annoying, it wasn't among my top priorities for making this a home. The shower was decent, with nice pressure. I followed my morning routine, only to realize how foolish I was to wake up so early, living above my place of work; I didnât need to ride here. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, I still had half an hour before I needed to be at work. I had two ways to get into my place: one was through the back stairs, and the other was through the shop. With the code to turn off the alarm, I decided to head down and start work early. It was better than moving stuff around; I can do that later. I had a bike to finish by this afternoon. The customer would be here at two. Turned off the alarm, turned on the coffee pot, the radio, and headed to my workstation, where the fat boy was waiting for me to finish. I sat on the chair with casters and began my job, singing loudly to the heavy rock song that came on the radio as I installed the new spark plugs and double-checked the oil. It was a simple, easy-peasy service. Once finished, I started the bike up, let it idle while I made coffee, then returned to rev it a few times. It sounds lumpy, like it was just turning over perfectly; it was music to my ears. I love that throaty, deep, lumpy sound. You can feel it vibrate through my chest. âThatâs a sound I loved to hear as I enter work.â My boss, Mike, said as I turned the bike off. âItâs ready to go, unless you want to take it out for a test ride. Want a coffee, pots hot.â I offered as I threw the dirty rag in the bin. âSure, I will take the bike out for a spin, and you can make me a coffee.â He smirked as he grabbed the bike. I opened the garage door, and Mike took off. I smiled as he disappeared down the street, and I turned to make both of us coffee. If you hadnât guessed already, I would drink a lot of coffee. I am not a fan of soft drinks or tea; for me, it's coffee or water. With a broom in hand, I began cleaning the shop. I am not out here very often, but I try to sweep the floor at least once a week; they have another apprentice whoâs a second year, who gets to do most of the cleaning up, but heâs never here on a Saturday. The sound of the bike returning prompted me to pick up the two cups of coffee and head back out to the workshop. Mike had a massive grin on his face as he parked the bike. âGreat job, you are our top mechanic. But donât tell anyone, or I will have to deny it.â He joked, taking his coffee from my hand as he walked by, no doubt letting the customer know the bike was ready ahead of time. I moved to the next bike, which was a total rebuild; it had been in a minor accident, and while the frame was being checked, I would work on the engine and gearbox. It was the only job on my list at the moment. The bike owner was in no hurry; he had a broken leg, giving me a few weeks to work on his bike and any urgent jobs that might come into the shop. The client arrived and happily took possession of his bike, very happy with the job done. âI hear youâve been invited to the club party tonight,â Mike said as he rang up the sale on the cash register. âYep.â I said popping the âpâ. âYou can leave now, we have no more customers expected. Good job today.â It was about one oâclock, near the time I would knock off. âThanks, boss.â I saluted him and rushed upstairs, before he could change his mind. Giggling all the way up. I heard him chuckling as he locked the door below, behind me. I decided on a quick shower; I didnât want to smell of oil when going to a party. Put on my skinny black jeans, a black blouse that had red flames on the back and on the pockets, black boots that had some chains around the ankle, and hair in a ponytail. I will get what we call helmet hair, so it's a waste to do much with it now. I use mascara and strawberry lippie, which is more to moisturize, which tend to dry out when I ride my bike, and that's it. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was my jacket. My mum used to grumble that I wasnât like my sister and put more effort into my appearance, but I like who I am, and I didnât like wearing lots of makeup; it was my choice, and I feel that I am not a frilly, lacey chick. It was a deal breaker with my mum. She had my sister dress up and left me in the care of Grandpa until he died when I was seventeen. It broke me when he left the world. He was the only person who got me. My grandma had been gone since I was young, and I filled the hole in his heart with my love for bikes and fishing. He left me his money and bikes. Dad got his house and business. My mum hated that I gained all that money. When Grandma died, she left me her jewelry, and Grandpa made sure to keep it safe till I was old enough to have it. I ate something and put some more of my stuff in the cupboards before my phone chimed to let me know my girlfriends were on their way to the party. I pulled my bike out of the small garage and started it up. I threw my leg over and took off, heading to the property. The clubhouse was half an hour out of town, set on a large property a little bit back from the road. Ten minutes later, I came up behind the girls and hung out behind them. My friend waved me on to take the lead. I shrugged and overtook her. The turn off arrived, and I rode happily up the long drive, and trees lined the road. An open, large steel gate appeared, and I was glad it was still enough light to see clearly. Men stood by the entrance, watching us arrive. âHey.â I greeted the biggest man I had ever seen. âWho invited you here?â The man asked gruffly, in a deep husky voice. âBruiser,â I answered, with a firm, clear voice, hoping that the fact that he frightened me would be noticed in my voice. He pulled out his phone and called, I assumed, Bruiser. âMax?â He asked, as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. He said something more and hung up the phone. âCome in, the car behind your girls?â He looked at the car behind, which clearly had a woman in it. âYep,â I replied, not at all liking how he intimidated me with his manner. Perhaps it was the way they greeted strangers. One look makes the weak run. Well, I am not weak, and I won't be running. Maxine POV This rather large biker leaned in to look inside the car, his bulky figure partially blocking the open window, causing the girl nearest it to back away. Satisfied, he looked at me with a knowing smirk, then motioned for us to enter. The clubhouse was nothing like I had imagined. Firstly, it was four levels high. Verandah all the way around, that I could see. It was more like a mansion than a clubhouse. Women were gathered near the door, looking in, as if they were waiting for something; some were sitting on the wooden fence that surrounded the verandah. They were dressed in barely anything, showing all that was available, some love that sort of thing. People like me dress to stay warm or cool and donât care about showing off the goods. Bikes sat in neat rows in front, and cars were parked to the left of the building; the ratio of bikes to cars was approximately four bikes to one car. I parked the bike with the others, climbed off, and took off my helmet. I placed the lid on the bike and shook out my hair while waiting for the girls to park and come to me. I heard some muffled scoffs, but I couldnât care less âI wasn't here to please them. Bruiser came out of the clubhouse behind me. âMax, you came by bike. Sweet.â He gave me a greeting nod and moved to take a look at my bike. The paint job was a wolf, fading in smoke. It took me months to finish, as I kept changing my mind, and the smoke obscured the mistakes. âWho did the paint job?â He asked as he moved around to look at it from all sides. âMe.â I was proud of the results. âDoes Mike know you can paint?â He sounded surprised. âHe has seen my bike when I used the garage to do a service. He never asked who did the paint work, just that he liked it.â âSweet, looks like we have someone to do a paint job, and possibly a full one. We have a family reunion in a few weeks, and the ladies are invited to come along. You can join us.â Bruiser offered as my ladies arrived; they were not included in that invitation, I assumed, because I have a bike. âBruiser, you already met Jenny, Melony, Karen, and Heather, my other BFF, and Alice, Karen's sister, and BFF to my sister.â Adding that comment, hoping that Bruiser knew precisely what that woman was like. Alice battered her eyes and leaned forward to show off what was under that almost shirt. My ladies greeted him with the respect he deserved. âLadies. Hands out.â Bruiser stamped the girl's backs of their hands; they all had a bear, except Alice, who had a rabbit on her hand. I frowned, trying to figure out what the rabbit was all about. He pushed my hand away. âYou are family, no need for a stamp.â I couldnât stop the smile that crossed my face. I felt so special. Then the shoe dropped. Rabbit had another meaning. Bruiser got my meaning loud and clear. It took a while to understand the purpose of the stamps. âCome inside and meet the ole ladies.â I understood what he meant; these were ladies who had been claimed and had a different level of respect that those not claimed would never understand. I have met a few of them over the years and gained more insight into club life. They respect me as much as I respect them. We entered the place, and the girls who had been waiting outside gave us a dirty look, as they were still stopped from entering. âWhat's so special about them?â One pouted, but Bruiser ignored her. Inside was cleaner than I had expected âmy fault for judging a group of men, since they often look messy when I see them at the shop. The place had a large, open space, with tables where you stand, as well as booths dotted along the walls, and stools at the bar, which ran the full length of the room. I loved the spacious room, the pictures on the walls, and some bike parts scattered about as decoration. A few barstools are bike seats; it was different, and it appealed to me. Being a lover of bikes. âSticks.â I greeted her as we walked to the ladies Bruiser was taking us to. âHey, Maxie Max. How's it blowing?â She stood up and pulled me into a warm embrace. This chick had no filter or personal space. Sticks was the President's; her real name was Sandra, but she was my height at five-nine, and she had no shape to her body, just a lovely bean pole, almost no chest to speak of, yet she had had two boys. Hence the name Sticks. âDoing better,â I replied. She would know what was going on. She introduced us to the other ladies with her, and it didnât surprise me that Alice had already moved away from us before we had finished the introductions. âWhatâs her story?â Sticks asked as she watched Alice start to try her luck with the club men. âSame as my sister. Bruiser put a rabbit stamp on her hand.â Sticks and the other girl roared out laughing. âShe will be used, snugged to the side by the time the night is over, and I doubt they would let her back in. We donât need her sort in the club.â Maggie spouted as we watched a patch member knock her offer back. âThe regulars are not going to like her working their turf. So, to speak.â Tootsie said, with a smirk, that the regulars know the rules and stick with them. Donât reach a patch member; if interested, they will come to you. Nomâs are fair game. But most girls would prefer a patch member. Donât have a relationship with a taken member; the women will gang up and make your life miserable if you feel one of theirs. Wait to be let into the clubhouse and then stay in the public area. No going upstairs uninvited. The first two floors are designated for guest rooms, while the top floor is reserved for permanent residences. Those who donât have a home of their own to go to. They are private and not open to wandering girls. Donât sit on someoneâs bike, unless you are given permission. The patched old ladies are the bosses of the girls; they tell you to leave or do something, and you do it. There were more rules for the girls visiting, but I couldnât remember them all at that moment. None had applied to me until now. Alice had already broken at least three, to my knowledge. I am staying out of it. That rabbit on her hand told the members that she would open her legs for any of them, and no one would support her if she broke the rules. That she was not welcome to return, in other words, have your fun, and then abandoned her to the curb. The doors were opened to let the other girls in. They looked at us in the no-go zone and pouted. We were sitting in an off-limits area unless we were invited. From what I understood, they were here to spread their legs and give the guys some relief, but not become part of the family. They might be hopeful that something would change; it was rare for a patch member to take one of these ladies, who had most likely been with every unattached member of the gang, at some point. My girls left me with Sticks and wandered about with the other ladies, getting the tour of the place. âWant to look around?â Sticks were offered, and before I knew it, we were walking around the vast ground floor. âReady to see the workshop, the guys might talk you into helping out, once they know who you are.â Sticks led me down a small pathway, lined with flowering shrubs, and to a set of large, farm-size sheds. Inside were bikes, some in bits, others crumpled from an accident, and others like they had just been detailed and were someone's pride and joy. There was a workshop here, where men were working on their bikes. They looked up at us when we entered and frowned. If Sticks were not with me, they would have most likely growled at me to get out. âWhoâs this Sticks?â A monster of a man asked, in the deepest voice I have ever heard, he looked a lot like the man at the gate, but with more toned muscles. Just a tad taller, and although he looked big and scary, he made my lady parts sing in a way they had never sung before. Tank POV A few guys aren't into parties, so I stopped going until later in the night, when the girls who showed up were already taken. I dislike the women who come here hoping to adopt our lifestyle. I prefer to use my hand rather than one of those women. Donât get me wrong, I have had my share of women; however, I had a girl who wanted me to take her, and when I did, she ended up in the hospital, because I am not exactly a little man. And I have not been with a woman since. Like my brother, we are both large men; he is six feet six inches tall, and I am six feet eight inches tall. Heâs carrying extra weight, where I am all muscle. I pride myself on keeping in shape, but being this large has its downfall, and having a large build has had me worried about hurting another woman. No matter how much I might want to, I canât; I never want to go through that again. The Prez was the only person who knew why I wouldnât join the parties; he was with me when we took the girl to the hospital, she forgave me, and tried to pursue me to keep her, but I couldnât. Each time I started, I had flashes of her screams, and my confidence went down like a popped balloon. We were in the workshop, doing some minor tune-ups. As I prepare for our ride, I'm excited. When they bring the ladies, the men are usually in a better mood and on their best behavior. I was looking at rebuild. I started it last week. We have a few wrecks that need to be started; some have been sitting here far too long. We can only go so far before we need Mike's help. None of us was a mechanic. I was scratching my head, as I was almost at the end of my knowledge, when I heard someone enter, and a soft perfume that shouldnât be in this shed hit my nose. Stickâs voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head up to look i
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The entire clubhouse knew the rule: giant biker Tank never touched the club girls. What they didnât know was there was no ruleâonly the brutal wall heâd built after destroying a woman with his massive length years ago. Sheâd pushed him to take her, but he was too big, too rough. She ended up in the hospital needing stitches. Since that night, Tank hadnât touched a woman. Until Maxine walked into the clubhouse. The clubâs only real mechanic. 20. Betrayed by her sister and ex, kicked out by her parents, surviving on her own sweat and skill while every other woman spread her legs for protection. She didnât flirt. Didnât simper. Didnât need to. She was different. And Tank wanted her with a hunger that terrified him. Other club h0res had triedârubbing against him, whispering f!lthy promises. Nothing. His body stayed dead. But Maxine? Just one glance he grew rock hard, aching with raw need. He fled like a coward to the bathroom, slamming the door, chest heaving as he yanked himself free. He imagined her bent over his custom Harleyâbare, breathless, trembling. That fierce innocence in her eyes slowly twisting into desperate pleasure as he bent her to his will. How sheâd gasp when he stretched her open, shocked at the side of herself she never knew existed. No loud moaning. No screaming. Just one soft, broken gasp: âTankâŚâ Wide-eyed. Breathless. His hand wrapped around her throat. Her legs shaking under his brutal thrvsts. Mine. Youâre fking mine, Maxine. Only mine. ***** Maxine POV âGo home, you have worked too much overtime this week. Have an early night and give that boyfriend of yours an early treat.â My boss practically urged me out the door, a wicked grin on his face. âOkay, okay, Iâm going. Iâm going. I straddled my bike and started her up. This was going to be a great night. Today was my boyfriend's birthday, and I was going to give him a special gift. I had brought new, cute clothes, and I cleaned up. I was ready to give him my all, my first, my heart, take the big plunge. I felt I was ready. I pulled into the driveway to see my sister's and my boyfriendâs cars. I had no idea my sister was coming home today. She was still at college in her final year, though I heard she wasn't doing so well. The poor golden girl has not met up with expectations, not that I was worried. My ex-boyfriend showed up three hours early; our date was not for a few more hours. What was he doing here already? Walking in the back door, I heard voices and headed towards them; they were in Dadâs office, with the door slightly ajar. I moved silently to the door and waited outside to hear what secrets they were having now. They occasionally do this when they are planning something and donât want to include me, but I'm puzzled as to why my boyfriend and sister were included. âWe never planned for it to happen.â My sister replied softly, as if she were some kind of victim; she was an expert at that. She should have been an actress; she would have won multiple Oscars by now. âWhen?â Dad asked, and I waited in the hallway to hear what this was all about. âChristmas day, we had too many of your special eggnogs, and things got heated. The party was more or less over; the presents had been given out, and the food had been eaten. We were all mulling around, talking, when Zoey said something, I donât remember whatâbut we went upstairs to continue talking, and ended up in Maxineâs room. We did start by just talking, and before I knew it, we were together, like I said, and I was so lost in that moment that I forgot to use protection. When we came out, no one seemed to notice we had been gone, so we pretended it never happened.â My boyfriend replied, and my heart just hit the floor, as I took in that my sister and boyfriend did something in my bed at Christmas. MY BED. I slept in that bed. I feel suddenly sick at that thought. How could they do that to me? She stole another boyfriend from me again. But he was just as much to blame; I guess our relationship was not that strong yet. Not on his side at least. He continued to pretend and take me out on dates, as if that never happened. Now I feel cheated, dirty, ashamed, and angry all at once. What if she hadnât gotten pregnant, and I ended up married to that cheating man? Would her wedding present be to tell me she had had a relationship with him first? I wouldnât put it past her to do such a thing. She had done that before with my boyfriends, and I guess this one was just as vulnerable to her advances as the last one. âHe gave me the best Christmas present ever.â My sister crowed with delight. I could imagine her pregnancy. âThis is good news. I have wanted grandchildren, and the last grandchild I would have expected would be from you; you have never kept a relationship for long.â Mum said, sounding excited at the news. âWhat now?â My sister asked, still playing the perfect victim. âWe get married?â My now ex-boyfriend suggested âsounds more like a question. âWhat about Maxine?â My sister asked, as if I were an inconvenience that needed to be sorted out, and now they think about me, but it didnât sound like concern. âWhat about her? This is about my first grandchild, and his or her safety comes first. She will have to live with it.â My mother spat, revealing that famous favoritism, because she had always taken my sister's side in everything, even when proven wrong. They never backed me up. âI am technically her boyfriend.â He started to say something, but was interrupted. âNot anymore, you're not. I will arrange with the local publican to hire the outdoor garden area, and we shall have an engagement party this Saturday. Get that sorted before you start to show, and Maxine will show her support.â Dadâs voice floated out, sounding resolute. I had no say in this, not that I wanted to be his girlfriend any longer; he had proven not to be what I wanted in a guy. âShe will have to leave. I need her room for the nursery. I would prefer it if she didn't attend the engagement party. What will those who know she was the real girlfriend show up, and see that it was not Maxine getting engaged?â Mum added. Yep, that was my mother, trying to regain her dignity and save face. I couldnât take it any longer. I was devastated enough, and listening further to their support for the love for the cheater was eating me up inside. I didnât want to cry in front of them; the tears were a mix of anger and hurt. I pushed the door open, revealing myself standing there. All faces turned to look at me. âLet me get this straight. You took my boyfriend to MY bed, did that with him, leaving your mess in my bed, as a sort of Christmas present for me. Guess that made your day, thinking I was sleeping in your mess. Now you want my bedroom for the child baby you have created, and I am what, just pushed out the door? Like yesterdayâs trash?â I asked to ensure I understood correctly that the whole family was fine with me being tossed aside. âExactly, I am taking your boyfriend, your bedroom, and you, my dear sister, have to move out.â My sister sounded like she had won the lottery. Her face beamed at her triumph. âFine with me.â The look of shock would have made me laugh if I were not so numb inside. I moved away to my room and packed what I could into my duffel bag. I will come back for the rest later, when they are not around. My heart was breaking, not because I lost my boyfriend, although that hurt a lot, considering that what I was going to give him for his present today was saved for doing something foolish at least. But also because both parents were supporting this deception, as if it were the best news they had received in a while, that they had been trying to get rid of me for a while, and now succeeded in a spectacular way. I walked downstairs and looked at them. âWhen I find a place to stay, I will be back for the rest.â I spat at them, a mixture of hurt, anger, and defeat. I never fit into the family, a black sheep, so maybe I should become one. I had always had top grades, won awards, done my best, but even being first, I was still last. My best friend was the only place I could think of going to; it had to be temporary. Jenny will be cool and let me sleep on her couch till I find a new home. I climbed onto my bike and took off to the only sanctuary I had over the years. Jenny welcomed me into her home, like I knew she would, and together we had a pity party consisting of drinks and vanilla fudge ice cream. We called the family and my ex some interesting names, some of which I had never heard before, but they sounded good. The drunker I got, the more inventive the names became. The next morning, after waking up on Jennyâs couch and remembering yesterday, it did not go as planned. I pulled myself together, had a quick shower, and left for work. It was eight in the morning, and Jenny was still asleep when I left. That might be okay for some, but my workday today would be ten hours long, and I was running late. âYou're late, night must have gone better than planned,â Mike said jovially. They sort of knew what I was planning last night. The others chuckled along with Mike. I grumbled some shiet and got to work. By the end of the day, Mike pulled me to his office. âOkay, out with it. The guys have been tiptoeing around you all day. What happened? He rejected your advances?â He asked, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place, looking at me with concerned eyes, a father figure, better than my dad had ever been. So, I told him what happened when I got home and where I spent the night, and now I'm looking for a place to stay. I was proud of myself; I didnât cry, or whine, or show any emotion at all âjust explained my predicament in cold, emotionless words. Clear and succinct. He said he wouldnât say anything in the shop, but would talk to the prez. I had no idea why, but I was not in the right frame of mind to question it. Maxine POV Today was my sister's engagement party; engaged to my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, you heard me right, my ex. What a joke that was. I had been with Dan for six months when my sister, who was a year older than I, came home for Christmas and ended up with my boyfriend. Sheâs a shameless woman, always has been, but I never expected him to sleep with her. I thought we were secure in our relationship. The only good thing I took away from this was that I never went to bed with him; my innocence was still intact, not that I was trying to keep it - I just never got the chance to lose it. She always managed to have any guy I was interested in dump me for her, and when she got bored with them, sheâd move on. So, in a way, I didnât have a boyfriend till she moved out of her home and headed to college. But when my sister came home and met him, she seduced him and got pregnant. He did the whole âget down on one knee and proposedâ scene. Apparently, it was romantic, but I wasn't there when he did it because they didnât want me around. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was glad to have my girlfriends around me, helping me get over it. They say, I dodged a bullet. I agree with them, stupidly. He might have been a sports jock with good looks, but doing this tells me he was weak and shallow, and I was too good for him, or so my BFF says. I prefer to believe them over the excuses my ex made. I had to move out of my home after I had a massive fight with my parents a few days ago, when the truth was exposed; they supported her, not me, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door and the evil sister. The engagement party was intended to introduce him to her friends and make the relationship official, but I was not invited. My parents want nothing to do with me. I made them all uncomfortable, considering he was my boyfriend first. Anyone working out the timeline for the baby can piece it together, and see they were cheating on me, and it would have been awkward, and too many questions would have been raised. Not that I needed to say all of that, I kind of said it all before, but grrrrr, I am so angry at how my so-called âfamilyâ kicked me out of my so-called home, with no care for me or my feelings. It was easier to push me away and disown me than have to explain to them that my sister cheated with my boyfriend, and hey presto, a baby was on the way. Because I was kicked out of the house, and only had a short time to pack anything, I took the opportunity of the party to sneak into the house and take more of my possessions, like opening my father's safe, and grabbing every piece of paper relating to me, and a little money too, no a lot of money, and grandmaâs jewelry that she left me. So, with the help of my BFF, we packed my belongings and took them to her place until I found a new one. I ride a motorcycle, so I need help. I have the money to buy a new place, but I'm unsure if I want to stay in this town now. Once my apprenticeship is over, I might move away. I stayed that night at Jennyâs place, as I figured out what to do. Today, I am moving into my new place âa bungalow above the bike shop where I work. I am in my final year of apprenticeship, and I am a motorcycle mechanic, proud of it, I might add. I can also work on cars and trucks. If it had a motor, I could fix it; I always could, thanks to my knack for it, which I developed since I was eight, when I fell in love with engines. My Grandpa taught me, kept me out of everyone's way. I guess you could say I was a tomboy, with no frills and lace. My Grandpa kept me sane and busy, so the BS in our house didnât hurt me as much. The place has two bedrooms and is fully contained, meaning it has everything I need. I had purchased some new sheets and towels, that sort of thing, but it had a fully stocked kitchen; I only needed to buy the food. It might be small, and above a noisy bike shop, but at night it was a quiet area. No one would break into this shop; the local bikie gang owned it. They were good guys, scary, but so far, no trouble for me. My BFF, Jenny, was helping me take my belongings upstairs when a group of bikers arrived and assisted us. I had five boxes and two suitcases filled with all sorts of items. âThanks, guys, for the help,â I said sweetly, my BFF batting her eyes at them and swaying herself suggestively as she walked and thanked them. She makes me laugh with her antics, which are totally opposite to mine. I like jeans and am rarely seen in a dress, whereas she was seldom seen in jeans. âWe got a party at the clubhouse, tomorrow Saturday, you should come and relax a bit, bring your girls with ya,â Bruiser suggested as he walked me to the settee, pushed me down, and handed me a drink they had brought with them. This was how they acted around me, ordered me about. Sometimes, I'm okay with it; other times, I get all worked up and growl back at them. Today was acceptance. I know they mean well, and I feel lucky to have them as family; they try to make me feel better. âThat sounds like a blast, count me in, and I can bring two other girl friends with us. Max, do you want me to pick you up?â Jenny offered, taking a drink from one of the guys. She was not a drinker; however, in this situation, I could see her not refusing anything they offered. I guess I'm going, whether I want to or not. âNo, Iâll ride over,â I replied as one of the guys ordered pizza. âThatâs the spirit. Nothing like the wind in your hair to blow the cobwebs away.