Biker's Claim The Broken Angel is Mine (Cora and Jake) novel Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Xavier (Grease) POV

The keepsakes meant nothing until the stories behind them started to flow. Demetri, reliving his teenage years with a woman he loved deeply, you could see and hear it. As he spoke, he really cared for her and thought he was protecting her by staying away. Little did he know the trauma she was going through at the hands of her so–called loved family.

When he looked at Ruby, he had that same look, that deep–seated love that comes when you find the right one. He might be as deep as he was with Dianne yet, but he was getting there; it was obvious, he was so gentle when he spoke to Ruby, his voice kinder, if that was possible.

Cora received a slightly different look, one of a father to daughter, that was still intense and beautiful to see.

The trinkets slowly disappeared. As each story was revealed, Dianne even kept an empty condom wrapper, and Demetri could only assume it was from when he took her virginity; it was both their firsts. A special night; they took them closer together. It was all sweet, and it made me wonder: if Dianne kept all these mementos, why didn’t she read the letters and return to Demetri when he became free? Did the uncle continue to give her false information, painting Demetri as something worse than a man who loved her deeply and left her for her own safety?

We can only speculate and move on. Trying to make sense of it would only eat you alive.

The photos were more relaxing and fun.

Demetri and Dianne did share an all–too–brief but loving time. I am so in awe of Demetri in his youth; he looked so confident and shone that glow of love. How sad that family politics got in the way of a couple so meant for each other.

Ruby was complimenting Demetri on some of the photos of where they went and on his young, toned body when they were at the beach, wearing almost nothing; neither of them had a care in the world. Back then, it was sad when life came knocking and stripped them of something so special.

It was getting late, and Ruby was yawning.

“Tomorrow we’ve got to go to that storage unit, have one of the men drive the truck, and bring what’s in there back home,” Demetri said, texting someone, and nodded when he received a

response.

That night Cora slept restlessly, tossing and turning for a long time. I wanted to help her, but

Chapter 188

+25 Points

each time I tried to take her into my arms, she moved away. I don’t think she even knew she was doing it; too much must be on her mind, and there was nothing I could do about it. In the end, I stopped trying, because I thought my reaching out might be waking her enough for her brain to start the cycle all over again.

Morning came, and I felt exhausted, like I hadn’t slept a wink. Cora wasn’t much better off, with bags under her bloodshot eyes. At breakfast, both Ruby and Demetri looked like they had the same kind of night we had, only Scrubs looked better, only just. He would have tossed and turned, worried about Hacker.

We were a sorry–looking lot.

“Let’s get going. How about we go by bike, and the guys could bring vehicles for the gear?” Cora suggested as we started to leave the house.

“Perfect,” Demetri replied, then turned to Lewis to arrange more than one vehicle to bring

back the items.

Coins knew the area better than we did, being his stomping ground, so to speak, and so he led the way. We all wore our cuts, except Scrubs; he didn’t feel it was appropriate, and Coins handed him a cut that said ‘guest.‘

“We often have visiting club members, or family members not in a club, join a ride, and this gave them the feeling of belonging, and it was easy to identify the person who was with us,” Coins explained the extra cuts, something very few clubs would do, but this was a family–oriented club, and not one that goes out causing trouble.

Ten bikes rode out of the driveway, with a truck and two vans following us.

The other seven bikes were for our safety and for the others in the vehicles that followed behind. Coins didn’t look like he followed the rules of being mega–rich to anyone passing by, unless they recognised the face from the tabloids; he looked like any other bike rider, out enjoying the day.

The ride was about an hour, to the inner suburbs, a suburb of businesses and factories, the working–class area, away from the residential area. We stopped outside a row of storage units, and Dollar climbed off my bike and pulled out her key.

“61,” Dollar called out, and we all followed her down the small one–way pathway, just wide enough for the truck to squeeze down, and stopped outside the unit clearly labelled 61. Dollar slipped the key into the padlock, and the lock clicked open. I had expected it to be stiff from lack of use, but it wasn’t, and being undercover, it was sheltered from the weather.

Lewis stepped forward and slid the door open, exposing floor–to–ceiling furniture; no space left; it was crammed in tight.

Chapter 188

+25 Points

“That’s old furniture, antique, might need to send it to an antique dealer if you don’t want it. It might be worth something,” Lewis said as he started to move some of the furniture out of the unit, being careful not to have the lot fall on him. Others were soon joining in removing them, piece by piece, and placing them in the larger truck.

Half was down; some easels came into view, and then some boxes that could be paintings.

“Wait, let me see what’s inside that one,” Coins called Lewis as he started to take a large, thin

box.

Coins opened it and pulled out a large oil painting. At the bottom, it was signed by Dianne and dated; it was only a few weeks before she died.

“Dianne was talented; pity she never put them in a gallery or sold them. There are a number of them in here,” Lewis said when he pulled out more boxes that could be more paintings.

“They are going into the house, a spare room, till we have a chance to look them over and decide what to do with them,” Dollar said, her voice sounding a little choked up; the paintings were beautiful, and it looked like Dollar didn’t know her mother painted.

An hour later, the unit was empty; a small metal box was in my saddlebag, and we wanted to open it at home.

“Back in a sec, going to hand in the key.” Dollar walked towards the office, and the rest of us

moved out of the storage area and out into the car park to wait for her.

“Are you okay? Coins?” I asked. He was holding Red close to his chest, his nose in her neck, breathing in her perfume.

“Emotional, I hadn’t seen her painting in years, and I recognised a few pieces of furniture; we had picked them out ourselves. We were going to move in together before things went sour

fast.

“Dad?” Dollar’s voice came from behind me; I turned to see her concerned face staring at

Coins.

“I am okay, sweetheart.” Coins pulled back from Red and smiled a sad smile at Dollar.

“Let’s get home and sort this mess out,” he said last, and as one, we headed to the bikes.

“Can we take a long way home? I need some wind in my face,” Dollar asked softly, as we started up our bikes.

“Sure thing. Guys, take the vehicles home, and put the furniture in the lower storeroom.”

The bikes roared down the street, keeping to the speed limit. Please avoid going fast in this

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