Claimed by the Biker Giant (Maxine and Tank) novel Chapter 222

Storm POV

The doctor left with Dad, and Mum came to get a closer look at Cloe.

“She has had a hard life, we have to convince her to stay with us, and we have to try and give her a better life, make up for all the bad she has had. I know it won’t be easy, but our family is up to it.” Mum said as she leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“You see someone like you, don’t you. Someone, who had been beaten and hurt, but did you starve too?” I had heard of little things about Mum’s childhood over the years, but nothing prepared me for this.

“Yes, I had my Grandma and Grandpa keeping me alive, so going without was not that bad. I still had someone to turn to, until Grandpa died, but by then I was stronger and more independent, and didn’t suffer quite as badly. This girl sounds like she had no one to turn to, and has taken the punishment for her sister, like I did, I am looking forward to getting to know this girl, she will be like me, fighting against us, but you are like Tank, you can break that like he did for me, I know you can, I believe in you, remember most of all, be yourself, if you don’t like something tell her don’t make her guess, as your time with her grows, talk to her, let her vent, hit you, but have that patience I know is inside of you. I can see she already had you; it’s instant, like Tank and Zero, when you see someone you believe is the one. Cleo is that one, isn’t she?” Mum had fire in her eyes as she spoke, like she didn’t need me to confirm it.

“Yeah, I was looking at her before the accident, wanting to get to know her, who she was. I am wondering if this accident has made it easier, or worse.” I had my doubts about whether I could be enough for her, now.

“Hey, don’t do that to yourself. You are what she needs. Cloe might not know it yet, but she will eventually, I agree. If the accident hadn’t happened, you might have found it difficult to get to know her; distance would have been hard, since she comes from a faraway city. You might never have gotten to know her beyond one day. Fate has come forward and done this, just like it did to me, when my sister lied about being pregnant, and in a way saved me from the hellhole I called home. Although it would have been nicer not to have such a tragic way to bring you together, something drastic had to happen to keep her here.” Mum had a brush in her hand and was brushing Cloe’s hair, as she spoke with such tenderness, and I was swallowing a lump in my throat, not just for Cloe, but for my mother, and the harsh childhood she had, you wouldn’t know that now, to look at how confident she was, and so caring, she never let her hurt define her, and that’s what she wants for Cloe, to not let this define who she is. Or will become.

This was the most Mum has talked about her past in a very long time, and with such passion. I can see them pulling every string they can to keep Cloe at our home till she was ready to walk out, and I worry that one day she would do that and take my heart along with her. I think Mum’s past will help Cloe bond on a level we couldn’t. I can already feel that they are going to close once she lets her walls down.

Dad came back, just after I finished my cold burgers.

Would it help her?

I drank one of the bottles of water before Dad left to get more coffee. Mum was still going girlie stuff for Cloe, making her feel comfortable,

“Cloe’s sleeping, don’t worry, she might do that a lot over the next week or so, as her body adjusts,” Mum said. They have tubes coming out from under the blankets, one looks like urine, another looks like, yeah, not sure, and the other two have some blood in them.

“Mum, what are the bottles and tubes coming from Cloe for?” I had to ask; my head was doing circles, and I won’t stop till I have answers.