â They stayed because they didnât want me to be alone, not on my first night here. Pizza arrived not long after, and my little bungalow was soon feeling too small and crowded, with six huge bikers in the room. Some sat on the floor; others pulled up one of the three kitchen chairs. I know, I know, three chairs sound odd, but that's what was here, and beggars canât be choosers; the rent was dirt cheap, and I think the boys are the ones to make sure I had everything I needed. They found out about my situation the next day, because, I was still quiet at work, which was not like me, often I am singing to the radio, or swearing at something, so one of the guys walked to me, to find out what gives, and I softly told them, what went down, and when word got around the bikers heard I needed a place to stay, because I was kicked out of my home and why, they came to me, like protective brothers. Now I have a whole gang of bikers who have my back. I feel privileged to call them friends. They even offered to rough the ex up for me, but I refused the offer, because strangely, I was happy to get rid of the loser if he was a cheating build. Better now than when I am fully invested in our relationship. Plus, I was in deep enough shite with my parents and sister without making it worse. The pizza was gone, my BFF left for home, and the guys did too. It was late, well, for me, midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly because I have to be up for work at five. Tomorrow, being Saturday, I have the morning shift before the party later. They let me leave work early so I can move in here. âHey, donât forget to come, we need our prettiest mechanic at the party, some of the boys might need a tune-up,â Bruiser said with a laugh as they climbed on their bikes and left. I know what sort of tune-up he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with a motor. I looked around my new home. It wasnât much, but it was all mine. The guys were great; they took the empty pizza boxes and beer cans with them, and the place was relatively clean. Not at all what you would expect from a group of rowdy men. The clubhouse. I had never been to it, despite having worked there for nearly four years, and they had never extended an invitation to me. I know they had lots of parties; maybe I was too young. I turned twenty recently, but they might think of me as the fifteen-year-old who showed up one day and told the boss I was going to be his apprentice. He laughed at first and said he would give me a go to prove myself. He thought I was joking and that I would be gone by the weekend, but over the holidays, I worked hard and have been here ever since. Maxine POV The beeping sound of my phone alarm made me sit up and look around. It took a moment to remember where I was. The room had a small curtain that barely kept the light out. There was a streetlight just outside my window. I can envisage myself getting better blackout curtains soon. Although it was annoying, it wasn't among my top priorities for making this a home. The shower was decent, with nice pressure. I followed my morning routine, only to realize how foolish I was to wake up so early, living above my place of work; I didnât need to ride here. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, I still had half an hour before I needed to be at work. I had two ways to get into my place: one was through the back stairs, and the other was through the shop. With the code to turn off the alarm, I decided to head down and start work early. It was better than moving stuff around; I can do that later. I had a bike to finish by this afternoon. The customer would be here at two. Turned off the alarm, turned on the coffee pot, the radio, and headed to my workstation, where the fat boy was waiting for me to finish. I sat on the chair with casters and began my job, singing loudly to the heavy rock song that came on the radio as I installed the new spark plugs and double-checked the oil. It was a simple, easy-peasy service. Once finished, I started the bike up, let it idle while I made coffee, then returned to rev it a few times. It sounds lumpy, like it was just turning over perfectly; it was music to my ears. I love that throaty, deep, lumpy sound. You can feel it vibrate through my chest. âThatâs a sound I loved to hear as I enter work.â My boss, Mike, said as I turned the bike off. âItâs ready to go, unless you want to take it out for a test ride. Want a coffee, pots hot.â I offered as I threw the dirty rag in the bin. âSure, I will take the bike out for a spin, and you can make me a coffee.â He smirked as he grabbed the bike. I opened the garage door, and Mike took off. I smiled as he disappeared down the street, and I turned to make both of us coffee. If you hadnât guessed already, I would drink a lot of coffee. I am not a fan of soft drinks or tea; for me, it's coffee or water. With a broom in hand, I began cleaning the shop. I am not out here very often, but I try to sweep the floor at least once a week; they have another apprentice whoâs a second year, who gets to do most of the cleaning up, but heâs never here on a Saturday. The sound of the bike returning prompted me to pick up the two cups of coffee and head back out to the workshop. Mike had a massive grin on his face as he parked the bike. âGreat job, you are our top mechanic. But donât tell anyone, or I will have to deny it.â He joked, taking his coffee from my hand as he walked by, no doubt letting the customer know the bike was ready ahead of time. I moved to the next bike, which was a total rebuild; it had been in a minor accident, and while the frame was being checked, I would work on the engine and gearbox. It was the only job on my list at the moment. The bike owner was in no hurry; he had a broken leg, giving me a few weeks to work on his bike and any urgent jobs that might come into the shop. The client arrived and happily took possession of his bike, very happy with the job done. âI hear youâve been invited to the club party tonight,â Mike said as he rang up the sale on the cash register. âYep.â I said popping the âpâ. âYou can leave now, we have no more customers expected. Good job today.â It was about one oâclock, near the time I would knock off. âThanks, boss.â I saluted him and rushed upstairs, before he could change his mind. Giggling all the way up. I heard him chuckling as he locked the door below, behind me. I decided on a quick shower; I didnât want to smell of oil when going to a party. Put on my skinny black jeans, a black blouse that had red flames on the back and on the pockets, black boots that had some chains around the ankle, and hair in a ponytail. I will get what we call helmet hair, so it's a waste to do much with it now. I use mascara and strawberry lippie, which is more to moisturize, which tend to dry out when I ride my bike, and that's it. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was my jacket. My mum used to grumble that I wasnât like my sister and put more effort into my appearance, but I like who I am, and I didnât like wearing lots of makeup; it was my choice, and I feel that I am not a frilly, lacey chick. It was a deal breaker with my mum. She had my sister dress up and left me in the care of Grandpa until he died when I was seventeen. It broke me when he left the world. He was the only person who got me. My grandma had been gone since I was young, and I filled the hole in his heart with my love for bikes and fishing. He left me his money and bikes. Dad got his house and business. My mum hated that I gained all that money. When Grandma died, she left me her jewelry, and Grandpa made sure to keep it safe till I was old enough to have it. I ate something and put some more of my stuff in the cupboards before my phone chimed to let me know my girlfriends were on their way to the party. I pulled my bike out of the small garage and started it up. I threw my leg over and took off, heading to the property. The clubhouse was half an hour out of town, set on a large property a little bit back from the road. Ten minutes later, I came up behind the girls and hung out behind them. My friend waved me on to take the lead. I shrugged and overtook her. The turn off arrived, and I rode happily up the long drive, and trees lined the road. An open, large steel gate appeared, and I was glad it was still enough light to see clearly. Men stood by the entrance, watching us arrive. âHey.â I greeted the biggest man I had ever seen. âWho invited you here?â The man asked gruffly, in a deep husky voice. âBruiser,â I answered, with a firm, clear voice, hoping that the fact that he frightened me would be noticed in my voice. He pulled out his phone and called, I assumed, Bruiser. âMax?â He asked, as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. He said something more and hung up the phone. âCome in, the car behind your girls?â He looked at the car behind, which clearly had a woman in it. âYep,â I replied, not at all liking how he intimidated me with his manner. Perhaps it was the way they greeted strangers. One look makes the weak run. Well, I am not weak, and I won't be running. Maxine POV This rather large biker leaned in to look inside the car, his bulky figure partially blocking the open window, causing the girl nearest it to back away. Satisfied, he looked at me with a knowing smirk, then motioned for us to enter. The clubhouse was nothing like I had imagined. Firstly, it was four levels high. Verandah all the way around, that I could see. It was more like a mansion than a clubhouse. Women were gathered near the door, looking in, as if they were waiting for something; some were sitting on the wooden fence that surrounded the verandah. They were dressed in barely anything, showing all that was available, some love that sort of thing. People like me dress to stay warm or cool and donât care about showing off the goods. Bikes sat in neat rows in front, and cars were parked to the left of the building; the ratio of bikes to cars was approximately four bikes to one car. I parked the bike with the others, climbed off, and took off my helmet. I placed the lid on the bike and shook out my hair while waiting for the girls to park and come to me. I heard some muffled scoffs, but I couldnât care less âI wasn't here to please them. Bruiser came out of the clubhouse behind me. âMax, you came by bike. Sweet.â He gave me a greeting nod and moved to take a look at my bike. The paint job was a wolf, fading in smoke. It took me months to finish, as I kept changing my mind, and the smoke obscured the mistakes. âWho did the paint job?â He asked as he moved around to look at it from all sides. âMe.â I was proud of the results. âDoes Mike know you can paint?â He sounded surprised. âHe has seen my bike when I used the garage to do a service. He never asked who did the paint work, just that he liked it.â âSweet, looks like we have someone to do a paint job, and possibly a full one. We have a family reunion in a few weeks, and the ladies are invited to come along. You can join us.â Bruiser offered as my ladies arrived; they were not included in that invitation, I assumed, because I have a bike. âBruiser, you already met Jenny, Melony, Karen, and Heather, my other BFF, and Alice, Karen's sister, and BFF to my sister.â Adding that comment, hoping that Bruiser knew precisely what that woman was like. Alice battered her eyes and leaned forward to show off what was under that almost shirt. My ladies greeted him with the respect he deserved. âLadies. Hands out.â Bruiser stamped the girl's backs of their hands; they all had a bear, except Alice, who had a rabbit on her hand. I frowned, trying to figure out what the rabbit was all about. He pushed my hand away. âYou are family, no need for a stamp.â I couldnât stop the smile that crossed my face. I felt so special. Then the shoe dropped. Rabbit had another meaning. Bruiser got my meaning loud and clear. It took a while to understand the purpose of the stamps. âCome inside and meet the ole ladies.â I understood what he meant; these were ladies who had been claimed and had a different level of respect that those not claimed would never understand. I have met a few of them over the years and gained more insight into club life. They respect me as much as I respect them. We entered the place, and the girls who had been waiting outside gave us a dirty look, as they were still stopped from entering. âWhat's so special about them?â One pouted, but Bruiser ignored her. Inside was cleaner than I had expected âmy fault for judging a group of men, since they often look messy when I see them at the shop. The place had a large, open space, with tables where you stand, as well as booths dotted along the walls, and stools at the bar, which ran the full length of the room. I loved the spacious room, the pictures on the walls, and some bike parts scattered about as decoration. A few barstools are bike seats; it was different, and it appealed to me. Being a lover of bikes. âSticks.â I greeted her as we walked to the ladies Bruiser was taking us to. âHey, Maxie Max. How's it blowing?â She stood up and pulled me into a warm embrace. This chick had no filter or personal space. Sticks was the President's; her real name was Sandra, but she was my height at five-nine, and she had no shape to her body, just a lovely bean pole, almost no chest to speak of, yet she had had two boys. Hence the name Sticks. âDoing better,â I replied. She would know what was going on. She introduced us to the other ladies with her, and it didnât surprise me that Alice had already moved away from us before we had finished the introductions. âWhatâs her story?â Sticks asked as she watched Alice start to try her luck with the club men. âSame as my sister. Bruiser put a rabbit stamp on her hand.â Sticks and the other girl roared out laughing. âShe will be used, snugged to the side by the time the night is over, and I doubt they would let her back in. We donât need her sort in the club.â Maggie spouted as we watched a patch member knock her offer back. âThe regulars are not going to like her working their turf. So, to speak.â Tootsie said, with a smirk, that the regulars know the rules and stick with them. Donât reach a patch member; if interested, they will come to you. Nomâs are fair game. But most girls would prefer a patch member. Donât have a relationship with a taken member; the women will gang up and make your life miserable if you feel one of theirs. Wait to be let into the clubhouse and then stay in the public area. No going upstairs uninvited. The first two floors are designated for guest rooms, while the top floor is reserved for permanent residences. Those who donât have a home of their own to go to. They are private and not open to wandering girls. Donât sit on someoneâs bike, unless you are given permission. The patched old ladies are the bosses of the girls; they tell you to leave or do something, and you do it. There were more rules for the girls visiting, but I couldnât remember them all at that moment. None had applied to me until now. Alice had already broken at least three, to my knowledge. I am staying out of it. That rabbit on her hand told the members that she would open her legs for any of them, and no one would support her if she broke the rules. That she was not welcome to return, in other words, have your fun, and then abandoned her to the curb. The doors were opened to let the other girls in. They looked at us in the no-go zone and pouted. We were sitting in an off-limits area unless we were invited. From what I understood, they were here to spread their legs and give the guys some relief, but not become part of the family. They might be hopeful that something would change; it was rare for a patch member to take one of these ladies, who had most likely been with every unattached member of the gang, at some point. My girls left me with Sticks and wandered about with the other ladies, getting the tour of the place. âWant to look around?â Sticks were offered, and before I knew it, we were walking around the vast ground floor. âReady to see the workshop, the guys might talk you into helping out, once they know who you are.â Sticks led me down a small pathway, lined with flowering shrubs, and to a set of large, farm-size sheds. Inside were bikes, some in bits, others crumpled from an accident, and others like they had just been detailed and were someone's pride and joy. There was a workshop here, where men were working on their bikes. They looked up at us when we entered and frowned. If Sticks were not with me, they would have most likely growled at me to get out. âWhoâs this Sticks?â A monster of a man asked, in the deepest voice I have ever heard, he looked a lot like the man at the gate, but with more toned muscles. Just a tad taller, and although he looked big and scary, he made my lady parts sing in a way they had never sung before. Tank POV A few guys aren't into parties, so I stopped going until later in the night, when the girls who showed up were already taken. I dislike the women who come here hoping to adopt our lifestyle. I prefer to use my hand rather than one of those women. Donât get me wrong, I have had my share of women; however, I had a girl who wanted me to take her, and when I did, she ended up in the hospital, because I am not exactly a little man. And I have not been with a woman since. Like my brother, we are both large men; he is six feet six inches tall, and I am six feet eight inches tall. Heâs carrying extra weight, where I am all muscle. I pride myself on keeping in shape, but being this large has its downfall, and having a large build has had me worried about hurting another woman. No matter how much I might want to, I canât; I never want to go through that again. The Prez was the only person who knew why I wouldnât join the parties; he was with me when we took the girl to the hospital, she forgave me, and tried to pursue me to keep her, but I couldnât. Each time I started, I had flashes of her screams, and my confidence went down like a popped balloon. We were in the workshop, doing some minor tune-ups. As I prepare for our ride, I'm excited. When they bring the ladies, the men are usually in a better mood and on their best behavior. I was looking at rebuild. I started it last week. We have a few wrecks that need to be started; some have been sitting here far too long. We can only go so far before we need Mike's help. None of us was a mechanic. I was scratching my head, as I was almost at the end of my knowledge, when I heard someone enter, and a soft perfume that shouldnât be in this shed hit my nose. Stickâs voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head up to look i
The entire clubhouse knew the rule: giant biker Tank never touched the club girls. What they didnât know was there was no ruleâonly the brutal wall heâd built after destroying a woman with his massive length years ago. Sheâd pushed him to take her, but he was too big, too rough. She ended up in the hospital needing stitches. Since that night, Tank hadnât touched a woman. Until Maxine walked into the clubhouse. The clubâs only real mechanic. 20. Betrayed by her sister and ex, kicked out by her parents, surviving on her own sweat and skill while every other woman spread her legs for protection. She didnât flirt. Didnât simper. Didnât need to. She was different. And Tank wanted her with a hunger that terrified him. Other club h0res had triedârubbing against him, whispering f!lthy promises. Nothing. His body stayed dead. But Maxine? Just one glance he grew rock hard, aching with raw need. He fled like a coward to the bathroom, slamming the door, chest heaving as he yanked himself free. He imagined her bent over his custom Harleyâbare, breathless, trembling. That fierce innocence in her eyes slowly twisting into desperate pleasure as he bent her to his will. How sheâd gasp when he stretched her open, shocked at the side of herself she never knew existed. No loud moaning. No screaming. Just one soft, broken gasp: âTankâŚâ Wide-eyed. Breathless. His hand wrapped around her throat. Her legs shaking under his brutal thrvsts. Mine. Youâre fking mine, Maxine. Only mine. ***** Maxine POV âGo home, you have worked too much overtime this week. Have an early night and give that boyfriend of yours an early treat.â My boss practically urged me out the door, a wicked grin on his face. âOkay, okay, Iâm going. Iâm going. I straddled my bike and started her up. This was going to be a great night. Today was my boyfriend's birthday, and I was going to give him a special gift. I had brought new, cute clothes, and I cleaned up. I was ready to give him my all, my first, my heart, take the big plunge. I felt I was ready. I pulled into the driveway to see my sister's and my boyfriendâs cars. I had no idea my sister was coming home today. She was still at college in her final year, though I heard she wasn't doing so well. The poor golden girl has not met up with expectations, not that I was worried. My ex-boyfriend showed up three hours early; our date was not for a few more hours. What was he doing here already? Walking in the back door, I heard voices and headed towards them; they were in Dadâs office, with the door slightly ajar. I moved silently to the door and waited outside to hear what secrets they were having now. They occasionally do this when they are planning something and donât want to include me, but I'm puzzled as to why my boyfriend and sister were included. âWe never planned for it to happen.â My sister replied softly, as if she were some kind of victim; she was an expert at that. She should have been an actress; she would have won multiple Oscars by now. âWhen?â Dad asked, and I waited in the hallway to hear what this was all about. âChristmas day, we had too many of your special eggnogs, and things got heated. The party was more or less over; the presents had been given out, and the food had been eaten. We were all mulling around, talking, when Zoey said something, I donât remember whatâbut we went upstairs to continue talking, and ended up in Maxineâs room. We did start by just talking, and before I knew it, we were together, like I said, and I was so lost in that moment that I forgot to use protection. When we came out, no one seemed to notice we had been gone, so we pretended it never happened.â My boyfriend replied, and my heart just hit the floor, as I took in that my sister and boyfriend did something in my bed at Christmas. MY BED. I slept in that bed. I feel suddenly sick at that thought. How could they do that to me? She stole another boyfriend from me again. But he was just as much to blame; I guess our relationship was not that strong yet. Not on his side at least. He continued to pretend and take me out on dates, as if that never happened. Now I feel cheated, dirty, ashamed, and angry all at once. What if she hadnât gotten pregnant, and I ended up married to that cheating man? Would her wedding present be to tell me she had had a relationship with him first? I wouldnât put it past her to do such a thing. She had done that before with my boyfriends, and I guess this one was just as vulnerable to her advances as the last one. âHe gave me the best Christmas present ever.â My sister crowed with delight. I could imagine her pregnancy. âThis is good news. I have wanted grandchildren, and the last grandchild I would have expected would be from you; you have never kept a relationship for long.â Mum said, sounding excited at the news. âWhat now?â My sister asked, still playing the perfect victim. âWe get married?â My now ex-boyfriend suggested âsounds more like a question. âWhat about Maxine?â My sister asked, as if I were an inconvenience that needed to be sorted out, and now they think about me, but it didnât sound like concern. âWhat about her? This is about my first grandchild, and his or her safety comes first. She will have to live with it.â My mother spat, revealing that famous favoritism, because she had always taken my sister's side in everything, even when proven wrong. They never backed me up. âI am technically her boyfriend.â He started to say something, but was interrupted. âNot anymore, you're not. I will arrange with the local publican to hire the outdoor garden area, and we shall have an engagement party this Saturday. Get that sorted before you start to show, and Maxine will show her support.â Dadâs voice floated out, sounding resolute. I had no say in this, not that I wanted to be his girlfriend any longer; he had proven not to be what I wanted in a guy. âShe will have to leave. I need her room for the nursery. I would prefer it if she didn't attend the engagement party. What will those who know she was the real girlfriend show up, and see that it was not Maxine getting engaged?â Mum added. Yep, that was my mother, trying to regain her dignity and save face. I couldnât take it any longer. I was devastated enough, and listening further to their support for the love for the cheater was eating me up inside. I didnât want to cry in front of them; the tears were a mix of anger and hurt. I pushed the door open, revealing myself standing there. All faces turned to look at me. âLet me get this straight. You took my boyfriend to MY bed, did that with him, leaving your mess in my bed, as a sort of Christmas present for me. Guess that made your day, thinking I was sleeping in your mess. Now you want my bedroom for the child baby you have created, and I am what, just pushed out the door? Like yesterdayâs trash?â I asked to ensure I understood correctly that the whole family was fine with me being tossed aside. âExactly, I am taking your boyfriend, your bedroom, and you, my dear sister, have to move out.â My sister sounded like she had won the lottery. Her face beamed at her triumph. âFine with me.â The look of shock would have made me laugh if I were not so numb inside. I moved away to my room and packed what I could into my duffel bag. I will come back for the rest later, when they are not around. My heart was breaking, not because I lost my boyfriend, although that hurt a lot, considering that what I was going to give him for his present today was saved for doing something foolish at least. But also because both parents were supporting this deception, as if it were the best news they had received in a while, that they had been trying to get rid of me for a while, and now succeeded in a spectacular way. I walked downstairs and looked at them. âWhen I find a place to stay, I will be back for the rest.â I spat at them, a mixture of hurt, anger, and defeat. I never fit into the family, a black sheep, so maybe I should become one. I had always had top grades, won awards, done my best, but even being first, I was still last. My best friend was the only place I could think of going to; it had to be temporary. Jenny will be cool and let me sleep on her couch till I find a new home. I climbed onto my bike and took off to the only sanctuary I had over the years. Jenny welcomed me into her home, like I knew she would, and together we had a pity party consisting of drinks and vanilla fudge ice cream. We called the family and my ex some interesting names, some of which I had never heard before, but they sounded good. The drunker I got, the more inventive the names became. The next morning, after waking up on Jennyâs couch and remembering yesterday, it did not go as planned. I pulled myself together, had a quick shower, and left for work. It was eight in the morning, and Jenny was still asleep when I left. That might be okay for some, but my workday today would be ten hours long, and I was running late. âYou're late, night must have gone better than planned,â Mike said jovially. They sort of knew what I was planning last night. The others chuckled along with Mike. I grumbled some shiet and got to work. By the end of the day, Mike pulled me to his office. âOkay, out with it. The guys have been tiptoeing around you all day. What happened? He rejected your advances?â He asked, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place, looking at me with concerned eyes, a father figure, better than my dad had ever been. So, I told him what happened when I got home and where I spent the night, and now I'm looking for a place to stay. I was proud of myself; I didnât cry, or whine, or show any emotion at all âjust explained my predicament in cold, emotionless words. Clear and succinct. He said he wouldnât say anything in the shop, but would talk to the prez. I had no idea why, but I was not in the right frame of mind to question it. Maxine POV Today was my sister's engagement party; engaged to my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, you heard me right, my ex. What a joke that was. I had been with Dan for six months when my sister, who was a year older than I, came home for Christmas and ended up with my boyfriend. Sheâs a shameless woman, always has been, but I never expected him to sleep with her. I thought we were secure in our relationship. The only good thing I took away from this was that I never went to bed with him; my innocence was still intact, not that I was trying to keep it - I just never got the chance to lose it. She always managed to have any guy I was interested in dump me for her, and when she got bored with them, sheâd move on. So, in a way, I didnât have a boyfriend till she moved out of her home and headed to college. But when my sister came home and met him, she seduced him and got pregnant. He did the whole âget down on one knee and proposedâ scene. Apparently, it was romantic, but I wasn't there when he did it because they didnât want me around. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was glad to have my girlfriends around me, helping me get over it. They say, I dodged a bullet. I agree with them, stupidly. He might have been a sports jock with good looks, but doing this tells me he was weak and shallow, and I was too good for him, or so my BFF says. I prefer to believe them over the excuses my ex made. I had to move out of my home after I had a massive fight with my parents a few days ago, when the truth was exposed; they supported her, not me, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door and the evil sister. The engagement party was intended to introduce him to her friends and make the relationship official, but I was not invited. My parents want nothing to do with me. I made them all uncomfortable, considering he was my boyfriend first. Anyone working out the timeline for the baby can piece it together, and see they were cheating on me, and it would have been awkward, and too many questions would have been raised. Not that I needed to say all of that, I kind of said it all before, but grrrrr, I am so angry at how my so-called âfamilyâ kicked me out of my so-called home, with no care for me or my feelings. It was easier to push me away and disown me than have to explain to them that my sister cheated with my boyfriend, and hey presto, a baby was on the way. Because I was kicked out of the house, and only had a short time to pack anything, I took the opportunity of the party to sneak into the house and take more of my possessions, like opening my father's safe, and grabbing every piece of paper relating to me, and a little money too, no a lot of money, and grandmaâs jewelry that she left me. So, with the help of my BFF, we packed my belongings and took them to her place until I found a new one. I ride a motorcycle, so I need help. I have the money to buy a new place, but I'm unsure if I want to stay in this town now. Once my apprenticeship is over, I might move away. I stayed that night at Jennyâs place, as I figured out what to do. Today, I am moving into my new place âa bungalow above the bike shop where I work. I am in my final year of apprenticeship, and I am a motorcycle mechanic, proud of it, I might add. I can also work on cars and trucks. If it had a motor, I could fix it; I always could, thanks to my knack for it, which I developed since I was eight, when I fell in love with engines. My Grandpa taught me, kept me out of everyone's way. I guess you could say I was a tomboy, with no frills and lace. My Grandpa kept me sane and busy, so the BS in our house didnât hurt me as much. The place has two bedrooms and is fully contained, meaning it has everything I need. I had purchased some new sheets and towels, that sort of thing, but it had a fully stocked kitchen; I only needed to buy the food. It might be small, and above a noisy bike shop, but at night it was a quiet area. No one would break into this shop; the local bikie gang owned it. They were good guys, scary, but so far, no trouble for me. My BFF, Jenny, was helping me take my belongings upstairs when a group of bikers arrived and assisted us. I had five boxes and two suitcases filled with all sorts of items. âThanks, guys, for the help,â I said sweetly, my BFF batting her eyes at them and swaying herself suggestively as she walked and thanked them. She makes me laugh with her antics, which are totally opposite to mine. I like jeans and am rarely seen in a dress, whereas she was seldom seen in jeans. âWe got a party at the clubhouse, tomorrow Saturday, you should come and relax a bit, bring your girls with ya,â Bruiser suggested as he walked me to the settee, pushed me down, and handed me a drink they had brought with them. This was how they acted around me, ordered me about. Sometimes, I'm okay with it; other times, I get all worked up and growl back at them. Today was acceptance. I know they mean well, and I feel lucky to have them as family; they try to make me feel better. âThat sounds like a blast, count me in, and I can bring two other girl friends with us. Max, do you want me to pick you up?