Claimed by the Biker Giant (Maxine and Tank) novel Chapter 278

Storm POV

My head was pounding; last night was the first time in a long time that I had been this drunk. It wasn’t planned; the guys and I got talking and drinking. I didn’t notice Doom replacing my drink until I was beyond caring. He kept swapping my half-drunk drink with a fresh one on the table in front of me. It was a great night, but I am paying for it this morning.

Groaning came from somewhere close, dragging me from my slumber, and I instantly wished I were still asleep.

I risked opening my eyes and saw two large, sock-covered feet.

I was cuddling someone’s feet!

Gross.

I tried to back away from them, only to find I was being held in place by arms around my chest.

What the heck?

We were all on the floor, all meaning Doom, Sprocket, Skunk and me.

God, how did I end up like this?

I scrambled out of the tangled arms and legs, with difficulty and staggered to the bathroom. Looking back at me from the mirror was someone I hardly recognised. My eyes were bloodshot, and drool was dried in my beard. I quickly splashed water on my face in an effort to clear my head of last night’s remnants and hunted the cabinet for painkillers. I wasn’t going to last the day if I couldn’t get rid of the drummer, who refuses to stop thumping the drums in my head, and my stomach that was threatening to send back what was left of last night’s pizza. I threw back my head and regretted the movement as I swallowed two white pills and brought the bottle back with me, as I expected the guys to need some too, pushed aside the mess on the table, to make room for the bottle of painkillers and a bottle of water.

Dragged myself out the door, and headed to the kitchen, I need coffee, lots of very strong coffee.

The kitchen was a mess. Doom’s mum won’t be happy when she sees this mess.

I put on the coffee pot and cleaned the kitchen, my head hating every ding or clunk I made as I moved cups, plates, and cutlery into the dishwasher. It was like the symbols on the drum had just been struck, not in rhythm with the constant thumping that made up the beat. I had just finished cleaning up the mess when Skunk’s mum walked in.

“Morning, sweetie, you had one hell of a night. Looking forward to the ceremony?” She spoke softly, almost like she was aware of the concert playing havoc in my head.

“Morning, Stick’s, yeah, when I get rid of the band, that’s still playing in my head. I will be good. Sorry about the mess.” Sticks chuckled and shook her head.

It was time, I was dressed in a sheet, yeah, that shocked me wheh Dad’s wedding photos showed them in sheets, but somehow it fit, I didn’t want to be dressed in a suit and tie, it wasn’t me, bad enough doing that for business meetings, this was more casual, and fitted me, us. I knew that Cloe would wear Mum’s dress. Penny let that one out of the bag, so I knew what to expect to see on Cloe; their photo was in the brag room, with a lot of our achievement photos and trophies.

Standing under a tree watching and waiting, Tandy standing beside me, I had already signed all the paperwork; only Cloe needed to sign now. The bikes were lined up, ready, waiting, idling away. It was set up almost like Mum and Dad’s wedding, but with subtle changes. It was nice, a special bond with Mum and Dad, we are already close. Things like this, the sharing of their good times, make it even more special between us. I wonder if the others, when they get old enough, will do it this way.

The music started, different from Mum and Dad’s, it was the song ‘You’ll never walk alone.’ I got all choked up over the song’s meaning. My queen arrived in her sparkling chariot; she took my breath away, even though I knew what she would look like. This was much better than how I had pictured her. A radiant smile bloomed across her face; the makeup was not overly done. Her hair shone in the late afternoon sun, small sparkles of light from silver clips in her hair, which, when Cloe got closer, I could see were spiders; she was stunning. I did a double-take when my eyes reached the bottom of her dress and saw feet poking out the bottom of the dress, and knew straight away this was Penny’s doing. They looked so real, painted toenails in stiletto heels, anyone not knowing Cloe and her situation wouldn’t know she had no feet. My angel was wheeled towards me by Mum, Gramps holding her hand over his arm, as they slowly walked or rolled to me, taking the time it took for the song to finish before they reached me. Each set of bikes revved as she passed.

Gramps removed her hand from his arm and placed it in mine.

“Take good care of her.” He murmured as I took Cloe’s hand in mine; her hand was warm and soft, but shaking nervously, the only sign of how nervous she was. Her eyes sparkled with joy, which made me relax my nerves a little.

Tandy started the proceedings and offered me to say my pledge to Cloe first.

“The first time I saw you, a Siren dancing on the back of a truck, to a song only you could hear, you were calling to my heart, pulling me to you, like a Siren from the deep claiming the fishermen, and I was gone, mesmerised by your beauty. Then the gods wanted to claim you back and tried to snatch you away from me, and I acted. I didn’t stop to think there was no way they could take you away, now that I had found you, and I tried my best to keep you from leaving me. Since then, you have filled the place in my heart that I didn’t know needed filling, make me laugh, cry, and everything in between. You are stuck with me for the rest of your life as we navigate life’s path. I love you and refuse to ever let you go. You complete me, like a piece of the puzzle that fits into place to make me whole. You have my heart and my love.” I was smiling brightly at Cloe, my heart thumping hard in my chest, as I waited for her response.