Claimed by the Biker Giant (Maxine and Tank) novel Chapter 260

Storm POV

Kitchen duty, it was the last thing I wanted to do today. I needed to make up for what I did to Cloe so she wouldn’t truly be scared of me. My heart broke when she saw how angry I was, and fear flashed in her eyes. Hoping to convince her that I wasn’t angry at her, but at the situation, and yeah, everything that she had gone through, more than one person should, but I intend to make her life a whole lot better now that I have told her she’s mine. Alone in the kitchen, with my thoughts, not all good ones. Scenario after scenario of how to fix this, how to make her feel better and closer, and to accept that, yeah, I do have a temper, but it rises slowly and would never be directed at her.

Satisfied that the kitchen was clean enough, I moved to join them in the lounge. Penny and Razor were on either side of Cloe when I entered. Razor looked up and nodded, moving so I could sit beside her. ‘Good man.’ I thought, roughing his hair as I passed by him. Cloe didn’t shy away from me when I sat beside her, listening to Penny rave on about her plans for the next competition, and what she wanted to do with the tryouts, which Little Simon was going to, for football. He was the only one who didn’t play ice hockey; he wanted to do something different, not follow his brother’s footsteps. We all played football at school as youngsters until we reached upper school, then we had choices. Ice hockey was not an option in primary school; they believed the children’s bodies were not ready for that sort of punishment, which confused me, because we can play football, and that’s just as hard on the body.

The chopper came in, and Uncle Simon left to greet the visitors. I gave mum a look that asked her what was going on. She shrugged and gave me a winning smile. Dad looked as confused as I did. So only mum was involved in whatever was going to happen. When the visitors started to enter, Cloe started screaming out their names.

I got up, and so did Penny, so they could be close to her. I had a tear run down my cheek as they hugged and talked over each other. You’d have to be a robot not to feel some emotion about what was happening in the room right then. The worry of Cloe being afraid of me faded into the background as the room listened to Cloe explain what had been happening to her at the place that was called her home, since Richard had left. Gasps of shock, more tears, as she answered question after question, and I learned more in those few hours than I had since I met her last month. A month hadn’t realised that much time had gone by; it went fast. Her stumps were looking less ugly blue, but still very much discoloured and swollen.

When Cloe started to yawn, my protective side took over, and I swooped in, taking her away from family and to bed.

She was able to undress and dress herself now; those stitches will come out sometime next week, and hopefully, more exercise, Cloe had been trying to do, when she thought no one would notice. Cloe has a new doctor, who appears to be nice. I am not happy that it was a male doctor touching her, but Dad said that it will pass, as I get used to it after I claim her, and trust that Cloe will ask for help if the doctor does anything inappropriate. Trust that’s my big issue, I trust very few people outside our inner circle around her, and after what Dr Jacqueline tried to do, just for money, it made my trust drop even further. Jaqueline has been stripped of her medical license and won’t be able to find work in our town again. Her name’s mud here. Hope it was worth it for her to lose so much. Did Jacqueline think she would get away with it? If Dotty hadn’t come in when she did, Cloe would have been in a lot of pain. Would Cloe have said anything? These were the kind of questions I had floating around in my head, and I couldn’t get rid of them. They kept coming back, like an annoying song that keeps humming away in your head.

Cloe was asleep quickly, as I thought she would. It had been a long day, and it ended with excitement and a flood of emotions. She would be drained both emotionally and physically, which I hope means she won’t have a nightmare tonight, triggered by the conversation of her past with her family.

Cloe groaned and sat up, moving out of my arms, causing me to wake instantly.

“Bathroom.” She groaned softly, nudging me on the shoulder. I had kept her wheelchair away from the bed until Cloe gets the go-ahead from Dotty that she can try again on her own, which will be next week, but nothing too hard, like chair nice and close, and not from the floor. Wheelchair to bed, or a lounge chair, less muscle work or something like that. Cloe will start with heavier weights, too.

Cloe called out, asking if we could shower. I would put a plastic wrap around her waist, keeping the stitches dry, and place her on the seat in the shower. She likes to wash herself now, with me washing her back and her hair. For some reason, she loves it when I wash her hair. I decided to join her; she was used to seeing me naked, since that was the only way to give her a shower. I could have left my boxers on, but I didn’t think of it until it was too late. Cloe was better when I walked around with nothing on. I didn’t even think sometimes, just did what I always did, and then when I saw Cloe’s face, I realise what I had done, now she barely blinks. Progress.

“Took me years to build this baby, using YouTube and searching parts,” Cloe announced with pride.

“You finished it. I remember when you brought it in two boxes of dirty parts. Congratulations, I knew you could do it.” Richard praised Cleo, gaining a high-five for his compliment.

“You built this, Cloe?” Her Grandma asked, awe in her voice.

“She did Grandma, I took her to the garage sale, and helped her bring it home, we hid it in a shed Dad never goes in, and helped her find some tools to get her started. Dad gave her nothing, and one of the reasons I left home was because we continually fought over how he treated Mia so much better than Cloe. By the sounds of it, after I left, your life went downhill fast. I hadn’t realised I was keeping you from the beatings. I am truly sorry. I had no idea.” You could see that Richard meant every word he said.

“It’s okay, Richard, I forgave you years ago. Even you, Grandma, Grandpa, I was just glad that you didn’t get to see me, after my beatings, it would have made it so much worse. Knowing you could do little to change it, Dad was not likely to give up a free maid.” I wanted to go out and beat the man senseless, each time we talked about her life in such cruel hands.