â Jenny offered, taking a drink from one of the guys. She was not a drinker; however, in this situation, I could see her not refusing anything they offered. I guess I'm going, whether I want to or not. âNo, Iâll ride over,â I replied as one of the guys ordered pizza. âThatâs the spirit. Nothing like the wind in your hair to blow the cobwebs away.â They stayed because they didnât want me to be alone, not on my first night here. Pizza arrived not long after, and my little bungalow was soon feeling too small and crowded, with six huge bikers in the room. Some sat on the floor; others pulled up one of the three kitchen chairs. I know, I know, three chairs sound odd, but that's what was here, and beggars canât be choosers; the rent was dirt cheap, and I think the boys are the ones to make sure I had everything I needed. They found out about my situation the next day, because, I was still quiet at work, which was not like me, often I am singing to the radio, or swearing at something, so one of the guys walked to me, to find out what gives, and I softly told them, what went down, and when word got around the bikers heard I needed a place to stay, because I was kicked out of my home and why, they came to me, like protective brothers. Now I have a whole gang of bikers who have my back. I feel privileged to call them friends. They even offered to rough the ex up for me, but I refused the offer, because strangely, I was happy to get rid of the loser if he was a cheating build. Better now than when I am fully invested in our relationship. Plus, I was in deep enough shite with my parents and sister without making it worse. The pizza was gone, my BFF left for home, and the guys did too. It was late, well, for me, midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly because I have to be up for work at five. Tomorrow, being Saturday, I have the morning shift before the party later. They let me leave work early so I can move in here. âHey, donât forget to come, we need our prettiest mechanic at the party, some of the boys might need a tune-up,â Bruiser said with a laugh as they climbed on their bikes and left. I know what sort of tune-up he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with a motor. I looked around my new home. It wasnât much, but it was all mine. The guys were great; they took the empty pizza boxes and beer cans with them, and the place was relatively clean. Not at all what you would expect from a group of rowdy men. The clubhouse. I had never been to it, despite having worked there for nearly four years, and they had never extended an invitation to me. I know they had lots of parties; maybe I was too young. I turned twenty recently, but they might think of me as the fifteen-year-old who showed up one day and told the boss I was going to be his apprentice. He laughed at first and said he would give me a go to prove myself. He thought I was joking and that I would be gone by the weekend, but over the holidays, I worked hard and have been here ever since. Maxine POV The beeping sound of my phone alarm made me sit up and look around. It took a moment to remember where I was. The room had a small curtain that barely kept the light out. There was a streetlight just outside my window. I can envisage myself getting better blackout curtains soon. Although it was annoying, it wasn't among my top priorities for making this a home. The shower was decent, with nice pressure. I followed my morning routine, only to realize how foolish I was to wake up so early, living above my place of work; I didnât need to ride here. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, I still had half an hour before I needed to be at work. I had two ways to get into my place: one was through the back stairs, and the other was through the shop. With the code to turn off the alarm, I decided to head down and start work early. It was better than moving stuff around; I can do that later. I had a bike to finish by this afternoon. The customer would be here at two. Turned off the alarm, turned on the coffee pot, the radio, and headed to my workstation, where the fat boy was waiting for me to finish. I sat on the chair with casters and began my job, singing loudly to the heavy rock song that came on the radio as I installed the new spark plugs and double-checked the oil. It was a simple, easy-peasy service. Once finished, I started the bike up, let it idle while I made coffee, then returned to rev it a few times. It sounds lumpy, like it was just turning over perfectly; it was music to my ears. I love that throaty, deep, lumpy sound. You can feel it vibrate through my chest. âThatâs a sound I loved to hear as I enter work.â My boss, Mike, said as I turned the bike off. âItâs ready to go, unless you want to take it out for a test ride. Want a coffee, pots hot.â I offered as I threw the dirty rag in the bin. âSure, I will take the bike out for a spin, and you can make me a coffee.â He smirked as he grabbed the bike. I opened the garage door, and Mike took off. I smiled as he disappeared down the street, and I turned to make both of us coffee. If you hadnât guessed already, I would drink a lot of coffee. I am not a fan of soft drinks or tea; for me, it's coffee or water. With a broom in hand, I began cleaning the shop. I am not out here very often, but I try to sweep the floor at least once a week; they have another apprentice whoâs a second year, who gets to do most of the cleaning up, but heâs never here on a Saturday. The sound of the bike returning prompted me to pick up the two cups of coffee and head back out to the workshop. Mike had a massive grin on his face as he parked the bike. âGreat job, you are our top mechanic. But donât tell anyone, or I will have to deny it.â He joked, taking his coffee from my hand as he walked by, no doubt letting the customer know the bike was ready ahead of time. I moved to the next bike, which was a total rebuild; it had been in a minor accident, and while the frame was being checked, I would work on the engine and gearbox. It was the only job on my list at the moment. The bike owner was in no hurry; he had a broken leg, giving me a few weeks to work on his bike and any urgent jobs that might come into the shop. The client arrived and happily took possession of his bike, very happy with the job done. âI hear youâve been invited to the club party tonight,â Mike said as he rang up the sale on the cash register. âYep.â I said popping the âpâ. âYou can leave now, we have no more customers expected. Good job today.â It was about one oâclock, near the time I would knock off. âThanks, boss.â I saluted him and rushed upstairs, before he could change his mind. Giggling all the way up. I heard him chuckling as he locked the door below, behind me. I decided on a quick shower; I didnât want to smell of oil when going to a party. Put on my skinny black jeans, a black blouse that had red flames on the back and on the pockets, black boots that had some chains around the ankle, and hair in a ponytail. I will get what we call helmet hair, so it's a waste to do much with it now. I use mascara and strawberry lippie, which is more to moisturize, which tend to dry out when I ride my bike, and that's it. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was my jacket. My mum used to grumble that I wasnât like my sister and put more effort into my appearance, but I like who I am, and I didnât like wearing lots of makeup; it was my choice, and I feel that I am not a frilly, lacey chick. It was a deal breaker with my mum. She had my sister dress up and left me in the care of Grandpa until he died when I was seventeen. It broke me when he left the world. He was the only person who got me. My grandma had been gone since I was young, and I filled the hole in his heart with my love for bikes and fishing. He left me his money and bikes. Dad got his house and business. My mum hated that I gained all that money. When Grandma died, she left me her jewelry, and Grandpa made sure to keep it safe till I was old enough to have it. I ate something and put some more of my stuff in the cupboards before my phone chimed to let me know my girlfriends were on their way to the party. I pulled my bike out of the small garage and started it up. I threw my leg over and took off, heading to the property. The clubhouse was half an hour out of town, set on a large property a little bit back from the road. Ten minutes later, I came up behind the girls and hung out behind them. My friend waved me on to take the lead. I shrugged and overtook her. The turn off arrived, and I rode happily up the long drive, and trees lined the road. An open, large steel gate appeared, and I was glad it was still enough light to see clearly. Men stood by the entrance, watching us arrive. âHey.â I greeted the biggest man I had ever seen. âWho invited you here?â The man asked gruffly, in a deep husky voice. âBruiser,â I answered, with a firm, clear voice, hoping that the fact that he frightened me would be noticed in my voice. He pulled out his phone and called, I assumed, Bruiser. âMax?â He asked, as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. He said something more and hung up the phone. âCome in, the car behind your girls?â He looked at the car behind, which clearly had a woman in it. âYep,â I replied, not at all liking how he intimidated me with his manner. Perhaps it was the way they greeted strangers. One look makes the weak run. Well, I am not weak, and I won't be running. Maxine POV This rather large biker leaned in to look inside the car, his bulky figure partially blocking the open window, causing the girl nearest it to back away. Satisfied, he looked at me with a knowing smirk, then motioned for us to enter. The clubhouse was nothing like I had imagined. Firstly, it was four levels high. Verandah all the way around, that I could see. It was more like a mansion than a clubhouse. Women were gathered near the door, looking in, as if they were waiting for something; some were sitting on the wooden fence that surrounded the verandah. They were dressed in barely anything, showing all that was available, some love that sort of thing. People like me dress to stay warm or cool and donât care about showing off the goods. Bikes sat in neat rows in front, and cars were parked to the left of the building; the ratio of bikes to cars was approximately four bikes to one car. I parked the bike with the others, climbed off, and took off my helmet. I placed the lid on the bike and shook out my hair while waiting for the girls to park and come to me. I heard some muffled scoffs, but I couldnât care less âI wasn't here to please them. Bruiser came out of the clubhouse behind me. âMax, you came by bike. Sweet.â He gave me a greeting nod and moved to take a look at my bike. The paint job was a wolf, fading in smoke. It took me months to finish, as I kept changing my mind, and the smoke obscured the mistakes. âWho did the paint job?â He asked as he moved around to look at it from all sides. âMe.â I was proud of the results. âDoes Mike know you can paint?â He sounded surprised. âHe has seen my bike when I used the garage to do a service. He never asked who did the paint work, just that he liked it.â âSweet, looks like we have someone to do a paint job, and possibly a full one. We have a family reunion in a few weeks, and the ladies are invited to come along. You can join us.â Bruiser offered as my ladies arrived; they were not included in that invitation, I assumed, because I have a bike. âBruiser, you already met Jenny, Melony, Karen, and Heather, my other BFF, and Alice, Karen's sister, and BFF to my sister.â Adding that comment, hoping that Bruiser knew precisely what that woman was like. Alice battered her eyes and leaned forward to show off what was under that almost shirt. My ladies greeted him with the respect he deserved. âLadies. Hands out.â Bruiser stamped the girl's backs of their hands; they all had a bear, except Alice, who had a rabbit on her hand. I frowned, trying to figure out what the rabbit was all about. He pushed my hand away. âYou are family, no need for a stamp.â I couldnât stop the smile that crossed my face. I felt so special. Then the shoe dropped. Rabbit had another meaning. Bruiser got my meaning loud and clear. It took a while to understand the purpose of the stamps. âCome inside and meet the ole ladies.â I understood what he meant; these were ladies who had been claimed and had a different level of respect that those not claimed would never understand. I have met a few of them over the years and gained more insight into club life. They respect me as much as I respect them. We entered the place, and the girls who had been waiting outside gave us a dirty look, as they were still stopped from entering. âWhat's so special about them?â One pouted, but Bruiser ignored her. Inside was cleaner than I had expected âmy fault for judging a group of men, since they often look messy when I see them at the shop. The place had a large, open space, with tables where you stand, as well as booths dotted along the walls, and stools at the bar, which ran the full length of the room. I loved the spacious room, the pictures on the walls, and some bike parts scattered about as decoration. A few barstools are bike seats; it was different, and it appealed to me. Being a lover of bikes. âSticks.â I greeted her as we walked to the ladies Bruiser was taking us to. âHey, Maxie Max. How's it blowing?â She stood up and pulled me into a warm embrace. This chick had no filter or personal space. Sticks was the President's; her real name was Sandra, but she was my height at five-nine, and she had no shape to her body, just a lovely bean pole, almost no chest to speak of, yet she had had two boys. Hence the name Sticks. âDoing better,â I replied. She would know what was going on. She introduced us to the other ladies with her, and it didnât surprise me that Alice had already moved away from us before we had finished the introductions. âWhatâs her story?â Sticks asked as she watched Alice start to try her luck with the club men. âSame as my sister. Bruiser put a rabbit stamp on her hand.â Sticks and the other girl roared out laughing. âShe will be used, snugged to the side by the time the night is over, and I doubt they would let her back in. We donât need her sort in the club.â Maggie spouted as we watched a patch member knock her offer back. âThe regulars are not going to like her working their turf. So, to speak.â Tootsie said, with a smirk, that the regulars know the rules and stick with them. Donât reach a patch member; if interested, they will come to you. Nomâs are fair game. But most girls would prefer a patch member. Donât have a relationship with a taken member; the women will gang up and make your life miserable if you feel one of theirs. Wait to be let into the clubhouse and then stay in the public area. No going upstairs uninvited. The first two floors are designated for guest rooms, while the top floor is reserved for permanent residences. Those who donât have a home of their own to go to. They are private and not open to wandering girls. Donât sit on someoneâs bike, unless you are given permission. The patched old ladies are the bosses of the girls; they tell you to leave or do something, and you do it. There were more rules for the girls visiting, but I couldnât remember them all at that moment. None had applied to me until now. Alice had already broken at least three, to my knowledge. I am staying out of it. That rabbit on her hand told the members that she would open her legs for any of them, and no one would support her if she broke the rules. That she was not welcome to return, in other words, have your fun, and then abandoned her to the curb. The doors were opened to let the other girls in. They looked at us in the no-go zone and pouted. We were sitting in an off-limits area unless we were invited. From what I understood, they were here to spread their legs and give the guys some relief, but not become part of the family. They might be hopeful that something would change; it was rare for a patch member to take one of these ladies, who had most likely been with every unattached member of the gang, at some point. My girls left me with Sticks and wandered about with the other ladies, getting the tour of the place. âWant to look around?â Sticks were offered, and before I knew it, we were walking around the vast ground floor. âReady to see the workshop, the guys might talk you into helping out, once they know who you are.â Sticks led me down a small pathway, lined with flowering shrubs, and to a set of large, farm-size sheds. Inside were bikes, some in bits, others crumpled from an accident, and others like they had just been detailed and were someone's pride and joy. There was a workshop here, where men were working on their bikes. They looked up at us when we entered and frowned. If Sticks were not with me, they would have most likely growled at me to get out. âWhoâs this Sticks?â A monster of a man asked, in the deepest voice I have ever heard, he looked a lot like the man at the gate, but with more toned muscles. Just a tad taller, and although he looked big and scary, he made my lady parts sing in a way they had never sung before. Tank POV A few guys aren't into parties, so I stopped going until later in the night, when the girls who showed up were already taken. I dislike the women who come here hoping to adopt our lifestyle. I prefer to use my hand rather than one of those women. Donât get me wrong, I have had my share of women; however, I had a girl who wanted me to take her, and when I did, she ended up in the hospital, because I am not exactly a little man. And I have not been with a woman since. Like my brother, we are both large men; he is six feet six inches tall, and I am six feet eight inches tall. Heâs carrying extra weight, where I am all muscle. I pride myself on keeping in shape, but being this large has its downfall, and having a large build has had me worried about hurting another woman. No matter how much I might want to, I canât; I never want to go through that again. The Prez was the only person who knew why I wouldnât join the parties; he was with me when we took the girl to the hospital, she forgave me, and tried to pursue me to keep her, but I couldnât. Each time I started, I had flashes of her screams, and my confidence went down like a popped balloon. We were in the workshop, doing some minor tune-ups. As I prepare for our ride, I'm excited. When they bring the ladies, the men are usually in a better mood and on their best behavior. I was looking at rebuild. I started it last week. We have a few wrecks that need to be started; some have been sitting here far too long. We can only go so far before we need Mike's help. None of us was a mechanic. I was scratching my head, as I was almost at the end of my knowledge, when I heard someone enter, and a soft perfume that shouldnât be in this shed hit my nose. Stickâs voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head up to look i
The entire clubhouse knew the rule: giant biker Tank never touched the club girls. What they didnât know was there was no ruleâonly the brutal wall heâd built after destroying a woman with his massive length years ago. Sheâd pushed him to take her, but he was too big, too rough. She ended up in the hospital needing stitches. Since that night, Tank hadnât touched a woman. Until Maxine walked into the clubhouse. The clubâs only real mechanic. 20. Betrayed by her sister and ex, kicked out by her parents, surviving on her own sweat and skill while every other woman spread her legs for protection. She didnât flirt. Didnât simper. Didnât need to. She was different. And Tank wanted her with a hunger that terrified him. Other club h0res had triedârubbing against him, whispering f!lthy promises. Nothing. His body stayed dead. But Maxine? Just one glance he grew rock hard, aching with raw need. He fled like a coward to the bathroom, slamming the door, chest heaving as he yanked himself free. He imagined her bent over his custom Harleyâbare, breathless, trembling. That fierce innocence in her eyes slowly twisting into desperate pleasure as he bent her to his will. How sheâd gasp when he stretched her open, shocked at the side of herself she never knew existed. No loud moaning. No screaming. Just one soft, broken gasp: âTankâŚâ Wide-eyed. Breathless. His hand wrapped around her throat. Her legs shaking under his brutal thrvsts. Mine. Youâre fking mine, Maxine. Only mine. ***** Maxine POV âGo home, you have worked too much overtime this week. Have an early night and give that boyfriend of yours an early treat.â My boss practically urged me out the door, a wicked grin on his face. âOkay, okay, Iâm going. Iâm going. I straddled my bike and started her up. This was going to be a great night. Today was my boyfriend's birthday, and I was going to give him a special gift. I had brought new, cute clothes, and I cleaned up. I was ready to give him my all, my first, my heart, take the big plunge. I felt I was ready. I pulled into the driveway to see my sister's and my boyfriendâs cars. I had no idea my sister was coming home today. She was still at college in her final year, though I heard she wasn't doing so well. The poor golden girl has not met up with expectations, not that I was worried. My ex-boyfriend showed up three hours early; our date was not for a few more hours. What was he doing here already? Walking in the back door, I heard voices and headed towards them; they were in Dadâs office, with the door slightly ajar. I moved silently to the door and waited outside to hear what secrets they were having now. They occasionally do this when they are planning something and donât want to include me, but I'm puzzled as to why my boyfriend and sister were included. âWe never planned for it to happen.â My sister replied softly, as if she were some kind of victim; she was an expert at that. She should have been an actress; she would have won multiple Oscars by now. âWhen?â Dad asked, and I waited in the hallway to hear what this was all about. âChristmas day, we had too many of your special eggnogs, and things got heated. The party was more or less over; the presents had been given out, and the food had been eaten. We were all mulling around, talking, when Zoey said something, I donât remember whatâbut we went upstairs to continue talking, and ended up in Maxineâs room. We did start by just talking, and before I knew it, we were together, like I said, and I was so lost in that moment that I forgot to use protection. When we came out, no one seemed to notice we had been gone, so we pretended it never happened.â My boyfriend replied, and my heart just hit the floor, as I took in that my sister and boyfriend did something in my bed at Christmas. MY BED. I slept in that bed. I feel suddenly sick at that thought. How could they do that to me? She stole another boyfriend from me again. But he was just as much to blame; I guess our relationship was not that strong yet. Not on his side at least. He continued to pretend and take me out on dates, as if that never happened. Now I feel cheated, dirty, ashamed, and angry all at once. What if she hadnât gotten pregnant, and I ended up married to that cheating man? Would her wedding present be to tell me she had had a relationship with him first? I wouldnât put it past her to do such a thing. She had done that before with my boyfriends, and I guess this one was just as vulnerable to her advances as the last one. âHe gave me the best Christmas present ever.â My sister crowed with delight. I could imagine her pregnancy. âThis is good news. I have wanted grandchildren, and the last grandchild I would have expected would be from you; you have never kept a relationship for long.â Mum said, sounding excited at the news. âWhat now?â My sister asked, still playing the perfect victim. âWe get married?â My now ex-boyfriend suggested âsounds more like a question. âWhat about Maxine?â My sister asked, as if I were an inconvenience that needed to be sorted out, and now they think about me, but it didnât sound like concern. âWhat about her? This is about my first grandchild, and his or her safety comes first. She will have to live with it.â My mother spat, revealing that famous favoritism, because she had always taken my sister's side in everything, even when proven wrong. They never backed me up. âI am technically her boyfriend.â He started to say something, but was interrupted. âNot anymore, you're not. I will arrange with the local publican to hire the outdoor garden area, and we shall have an engagement party this Saturday. Get that sorted before you start to show, and Maxine will show her support.â Dadâs voice floated out, sounding resolute. I had no say in this, not that I wanted to be his girlfriend any longer; he had proven not to be what I wanted in a guy. âShe will have to leave. I need her room for the nursery. I would prefer it if she didn't attend the engagement party. What will those who know she was the real girlfriend show up, and see that it was not Maxine getting engaged?â Mum added. Yep, that was my mother, trying to regain her dignity and save face. I couldnât take it any longer. I was devastated enough, and listening further to their support for the love for the cheater was eating me up inside. I didnât want to cry in front of them; the tears were a mix of anger and hurt. I pushed the door open, revealing myself standing there. All faces turned to look at me. âLet me get this straight. You took my boyfriend to MY bed, did that with him, leaving your mess in my bed, as a sort of Christmas present for me. Guess that made your day, thinking I was sleeping in your mess. Now you want my bedroom for the child baby you have created, and I am what, just pushed out the door? Like yesterdayâs trash?â I asked to ensure I understood correctly that the whole family was fine with me being tossed aside. âExactly, I am taking your boyfriend, your bedroom, and you, my dear sister, have to move out.â My sister sounded like she had won the lottery. Her face beamed at her triumph. âFine with me.â The look of shock would have made me laugh if I were not so numb inside. I moved away to my room and packed what I could into my duffel bag. I will come back for the rest later, when they are not around. My heart was breaking, not because I lost my boyfriend, although that hurt a lot, considering that what I was going to give him for his present today was saved for doing something foolish at least. But also because both parents were supporting this deception, as if it were the best news they had received in a while, that they had been trying to get rid of me for a while, and now succeeded in a spectacular way. I walked downstairs and looked at them. âWhen I find a place to stay, I will be back for the rest.â I spat at them, a mixture of hurt, anger, and defeat. I never fit into the family, a black sheep, so maybe I should become one. I had always had top grades, won awards, done my best, but even being first, I was still last. My best friend was the only place I could think of going to; it had to be temporary. Jenny will be cool and let me sleep on her couch till I find a new home. I climbed onto my bike and took off to the only sanctuary I had over the years. Jenny welcomed me into her home, like I knew she would, and together we had a pity party consisting of drinks and vanilla fudge ice cream. We called the family and my ex some interesting names, some of which I had never heard before, but they sounded good. The drunker I got, the more inventive the names became. The next morning, after waking up on Jennyâs couch and remembering yesterday, it did not go as planned. I pulled myself together, had a quick shower, and left for work. It was eight in the morning, and Jenny was still asleep when I left. That might be okay for some, but my workday today would be ten hours long, and I was running late. âYou're late, night must have gone better than planned,â Mike said jovially. They sort of knew what I was planning last night. The others chuckled along with Mike. I grumbled some shiet and got to work. By the end of the day, Mike pulled me to his office. âOkay, out with it. The guys have been tiptoeing around you all day. What happened? He rejected your advances?â He asked, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place, looking at me with concerned eyes, a father figure, better than my dad had ever been. So, I told him what happened when I got home and where I spent the night, and now I'm looking for a place to stay. I was proud of myself; I didnât cry, or whine, or show any emotion at all âjust explained my predicament in cold, emotionless words. Clear and succinct. He said he wouldnât say anything in the shop, but would talk to the prez. I had no idea why, but I was not in the right frame of mind to question it. Maxine POV Today was my sister's engagement party; engaged to my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, you heard me right, my ex. What a joke that was. I had been with Dan for six months when my sister, who was a year older than I, came home for Christmas and ended up with my boyfriend. Sheâs a shameless woman, always has been, but I never expected him to sleep with her. I thought we were secure in our relationship. The only good thing I took away from this was that I never went to bed with him; my innocence was still intact, not that I was trying to keep it - I just never got the chance to lose it. She always managed to have any guy I was interested in dump me for her, and when she got bored with them, sheâd move on. So, in a way, I didnât have a boyfriend till she moved out of her home and headed to college. But when my sister came home and met him, she seduced him and got pregnant. He did the whole âget down on one knee and proposedâ scene. Apparently, it was romantic, but I wasn't there when he did it because they didnât want me around. