Claimed by the Biker Giant (Maxine and Tank) novel Chapter 174

Fixer POV

The man that sat before me, next to Uncle Simon, was different from the pilot that flew Sticks and me to the hospital, he looked lost and broken, a part of it would be his past, her parents’ rejection of his chosen bride, then her death, and the whole BS in my life, that was out of his control, his job, would have fuked up his brain even more, he was a very skilled pilot, and from what I understand, was often in the war zone under fire, nearly shot down a few times. Seen friends die, in his arms, and others sent home missing body parts. When you put it all together, it’s no wonder he didn’t know how to cope with taking on a baby by himself!

Tank convinced me to give him some comfort, that he was struggling with his own demons, and had no clue how to sort out his own life, let alone mine. He buried himself in his job, trying to save lives, while he put his own on hold, hiding from his responsibilities. That didn’t mean he didn’t love me; he just didn’t know how, to be there for me, he thought he had left me in safe hands, that I had a good life, with an older sibling, to look up to and would care for me, but it was the total opposite, that no one gave him full details, just bits and pieces that my life wasn’t so good after all.

I stood up, pulled his head to my chest, and let a full-grown man cry his heart out.

A shattered man, yet so capable, when in the chopper, two completely different people, yet the same one.

Could I help him be whole again?

Could he one day be the dad he had failed to be?

I want to get him reconcile with his parents, that would be a big hole fixed, no longer classified as rejected.

We talked for a while, and it was a surprise that he had gone through the Jones turf, and that they had alerted Barry, who then caused trouble. They used the safety of me, of my grandparents, of the townsfolk, whom he had been friends with, when Mum was alive. Anything to keep him in line, it was sickening to realize how much that gang had been involved in my life one way or another.

That Dad had felt so lost and had no one to turn to.

So, he turned to the one thing he was good at, and that was flying in the war zone, like he had a death wish.

My life might have been bad, but by the sounds of it, his was not that much better, once he became a teenager and his parents put pressure on him, to be who they wanted, and not listen to what he wanted, and so kicked him to the curb, when they didn’t get what they wanted, and when he needed them the most, to protect me, he thought they wouldn’t care, and wouldn’t come for me, and protect me, and my Grandparents.

The more he said and explained, the harder it was not to hate him for abandoning me. I know now he didn’t, not deliberately, I understand better than anyone, how Barry and Sheila could manipulate anyone, and everyone, and make out they are the victims, and I could see them getting Savage thrown in jail, from what I had heard of the previous police Sargeant, he was under Barry’s thumb, or the Jones gang, not sure which, or possibly both he was close to retirement, and Barry paying him good money to be the bastarrrd he was.

When that police boss retired, one of the club’s members became the new boss, and the town began to improve and address the problems the old boss had caused. Then, more and more club members found places in the town hierarchy, till we reached where we are today. We are still a long way away from the best town we can be, but we have come a long way.

Now, how can I help? Savage needs help. I know it, can see it; he was hurt far deeper than I first thought. All those nasty thoughts I had of him when I found out I had a father out there were all wrong.

Maybe helping him will help me.

Heal me.

“What now? Uncle Simon, can you search that out? Find out who the original people, families who started the town and club, and who was the wannabe, who didn’t. I know some of it, but not the full details. There has to be something missing in the history lessons of this town, someone who was not mentioned, who moved to become the nightmare of my life. I still don’t get why me? I was too young to be a threat to anyone. My mother did something, maybe rejected someone who took revenge, was that Barry? Did he try it on with mum, and lost, and killing her was his revenge. I was supposed to die with her in that car accident.

“I can look into the archives. Maybe we need to check that safe room, those files, and old books in there; they might give us some insights and another direction. We have been targeting the whole Jones Gang, but maybe, just maybe, it was one family that was stirring the whole gang. Isn’t that something, one of those interrogated had said, go back to the forefathers?” Uncle Simon said, and I felt I was talking and thinking in circles. Repeating myself, and I needed something different to think about.

“Savage, would you like to move into the main house, be closer to us, or stay with the men in the bunk house for now?” I asked, changing the direction my head had spiraled.

“For now, I would feel more comfortable in the bunkhouse; it was how I have lived for so long, a move to the main house would be a huge change, which I am not ready for yet. I have only just been discharged from service, and civilian life was new; give me a little time, maybe I could come and join the meals on some days, or something like that, gradually bring me into the house. I am looking forward to meeting Max and holding him, if I am allowed.” He said softly, his voice still husky from his tears.

“Slowly, we can take it slowly, no rush, and as I have said, you need to spend time and mend fences with your parents, no getting away from that. Uncle Simon, did you inform them of Savages return?” I asked, turning my attention back to him. I have left Savage and was sitting back on Tank’s lap.

“Not yet, one step at a time, Savage wanted to come here first and establish his place as your pilot and bodyguard; he hadn’t thought you would recognise him, so soon. The parents will be informed we have him back and alive, but not where he was stationed, until he is ready to let them know.”

Uncle Simon looked at Savage, and we waited for him.