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was glad to have my girlfriends around me, helping me get over it. They say, I dodged a bullet. I agree with them, stupidly. He might have been a sports jock with good looks, but doing this tells me he was weak and shallow, and I was too good for him, or so my BFF says. I prefer to believe them over the excuses my ex made. I had to move out of my home after I had a massive fight with my parents a few days ago, when the truth was exposed; they supported her, not me, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door and the evil sister. The engagement party was intended to introduce him to her friends and make the relationship official, but I was not invited. My parents want nothing to do with me. I made them all uncomfortable, considering he was my boyfriend first. Anyone working out the timeline for the baby can piece it together, and see they were cheating on me, and it would have been awkward, and too many questions would have been raised. Not that I needed to say all of that, I kind of said it all before, but grrrrr, I am so angry at how my so-called âfamilyâ kicked me out of my so-called home, with no care for me or my feelings. It was easier to push me away and disown me than have to explain to them that my sister cheated with my boyfriend, and hey presto, a baby was on the way. Because I was kicked out of the house, and only had a short time to pack anything, I took the opportunity of the party to sneak into the house and take more of my possessions, like opening my father's safe, and grabbing every piece of paper relating to me, and a little money too, no a lot of money, and grandmaâs jewelry that she left me. So, with the help of my BFF, we packed my belongings and took them to her place until I found a new one. I ride a motorcycle, so I need help. I have the money to buy a new place, but I'm unsure if I want to stay in this town now. Once my apprenticeship is over, I might move away. I stayed that night at Jennyâs place, as I figured out what to do. Today, I am moving into my new place âa bungalow above the bike shop where I work. I am in my final year of apprenticeship, and I am a motorcycle mechanic, proud of it, I might add. I can also work on cars and trucks. If it had a motor, I could fix it; I always could, thanks to my knack for it, which I developed since I was eight, when I fell in love with engines. My Grandpa taught me, kept me out of everyone's way. I guess you could say I was a tomboy, with no frills and lace. My Grandpa kept me sane and busy, so the BS in our house didnât hurt me as much. The place has two bedrooms and is fully contained, meaning it has everything I need. I had purchased some new sheets and towels, that sort of thing, but it had a fully stocked kitchen; I only needed to buy the food. It might be small, and above a noisy bike shop, but at night it was a quiet area. No one would break into this shop; the local bikie gang owned it. They were good guys, scary, but so far, no trouble for me. My BFF, Jenny, was helping me take my belongings upstairs when a group of bikers arrived and assisted us. I had five boxes and two suitcases filled with all sorts of items. âThanks, guys, for the help,â I said sweetly, my BFF batting her eyes at them and swaying herself suggestively as she walked and thanked them. She makes me laugh with her antics, which are totally opposite to mine. I like jeans and am rarely seen in a dress, whereas she was seldom seen in jeans. âWe got a party at the clubhouse, tomorrow Saturday, you should come and relax a bit, bring your girls with ya,â Bruiser suggested as he walked me to the settee, pushed me down, and handed me a drink they had brought with them. This was how they acted around me, ordered me about. Sometimes, I'm okay with it; other times, I get all worked up and growl back at them. Today was acceptance. I know they mean well, and I feel lucky to have them as family; they try to make me feel better. âThat sounds like a blast, count me in, and I can bring two other girl friends with us. Max, do you want me to pick you up?â Jenny offered, taking a drink from one of the guys. She was not a drinker; however, in this situation, I could see her not refusing anything they offered. I guess I'm going, whether I want to or not. âNo, Iâll ride over,â I replied as one of the guys ordered pizza. âThatâs the spirit. Nothing like the wind in your hair to blow the cobwebs away.â They stayed because they didnât want me to be alone, not on my first night here. Pizza arrived not long after, and my little bungalow was soon feeling too small and crowded, with six huge bikers in the room. Some sat on the floor; others pulled up one of the three kitchen chairs. I know, I know, three chairs sound odd, but that's what was here, and beggars canât be choosers; the rent was dirt cheap, and I think the boys are the ones to make sure I had everything I needed. They found out about my situation the next day, because, I was still quiet at work, which was not like me, often I am singing to the radio, or swearing at something, so one of the guys walked to me, to find out what gives, and I softly told them, what went down, and when word got around the bikers heard I needed a place to stay, because I was kicked out of my home and why, they came to me, like protective brothers. Now I have a whole gang of bikers who have my back. I feel privileged to call them friends. They even offered to rough the ex up for me, but I refused the offer, because strangely, I was happy to get rid of the loser if he was a cheating build. Better now than when I am fully invested in our relationship. Plus, I was in deep enough shite with my parents and sister without making it worse. The pizza was gone, my BFF left for home, and the guys did too. It was late, well, for me, midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly because I have to be up for work at five. Tomorrow, being Saturday, I have the morning shift before the party later. They let me leave work early so I can move in here. âHey, donât forget to come, we need our prettiest mechanic at the party, some of the boys might need a tune-up,â Bruiser said with a laugh as they climbed on their bikes and left. I know what sort of tune-up he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with a motor. I looked around my new home. It wasnât much, but it was all mine. The guys were great; they took the empty pizza boxes and beer cans with them, and the place was relatively clean. Not at all what you would expect from a group of rowdy men. The clubhouse. I had never been to it, despite having worked there for nearly four years, and they had never extended an invitation to me. I know they had lots of parties; maybe I was too young. I turned twenty recently, but they might think of me as the fifteen-year-old who showed up one day and told the boss I was going to be his apprentice. He laughed at first and said he would give me a go to prove myself. He thought I was joking and that I would be gone by the weekend, but over the holidays, I worked hard and have been here ever since. Maxine POV The beeping sound of my phone alarm made me sit up and look around. It took a moment to remember where I was. The room had a small curtain that barely kept the light out. There was a streetlight just outside my window. I can envisage myself getting better blackout curtains soon. Although it was annoying, it wasn't among my top priorities for making this a home. The shower was decent, with nice pressure. I followed my morning routine, only to realize how foolish I was to wake up so early, living above my place of work; I didnât need to ride here. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, I still had half an hour before I needed to be at work. I had two ways to get into my place: one was through the back stairs, and the other was through the shop. With the code to turn off the alarm, I decided to head down and start work early. It was better than moving stuff around; I can do that later. I had a bike to finish by this afternoon. The customer would be here at two. Turned off the alarm, turned on the coffee pot, the radio, and headed to my workstation, where the fat boy was waiting for me to finish. I sat on the chair with casters and began my job, singing loudly to the heavy rock song that came on the radio as I installed the new spark plugs and double-checked the oil. It was a simple, easy-peasy service. Once finished, I started the bike up, let it idle while I made coffee, then returned to rev it a few times. It sounds lumpy, like it was just turning over perfectly; it was music to my ears. I love that throaty, deep, lumpy sound. You can feel it vibrate through my chest. âThatâs a sound I loved to hear as I enter work.â My boss, Mike, said as I turned the bike off. âItâs ready to go, unless you want to take it out for a test ride. Want a coffee, pots hot.â I offered as I threw the dirty rag in the bin. âSure, I will take the bike out for a spin, and you can make me a coffee.â He smirked as he grabbed the bike. I opened the garage door, and Mike took off. I smiled as he disappeared down the street, and I turned to make both of us coffee. If you hadnât guessed already, I would drink a lot of coffee. I am not a fan of soft drinks or tea; for me, it's coffee or water. With a broom in hand, I began cleaning the shop. I am not out here very often, but I try to sweep the floor at least once a week; they have another apprentice whoâs a second year, who gets to do most of the cleaning up, but heâs never here on a Saturday. The sound of the bike returning prompted me to pick up the two cups of coffee and head back out to the workshop. Mike had a massive grin on his face as he parked the bike. âGreat job, you are our top mechanic. But donât tell anyone, or I will have to deny it.â He joked, taking his coffee from my hand as he walked by, no doubt letting the customer know the bike was ready ahead of time. I moved to the next bike, which was a total rebuild; it had been in a minor accident, and while the frame was being checked, I would work on the engine and gearbox. It was the only job on my list at the moment. The bike owner was in no hurry; he had a broken leg, giving me a few weeks to work on his bike and any urgent jobs that might come into the shop. The client arrived and happily took possession of his bike, very happy with the job done. âI hear youâve been invited to the club party tonight,â Mike said as he rang up the sale on the cash register. âYep.â I said popping the âpâ. âYou can leave now, we have no more customers expected. Good job today.â It was about one oâclock, near the time I would knock off. âThanks, boss.â I saluted him and rushed upstairs, before he could change his mind. Giggling all the way up. I heard him chuckling as he locked the door below, behind me. I decided on a quick shower; I didnât want to smell of oil when going to a party. Put on my skinny black jeans, a black blouse that had red flames on the back and on the pockets, black boots that had some chains around the ankle, and hair in a ponytail. I will get what we call helmet hair, so it's a waste to do much with it now. I use mascara and strawberry lippie, which is more to moisturize, which tend to dry out when I ride my bike, and that's it. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was my jacket. My mum used to grumble that I wasnât like my sister and put more effort into my appearance, but I like who I am, and I didnât like wearing lots of makeup; it was my choice, and I feel that I am not a frilly, lacey chick. It was a deal breaker with my mum. She had my sister dress up and left me in the care of Grandpa until he died when I was seventeen. It broke me when he left the world. He was the only person who got me. My grandma had been gone since I was young, and I filled the hole in his heart with my love for bikes and fishing. He left me his money and bikes. Dad got his house and business. My mum hated that I gained all that money. When Grandma died, she left me her jewelry, and Grandpa made sure to keep it safe till I was old enough to have it. I ate something and put some more of my stuff in the cupboards before my phone chimed to let me know my girlfriends were on their way to the party. I pulled my bike out of the small garage and started it up. I threw my leg over and took off, heading to the property. The clubhouse was half an hour out of town, set on a large property a little bit back from the road. Ten minutes later, I came up behind the girls and hung out behind them. My friend waved me on to take the lead. I shrugged and overtook her. The turn off arrived, and I rode happily up the long drive, and trees lined the road. An open, large steel gate appeared, and I was glad it was still enough light to see clearly. Men stood by the entrance, watching us arrive. âHey.â I greeted the biggest man I had ever seen. âWho invited you here?â The man asked gruffly, in a deep husky voice. âBruiser,â I answered, with a firm, clear voice, hoping that the fact that he frightened me would be noticed in my voice. He pulled out his phone and called, I assumed, Bruiser. âMax?â He asked, as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. He said something more and hung up the phone. âCome in, the car behind your girls?â He looked at the car behind, which clearly had a woman in it. âYep,â I replied, not at all liking how he intimidated me with his manner. Perhaps it was the way they greeted strangers. One look makes the weak run. Well, I am not weak, and I won't be running. Maxine POV This rather large biker leaned in to look inside the car, his bulky figure partially blocking the open window, causing the girl nearest it to back away. Satisfied, he looked at me with a knowing smirk, then motioned for us to enter. The clubhouse was nothing like I had imagined. Firstly, it was four levels high. Verandah all the way around, that I could see. It was more like a mansion than a clubhouse. Women were gathered near the door, looking in, as if they were waiting for something; some were sitting on the wooden fence that surrounded the verandah. They were dressed in barely anything, showing all that was available, some love that sort of thing. People like me dress to stay warm or cool and donât care about showing off the goods. Bikes sat in neat rows in front, and cars were parked to the left of the building; the ratio of bikes to cars was approximately four bikes to one car. I parked the bike with the others, climbed off, and took off my helmet. I placed the lid on the bike and shook out my hair while waiting for the girls to park and come to me. I heard some muffled scoffs, but I couldnât care less âI wasn't here to please them. Bruiser came out of the clubhouse behind me. âMax, you came by bike. Sweet.â He gave me a greeting nod and moved to take a look at my bike. The paint job was a wolf, fading in smoke. It took me months to finish, as I kept changing my mind, and the smoke obscured the mistakes. âWho did the paint job?â He asked as he moved around to look at it from all sides. âMe.â I was proud of the results. âDoes Mike know you can paint?â He sounded surprised. âHe has seen my bike when I used the garage to do a service. He never asked who did the paint work, just that he liked it.â âSweet, looks like we have someone to do a paint job, and possibly a full one. We have a family reunion in a few weeks, and the ladies are invited to come along. You can join us.â Bruiser offered as my ladies arrived; they were not included in that invitation, I assumed, because I have a bike. âBruiser, you already met Jenny, Melony, Karen, and Heather, my other BFF, and Alice, Karen's sister, and BFF to my sister.â Adding that comment, hoping that Bruiser knew precisely what that woman was like. Alice battered her eyes and leaned forward to show off what was under that almost shirt. My ladies greeted him with the respect he deserved. âLadies. Hands out.â Bruiser stamped the girl's backs of their hands; they all had a bear, except Alice, who had a rabbit on her hand. I frowned, trying to figure out what the rabbit was all about. He pushed my hand away. âYou are family, no need for a stamp.â I couldnât stop the smile that crossed my face. I felt so special. Then the shoe dropped. Rabbit had another meaning. Bruiser got my meaning loud and clear. It took a while to understand the purpose of the stamps. âCome inside and meet the ole ladies.â I understood what he meant; these were ladies who had been claimed and had a different level of respect that those not claimed would never understand. I have met a few of them over the years and gained more insight into club life. They respect me as much as I respect them. We entered the place, and the girls who had been waiting outside gave us a dirty look, as they were still stopped from entering. âWhat's so special about them?â One pouted, but Bruiser ignored her. Inside was cleaner than I had expected âmy fault for judging a group of men, since they often look messy when I see them at the shop. The place had a large, open space, with tables where you stand, as well as booths dotted along the walls, and stools at the bar, which ran the full length of the room. I loved the spacious room, the pictures on the walls, and some bike parts scattered about as decoration. A few barstools are bike seats; it was different, and it appealed to me. Being a lover of bikes. âSticks.â I greeted her as we walked to the ladies Bruiser was taking us to. âHey, Maxie Max. How's it blowing?â She stood up and pulled me into a warm embrace. This chick had no filter or personal space. Sticks was the President's; her real name was Sandra, but she was my height at five-nine, and she had no shape to her body, just a lovely bean pole, almost no chest to speak of, yet she had had two boys. Hence the name Sticks. âDoing better,â I replied. She would know what was going on. She introduced us to the other ladies with her, and it didnât surprise me that Alice had already moved away from us before we had finished the introductions. âWhatâs her story?â Sticks asked as she watched Alice start to try her luck with the club men. âSame as my sister. Bruiser put a rabbit stamp on her hand.â Sticks and the other girl roared out laughing. âShe will be used, snugged to the side by the time the night is over, and I doubt they would let her back in. We donât need her sort in the club.â Maggie spouted as we watched a patch member knock her offer back. âThe regulars are not going to like her working their turf. So, to speak.â Tootsie said, with a smirk, that the regulars know the rules and stick with them. Donât reach a patch member; if interested, they will come to you. Nomâs are fair game. But most girls would prefer a patch member. Donât have a relationship with a taken member; the women will gang up and make your life miserable if you feel one of theirs. Wait to be let into the clubhouse and then stay in the public area. No going upstairs uninvited. The first two floors are designated for guest rooms, while the top floor is reserved for permanent residences. Those who donât have a home of their own to go to. They are private and not open to wandering girls. Donât sit on someoneâs bike, unless you are given permission. The patched old ladies are the bosses of the girls; they tell you to leave or do something, and you do it. There were more rules for the girls visiting, but I couldnât remember them all at that moment. None had applied to me until now. Alice had already broken at least three, to my knowledge. I am staying out of it. That rabbit on her hand told the members that she would open her legs for any of them, and no one would support her if she broke the rules. That she was not welcome to return, in other words, have your fun, and then abandoned her to the curb. The doors were opened to let the other girls in. They looked at us in the no-go zone and pouted. We were sitting in an off-limits area unless we were invited. From what I understood, they were here to spread their legs and give the guys some relief, but not become part of the family. They might be hopeful that something would change; it was rare for a patch member to take one of these ladies, who had most likely been with every unattached member of the gang, at some point. My girls left me with Sticks and wandered about with the other ladies, getting the tour of the place. âWant to look around?â Sticks were offered, and before I knew it, we were walking around the vast ground floor. âReady to see the workshop, the guys might talk you into helping out, once they know who you are.â Sticks led me down a small pathway, lined with flowering shrubs, and to a set of large, farm-size sheds. Inside were bikes, some in bits, others crumpled from an accident, and others like they had just been detailed and were someone's pride and joy. There was a workshop here, where men were working on their bikes. They looked up at us when we entered and frowned. If Sticks were not with me, they would have most likely growled at me to get out. âWhoâs this Sticks?â A monster of a man asked, in the deepest voice I have ever heard, he looked a lot like the man at the gate, but with more toned muscles. Just a tad taller, and although he looked big and scary, he made my lady parts sing in a way they had never sung before. Tank POV A few guys aren't into parties, so I stopped going until later in the night, when the girls who showed up were already taken. I dislike the women who come here hoping to adopt our lifestyle. I prefer to use my hand rather than one of those women. Donât get me wrong, I have had my share of women; however, I had a girl who wanted me to take her, and when I did, she ended up in the hospital, because I am not exactly a little man. And I have not been with a woman since. Like my brother, we are both large men; he is six feet six inches tall, and I am six feet eight inches tall. Heâs carrying extra weight, where I am all muscle. I pride myself on keeping in shape, but being this large has its downfall, and having a large build has had me worried about hurting another woman. No matter how much I might want to, I canât; I never want to go through that again. The Prez was the only person who knew why I wouldnât join the parties; he was with me when we took the girl to the hospital, she forgave me, and tried to pursue me to keep her, but I couldnât. Each time I started, I had flashes of her screams, and my confidence went down like a popped balloon. We were in the workshop, doing some minor tune-ups. As I prepare for our ride, I'm excited. When they bring the ladies, the men are usually in a better mood and on their best behavior. I was looking at rebuild. I started it last week. We have a few wrecks that need to be started; some have been sitting here far too long. We can only go so far before we need Mike's help. None of us was a mechanic. I was scratching my head, as I was almost at the end of my knowledge, when I heard someone enter, and a soft perfume that shouldnât be in this shed hit my nose. Stickâs voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head up to look i
The entire clubhouse knew the rule: giant biker Tank never touched the club girls. What they didnât know was there was no ruleâonly the brutal wall heâd built after destroying a woman with his massive length years ago. Sheâd pushed him to take her, but he was too big, too rough. She ended up in the hospital needing stitches. Since that night, Tank hadnât touched a woman. Until Maxine walked into the clubhouse. The clubâs only real mechanic. 20. Betrayed by her sister and ex, kicked out by her parents, surviving on her own sweat and skill while every other woman spread her legs for protection. She didnât flirt. Didnât simper. Didnât need to. She was different. And Tank wanted her with a hunger that terrified him. Other club h0res had triedârubbing against him, whispering f!lthy promises. Nothing. His body stayed dead. But Maxine? Just one glance he grew rock hard, aching with raw need. He fled like a coward to the bathroom, slamming the door, chest heaving as he yanked himself free. He imagined her bent over his custom Harleyâbare, breathless, trembling. That fierce innocence in her eyes slowly twisting into desperate pleasure as he bent her to his will. How sheâd gasp when he stretched her open, shocked at the side of herself she never knew existed. No loud moaning. No screaming. Just one soft, broken gasp: âTankâŚâ Wide-eyed. Breathless. His hand wrapped around her throat. Her legs shaking under his brutal thrvsts. Mine. Youâre fking mine, Maxine. Only mine. ***** Maxine POV âGo home, you have worked too much overtime this week. Have an early night and give that boyfriend of yours an early treat.â My boss practically urged me out the door, a wicked grin on his face. âOkay, okay, Iâm going. Iâm going. I straddled my bike and started her up. This was going to be a great night. Today was my boyfriend's birthday, and I was going to give him a special gift. I had brought new, cute clothes, and I cleaned up. I was ready to give him my all, my first, my heart, take the big plunge. I felt I was ready. I pulled into the driveway to see my sister's and my boyfriendâs cars. I had no idea my sister was coming home today. She was still at college in her final year, though I heard she wasn't doing so well. The poor golden girl has not met up with expectations, not that I was worried. My ex-boyfriend showed up three hours early; our date was not for a few more hours. What was he doing here already? Walking in the back door, I heard voices and headed towards them; they were in Dadâs office, with the door slightly ajar. I moved silently to the door and waited outside to hear what secrets they were having now. They occasionally do this when they are planning something and donât want to include me, but I'm puzzled as to why my boyfriend and sister were included. âWe never planned for it to happen.â My sister replied softly, as if she were some kind of victim; she was an expert at that. She should have been an actress; she would have won multiple Oscars by now. âWhen?â Dad asked, and I waited in the hallway to hear what this was all about. âChristmas day, we had too many of your special eggnogs, and things got heated. The party was more or less over; the presents had been given out, and the food had been eaten. We were all mulling around, talking, when Zoey said something, I donât remember whatâbut we went upstairs to continue talking, and ended up in Maxineâs room. We did start by just talking, and before I knew it, we were together, like I said, and I was so lost in that moment that I forgot to use protection. When we came out, no one seemed to notice we had been gone, so we pretended it never happened.â My boyfriend replied, and my heart just hit the floor, as I took in that my sister and boyfriend did something in my bed at Christmas. MY BED. I slept in that bed. I feel suddenly sick at that thought. How could they do that to me? She stole another boyfriend from me again. But he was just as much to blame; I guess our relationship was not that strong yet. Not on his side at least. He continued to pretend and take me out on dates, as if that never happened. Now I feel cheated, dirty, ashamed, and angry all at once. What if she hadnât gotten pregnant, and I ended up married to that cheating man? Would her wedding present be to tell me she had had a relationship with him first? I wouldnât put it past her to do such a thing. She had done that before with my boyfriends, and I guess this one was just as vulnerable to her advances as the last one. âHe gave me the best Christmas present ever.â My sister crowed with delight. I could imagine her pregnancy. âThis is good news. I have wanted grandchildren, and the last grandchild I would have expected would be from you; you have never kept a relationship for long.â Mum said, sounding excited at the news. âWhat now?â My sister asked, still playing the perfect victim. âWe get married?â My now ex-boyfriend suggested âsounds more like a question. âWhat about Maxine?â My sister asked, as if I were an inconvenience that needed to be sorted out, and now they think about me, but it didnât sound like concern. âWhat about her? This is about my first grandchild, and his or her safety comes first. She will have to live with it.â My mother spat, revealing that famous favoritism, because she had always taken my sister's side in everything, even when proven wrong. They never backed me up. âI am technically her boyfriend.â He started to say something, but was interrupted. âNot anymore, you're not. I will arrange with the local publican to hire the outdoor garden area, and we shall have an engagement party this Saturday. Get that sorted before you start to show, and Maxine will show her support.â Dadâs voice floated out, sounding resolute. I had no say in this, not that I wanted to be his girlfriend any longer; he had proven not to be what I wanted in a guy. âShe will have to leave. I need her room for the nursery. I would prefer it if she didn't attend the engagement party. What will those who know she was the real girlfriend show up, and see that it was not Maxine getting engaged?â Mum added. Yep, that was my mother, trying to regain her dignity and save face. I couldnât take it any longer. I was devastated enough, and listening further to their support for the love for the cheater was eating me up inside. I didnât want to cry in front of them; the tears were a mix of anger and hurt. I pushed the door open, revealing myself standing there. All faces turned to look at me. âLet me get this straight. You took my boyfriend to MY bed, did that with him, leaving your mess in my bed, as a sort of Christmas present for me. Guess that made your day, thinking I was sleeping in your mess. Now you want my bedroom for the child baby you have created, and I am what, just pushed out the door? Like yesterdayâs trash?â I asked to ensure I understood correctly that the whole family was fine with me being tossed aside. âExactly, I am taking your boyfriend, your bedroom, and you, my dear sister, have to move out.â My sister sounded like she had won the lottery. Her face beamed at her triumph. âFine with me.â The look of shock would have made me laugh if I were not so numb inside. I moved away to my room and packed what I could into my duffel bag. I will come back for the rest later, when they are not around. My heart was breaking, not because I lost my boyfriend, although that hurt a lot, considering that what I was going to give him for his present today was saved for doing something foolish at least. But also because both parents were supporting this deception, as if it were the best news they had received in a while, that they had been trying to get rid of me for a while, and now succeeded in a spectacular way. I walked downstairs and looked at them. âWhen I find a place to stay, I will be back for the rest.â I spat at them, a mixture of hurt, anger, and defeat. I never fit into the family, a black sheep, so maybe I should become one. I had always had top grades, won awards, done my best, but even being first, I was still last. My best friend was the only place I could think of going to; it had to be temporary. Jenny will be cool and let me sleep on her couch till I find a new home. I climbed onto my bike and took off to the only sanctuary I had over the years. Jenny welcomed me into her home, like I knew she would, and together we had a pity party consisting of drinks and vanilla fudge ice cream. We called the family and my ex some interesting names, some of which I had never heard before, but they sounded good. The drunker I got, the more inventive the names became. The next morning, after waking up on Jennyâs couch and remembering yesterday, it did not go as planned. I pulled myself together, had a quick shower, and left for work. It was eight in the morning, and Jenny was still asleep when I left. That might be okay for some, but my workday today would be ten hours long, and I was running late. âYou're late, night must have gone better than planned,â Mike said jovially. They sort of knew what I was planning last night. The others chuckled along with Mike. I grumbled some shiet and got to work. By the end of the day, Mike pulled me to his office. âOkay, out with it. The guys have been tiptoeing around you all day. What happened? He rejected your advances?â He asked, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place, looking at me with concerned eyes, a father figure, better than my dad had ever been. So, I told him what happened when I got home and where I spent the night, and now I'm looking for a place to stay. I was proud of myself; I didnât cry, or whine, or show any emotion at all âjust explained my predicament in cold, emotionless words. Clear and succinct. He said he wouldnât say anything in the shop, but would talk to the prez. I had no idea why, but I was not in the right frame of mind to question it. Maxine POV Today was my sister's engagement party; engaged to my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, you heard me right, my ex. What a joke that was. I had been with Dan for six months when my sister, who was a year older than I, came home for Christmas and ended up with my boyfriend. Sheâs a shameless woman, always has been, but I never expected him to sleep with her. I thought we were secure in our relationship. The only good thing I took away from this was that I never went to bed with him; my innocence was still intact, not that I was trying to keep it - I just never got the chance to lose it. She always managed to have any guy I was interested in dump me for her, and when she got bored with them, sheâd move on. So, in a way, I didnât have a boyfriend till she moved out of her home and headed to college. But when my sister came home and met him, she seduced him and got pregnant. He did the whole âget down on one knee and proposedâ scene. Apparently, it was romantic, but I wasn't there when he did it because they didnât want me around. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was glad to have my girlfriends around me, helping me get over it. They say, I dodged a bullet. I agree with them, stupidly. He might have been a sports jock with good looks, but doing this tells me he was weak and shallow, and I was too good for him, or so my BFF says. I prefer to believe them over the excuses my ex made. I had to move out of my home after I had a massive fight with my parents a few days ago, when the truth was exposed; they supported her, not me, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door and the evil sister. The engagement party was intended to introduce him to her friends and make the relationship official, but I was not invited. My parents want nothing to do with me. I made them all uncomfortable, considering he was my boyfriend first. Anyone working out the timeline for the baby can piece it together, and see they were cheating on me, and it would have been awkward, and too many questions would have been raised. Not that I needed to say all of that, I kind of said it all before, but grrrrr, I am so angry at how my so-called âfamilyâ kicked me out of my so-called home, with no care for me or my feelings. It was easier to push me away and disown me than have to explain to them that my sister cheated with my boyfriend, and hey presto, a baby was on the way. Because I was kicked out of the house, and only had a short time to pack anything, I took the opportunity of the party to sneak into the house and take more of my possessions, like opening my father's safe, and grabbing every piece of paper relating to me, and a little money too, no a lot of money, and grandmaâs jewelry that she left me. So, with the help of my BFF, we packed my belongings and took them to her place until I found a new one. I ride a motorcycle, so I need help. I have the money to buy a new place, but I'm unsure if I want to stay in this town now. Once my apprenticeship is over, I might move away. I stayed that night at Jennyâs place, as I figured out what to do. Today, I am moving into my new place âa bungalow above the bike shop where I work. I am in my final year of apprenticeship, and I am a motorcycle mechanic, proud of it, I might add. I can also work on cars and trucks. If it had a motor, I could fix it; I always could, thanks to my knack for it, which I developed since I was eight, when I fell in love with engines. My Grandpa taught me, kept me out of everyone's way. I guess you could say I was a tomboy, with no frills and lace. My Grandpa kept me sane and busy, so the BS in our house didnât hurt me as much. The place has two bedrooms and is fully contained, meaning it has everything I need. I had purchased some new sheets and towels, that sort of thing, but it had a fully stocked kitchen; I only needed to buy the food. It might be small, and above a noisy bike shop, but at night it was a quiet area. No one would break into this shop; the local bikie gang owned it. They were good guys, scary, but so far, no trouble for me. My BFF, Jenny, was helping me take my belongings upstairs when a group of bikers arrived and assisted us. I had five boxes and two suitcases filled with all sorts of items. âThanks, guys, for the help,â I said sweetly, my BFF batting her eyes at them and swaying herself suggestively as she walked and thanked them. She makes me laugh with her antics, which are totally opposite to mine. I like jeans and am rarely seen in a dress, whereas she was seldom seen in jeans. âWe got a party at the clubhouse, tomorrow Saturday, you should come and relax a bit, bring your girls with ya,â Bruiser suggested as he walked me to the settee, pushed me down, and handed me a drink they had brought with them. This was how they acted around me, ordered me about. Sometimes, I'm okay with it; other times, I get all worked up and growl back at them. Today was acceptance. I know they mean well, and I feel lucky to have them as family; they try to make me feel better. âThat sounds like a blast, count me in, and I can bring two other girl friends with us. Max, do you want me to pick you up?â Jenny offered, taking a drink from one of the guys. She was not a drinker; however, in this situation, I could see her not refusing anything they offered. I guess I'm going, whether I want to or not. âNo, Iâll ride over,â I replied as one of the guys ordered pizza. âThatâs the spirit. Nothing like the wind in your hair to blow the cobwebs away.â They stayed because they didnât want me to be alone, not on my first night here. Pizza arrived not long after, and my little bungalow was soon feeling too small and crowded, with six huge bikers in the room. Some sat on the floor; others pulled up one of the three kitchen chairs. I know, I know, three chairs sound odd, but that's what was here, and beggars canât be choosers; the rent was dirt cheap, and I think the boys are the ones to make sure I had everything I needed. They found out about my situation the next day, because, I was still quiet at work, which was not like me, often I am singing to the radio, or swearing at something, so one of the guys walked to me, to find out what gives, and I softly told them, what went down, and when word got around the bikers heard I needed a place to stay, because I was kicked out of my home and why, they came to me, like protective brothers. Now I have a whole gang of bikers who have my back. I feel privileged to call them friends. They even offered to rough the ex up for me, but I refused the offer, because strangely, I was happy to get rid of the loser if he was a cheating build. Better now than when I am fully invested in our relationship. Plus, I was in deep enough shite with my parents and sister without making it worse. The pizza was gone, my BFF left for home, and the guys did too. It was late, well, for me, midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly because I have to be up for work at five. Tomorrow, being Saturday, I have the morning shift before the party later. They let me leave work early so I can move in here. âHey, donât forget to come, we need our prettiest mechanic at the party, some of the boys might need a tune-up,â Bruiser said with a laugh as they climbed on their bikes and left. I know what sort of tune-up he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with a motor. I looked around my new home. It wasnât much, but it was all mine. The guys were great; they took the empty pizza boxes and beer cans with them, and the place was relatively clean. Not at all what you would expect from a group of rowdy men. The clubhouse. I had never been to it, despite having worked there for nearly four years, and they had never extended an invitation to me. I know they had lots of parties; maybe I was too young. I turned twenty recently, but they might think of me as the fifteen-year-old who showed up one day and told the boss I was going to be his apprentice. He laughed at first and said he would give me a go to prove myself. He thought I was joking and that I would be gone by the weekend, but over the holidays, I worked hard and have been here ever since. Maxine POV The beeping sound of my phone alarm made me sit up and look around. It took a moment to remember where I was. The room had a small curtain that barely kept the light out. There was a streetlight just outside my window. I can envisage myself getting better blackout curtains soon. Although it was annoying, it wasn't among my top priorities for making this a home. The shower was decent, with nice pressure. I followed my morning routine, only to realize how foolish I was to wake up so early, living above my place of work; I didnât need to ride here. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, I still had half an hour before I needed to be at work. I had two ways to get into my place: one was through the back stairs, and the other was through the shop. With the code to turn off the alarm, I decided to head down and start work early. It was better than moving stuff around; I can do that later. I had a bike to finish by this afternoon. The customer would be here at two. Turned off the alarm, turned on the coffee pot, the radio, and headed to my workstation, where the fat boy was waiting for me to finish. I sat on the chair with casters and began my job, singing loudly to the heavy rock song that came on the radio as I installed the new spark plugs and double-checked the oil. It was a simple, easy-peasy service. Once finished, I started the bike up, let it idle while I made coffee, then returned to rev it a few times. It sounds lumpy, like it was just turning over perfectly; it was music to my ears. I love that throaty, deep, lumpy sound. You can feel it vibrate through my chest. âThatâs a sound I loved to hear as I enter work.â My boss, Mike, said as I turned the bike off. âItâs ready to go, unless you want to take it out for a test ride. Want a coffee, pots hot.â I offered as I threw the dirty rag in the bin. âSure, I will take the bike out for a spin, and you can make me a coffee.â He smirked as he grabbed the bike. I opened the garage door, and Mike took off. I smiled as he disappeared down the street, and I turned to make both of us coffee. If you hadnât guessed already, I would drink a lot of coffee. I am not a fan of soft drinks or tea; for me, it's coffee or water. With a broom in hand, I began cleaning the shop. I am not out here very often, but I try to sweep the floor at least once a week; they have another apprentice whoâs a second year, who gets to do most of the cleaning up, but heâs never here on a Saturday. The sound of the bike returning prompted me to pick up the two cups of coffee and head back out to the workshop. Mike had a massive grin on his face as he parked the bike. âGreat job, you are our top mechanic. But donât tell anyone, or I will have to deny it.â He joked, taking his coffee from my hand as he walked by, no doubt letting the customer know the bike was ready ahead of time. I moved to the next bike, which was a total rebuild; it had been in a minor accident, and while the frame was being checked, I would work on the engine and gearbox. It was the only job on my list at the moment. The bike owner was in no hurry; he had a broken leg, giving me a few weeks to work on his bike and any urgent jobs that might come into the shop. The client arrived and happily took possession of his bike, very happy with the job done. âI hear youâve been invited to the club party tonight,â Mike said as he rang up the sale on the cash register. âYep.â I said popping the âpâ. âYou can leave now, we have no more customers expected. Good job today.â It was about one oâclock, near the time I would knock off. âThanks, boss.â I saluted him and rushed upstairs, before he could change his mind. Giggling all the way up. I heard him chuckling as he locked the door below, behind me. I decided on a quick shower; I didnât want to smell of oil when going to a party. Put on my skinny black jeans, a black blouse that had red flames on the back and on the pockets, black boots that had some chains around the ankle, and hair in a ponytail. I will get what we call helmet hair, so it's a waste to do much with it now. I use mascara and strawberry lippie, which is more to moisturize, which tend to dry out when I ride my bike, and that's it. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was my jacket. My mum used to grumble that I wasnât like my sister and put more effort into my appearance, but I like who I am, and I didnât like wearing lots of makeup; it was my choice, and I feel that I am not a frilly, lacey chick. It was a deal breaker with my mum. She had my sister dress up and left me in the care of Grandpa until he died when I was seventeen. It broke me when he left the world. He was the only person who got me. My grandma had been gone since I was young, and I filled the hole in his heart with my love for bikes and fishing. He left me his money and bikes. Dad got his house and business. My mum hated that I gained all that money. When Grandma died, she left me her jewelry, and Grandpa made sure to keep it safe till I was old enough to have it. I ate something and put some more of my stuff in the cupboards before my phone chimed to let me know my girlfriends were on their way to the party. I pulled my bike out of the small garage and started it up. I threw my leg over and took off, heading to the property. The clubhouse was half an hour out of town, set on a large property a little bit back from the road. Ten minutes later, I came up behind the girls and hung out behind them. My friend waved me on to take the lead. I shrugged and overtook her. The turn off arrived, and I rode happily up the long drive, and trees lined the road. An open, large steel gate appeared, and I was glad it was still enough light to see clearly. Men stood by the entrance, watching us arrive. âHey.â I greeted the biggest man I had ever seen. âWho invited you here?â The man asked gruffly, in a deep husky voice. âBruiser,â I answered, with a firm, clear voice, hoping that the fact that he frightened me would be noticed in my voice. He pulled out his phone and called, I assumed, Bruiser. âMax?â He asked, as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. He said something more and hung up the phone. âCome in, the car behind your girls?â He looked at the car behind, which clearly had a woman in it. âYep,â I replied, not at all liking how he intimidated me with his manner. Perhaps it was the way they greeted strangers. One look makes the weak run. Well, I am not weak, and I won't be running. Maxine POV This rather large biker leaned in to look inside the car, his bulky figure partially blocking the open window, causing the girl nearest it to back away. Satisfied, he looked at me with a knowing smirk, then motioned for us to enter. The clubhouse was nothing like I had imagined. Firstly, it was four levels high. Verandah all the way around, that I could see. It was more like a mansion than a clubhouse. Women were gathered near the door, looking in, as if they were waiting for something; some were sitting on the wooden fence that surrounded the verandah. They were dressed in barely anything, showing all that was available, some love that sort of thing. People like me dress to stay warm or cool and donât care about showing off the goods. Bikes sat in neat rows in front, and cars were parked to the left of the building; the ratio of bikes to cars was approximately four bikes to one car. I parked the bike with the others, climbed off, and took off my helmet. I placed the lid on the bike and shook out my hair while waiting for the girls to park and come to me. I heard some muffled scoffs, but I couldnât care less âI wasn't here to please them. Bruiser came out of the clubhouse behind me. âMax, you came by bike. Sweet.â He gave me a greeting nod and moved to take a look at my bike. The paint job was a wolf, fading in smoke. It took me months to finish, as I kept changing my mind, and the smoke obscured the mistakes. âWho did the paint job?â He asked as he moved around to look at it from all sides. âMe.â I was proud of the results. âDoes Mike know you can paint?â He sounded surprised. âHe has seen my bike when I used the garage to do a service. He never asked who did the paint work, just that he liked it.â âSweet, looks like we have someone to do a paint job, and possibly a full one. We have a family reunion in a few weeks, and the ladies are invited to come along. You can join us.â Bruiser offered as my ladies arrived; they were not included in that invitation, I assumed, because I have a bike. âBruiser, you already met Jenny, Melony, Karen, and Heather, my other BFF, and Alice, Karen's sister, and BFF to my sister.â Adding that comment, hoping that Bruiser knew precisely what that woman was like. Alice battered her eyes and leaned forward to show off what was under that almost shirt. My ladies greeted him with the respect he deserved. âLadies. Hands out.â Bruiser stamped the girl's backs of their hands; they all had a bear, except Alice, who had a rabbit on her hand. I frowned, trying to figure out what the rabbit was all about. He pushed my hand away. âYou are family, no need for a stamp.â I couldnât stop the smile that crossed my face. I felt so special. Then the shoe dropped. Rabbit had another meaning. Bruiser got my meaning loud and clear. It took a while to understand the purpose of the stamps. âCome inside and meet the ole ladies.â I understood what he meant; these were ladies who had been claimed and had a different level of respect that those not claimed would never understand. I have met a few of them over the years and gained more insight into club life. They respect me as much as I respect them. We entered the place, and the girls who had been waiting outside gave us a dirty look, as they were still stopped from entering. âWhat's so special about them?â One pouted, but Bruiser ignored her. Inside was cleaner than I had expected âmy fault for judging a group of men, since they often look messy when I see them at the shop. The place had a large, open space, with tables where you stand, as well as booths dotted along the walls, and stools at the bar, which ran the full length of the room. I loved the spacious room, the pictures on the walls, and some bike parts scattered about as decoration. A few barstools are bike seats; it was different, and it appealed to me. Being a lover of bikes. âSticks.â I greeted her as we walked to the ladies Bruiser was taking us to. âHey, Maxie Max. How's it blowing?â She stood up and pulled me into a warm embrace. This chick had no filter or personal space. Sticks was the President's; her real name was Sandra, but she was my height at five-nine, and she had no shape to her body, just a lovely bean pole, almost no chest to speak of, yet she had had two boys. Hence the name Sticks. âDoing better,â I replied. She would know what was going on. She introduced us to the other ladies with her, and it didnât surprise me that Alice had already moved away from us before we had finished the introductions. âWhatâs her story?â Sticks asked as she watched Alice start to try her luck with the club men. âSame as my sister. Bruiser put a rabbit stamp on her hand.â Sticks and the other girl roared out laughing. âShe will be used, snugged to the side by the time the night is over, and I doubt they would let her back in. We donât need her sort in the club.â Maggie spouted as we watched a patch member knock her offer back. âThe regulars are not going to like her working their turf. So, to speak.â Tootsie said, with a smirk, that the regulars know the rules and stick with them. Donât reach a patch member; if interested, they will come to you. Nomâs are fair game. But most girls would prefer a patch member. Donât have a relationship with a taken member; the women will gang up and make your life miserable if you feel one of theirs. Wait to be let into the clubhouse and then stay in the public area. No going upstairs uninvited. The first two floors are designated for guest rooms, while the top floor is reserved for permanent residences. Those who donât have a home of their own to go to. They are private and not open to wandering girls. Donât sit on someoneâs bike, unless you are given permission. The patched old ladies are the bosses of the girls; they tell you to leave or do something, and you do it. There were more rules for the girls visiting, but I couldnât remember them all at that moment. None had applied to me until now. Alice had already broken at least three, to my knowledge. I am staying out of it. That rabbit on her hand told the members that she would open her legs for any of them, and no one would support her if she broke the rules. That she was not welcome to return, in other words, have your fun, and then abandoned her to the curb. The doors were opened to let the other girls in. They looked at us in the no-go zone and pouted. We were sitting in an off-limits area unless we were invited. From what I understood, they were here to spread their legs and give the guys some relief, but not become part of the family. They might be hopeful that something would change; it was rare for a patch member to take one of these ladies, who had most likely been with every unattached member of the gang, at some point. My girls left me with Sticks and wandered about with the other ladies, getting the tour of the place. âWant to look around?â Sticks were offered, and before I knew it, we were walking around the vast ground floor. âReady to see the workshop, the guys might talk you into helping out, once they know who you are.â Sticks led me down a small pathway, lined with flowering shrubs, and to a set of large, farm-size sheds. Inside were bikes, some in bits, others crumpled from an accident, and others like they had just been detailed and were someone's pride and joy. There was a workshop here, where men were working on their bikes. They looked up at us when we entered and frowned. If Sticks were not with me, they would have most likely growled at me to get out. âWhoâs this Sticks?â A monster of a man asked, in the deepest voice I have ever heard, he looked a lot like the man at the gate, but with more toned muscles. Just a tad taller, and although he looked big and scary, he made my lady parts sing in a way they had never sung before. Tank POV A few guys aren't into parties, so I stopped going until later in the night, when the girls who showed up were already taken. I dislike the women who come here hoping to adopt our lifestyle. I prefer to use my hand rather than one of those women. Donât get me wrong, I have had my share of women; however, I had a girl who wanted me to take her, and when I did, she ended up in the hospital, because I am not exactly a little man. And I have not been with a woman since. Like my brother, we are both large men; he is six feet six inches tall, and I am six feet eight inches tall. Heâs carrying extra weight, where I am all muscle. I pride myself on keeping in shape, but being this large has its downfall, and having a large build has had me worried about hurting another woman. No matter how much I might want to, I canât; I never want to go through that again. The Prez was the only person who knew why I wouldnât join the parties; he was with me when we took the girl to the hospital, she forgave me, and tried to pursue me to keep her, but I couldnât. Each time I started, I had flashes of her screams, and my confidence went down like a popped balloon. We were in the workshop, doing some minor tune-ups. As I prepare for our ride, I'm excited. When they bring the ladies, the men are usually in a better mood and on their best behavior. I was looking at rebuild. I started it last week. We have a few wrecks that need to be started; some have been sitting here far too long. We can only go so far before we need Mike's help. None of us was a mechanic. I was scratching my head, as I was almost at the end of my knowledge, when I heard someone enter, and a soft perfume that shouldnât be in this shed hit my nose. Stickâs voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head up to look i
The entire clubhouse knew the rule: giant biker Tank never touched the club girls. What they didnât know was there was no ruleâonly the brutal wall heâd built after destroying a woman with his massive length years ago. Sheâd pushed him to take her, but he was too big, too rough. She ended up in the hospital needing stitches. Since that night, Tank hadnât touched a woman. Until Maxine walked into the clubhouse. The clubâs only real mechanic. 20. Betrayed by her sister and ex, kicked out by her parents, surviving on her own sweat and skill while every other woman spread her legs for protection. She didnât flirt. Didnât simper. Didnât need to. She was different. And Tank wanted her with a hunger that terrified him. Other club h0res had triedârubbing against him, whispering f!lthy promises. Nothing. His body stayed dead. But Maxine? Just one glance he grew rock hard, aching with raw need. He fled like a coward to the bathroom, slamming the door, chest heaving as he yanked himself free. He imagined her bent over his custom Harleyâbare, breathless, trembling. That fierce innocence in her eyes slowly twisting into desperate pleasure as he bent her to his will. How sheâd gasp when he stretched her open, shocked at the side of herself she never knew existed. No loud moaning. No screaming. Just one soft, broken gasp: âTankâŚâ Wide-eyed. Breathless. His hand wrapped around her throat. Her legs shaking under his brutal thrvsts. Mine. Youâre fking mine, Maxine. Only mine. ***** Maxine POV âGo home, you have worked too much overtime this week. Have an early night and give that boyfriend of yours an early treat.â My boss practically urged me out the door, a wicked grin on his face. âOkay, okay, Iâm going. Iâm going. I straddled my bike and started her up. This was going to be a great night. Today was my boyfriend's birthday, and I was going to give him a special gift. I had brought new, cute clothes, and I cleaned up. I was ready to give him my all, my first, my heart, take the big plunge. I felt I was ready. I pulled into the driveway to see my sister's and my boyfriendâs cars. I had no idea my sister was coming home today. She was still at college in her final year, though I heard she wasn't doing so well. The poor golden girl has not met up with expectations, not that I was worried. My ex-boyfriend showed up three hours early; our date was not for a few more hours. What was he doing here already? Walking in the back door, I heard voices and headed towards them; they were in Dadâs office, with the door slightly ajar. I moved silently to the door and waited outside to hear what secrets they were having now. They occasionally do this when they are planning something and donât want to include me, but I'm puzzled as to why my boyfriend and sister were included. âWe never planned for it to happen.â My sister replied softly, as if she were some kind of victim; she was an expert at that. She should have been an actress; she would have won multiple Oscars by now. âWhen?â Dad asked, and I waited in the hallway to hear what this was all about. âChristmas day, we had too many of your special eggnogs, and things got heated. The party was more or less over; the presents had been given out, and the food had been eaten. We were all mulling around, talking, when Zoey said something, I donât remember whatâbut we went upstairs to continue talking, and ended up in Maxineâs room. We did start by just talking, and before I knew it, we were together, like I said, and I was so lost in that moment that I forgot to use protection. When we came out, no one seemed to notice we had been gone, so we pretended it never happened.â My boyfriend replied, and my heart just hit the floor, as I took in that my sister and boyfriend did something in my bed at Christmas. MY BED. I slept in that bed. I feel suddenly sick at that thought. How could they do that to me? She stole another boyfriend from me again. But he was just as much to blame; I guess our relationship was not that strong yet. Not on his side at least. He continued to pretend and take me out on dates, as if that never happened. Now I feel cheated, dirty, ashamed, and angry all at once. What if she hadnât gotten pregnant, and I ended up married to that cheating man? Would her wedding present be to tell me she had had a relationship with him first? I wouldnât put it past her to do such a thing. She had done that before with my boyfriends, and I guess this one was just as vulnerable to her advances as the last one. âHe gave me the best Christmas present ever.â My sister crowed with delight. I could imagine her pregnancy. âThis is good news. I have wanted grandchildren, and the last grandchild I would have expected would be from you; you have never kept a relationship for long.â Mum said, sounding excited at the news. âWhat now?â My sister asked, still playing the perfect victim. âWe get married?â My now ex-boyfriend suggested âsounds more like a question. âWhat about Maxine?â My sister asked, as if I were an inconvenience that needed to be sorted out, and now they think about me, but it didnât sound like concern. âWhat about her? This is about my first grandchild, and his or her safety comes first. She will have to live with it.â My mother spat, revealing that famous favoritism, because she had always taken my sister's side in everything, even when proven wrong. They never backed me up. âI am technically her boyfriend.â He started to say something, but was interrupted. âNot anymore, you're not. I will arrange with the local publican to hire the outdoor garden area, and we shall have an engagement party this Saturday. Get that sorted before you start to show, and Maxine will show her support.â Dadâs voice floated out, sounding resolute. I had no say in this, not that I wanted to be his girlfriend any longer; he had proven not to be what I wanted in a guy. âShe will have to leave. I need her room for the nursery. I would prefer it if she didn't attend the engagement party. What will those who know she was the real girlfriend show up, and see that it was not Maxine getting engaged?â Mum added. Yep, that was my mother, trying to regain her dignity and save face. I couldnât take it any longer. I was devastated enough, and listening further to their support for the love for the cheater was eating me up inside. I didnât want to cry in front of them; the tears were a mix of anger and hurt. I pushed the door open, revealing myself standing there. All faces turned to look at me. âLet me get this straight. You took my boyfriend to MY bed, did that with him, leaving your mess in my bed, as a sort of Christmas present for me. Guess that made your day, thinking I was sleeping in your mess. Now you want my bedroom for the child baby you have created, and I am what, just pushed out the door? Like yesterdayâs trash?â I asked to ensure I understood correctly that the whole family was fine with me being tossed aside. âExactly, I am taking your boyfriend, your bedroom, and you, my dear sister, have to move out.â My sister sounded like she had won the lottery. Her face beamed at her triumph. âFine with me.â The look of shock would have made me laugh if I were not so numb inside. I moved away to my room and packed what I could into my duffel bag. I will come back for the rest later, when they are not around. My heart was breaking, not because I lost my boyfriend, although that hurt a lot, considering that what I was going to give him for his present today was saved for doing something foolish at least. But also because both parents were supporting this deception, as if it were the best news they had received in a while, that they had been trying to get rid of me for a while, and now succeeded in a spectacular way. I walked downstairs and looked at them. âWhen I find a place to stay, I will be back for the rest.â I spat at them, a mixture of hurt, anger, and defeat. I never fit into the family, a black sheep, so maybe I should become one. I had always had top grades, won awards, done my best, but even being first, I was still last. My best friend was the only place I could think of going to; it had to be temporary. Jenny will be cool and let me sleep on her couch till I find a new home. I climbed onto my bike and took off to the only sanctuary I had over the years. Jenny welcomed me into her home, like I knew she would, and together we had a pity party consisting of drinks and vanilla fudge ice cream. We called the family and my ex some interesting names, some of which I had never heard before, but they sounded good. The drunker I got, the more inventive the names became. The next morning, after waking up on Jennyâs couch and remembering yesterday, it did not go as planned. I pulled myself together, had a quick shower, and left for work. It was eight in the morning, and Jenny was still asleep when I left. That might be okay for some, but my workday today would be ten hours long, and I was running late. âYou're late, night must have gone better than planned,â Mike said jovially. They sort of knew what I was planning last night. The others chuckled along with Mike. I grumbled some shiet and got to work. By the end of the day, Mike pulled me to his office. âOkay, out with it. The guys have been tiptoeing around you all day. What happened? He rejected your advances?â He asked, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place, looking at me with concerned eyes, a father figure, better than my dad had ever been. So, I told him what happened when I got home and where I spent the night, and now I'm looking for a place to stay. I was proud of myself; I didnât cry, or whine, or show any emotion at all âjust explained my predicament in cold, emotionless words. Clear and succinct. He said he wouldnât say anything in the shop, but would talk to the prez. I had no idea why, but I was not in the right frame of mind to question it. Maxine POV Today was my sister's engagement party; engaged to my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, you heard me right, my ex. What a joke that was. I had been with Dan for six months when my sister, who was a year older than I, came home for Christmas and ended up with my boyfriend. Sheâs a shameless woman, always has been, but I never expected him to sleep with her. I thought we were secure in our relationship. The only good thing I took away from this was that I never went to bed with him; my innocence was still intact, not that I was trying to keep it - I just never got the chance to lose it. She always managed to have any guy I was interested in dump me for her, and when she got bored with them, sheâd move on. So, in a way, I didnât have a boyfriend till she moved out of her home and headed to college. But when my sister came home and met him, she seduced him and got pregnant. He did the whole âget down on one knee and proposedâ scene. Apparently, it was romantic, but I wasn't there when he did it because they didnât want me around. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was glad to have my girlfriends around me, helping me get over it. They say, I dodged a bullet. I agree with them, stupidly. He might have been a sports jock with good looks, but doing this tells me he was weak and shallow, and I was too good for him, or so my BFF says. I prefer to believe them over the excuses my ex made. I had to move out of my home after I had a massive fight with my parents a few days ago, when the truth was exposed; they supported her, not me, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door and the evil sister. The engagement party was intended to introduce him to her friends and make the relationship official, but I was not invited. My parents want nothing to do with me. I made them all uncomfortable, considering he was my boyfriend first. Anyone working out the timeline for the baby can piece it together, and see they were cheating on me, and it would have been awkward, and too many questions would have been raised. Not that I needed to say all of that, I kind of said it all before, but grrrrr, I am so angry at how my so-called âfamilyâ kicked me out of my so-called home, with no care for me or my feelings. It was easier to push me away and disown me than have to explain to them that my sister cheated with my boyfriend, and hey presto, a baby was on the way. Because I was kicked out of the house, and only had a short time to pack anything, I took the opportunity of the party to sneak into the house and take more of my possessions, like opening my father's safe, and grabbing every piece of paper relating to me, and a little money too, no a lot of money, and grandmaâs jewelry that she left me. So, with the help of my BFF, we packed my belongings and took them to her place until I found a new one. I ride a motorcycle, so I need help. I have the money to buy a new place, but I'm unsure if I want to stay in this town now. Once my apprenticeship is over, I might move away. I stayed that night at Jennyâs place, as I figured out what to do. Today, I am moving into my new place âa bungalow above the bike shop where I work. I am in my final year of apprenticeship, and I am a motorcycle mechanic, proud of it, I might add. I can also work on cars and trucks. If it had a motor, I could fix it; I always could, thanks to my knack for it, which I developed since I was eight, when I fell in love with engines. My Grandpa taught me, kept me out of everyone's way. I guess you could say I was a tomboy, with no frills and lace. My Grandpa kept me sane and busy, so the BS in our house didnât hurt me as much. The place has two bedrooms and is fully contained, meaning it has everything I need. I had purchased some new sheets and towels, that sort of thing, but it had a fully stocked kitchen; I only needed to buy the food. It might be small, and above a noisy bike shop, but at night it was a quiet area. No one would break into this shop; the local bikie gang owned it. They were good guys, scary, but so far, no trouble for me. My BFF, Jenny, was helping me take my belongings upstairs when a group of bikers arrived and assisted us. I had five boxes and two suitcases filled with all sorts of items. âThanks, guys, for the help,â I said sweetly, my BFF batting her eyes at them and swaying herself suggestively as she walked and thanked them. She makes me laugh with her antics, which are totally opposite to mine. I like jeans and am rarely seen in a dress, whereas she was seldom seen in jeans. âWe got a party at the clubhouse, tomorrow Saturday, you should come and relax a bit, bring your girls with ya,â Bruiser suggested as he walked me to the settee, pushed me down, and handed me a drink they had brought with them. This was how they acted around me, ordered me about. Sometimes, I'm okay with it; other times, I get all worked up and growl back at them. Today was acceptance. I know they mean well, and I feel lucky to have them as family; they try to make me feel better. âThat sounds like a blast, count me in, and I can bring two other girl friends with us. Max, do you want me to pick you up?â Jenny offered, taking a drink from one of the guys. She was not a drinker; however, in this situation, I could see her not refusing anything they offered. I guess I'm going, whether I want to or not. âNo, Iâll ride over,â I replied as one of the guys ordered pizza. âThatâs the spirit. Nothing like the wind in your hair to blow the cobwebs away.â They stayed because they didnât want me to be alone, not on my first night here. Pizza arrived not long after, and my little bungalow was soon feeling too small and crowded, with six huge bikers in the room. Some sat on the floor; others pulled up one of the three kitchen chairs. I know, I know, three chairs sound odd, but that's what was here, and beggars canât be choosers; the rent was dirt cheap, and I think the boys are the ones to make sure I had everything I needed. They found out about my situation the next day, because, I was still quiet at work, which was not like me, often I am singing to the radio, or swearing at something, so one of the guys walked to me, to find out what gives, and I softly told them, what went down, and when word got around the bikers heard I needed a place to stay, because I was kicked out of my home and why, they came to me, like protective brothers. Now I have a whole gang of bikers who have my back. I feel privileged to call them friends. They even offered to rough the ex up for me, but I refused the offer, because strangely, I was happy to get rid of the loser if he was a cheating build. Better now than when I am fully invested in our relationship. Plus, I was in deep enough shite with my parents and sister without making it worse. The pizza was gone, my BFF left for home, and the guys did too. It was late, well, for me, midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly because I have to be up for work at five. Tomorrow, being Saturday, I have the morning shift before the party later. They let me leave work early so I can move in here. âHey, donât forget to come, we need our prettiest mechanic at the party, some of the boys might need a tune-up,â Bruiser said with a laugh as they climbed on their bikes and left. I know what sort of tune-up he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with a motor. I looked around my new home. It wasnât much, but it was all mine. The guys were great; they took the empty pizza boxes and beer cans with them, and the place was relatively clean. Not at all what you would expect from a group of rowdy men. The clubhouse. I had never been to it, despite having worked there for nearly four years, and they had never extended an invitation to me. I know they had lots of parties; maybe I was too young. I turned twenty recently, but they might think of me as the fifteen-year-old who showed up one day and told the boss I was going to be his apprentice. He laughed at first and said he would give me a go to prove myself. He thought I was joking and that I would be gone by the weekend, but over the holidays, I worked hard and have been here ever since. Maxine POV The beeping sound of my phone alarm made me sit up and look around. It took a moment to remember where I was. The room had a small curtain that barely kept the light out. There was a streetlight just outside my window. I can envisage myself getting better blackout curtains soon. Although it was annoying, it wasn't among my top priorities for making this a home. The shower was decent, with nice pressure. I followed my morning routine, only to realize how foolish I was to wake up so early, living above my place of work; I didnât need to ride here. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, I still had half an hour before I needed to be at work. I had two ways to get into my place: one was through the back stairs, and the other was through the shop. With the code to turn off the alarm, I decided to head down and start work early. It was better than moving stuff around; I can do that later. I had a bike to finish by this afternoon. The customer would be here at two. Turned off the alarm, turned on the coffee pot, the radio, and headed to my workstation, where the fat boy was waiting for me to finish. I sat on the chair with casters and began my job, singing loudly to the heavy rock song that came on the radio as I installed the new spark plugs and double-checked the oil. It was a simple, easy-peasy service. Once finished, I started the bike up, let it idle while I made coffee, then returned to rev it a few times. It sounds lumpy, like it was just turning over perfectly; it was music to my ears. I love that throaty, deep, lumpy sound. You can feel it vibrate through my chest. âThatâs a sound I loved to hear as I enter work.â My boss, Mike, said as I turned the bike off. âItâs ready to go, unless you want to take it out for a test ride. Want a coffee, pots hot.â I offered as I threw the dirty rag in the bin. âSure, I will take the bike out for a spin, and you can make me a coffee.â He smirked as he grabbed the bike. I opened the garage door, and Mike took off. I smiled as he disappeared down the street, and I turned to make both of us coffee. If you hadnât guessed already, I would drink a lot of coffee. I am not a fan of soft drinks or tea; for me, it's coffee or water. With a broom in hand, I began cleaning the shop. I am not out here very often, but I try to sweep the floor at least once a week; they have another apprentice whoâs a second year, who gets to do most of the cleaning up, but heâs never here on a Saturday. The sound of the bike returning prompted me to pick up the two cups of coffee and head back out to the workshop. Mike had a massive grin on his face as he parked the bike. âGreat job, you are our top mechanic. But donât tell anyone, or I will have to deny it.â He joked, taking his coffee from my hand as he walked by, no doubt letting the customer know the bike was ready ahead of time. I moved to the next bike, which was a total rebuild; it had been in a minor accident, and while the frame was being checked, I would work on the engine and gearbox. It was the only job on my list at the moment. The bike owner was in no hurry; he had a broken leg, giving me a few weeks to work on his bike and any urgent jobs that might come into the shop. The client arrived and happily took possession of his bike, very happy with the job done. âI hear youâve been invited to the club party tonight,â Mike said as he rang up the sale on the cash register. âYep.â I said popping the âpâ. âYou can leave now, we have no more customers expected. Good job today.â It was about one oâclock, near the time I would knock off. âThanks, boss.â I saluted him and rushed upstairs, before he could change his mind. Giggling all the way up. I heard him chuckling as he locked the door below, behind me. I decided on a quick shower; I didnât want to smell of oil when going to a party. Put on my skinny black jeans, a black blouse that had red flames on the back and on the pockets, black boots that had some chains around the ankle, and hair in a ponytail. I will get what we call helmet hair, so it's a waste to do much with it now. I use mascara and strawberry lippie, which is more to moisturize, which tend to dry out when I ride my bike, and that's it. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was my jacket. My mum used to grumble that I wasnât like my sister and put more effort into my appearance, but I like who I am, and I didnât like wearing lots of makeup; it was my choice, and I feel that I am not a frilly, lacey chick. It was a deal breaker with my mum. She had my sister dress up and left me in the care of Grandpa until he died when I was seventeen. It broke me when he left the world. He was the only person who got me. My grandma had been gone since I was young, and I filled the hole in his heart with my love for bikes and fishing. He left me his money and bikes. Dad got his house and business. My mum hated that I gained all that money. When Grandma died, she left me her jewelry, and Grandpa made sure to keep it safe till I was old enough to have it. I ate something and put some more of my stuff in the cupboards before my phone chimed to let me know my girlfriends were on their way to the party. I pulled my bike out of the small garage and started it up. I threw my leg over and took off, heading to the property. The clubhouse was half an hour out of town, set on a large property a little bit back from the road. Ten minutes later, I came up behind the girls and hung out behind them. My friend waved me on to take the lead. I shrugged and overtook her. The turn off arrived, and I rode happily up the long drive, and trees lined the road. An open, large steel gate appeared, and I was glad it was still enough light to see clearly. Men stood by the entrance, watching us arrive. âHey.â I greeted the biggest man I had ever seen. âWho invited you here?â The man asked gruffly, in a deep husky voice. âBruiser,â I answered, with a firm, clear voice, hoping that the fact that he frightened me would be noticed in my voice. He pulled out his phone and called, I assumed, Bruiser. âMax?â He asked, as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. He said something more and hung up the phone. âCome in, the car behind your girls?â He looked at the car behind, which clearly had a woman in it. âYep,â I replied, not at all liking how he intimidated me with his manner. Perhaps it was the way they greeted strangers. One look makes the weak run. Well, I am not weak, and I won't be running. Maxine POV This rather large biker leaned in to look inside the car, his bulky figure partially blocking the open window, causing the girl nearest it to back away. Satisfied, he looked at me with a knowing smirk, then motioned for us to enter. The clubhouse was nothing like I had imagined. Firstly, it was four levels high. Verandah all the way around, that I could see. It was more like a mansion than a clubhouse. Women were gathered near the door, looking in, as if they were waiting for something; some were sitting on the wooden fence that surrounded the verandah. They were dressed in barely anything, showing all that was available, some love that sort of thing. People like me dress to stay warm or cool and donât care about showing off the goods. Bikes sat in neat rows in front, and cars were parked to the left of the building; the ratio of bikes to cars was approximately four bikes to one car. I parked the bike with the others, climbed off, and took off my helmet. I placed the lid on the bike and shook out my hair while waiting for the girls to park and come to me. I heard some muffled scoffs, but I couldnât care less âI wasn't here to please them. Bruiser came out of the clubhouse behind me. âMax, you came by bike. Sweet.â He gave me a greeting nod and moved to take a look at my bike. The paint job was a wolf, fading in smoke. It took me months to finish, as I kept changing my mind, and the smoke obscured the mistakes. âWho did the paint job?â He asked as he moved around to look at it from all sides. âMe.â I was proud of the results. âDoes Mike know you can paint?â He sounded surprised. âHe has seen my bike when I used the garage to do a service. He never asked who did the paint work, just that he liked it.â âSweet, looks like we have someone to do a paint job, and possibly a full one. We have a family reunion in a few weeks, and the ladies are invited to come along. You can join us.â Bruiser offered as my ladies arrived; they were not included in that invitation, I assumed, because I have a bike. âBruiser, you already met Jenny, Melony, Karen, and Heather, my other BFF, and Alice, Karen's sister, and BFF to my sister.â Adding that comment, hoping that Bruiser knew precisely what that woman was like. Alice battered her eyes and leaned forward to show off what was under that almost shirt. My ladies greeted him with the respect he deserved. âLadies. Hands out.â Bruiser stamped the girl's backs of their hands; they all had a bear, except Alice, who had a rabbit on her hand. I frowned, trying to figure out what the rabbit was all about. He pushed my hand away. âYou are family, no need for a stamp.â I couldnât stop the smile that crossed my face. I felt so special. Then the shoe dropped. Rabbit had another meaning. Bruiser got my meaning loud and clear. It took a while to understand the purpose of the stamps. âCome inside and meet the ole ladies.â I understood what he meant; these were ladies who had been claimed and had a different level of respect that those not claimed would never understand. I have met a few of them over the years and gained more insight into club life. They respect me as much as I respect them. We entered the place, and the girls who had been waiting outside gave us a dirty look, as they were still stopped from entering. âWhat's so special about them?â One pouted, but Bruiser ignored her. Inside was cleaner than I had expected âmy fault for judging a group of men, since they often look messy when I see them at the shop. The place had a large, open space, with tables where you stand, as well as booths dotted along the walls, and stools at the bar, which ran the full length of the room. I loved the spacious room, the pictures on the walls, and some bike parts scattered about as decoration. A few barstools are bike seats; it was different, and it appealed to me. Being a lover of bikes. âSticks.â I greeted her as we walked to the ladies Bruiser was taking us to. âHey, Maxie Max. How's it blowing?â She stood up and pulled me into a warm embrace. This chick had no filter or personal space. Sticks was the President's; her real name was Sandra, but she was my height at five-nine, and she had no shape to her body, just a lovely bean pole, almost no chest to speak of, yet she had had two boys. Hence the name Sticks. âDoing better,â I replied. She would know what was going on. She introduced us to the other ladies with her, and it didnât surprise me that Alice had already moved away from us before we had finished the introductions. âWhatâs her story?â Sticks asked as she watched Alice start to try her luck with the club men. âSame as my sister. Bruiser put a rabbit stamp on her hand.â Sticks and the other girl roared out laughing. âShe will be used, snugged to the side by the time the night is over, and I doubt they would let her back in. We donât need her sort in the club.â Maggie spouted as we watched a patch member knock her offer back. âThe regulars are not going to like her working their turf. So, to speak.â Tootsie said, with a smirk, that the regulars know the rules and stick with them. Donât reach a patch member; if interested, they will come to you. Nomâs are fair game. But most girls would prefer a patch member. Donât have a relationship with a taken member; the women will gang up and make your life miserable if you feel one of theirs. Wait to be let into the clubhouse and then stay in the public area. No going upstairs uninvited. The first two floors are designated for guest rooms, while the top floor is reserved for permanent residences. Those who donât have a home of their own to go to. They are private and not open to wandering girls. Donât sit on someoneâs bike, unless you are given permission. The patched old ladies are the bosses of the girls; they tell you to leave or do something, and you do it. There were more rules for the girls visiting, but I couldnât remember them all at that moment. None had applied to me until now. Alice had already broken at least three, to my knowledge. I am staying out of it. That rabbit on her hand told the members that she would open her legs for any of them, and no one would support her if she broke the rules. That she was not welcome to return, in other words, have your fun, and then abandoned her to the curb. The doors were opened to let the other girls in. They looked at us in the no-go zone and pouted. We were sitting in an off-limits area unless we were invited. From what I understood, they were here to spread their legs and give the guys some relief, but not become part of the family. They might be hopeful that something would change; it was rare for a patch member to take one of these ladies, who had most likely been with every unattached member of the gang, at some point. My girls left me with Sticks and wandered about with the other ladies, getting the tour of the place. âWant to look around?â Sticks were offered, and before I knew it, we were walking around the vast ground floor. âReady to see the workshop, the guys might talk you into helping out, once they know who you are.â Sticks led me down a small pathway, lined with flowering shrubs, and to a set of large, farm-size sheds. Inside were bikes, some in bits, others crumpled from an accident, and others like they had just been detailed and were someone's pride and joy. There was a workshop here, where men were working on their bikes. They looked up at us when we entered and frowned. If Sticks were not with me, they would have most likely growled at me to get out. âWhoâs this Sticks?â A monster of a man asked, in the deepest voice I have ever heard, he looked a lot like the man at the gate, but with more toned muscles. Just a tad taller, and although he looked big and scary, he made my lady parts sing in a way they had never sung before. Tank POV A few guys aren't into parties, so I stopped going until later in the night, when the girls who showed up were already taken. I dislike the women who come here hoping to adopt our lifestyle. I prefer to use my hand rather than one of those women. Donât get me wrong, I have had my share of women; however, I had a girl who wanted me to take her, and when I did, she ended up in the hospital, because I am not exactly a little man. And I have not been with a woman since. Like my brother, we are both large men; he is six feet six inches tall, and I am six feet eight inches tall. Heâs carrying extra weight, where I am all muscle. I pride myself on keeping in shape, but being this large has its downfall, and having a large build has had me worried about hurting another woman. No matter how much I might want to, I canât; I never want to go through that again. The Prez was the only person who knew why I wouldnât join the parties; he was with me when we took the girl to the hospital, she forgave me, and tried to pursue me to keep her, but I couldnât. Each time I started, I had flashes of her screams, and my confidence went down like a popped balloon. We were in the workshop, doing some minor tune-ups. As I prepare for our ride, I'm excited. When they bring the ladies, the men are usually in a better mood and on their best behavior. I was looking at rebuild. I started it last week. We have a few wrecks that need to be started; some have been sitting here far too long. We can only go so far before we need Mike's help. None of us was a mechanic. I was scratching my head, as I was almost at the end of my knowledge, when I heard someone enter, and a soft perfume that shouldnât be in this shed hit my nose. Stickâs voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head up to look i
The Moon Goddess gifted my husband of years a second Mate. âIâm sorry. But sheâs my fated mate too,â he said and claimed her before all the pack members. From that moment on, my marriage was split into two. Everything I had, I had to share with Christy.â My husband. My home. Even my money. I didnât make a scene. Because in our world, it was called "the Goddessâ will". I just counted, writing down every single hurt and humiliation in my diary. â And when there was 100, I would just reject him. That day came sooner than I expected. "I have to leave. Christy's heat came early,â he apologized, forgetting I was also in my heat, also the fact that two she-wolves who shared one Mate never went into heat at the same time. âSheâs too young to cope with her jealousy,â he said nonchalantly when I revealed her little dirty trick. I sneered. âAnd Iâm mature enough to save myself from this torture. I, Mischa Dean, reject you, Anthony Trenery, as my mate and Alpha. And I cut all ties with your pack.â I hurled my diary at his face and strode out. The little jealous omega could have him all to herself now. And I will have my new life. ***** Mischa had been mated to Alpha Anthony Trenery of the Night Whispers Pack for two decades now. They had a good, strong bond filled with love and happiness even though their lives were more than difficult at times. Theyâd decided when coming together early in their mate bond to put off having an heir or heirs for their pack. That they needed to focus upon the growing of the packâs businesses. She ran the accounting company and kept track of all the pack's funds, was vigilant in their spending decisions, because when theyâd taken over the pack it was in the red, and the pack owed money to a lot of other packs as well as human banks. Finally, they were completely in the black. No longer did they have loans to pay back to humans or other wolfen packs that had helped them out over the past two decades. They were also now a bigger, stronger and healthier pack, with more reliable businesses to support them. It had taken the two of them a mighty effort of complete devotion to clearing out the debts left behind, that no one knew the former Alpha and Luna had run up, until theyâd taken over and seen if for themselves. Sheâd never have believed it if sheâd not seen it with her own two eyes, and theyâd sat down and had to talk it out, weighed the pros and cons of disbanding the pack or trying to rebuild it, and become viable and keep the wolves that lived here together instead of scattered all over the place. Sheâd already had her accounting degree but was fresh out of uni, and going through the funding situation had been hard for her, and even harder for Anthony to hear, being it was his own parents that had sunk the pack into debt and told no one how bad it was. But in the end theyâd opted to try and save the pack, and although it had been difficult for them to do. Theyâd worked their way through the hardship and survived it. Tonight was the very first mating ball to be held by them since taking over. They simply just couldnât afford to waste pack funds on it. The pack members had all understood and been allowed to go off to other packs of their own accord for mating balls if they wished over those years. Tonight was an event theyâd planned together, how theyâd be holding mating balls in the future as well. Only two a year, they were costly and though their pack was in the black now, they didnât want to use a lot of funds on mating balls at this time, they would set more up as the years past when they had more available funds to do so. It was a simple sit-down dinner, where everyone came dressed in smart casual clothing and could mingle at will with the other packs. Any mating prior to the full moon had to be out of sight in one or another's accommodation, so there would be fewer issues for pairs scenting each other out. She stood as always next to Anthony to greet the arriving Alphas. Only one pack was unknown to them, but it came through a known affiliated pack. They were said to be safe and wouldnât cause them any issues. She and Anthony were hoping for some pairing up tonight, and she smiled at the comments from their Allied Alphas about finally, they were holding a mating ball, and those that knew the true hardship she and Anthony had been through, over the last two decades smiled and congratulated them on beating the odds, and them now having a prosperous pack. She was happy with how things were going and sat down to eat her meal, smiled and chatted with the other Alphas at the table. Her own Mate, Anthony, smiled at her as he always did. What sheâd not seen coming was as the moon set her own Alpha Mate of 20 years, nostrils flaring and him breathing in all deeply; as he scented out a second Mate. Her eyes widened, as she watched him just stand up and leave the table, to go and hunt the one he scented. Many eyes were on him, they all knew she was his Goddess-Gifted Mate. They were the same age and scented each other out at 19, inside this very room the full moon after heâd come home from Alpha College. Mischa was more than shocked as she watched Anthony step right up to she-wolf and just reach out and touch her face all soft and lovingly. Sheâd braced herself to feel the pains of betrayal, right there in front of all their allies, and sheâd even felt Paul, her Gammaâs hand on her arm, as he also readied himself to try and ease the pain they all thought she was going to feel. She had not stood up or even objected to Anthonyâs scenting of a second Mate, wouldnât protest against it even though a part of her wanted to. This was the will of their Goddess, that he was getting a second Mate, and here inside this pack they believed one should accept their Goddess-Gifted Mate. Anthonyâs hand cupped that she-wolfâs face, and she felt absolutely nothing, not a single pain of betrayal at all. Paul frowned a little, and she sighed with relief and murmured. âIs the will of Selena, so she grants me no pain.â Though a part of her was unhappy about her loyal, loving Alpha Mate now having a new and likely much younger Mate on his arm. She knew that he wasnât going to reject her, sheâd been gifted to him by Selena, so of course, he would accept that she-wolf. She gently removed Paulâs hand from her arm. âItâs fine⌠is meant to be.â Sheâd stated softly, all she could do was accept it. If it was a lie or some sort of magic to trick him, she'd have felt the pains of betrayal, but there were none. So she just sat there and watched as Anthony lay his verbal claim upon that she-wolf, for all in this room to hear without any hesitation. âMy pack, I have been blessed by Selena herself, with a second Mate and Luna,â he'd announced, and sheâd even heard the pride in his voice as heâd spoken. He was very happy with this. Had yet to even look at Mischa regarding him getting a second Mate; to see what she thought of it. Sheâd been eclipsed by a new Mate and Luna for the pack in a heartbeat. He was supposed to love and cherish only her, but now he had someone else to love and cherish, a she-wolf that barely looked old enough to be here at this mating ball. Likely only just turned 18 a moon or two back, she thought absently to herself. That girl's smile faulted instantly at Anthonyâs words of her being his second Mate and Luna, and her eyes had moved around the room to look right at her. Mischa had nodded her head ever so slightly to the girl. Whoâd turned back to Anthony and bowed her head to him, stated in softly spoken words, âI am happy, Alpha, and will work alongside your first Mate, to learn from her to be your perfect Luna.â Anthony had laughed. âMischa is loving and kind and will be a good friend and confidante to you, as well as to teach you all that is needed and the three of us will be truly happy together.â Then he had walked that she-wolf over to the table she was sitting at, and smiled at Mischa âSweetheart, I was blessed by Selena once more. This is Christy.â He introduced the girl to her. She felt many eyes upon her from not only at this table but from the room. It was a very unusual set of circumstances to be seen. She did know that when one wolf got gifted two Mates it was usually at the same time, not 20 years apart. That the one wolf, if his or her Mates were from different packs, they would have to choose one over the other. But Anthony was an Alpha Wolf, and he reigned over this pack so he could choose to have both of them as his Mates, because theyâd all live here. This was what he was doing. Heâd not even thought about it, not even so much as taken Mischa's thoughts into account about him having a new Mate. No, heâd just accepted Christy and announced her right away, expecting Mischa to just accept it and that was the end of it. Mischa wasnât about to throw a fit or even argue it there was no point; heâd made his decision already. The Goddess had blessed him was how heâd put it. She wasnât that kind of person, arguments were only to be had if she could win the verbal battle, which she knew she couldnât right this very minute. It was also not her place to tell him who he could or couldnât be mated to, if he was gifted a second Mate. It was entirely up to him to accept or reject that she-wolf. âHello, Christy.â Mischa greeted his new Mate, and she saw the way that she-wolf instantly moved closer to Anthony and hugged into him. âItâs the will of the Goddess, please Luna donât ask him to reject me,â Christy stated with a slight tremble to her soft voice. Mischa raised an eyebrow at her âI wouldnât dare to. If Anthony accepts you, then so do I,â she countered the girls between the line's accusation. She understood in that one moment this she-wolf was out to cause trouble, and wanted Anthony to see Mischa was unreasonable, and appear to be unwilling to accept her as a second Luna to this pack. Mischa wouldnât play that game, her eyes moved to Anthony, and he was frowning down at Christy, he wasnât what she would call a stupid man, and had also picked up on there was no greeting from Christy to Mischa, just an unspoken accusation that Mischa would want to tear them apart. âChristy, what was that? Mischa would never come between us, and you just accuse her of it right away. I brought you over here just to say hello,â he stated and removed her hand from his arm. Mischa refused to allow the smile that wanted to touch her face to reach it as she heard the disappointment in Anthonyâs voice about what he was seeing and hearing. She watched as Christy kind of looked up at him in surprise, that he would not only defend his current Mate and Luna, but step away from Christy herself, to look down at her in disapproval. This she-wolf had thought Anthony would come to her defense instantly, and be drawn into her innocence, and Iâm afraid of your first Mate, act. That she was so clearly putting on for all in this room to see. She didnât know him at all, and had played that hand way too soon, but Mischa now understood herself this was going to be something Christy would do all the time. She was already scheming inside her mind on how to push out a Luna and Mate of 20 years, so she could be the only Mate and Luna to this, her and Anthonyâs hard earned pack. II CH 2 Mischa didnât think this she-wolf's schemes would work on Anthony. He was not only level-headed, but they had grown up here inside this pack together, and he knew everything about her, including her own nature. That she would never harm anyone without due cause, that she certainly wouldnât harm his other Mate. That she wouldnât get in between them or try and stop them from spending time together. He knew that she also believed in the will of the Goddess. So, accepting that heâd been gifted a second Mate, was actually what she would do even if she was unhappy about it, sheâd come to terms with it and accept it. She wouldnât fight against it or try to make him choose between them. This new Mate of his, Christy, should have taken the time to solidify her bond with Anthony, be marked and mated before trying anything stupid like this. That would see her pitted up against his first Luna and Mate of 20 years. She knew nothing about either of them, or their temperaments. She should have learned that before scheming. âI⌠Iâm sorry. I was just nervous that sheâd want to harm me⌠Youâre her Mate first and Lunaâs are⌠Possessive.â Christy tried to explain her prior statement. âAs are Alphas,â Mischa stated right back. âHere inside the Night Whispers pack, a Mate is a Mate. If I were to get a second Mate, Anthony would accept it as I am of him being gifted you, Christy. Donât fear me, Iâm happy to have a fellow Luna to share the duties of running this pack with.â She smiled at her. Anthony chuckled softly and looked at Mischa. âIâd be very jealous, sweetheart, of another getting to have you, butâŚâ he took a breath in âI would accept it, as the will of our Goddess, Selena.â Mischa smiled right at him. âI know darling.â She stated, âSuch a good, kind, loving and loyal Mate youâve always been.â Sheâd reached out and put her hand in his, and heâd raised it right to his lips and kissed the back of it. His way of showing his gratitude for her gracious acceptance of his new Mate. Christy, however, gasped and tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the display of affection between them. âYou donât want me,â she sobbed, and then was just gone, running off, away from them through the crowded ballroom. Anthony blinked in complete shock and stood there staring after her, heâd not once said he didnât want her, heâd even claimed her for all to hear. It wasnât expected that those words would come from her, let alone for her to run away. He looked to her hand and then to her and Mischa shook her head. âShe felt no pains of betrayal, because I felt none when you touched her.â she told him what she knew to be the truth. âSweetheart, I must go andâŚâ he trailed off as he looked at her a little uncertain for the first time. âOf course, I understand Anthony, go and find your second Mate. She appears young and very...â She trailed off. Who the h*ll knew, she couldnât say scheming to him. She let go of his hand and waved him off to go after the girl. Then she just sat back down in her seat and picked up her wine glass and took a controlled sip from it. She wanted to down the entire glass but would not let that be seen by all in this room. The Alphas at her table were looking at her with knowing looks. She just nodded, acknowledging that it hadnât escaped their attention that this new Mate of Anthonyâs was trying to manipulate things before she was even Marked and Mated. She and Christy had not scented each other out, and therefore would have to share their Mateâs attention between them, and no Mate wanted to share with another. Christyâs own Alpha sighed from his seat at the table. âMy apologies, Luna, that one is new to my pack; her mother mated into mine just two moons back. I donât know her well, she appeared pleasant to me.â âHmm, she is how old?â Mischa asked. âTurned 18 inside my pack,â he answered her. âHmm, very young. Me not so much. She is getting a Mate that already has a Mate, something Iâm guessing can bring out many different sides to a she-wolf, that is expecting to suddenly become a Luna, only to find out her Mate already has a Luna. âDonât concern yourself with it too much. Anthony wonât stand for scheming games, is level-headed, he will likely only mark and mate her if she is seen to be genuinely accepting of the three-way mate bond. She and I didnât scent each other out, are not Mateâs that complicates things a bit, I dare say. âSheâll have to willingly accept that she has to share him with me. He is not about to reject me, his Mate and Luna of 20 years for her⌠one he doesnât know and is currently acting like a petulant, jealous child for all to see. Something I donât and wonât do. âHeâll want to have both of us as his Mates. I do know this, and if young Christy isnât willing to even try to accept this, then heâll likely reject her for her not accepting the will of the Goddess.â She told him, âIâm patient and will wait and see what happens.â She sipped her wine once more. âYou seem to be handling it well, at ease with all this going on around you, Luna, when most would be at least upset,â he stated. âIâm not overly happy about it, Alpha, but what can I do about it? Itâs not for me to make Anthonyâs decisions for him. Only Anthony can choose to accept or reject Christy. I felt no pains of betrayal, so it is likely meant to be, and I am willing to accept what it is that Selena has planned for this pack,â she stated simply. She would not be the one in this three-way mate bond, which she was certain was about to happen, to pitch a fit and act as if she couldnât handle it. This may be out of her control, but she could handle it with grace and stay calm in the face of things she didnât like or truly know how to handle, until she found a way to do so. That was something sheâd learned long ago. Panicking about the unknown didnât help you resolve the issue before you. There had been a lot of panic at times trying to rebuild and bring this pack back to stability, and sheâd overcome it all, one thing at a time. This was going to be just like that, she supposed. She would likely find a way to deal with Christyâs schemes if Anthony marked and mated her, if that she-wolf continued to try and use that innocent act, and wouldnât give up on trying to push her out of Anthonyâs life. There was at present nothing else she could do at this point, only sit and wait on the outcome of the night was all. She did wonder though if Christy was smart enough to talk her way out of being seen as petty and jealous just now. None had threatened her, and Anthony hadnât once voiced he didnât want her, so her act was all going to have to be apologized for, and she was going to have to explain to him why she responded that way, when Mischa had not once presented herself as a threat, had in fact welcomed her. That sheâd run off after seeing affection go between herself and Anthony, something that all fully bonded pairs did, something that she-wolf would also have to get used to seeing as well. âFilled with she-wolf jealousy is my bet, and that, Luna Mischa, is never a good thing,â Alpha Nicholas stated as he leaned back in his chair. âIt wonât end well if she remains the same. Been on the receiving end of that myself.â She nodded, she knew his tale; this pack had been allied to his while heâd been trying to claim his Luna, Lucinda. âMm, Iâm not so young as she is, or immature either. I can handle myself and most situations in a calm and rational manner, unlike her, it seems.â She stated with a half-smile and sipped her wine, then motioned for it to be refilled once more. âThat I dare say will be the very difference between the two of you,â Nicholas nodded. âIf you need a break from what I foresee as trouble brewing, come on down to the Rising Blue Lotus, for a well-earned rest. Braidyâs Mate just opened up a day spa on the edge of the pack. Iâm certain she and her team can massage away or soak away any tension.â She smiled at him. âI may just take you up on that, Nicholas.â âIt would be my pleasure, Luna Mischa.â Heâd tipped his glass to her and theyâd both sipped their wine. Sheâd sat there and presided over the mating ball for the rest of the night. Sheâd waited for Anthony to come back and tell her what he was going to do, give her an explanation as to Christyâs attitude, but it had not come at all. Sheâd attempted to connect with him just once, just after 10pm and shut it down very quickly felt that he was mating out there, so heâd claimed that girl and was marking and mating her. Sheâd mentioned it to his unit, and theyâd all kind of just stared at her as if to say 'are you kidding?' Sheâd just nodded, there was nothing she could do about it. The Mate Bond had either gotten him or Christy had played her sweet and innocent act, come up with some plausible reason as to why she had been like that, and then likely turned on the charm and he and his wolf had been enticed into mating her and claiming her officially. Yet again, heâd done that without consulting her or even informing her that he would be doing that tonight. Sheâd gone to bed alone, walked up to the Alpha Suite, his unit all there with her, and sheâd sighed, âI hate to be a bother, but is it possible one of you could stay here until Anthony comes back? I donât want that she-wolf in my suite. Until all things have been discussed properly, heâll have to understand, considering he didnât discuss anything with me prior to this and sitting down and sorting out how this is going to work. âPlease inform Anthony and his new Mate, that they can stay in the Luna Suite for the night. Iâm happy he got a Mate but unhappy he has gone a head and done things without a proper discussion first. I donât want to wake up to the sound of my Mate having sÎľx with his other Mate inside my suite.â They all just nodded and Kendrick, their Beta, had stated, âIâll wait up for him. Best that comes from me. If he doesnât understand and opts to try and bring her inside, what do you want, Mischa?â âTell him to respect my wishes. It's just one night, and he can spend that night curled up with his new Mate in the Luna Suite. Itâs as plush as his own. If he opts not to respect my wishes for even one night, I guess I know exactly where Iâll stand with him and his new Mate.â III CH 3 Mischa had accepted the fact that he had a second Mate, and heâd hugged her the following day after claiming Christy, told Mischa he loved her so very much, even more for her accepting Christy into their Mate bond. Sheâd only had one request regarding their three-person mate bond, where she and Christy shared only him between them. Which had been that Christy reside in the Luna Suite, that was her designated suite, and Mischa remained in the Alpha Suite. She had been his Mate and Luna for 20 years, and had earned the right to stay in there. Heâd looked at Christy, and sheâd nodded and stated, "I'm okay with that." Neither she nor Christy had wanted to live in the same suite as each other, because they werenât mated to each other. Both saw it as standard for a Mate bond like this, for there to be separate rooms. Anthony had been happy about them agreeing to this and he'd agreed as well. The one being shared also got to choose where and who they slept with on a nightly basis. Sheâd told him at Christyâs frown, as sheâd had to watch him pull Mischa on to his lap, in his office that morning. After being away from her for the entire night, he wanted to hold her and be close to her, tell her heâd missed her. Christy hadnât liked seeing that at all, and she had stated, âI think there should be a schedule to make it fair to both of us, like me, say Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and you take the alternate days.â Sheâd not even used Mischaâs name. Misha had leaned into Anthony and hugged him, told him sheâd missed him too, as she'd watched Christy's reaction to it, then stated, âI donât think we should put constraints on our Mate like that, and I think Anthony can pick and choose each and every night who he wants to be with, as is his right.â Sheâd also not missed that Christy had opted to give herself four nights a week and Mischa only three. Right off the bat, this she-wolf was trying to take control of their mate bond. She had some balls, that was for sure. Anthony, on the other hand had, had a better idea. âIâll rotate days between you both. I think that is fair, so one night with you Christy, then one night with Mischa, on a continually rotating basis. That way, each of you gets a four-night week and a three-night week, exactly half of each month. Otherwise, one of you will get 16 days and the other only 12; that is not fair.â Heâd also promised her heâd never bed Christy in their suite, especially their bed, and then, at Christyâs pout, heâd laid down the same rule for her, that heâd never bed Misha in Christyâs suite or bed; again making it fair. Heâd told Christy heâd open up a few walls and create her a proper suite just like his and Mischaâs for when they had pups. Misha hadnât objected, just nodded and told him and Christy that was a good idea. He had been trying, she knew, to keep both of them happy, trying to work this new three-person mate bond out in a way that suited them all. âWeâre newly mated,â Christy had murmured, âand you two have been mated for decades. I want a little more time with you to bond properly.â âYouâll go into heat in a week and get to have him all to yourself for 3 to 7 days,â Mischa commented casually. âYouâll interrupt it.â Christy had muttered. âI will not. I have no interest in separating you from Anthony at all. You should, however, come over here and let him initiate you. Heâs not done that yet.â Mischa had stood up and even picked up the pack blade for him and held it out to him, showing him she was accepting of everything. Only now a year and a half later, she was not in the Alpha Suite, nor was she in the Luna Suite. Sheâd moved herself out of the Alpha Suite six months ago when sheâd walked into it and pushed into her bedroom to find Anthony and Christy having sÎľx in her and Anthonyâs bed. Sheâd come to a stand still at the sight of them and then her anger got the better of her. She and her wolf Laud had grated out his name for him to hear their anger at what was going on in their bed. Something heâd promised would never happen. Only to have him snarl at her to get the hll out of his bedroom, his aura had rolled at her even before heâd turned to see who it was. Christy had looked right at her and smirked as if to say 'you know you canât beat me.' âFine,â had been the only word that had come from her. She was his equal and could in fact ignore his aura, but had turned and walked from the suite, left at his order and then had moved herself into a suite down the hall, across from the Deltaâs suite. Sheâd had omegas go in and collect all her belongings when sheâd felt him leave that suite, not just her clothes, everything that was hers and moved, had them set up in her new room down the hall. Theyâd not understood it, why she was moving out of the Alpha Suite, when sheâd lived in there for the past two decades, and for the first time since Christy had come into this pack and started eclipsing her position, sheâd not cared to keep quite as to why she was moving out. Told her omegas that the Alpha had ordered her to get out of the suite. It was in fact true he had done so. That hadnât gone down so well with Anthony when heâd realized sheâd actually moved out of the suite, and not just left it to come back later when sheâd calmed down. Heâd thought she was just angry about him breaking his promise, and so he had opted to sleep in Christyâs suite that night. He had left her be, because he actually understood he was in the wrong, and she had a right to be angry. But what heâd not realized until the following evening, when heâd gone to the Alpha Suite to shower and change, probably apologize for his mistake. That her side of the closet was empty, not a single thing was left in there of her, not even her jewelry. That she had in fact moved out completely, and heâd had to go looking for her, he hadnât seen her all day either. Sheâd opted to work from her new suite because she wasnât in any mood to deal with a smug Christy, or her own Mate who had broken his one promise to her. Heâd found her sitting in that suite across from Derek's with many of her things setup in there around her. Sheâd already made herself comfortable in there. Heâd been completely shocked at the realization that sheâd taken more than just her clothes, but her trinkets and throw rugs, her favorite vase and many of the books that were in the study, theyâd shared in that suite. Heâd asked her exactly what was going on, and sheâd casually closed the book sheâd been sitting documenting in, her Lunaâs Diary, and looked at him, his worried expression, as heâd sat down on the lounge next to her. Sheâd stated simply, âYou broke your promise and ordered me to get out of your suite. I did exactly what you wanted.â Heâd sighed at her and murmured, âThatâs not what I meant, sweetheart, Iâm sorry for what happened. Christy was upset about never having seen inside the Alpha Suite⌠she just wanted to see what it looked like, sheâs only ever been in the Luna Suite, doesnât feel as if I truly see her as my Luna, because sheâs never even walked through the door and seen inside the Alphaâs Suite.â Heâd sighed heavily. âI saw no harm in her walking through it and looking around. She was so happy to just be shown the suite, and she kissed me to say thank you for allowing her to see where I lived when not with her and, well⌠we just got carried away is all, and it resulted in sx. It wasnât intentional,â he told her. Maybe not on his part, but it had clearly been on Christyâs part. âIn our bed.â Had been Mischaâs words, she could read between the lines, Christy had gotten Anthony to take her into their bedroom, a place she was never allowed to go unless Mischa invited her personally. Just like Mischa wasnât allowed in Christyâs bedroom. So, once again, sheâd been able to make Anthony believe she was innocent in them fking on Mischaâs bed, and heâd bought it. She had gotten him to take her into that room to help her feel more like his Luna, when heâd already given her a fully remodeled suite. He was still blind to her deceptions. Only this time, Christy had used sx to get it past him. She knew exactly what that she-wolf was doing. Sheâd also not missed in his relaying of what had happened that it had been Christy who had kissed him and gotten him all worked up, she'd done it on purpose, and she knew that, from that one look on Christyâs face, that heâd not seen. She didnât really understand the she-wolf. It wasnât like Anthony ignored her, or didnât give her exactly what she wanted. Her Luna Suite was now as large and plush as the Alpha Suite was, there was room for them to start their family. It was now a four-bedroom suite. Sheâd gotten her Mate and the title of Luna as well, had a desk in the Lunaâs office, was allowed to give Luna Blessings and she spent on a daily basis more time with Anthony than Mischa did. âWell, Anthony, she can now have what she wants, both the Alpha and Luna suites, canât she! Seeing as she got you to break your promise to me and so easily.â âDonât be like that Mischa, it wonât happen again,â heâd sighed. âYouâre right, it wonât.â sheâd nodded, because she would never set foot in the Alpha Suite again. âYou ordered I get out, I had no choice but to do as you ordered, you are the Alpha.â She told him and watched his eyes widen at her very words. He was racking his brain trying to recall if heâd made it an order or not. She knew it wasnât for her to move out, just to leave the room. But at that moment it could well have been for all he knew. He and his wolf Shade might not even know theyâd done that in that moment, where they were consumed with the need to mate Christy. âI take it back.â Heâd huffed after a full minute of thought. âRescind it. If I did that, I canât say for certain if I did or not.â âNo need. I now understand my place, Anthony. Your new and younger Mate is the one you want to please. Iâll step aside for her. She can move into the actual Alpha Suite. Iâll stay here as is my place.â Sheâd not been trying to make him feel guilty, sheâd simply made the decision to not go back to his suite was all, it was now tainted by that she-wolf, so he could have it all to himself or move that she-wolf in there. âYour place is beside me, Mischa, as it will always be,â heâd stated. âHmmâ had been her only reaction because she wondered just how long it would be before Christy got the Lunaâs office all to herself and had Mischa moved out of it. Christy was currently still undergoing Luna Training, but the moment it was over. Mischa could see Christy was going to push her from it. She wasnât exactly sure how yet, but she was willing to bet that she-wolf was plotting how already. Just couldnât do it until sheâd actually finished her training was all. IV CH 4 She was just documenting everything that happened in her personal Lunaâs Diary, that was casually sitting closed on her lap right that minute; all of Christyâs behavior. It was kind of like a Lunaâs Diary, she supposed. Only this one was filled with all the times Christy had manipulated Anthony, pouted or put on a show of waterworks, complained she was just insecure, intimidated by Mischa, or didnât think she could ever measure up to his first Mate. All the things that saw Anthony wanting to comfort Christy about and how he did that; taking her out shopping or to dinner, to make her feel loved and cherished and to make it up to her, so she'd feel secure in her position as his second Mate. Though Christy had learned not to insult her directly, that brought about full annoyance in Anthony towards her, regardless of if Christy did it with a few tears or indirectly. Which she had a few times in the beginning when she had been more openly trying to separate them so she could spend more time with Anthony then Mischa could; sheâd learned the hard way not to do that. Anthony wouldnât stand for Christy insulting Mischa, and he would come to her defense, because not once had Mischa ever insulted Christy; she wasnât like that. Wasnât one to be mean or cruel on purpose. Even now here in this situation, Christy and Anthonyâs having sÎľx in her bed, sheâd not blamed Christy; she hadnât said anything other than heâd broken his promise to her. Anthony would demand
The entire clubhouse knew the rule: giant biker Tank never touched the club girls. What they didnât know was there was no ruleâonly the brutal wall heâd built after destroying a woman with his massive length years ago. Sheâd pushed him to take her, but he was too big, too rough. She ended up in the hospital needing stitches. Since that night, Tank hadnât touched a woman. Until Maxine walked into the clubhouse. The clubâs only real mechanic. 20. Betrayed by her sister and ex, kicked out by her parents, surviving on her own sweat and skill while every other woman spread her legs for protection. She didnât flirt. Didnât simper. Didnât need to. She was different. And Tank wanted her with a hunger that terrified him. Other club h0res had triedârubbing against him, whispering f!lthy promises. Nothing. His body stayed dead. But Maxine? Just one glance he grew rock hard, aching with raw need. He fled like a coward to the bathroom, slamming the door, chest heaving as he yanked himself free. He imagined her bent over his custom Harleyâbare, breathless, trembling. That fierce innocence in her eyes slowly twisting into desperate pleasure as he bent her to his will. How sheâd gasp when he stretched her open, shocked at the side of herself she never knew existed. No loud moaning. No screaming. Just one soft, broken gasp: âTankâŚâ Wide-eyed. Breathless. His hand wrapped around her throat. Her legs shaking under his brutal thrvsts. Mine. Youâre fking mine, Maxine. Only mine. ***** Maxine POV âGo home, you have worked too much overtime this week. Have an early night and give that boyfriend of yours an early treat.â My boss practically urged me out the door, a wicked grin on his face. âOkay, okay, Iâm going. Iâm going. I straddled my bike and started her up. This was going to be a great night. Today was my boyfriend's birthday, and I was going to give him a special gift. I had brought new, cute clothes, and I cleaned up. I was ready to give him my all, my first, my heart, take the big plunge. I felt I was ready. I pulled into the driveway to see my sister's and my boyfriendâs cars. I had no idea my sister was coming home today. She was still at college in her final year, though I heard she wasn't doing so well. The poor golden girl has not met up with expectations, not that I was worried. My ex-boyfriend showed up three hours early; our date was not for a few more hours. What was he doing here already? Walking in the back door, I heard voices and headed towards them; they were in Dadâs office, with the door slightly ajar. I moved silently to the door and waited outside to hear what secrets they were having now. They occasionally do this when they are planning something and donât want to include me, but I'm puzzled as to why my boyfriend and sister were included. âWe never planned for it to happen.â My sister replied softly, as if she were some kind of victim; she was an expert at that. She should have been an actress; she would have won multiple Oscars by now. âWhen?â Dad asked, and I waited in the hallway to hear what this was all about. âChristmas day, we had too many of your special eggnogs, and things got heated. The party was more or less over; the presents had been given out, and the food had been eaten. We were all mulling around, talking, when Zoey said something, I donât remember whatâbut we went upstairs to continue talking, and ended up in Maxineâs room. We did start by just talking, and before I knew it, we were together, like I said, and I was so lost in that moment that I forgot to use protection. When we came out, no one seemed to notice we had been gone, so we pretended it never happened.â My boyfriend replied, and my heart just hit the floor, as I took in that my sister and boyfriend did something in my bed at Christmas. MY BED. I slept in that bed. I feel suddenly sick at that thought. How could they do that to me? She stole another boyfriend from me again. But he was just as much to blame; I guess our relationship was not that strong yet. Not on his side at least. He continued to pretend and take me out on dates, as if that never happened. Now I feel cheated, dirty, ashamed, and angry all at once. What if she hadnât gotten pregnant, and I ended up married to that cheating man? Would her wedding present be to tell me she had had a relationship with him first? I wouldnât put it past her to do such a thing. She had done that before with my boyfriends, and I guess this one was just as vulnerable to her advances as the last one. âHe gave me the best Christmas present ever.â My sister crowed with delight. I could imagine her pregnancy. âThis is good news. I have wanted grandchildren, and the last grandchild I would have expected would be from you; you have never kept a relationship for long.â Mum said, sounding excited at the news. âWhat now?â My sister asked, still playing the perfect victim. âWe get married?â My now ex-boyfriend suggested âsounds more like a question. âWhat about Maxine?â My sister asked, as if I were an inconvenience that needed to be sorted out, and now they think about me, but it didnât sound like concern. âWhat about her? This is about my first grandchild, and his or her safety comes first. She will have to live with it.â My mother spat, revealing that famous favoritism, because she had always taken my sister's side in everything, even when proven wrong. They never backed me up. âI am technically her boyfriend.â He started to say something, but was interrupted. âNot anymore, you're not. I will arrange with the local publican to hire the outdoor garden area, and we shall have an engagement party this Saturday. Get that sorted before you start to show, and Maxine will show her support.â Dadâs voice floated out, sounding resolute. I had no say in this, not that I wanted to be his girlfriend any longer; he had proven not to be what I wanted in a guy. âShe will have to leave. I need her room for the nursery. I would prefer it if she didn't attend the engagement party. What will those who know she was the real girlfriend show up, and see that it was not Maxine getting engaged?â Mum added. Yep, that was my mother, trying to regain her dignity and save face. I couldnât take it any longer. I was devastated enough, and listening further to their support for the love for the cheater was eating me up inside. I didnât want to cry in front of them; the tears were a mix of anger and hurt. I pushed the door open, revealing myself standing there. All faces turned to look at me. âLet me get this straight. You took my boyfriend to MY bed, did that with him, leaving your mess in my bed, as a sort of Christmas present for me. Guess that made your day, thinking I was sleeping in your mess. Now you want my bedroom for the child baby you have created, and I am what, just pushed out the door? Like yesterdayâs trash?â I asked to ensure I understood correctly that the whole family was fine with me being tossed aside. âExactly, I am taking your boyfriend, your bedroom, and you, my dear sister, have to move out.â My sister sounded like she had won the lottery. Her face beamed at her triumph. âFine with me.â The look of shock would have made me laugh if I were not so numb inside. I moved away to my room and packed what I could into my duffel bag. I will come back for the rest later, when they are not around. My heart was breaking, not because I lost my boyfriend, although that hurt a lot, considering that what I was going to give him for his present today was saved for doing something foolish at least. But also because both parents were supporting this deception, as if it were the best news they had received in a while, that they had been trying to get rid of me for a while, and now succeeded in a spectacular way. I walked downstairs and looked at them. âWhen I find a place to stay, I will be back for the rest.â I spat at them, a mixture of hurt, anger, and defeat. I never fit into the family, a black sheep, so maybe I should become one. I had always had top grades, won awards, done my best, but even being first, I was still last. My best friend was the only place I could think of going to; it had to be temporary. Jenny will be cool and let me sleep on her couch till I find a new home. I climbed onto my bike and took off to the only sanctuary I had over the years. Jenny welcomed me into her home, like I knew she would, and together we had a pity party consisting of drinks and vanilla fudge ice cream. We called the family and my ex some interesting names, some of which I had never heard before, but they sounded good. The drunker I got, the more inventive the names became. The next morning, after waking up on Jennyâs couch and remembering yesterday, it did not go as planned. I pulled myself together, had a quick shower, and left for work. It was eight in the morning, and Jenny was still asleep when I left. That might be okay for some, but my workday today would be ten hours long, and I was running late. âYou're late, night must have gone better than planned,â Mike said jovially. They sort of knew what I was planning last night. The others chuckled along with Mike. I grumbled some shiet and got to work. By the end of the day, Mike pulled me to his office. âOkay, out with it. The guys have been tiptoeing around you all day. What happened? He rejected your advances?â He asked, his hand on my shoulder, keeping me in place, looking at me with concerned eyes, a father figure, better than my dad had ever been. So, I told him what happened when I got home and where I spent the night, and now I'm looking for a place to stay. I was proud of myself; I didnât cry, or whine, or show any emotion at all âjust explained my predicament in cold, emotionless words. Clear and succinct. He said he wouldnât say anything in the shop, but would talk to the prez. I had no idea why, but I was not in the right frame of mind to question it. Maxine POV Today was my sister's engagement party; engaged to my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, you heard me right, my ex. What a joke that was. I had been with Dan for six months when my sister, who was a year older than I, came home for Christmas and ended up with my boyfriend. Sheâs a shameless woman, always has been, but I never expected him to sleep with her. I thought we were secure in our relationship. The only good thing I took away from this was that I never went to bed with him; my innocence was still intact, not that I was trying to keep it - I just never got the chance to lose it. She always managed to have any guy I was interested in dump me for her, and when she got bored with them, sheâd move on. So, in a way, I didnât have a boyfriend till she moved out of her home and headed to college. But when my sister came home and met him, she seduced him and got pregnant. He did the whole âget down on one knee and proposedâ scene. Apparently, it was romantic, but I wasn't there when he did it because they didnât want me around. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was glad to have my girlfriends around me, helping me get over it. They say, I dodged a bullet. I agree with them, stupidly. He might have been a sports jock with good looks, but doing this tells me he was weak and shallow, and I was too good for him, or so my BFF says. I prefer to believe them over the excuses my ex made. I had to move out of my home after I had a massive fight with my parents a few days ago, when the truth was exposed; they supported her, not me, and the next thing I knew, I was out the door and the evil sister. The engagement party was intended to introduce him to her friends and make the relationship official, but I was not invited. My parents want nothing to do with me. I made them all uncomfortable, considering he was my boyfriend first. Anyone working out the timeline for the baby can piece it together, and see they were cheating on me, and it would have been awkward, and too many questions would have been raised. Not that I needed to say all of that, I kind of said it all before, but grrrrr, I am so angry at how my so-called âfamilyâ kicked me out of my so-called home, with no care for me or my feelings. It was easier to push me away and disown me than have to explain to them that my sister cheated with my boyfriend, and hey presto, a baby was on the way. Because I was kicked out of the house, and only had a short time to pack anything, I took the opportunity of the party to sneak into the house and take more of my possessions, like opening my father's safe, and grabbing every piece of paper relating to me, and a little money too, no a lot of money, and grandmaâs jewelry that she left me. So, with the help of my BFF, we packed my belongings and took them to her place until I found a new one. I ride a motorcycle, so I need help. I have the money to buy a new place, but I'm unsure if I want to stay in this town now. Once my apprenticeship is over, I might move away. I stayed that night at Jennyâs place, as I figured out what to do. Today, I am moving into my new place âa bungalow above the bike shop where I work. I am in my final year of apprenticeship, and I am a motorcycle mechanic, proud of it, I might add. I can also work on cars and trucks. If it had a motor, I could fix it; I always could, thanks to my knack for it, which I developed since I was eight, when I fell in love with engines. My Grandpa taught me, kept me out of everyone's way. I guess you could say I was a tomboy, with no frills and lace. My Grandpa kept me sane and busy, so the BS in our house didnât hurt me as much. The place has two bedrooms and is fully contained, meaning it has everything I need. I had purchased some new sheets and towels, that sort of thing, but it had a fully stocked kitchen; I only needed to buy the food. It might be small, and above a noisy bike shop, but at night it was a quiet area. No one would break into this shop; the local bikie gang owned it. They were good guys, scary, but so far, no trouble for me. My BFF, Jenny, was helping me take my belongings upstairs when a group of bikers arrived and assisted us. I had five boxes and two suitcases filled with all sorts of items. âThanks, guys, for the help,â I said sweetly, my BFF batting her eyes at them and swaying herself suggestively as she walked and thanked them. She makes me laugh with her antics, which are totally opposite to mine. I like jeans and am rarely seen in a dress, whereas she was seldom seen in jeans. âWe got a party at the clubhouse, tomorrow Saturday, you should come and relax a bit, bring your girls with ya,â Bruiser suggested as he walked me to the settee, pushed me down, and handed me a drink they had brought with them. This was how they acted around me, ordered me about. Sometimes, I'm okay with it; other times, I get all worked up and growl back at them. Today was acceptance. I know they mean well, and I feel lucky to have them as family; they try to make me feel better. âThat sounds like a blast, count me in, and I can bring two other girl friends with us. Max, do you want me to pick you up?â Jenny offered, taking a drink from one of the guys. She was not a drinker; however, in this situation, I could see her not refusing anything they offered. I guess I'm going, whether I want to or not. âNo, Iâll ride over,â I replied as one of the guys ordered pizza. âThatâs the spirit. Nothing like the wind in your hair to blow the cobwebs away.â They stayed because they didnât want me to be alone, not on my first night here. Pizza arrived not long after, and my little bungalow was soon feeling too small and crowded, with six huge bikers in the room. Some sat on the floor; others pulled up one of the three kitchen chairs. I know, I know, three chairs sound odd, but that's what was here, and beggars canât be choosers; the rent was dirt cheap, and I think the boys are the ones to make sure I had everything I needed. They found out about my situation the next day, because, I was still quiet at work, which was not like me, often I am singing to the radio, or swearing at something, so one of the guys walked to me, to find out what gives, and I softly told them, what went down, and when word got around the bikers heard I needed a place to stay, because I was kicked out of my home and why, they came to me, like protective brothers. Now I have a whole gang of bikers who have my back. I feel privileged to call them friends. They even offered to rough the ex up for me, but I refused the offer, because strangely, I was happy to get rid of the loser if he was a cheating build. Better now than when I am fully invested in our relationship. Plus, I was in deep enough shite with my parents and sister without making it worse. The pizza was gone, my BFF left for home, and the guys did too. It was late, well, for me, midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly because I have to be up for work at five. Tomorrow, being Saturday, I have the morning shift before the party later. They let me leave work early so I can move in here. âHey, donât forget to come, we need our prettiest mechanic at the party, some of the boys might need a tune-up,â Bruiser said with a laugh as they climbed on their bikes and left. I know what sort of tune-up he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with a motor. I looked around my new home. It wasnât much, but it was all mine. The guys were great; they took the empty pizza boxes and beer cans with them, and the place was relatively clean. Not at all what you would expect from a group of rowdy men. The clubhouse. I had never been to it, despite having worked there for nearly four years, and they had never extended an invitation to me. I know they had lots of parties; maybe I was too young. I turned twenty recently, but they might think of me as the fifteen-year-old who showed up one day and told the boss I was going to be his apprentice. He laughed at first and said he would give me a go to prove myself. He thought I was joking and that I would be gone by the weekend, but over the holidays, I worked hard and have been here ever since. Maxine POV The beeping sound of my phone alarm made me sit up and look around. It took a moment to remember where I was. The room had a small curtain that barely kept the light out. There was a streetlight just outside my window. I can envisage myself getting better blackout curtains soon. Although it was annoying, it wasn't among my top priorities for making this a home. The shower was decent, with nice pressure. I followed my morning routine, only to realize how foolish I was to wake up so early, living above my place of work; I didnât need to ride here. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen, I still had half an hour before I needed to be at work. I had two ways to get into my place: one was through the back stairs, and the other was through the shop. With the code to turn off the alarm, I decided to head down and start work early. It was better than moving stuff around; I can do that later. I had a bike to finish by this afternoon. The customer would be here at two. Turned off the alarm, turned on the coffee pot, the radio, and headed to my workstation, where the fat boy was waiting for me to finish. I sat on the chair with casters and began my job, singing loudly to the heavy rock song that came on the radio as I installed the new spark plugs and double-checked the oil. It was a simple, easy-peasy service. Once finished, I started the bike up, let it idle while I made coffee, then returned to rev it a few times. It sounds lumpy, like it was just turning over perfectly; it was music to my ears. I love that throaty, deep, lumpy sound. You can feel it vibrate through my chest. âThatâs a sound I loved to hear as I enter work.â My boss, Mike, said as I turned the bike off. âItâs ready to go, unless you want to take it out for a test ride. Want a coffee, pots hot.â I offered as I threw the dirty rag in the bin. âSure, I will take the bike out for a spin, and you can make me a coffee.â He smirked as he grabbed the bike. I opened the garage door, and Mike took off. I smiled as he disappeared down the street, and I turned to make both of us coffee. If you hadnât guessed already, I would drink a lot of coffee. I am not a fan of soft drinks or tea; for me, it's coffee or water. With a broom in hand, I began cleaning the shop. I am not out here very often, but I try to sweep the floor at least once a week; they have another apprentice whoâs a second year, who gets to do most of the cleaning up, but heâs never here on a Saturday. The sound of the bike returning prompted me to pick up the two cups of coffee and head back out to the workshop. Mike had a massive grin on his face as he parked the bike. âGreat job, you are our top mechanic. But donât tell anyone, or I will have to deny it.â He joked, taking his coffee from my hand as he walked by, no doubt letting the customer know the bike was ready ahead of time. I moved to the next bike, which was a total rebuild; it had been in a minor accident, and while the frame was being checked, I would work on the engine and gearbox. It was the only job on my list at the moment. The bike owner was in no hurry; he had a broken leg, giving me a few weeks to work on his bike and any urgent jobs that might come into the shop. The client arrived and happily took possession of his bike, very happy with the job done. âI hear youâve been invited to the club party tonight,â Mike said as he rang up the sale on the cash register. âYep.â I said popping the âpâ. âYou can leave now, we have no more customers expected. Good job today.â It was about one oâclock, near the time I would knock off. âThanks, boss.â I saluted him and rushed upstairs, before he could change his mind. Giggling all the way up. I heard him chuckling as he locked the door below, behind me. I decided on a quick shower; I didnât want to smell of oil when going to a party. Put on my skinny black jeans, a black blouse that had red flames on the back and on the pockets, black boots that had some chains around the ankle, and hair in a ponytail. I will get what we call helmet hair, so it's a waste to do much with it now. I use mascara and strawberry lippie, which is more to moisturize, which tend to dry out when I ride my bike, and that's it. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was my jacket. My mum used to grumble that I wasnât like my sister and put more effort into my appearance, but I like who I am, and I didnât like wearing lots of makeup; it was my choice, and I feel that I am not a frilly, lacey chick. It was a deal breaker with my mum. She had my sister dress up and left me in the care of Grandpa until he died when I was seventeen. It broke me when he left the world. He was the only person who got me. My grandma had been gone since I was young, and I filled the hole in his heart with my love for bikes and fishing. He left me his money and bikes. Dad got his house and business. My mum hated that I gained all that money. When Grandma died, she left me her jewelry, and Grandpa made sure to keep it safe till I was old enough to have it. I ate something and put some more of my stuff in the cupboards before my phone chimed to let me know my girlfriends were on their way to the party. I pulled my bike out of the small garage and started it up. I threw my leg over and took off, heading to the property. The clubhouse was half an hour out of town, set on a large property a little bit back from the road. Ten minutes later, I came up behind the girls and hung out behind them. My friend waved me on to take the lead. I shrugged and overtook her. The turn off arrived, and I rode happily up the long drive, and trees lined the road. An open, large steel gate appeared, and I was glad it was still enough light to see clearly. Men stood by the entrance, watching us arrive. âHey.â I greeted the biggest man I had ever seen. âWho invited you here?â The man asked gruffly, in a deep husky voice. âBruiser,â I answered, with a firm, clear voice, hoping that the fact that he frightened me would be noticed in my voice. He pulled out his phone and called, I assumed, Bruiser. âMax?â He asked, as he looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. He said something more and hung up the phone. âCome in, the car behind your girls?â He looked at the car behind, which clearly had a woman in it. âYep,â I replied, not at all liking how he intimidated me with his manner. Perhaps it was the way they greeted strangers. One look makes the weak run. Well, I am not weak, and I won't be running. Maxine POV This rather large biker leaned in to look inside the car, his bulky figure partially blocking the open window, causing the girl nearest it to back away. Satisfied, he looked at me with a knowing smirk, then motioned for us to enter. The clubhouse was nothing like I had imagined. Firstly, it was four levels high. Verandah all the way around, that I could see. It was more like a mansion than a clubhouse. Women were gathered near the door, looking in, as if they were waiting for something; some were sitting on the wooden fence that surrounded the verandah. They were dressed in barely anything, showing all that was available, some love that sort of thing. People like me dress to stay warm or cool and donât care about showing off the goods. Bikes sat in neat rows in front, and cars were parked to the left of the building; the ratio of bikes to cars was approximately four bikes to one car. I parked the bike with the others, climbed off, and took off my helmet. I placed the lid on the bike and shook out my hair while waiting for the girls to park and come to me. I heard some muffled scoffs, but I couldnât care less âI wasn't here to please them. Bruiser came out of the clubhouse behind me. âMax, you came by bike. Sweet.â He gave me a greeting nod and moved to take a look at my bike. The paint job was a wolf, fading in smoke. It took me months to finish, as I kept changing my mind, and the smoke obscured the mistakes. âWho did the paint job?â He asked as he moved around to look at it from all sides. âMe.â I was proud of the results. âDoes Mike know you can paint?â He sounded surprised. âHe has seen my bike when I used the garage to do a service. He never asked who did the paint work, just that he liked it.â âSweet, looks like we have someone to do a paint job, and possibly a full one. We have a family reunion in a few weeks, and the ladies are invited to come along. You can join us.â Bruiser offered as my ladies arrived; they were not included in that invitation, I assumed, because I have a bike. âBruiser, you already met Jenny, Melony, Karen, and Heather, my other BFF, and Alice, Karen's sister, and BFF to my sister.â Adding that comment, hoping that Bruiser knew precisely what that woman was like. Alice battered her eyes and leaned forward to show off what was under that almost shirt. My ladies greeted him with the respect he deserved. âLadies. Hands out.â Bruiser stamped the girl's backs of their hands; they all had a bear, except Alice, who had a rabbit on her hand. I frowned, trying to figure out what the rabbit was all about. He pushed my hand away. âYou are family, no need for a stamp.â I couldnât stop the smile that crossed my face. I felt so special. Then the shoe dropped. Rabbit had another meaning. Bruiser got my meaning loud and clear. It took a while to understand the purpose of the stamps. âCome inside and meet the ole ladies.â I understood what he meant; these were ladies who had been claimed and had a different level of respect that those not claimed would never understand. I have met a few of them over the years and gained more insight into club life. They respect me as much as I respect them. We entered the place, and the girls who had been waiting outside gave us a dirty look, as they were still stopped from entering. âWhat's so special about them?â One pouted, but Bruiser ignored her. Inside was cleaner than I had expected âmy fault for judging a group of men, since they often look messy when I see them at the shop. The place had a large, open space, with tables where you stand, as well as booths dotted along the walls, and stools at the bar, which ran the full length of the room. I loved the spacious room, the pictures on the walls, and some bike parts scattered about as decoration. A few barstools are bike seats; it was different, and it appealed to me. Being a lover of bikes. âSticks.â I greeted her as we walked to the ladies Bruiser was taking us to. âHey, Maxie Max. How's it blowing?â She stood up and pulled me into a warm embrace. This chick had no filter or personal space. Sticks was the President's; her real name was Sandra, but she was my height at five-nine, and she had no shape to her body, just a lovely bean pole, almost no chest to speak of, yet she had had two boys. Hence the name Sticks. âDoing better,â I replied. She would know what was going on. She introduced us to the other ladies with her, and it didnât surprise me that Alice had already moved away from us before we had finished the introductions. âWhatâs her story?â Sticks asked as she watched Alice start to try her luck with the club men. âSame as my sister. Bruiser put a rabbit stamp on her hand.â Sticks and the other girl roared out laughing. âShe will be used, snugged to the side by the time the night is over, and I doubt they would let her back in. We donât need her sort in the club.â Maggie spouted as we watched a patch member knock her offer back. âThe regulars are not going to like her working their turf. So, to speak.â Tootsie said, with a smirk, that the regulars know the rules and stick with them. Donât reach a patch member; if interested, they will come to you. Nomâs are fair game. But most girls would prefer a patch member. Donât have a relationship with a taken member; the women will gang up and make your life miserable if you feel one of theirs. Wait to be let into the clubhouse and then stay in the public area. No going upstairs uninvited. The first two floors are designated for guest rooms, while the top floor is reserved for permanent residences. Those who donât have a home of their own to go to. They are private and not open to wandering girls. Donât sit on someoneâs bike, unless you are given permission. The patched old ladies are the bosses of the girls; they tell you to leave or do something, and you do it. There were more rules for the girls visiting, but I couldnât remember them all at that moment. None had applied to me until now. Alice had already broken at least three, to my knowledge. I am staying out of it. That rabbit on her hand told the members that she would open her legs for any of them, and no one would support her if she broke the rules. That she was not welcome to return, in other words, have your fun, and then abandoned her to the curb. The doors were opened to let the other girls in. They looked at us in the no-go zone and pouted. We were sitting in an off-limits area unless we were invited. From what I understood, they were here to spread their legs and give the guys some relief, but not become part of the family. They might be hopeful that something would change; it was rare for a patch member to take one of these ladies, who had most likely been with every unattached member of the gang, at some point. My girls left me with Sticks and wandered about with the other ladies, getting the tour of the place. âWant to look around?â Sticks were offered, and before I knew it, we were walking around the vast ground floor. âReady to see the workshop, the guys might talk you into helping out, once they know who you are.â Sticks led me down a small pathway, lined with flowering shrubs, and to a set of large, farm-size sheds. Inside were bikes, some in bits, others crumpled from an accident, and others like they had just been detailed and were someone's pride and joy. There was a workshop here, where men were working on their bikes. They looked up at us when we entered and frowned. If Sticks were not with me, they would have most likely growled at me to get out. âWhoâs this Sticks?â A monster of a man asked, in the deepest voice I have ever heard, he looked a lot like the man at the gate, but with more toned muscles. Just a tad taller, and although he looked big and scary, he made my lady parts sing in a way they had never sung before. Tank POV A few guys aren't into parties, so I stopped going until later in the night, when the girls who showed up were already taken. I dislike the women who come here hoping to adopt our lifestyle. I prefer to use my hand rather than one of those women. Donât get me wrong, I have had my share of women; however, I had a girl who wanted me to take her, and when I did, she ended up in the hospital, because I am not exactly a little man. And I have not been with a woman since. Like my brother, we are both large men; he is six feet six inches tall, and I am six feet eight inches tall. Heâs carrying extra weight, where I am all muscle. I pride myself on keeping in shape, but being this large has its downfall, and having a large build has had me worried about hurting another woman. No matter how much I might want to, I canât; I never want to go through that again. The Prez was the only person who knew why I wouldnât join the parties; he was with me when we took the girl to the hospital, she forgave me, and tried to pursue me to keep her, but I couldnât. Each time I started, I had flashes of her screams, and my confidence went down like a popped balloon. We were in the workshop, doing some minor tune-ups. As I prepare for our ride, I'm excited. When they bring the ladies, the men are usually in a better mood and on their best behavior. I was looking at rebuild. I started it last week. We have a few wrecks that need to be started; some have been sitting here far too long. We can only go so far before we need Mike's help. None of us was a mechanic. I was scratching my head, as I was almost at the end of my knowledge, when I heard someone enter, and a soft perfume that shouldnât be in this shed hit my nose. Stickâs voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head up to look i
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