Claimed by the Biker Giant (Maxine and Tank) novel Chapter 68

Max POV

I had stopped the hard sobs and was down to soft sniffles when I heard the door open and close. My best guess would be Tank.

He must be worried that I was going to leave, and if I didn’t care for him as much as I do, I would have done just that, and arranged to get my Grandpa’s gear later. When I had sorted out my life and what I want to do with it. All I knew was that I didn’t want to continue like this, I can’t do it, I am tired, trying to do all they wanted out of me, and with the doc adding more, it was the last item that tipped the scales.

Bruiser ended up being the one to receive my anger; he was, after all, the bearer of all my workload, adding and adding and adding. Like I can do more and more, there are only twenty-four hours in a day, does he expect me to work twenty of them, and still continue to function?

I listened as he moved about; he must know I am in here, still looking.

Internally, I huffed that he found me.

I had my back against the first machine that Grandpa taught me to use. This machine was special to me. Grandpa had said I was showing an interest, and he would teach me all he knew. That was a turning point in my life, the start of something new. I was seven. My sister’s friends had just beaten me, and I was a mess, lost, and Grandpa gave me a direction, and a place to come to, to hide away from the family. Mum and Dad were used to seeing me bloodied; they never asked who did it, and my sister made sure that she saw it and said I was a troublemaker, giving them some lame lie she fabricated, distancing me even further that I already was, I think that was the day, I gave up having a mum and dad, never gave them the permission slips, or reports, gave them all the Grandma and Grandpa, I was disowning my parents, in the only way a child could.

Tank sat with me, didn’t push to talk, and I appreciated that. The man I loved showed me he cared in little ways, making me feel even more special. He had snuck under my armor, the only one to ever do that, even with previous boyfriends, I never got this comfortable so fast, my ex was the only one I had started to feel something for, but not like this, not this hard and fast, and deep.

I chuckled at the offer of tissues; it surprised me a little that he had thought of them, and it warmed me that he had thought of them.

Then I vented, no other word for it, I needed to get it out, and Tank listened. This calmed me down, stopped the tears, and made me feel like there was hope, that I didn’t need to run from this place, that I had started to think of as home, the place I had hoped to call family, something I hadn’t had since my Grandparents died. The girls made me feel welcome, and not just because I was in Tank’s bed. That meant a lot to me, to have other BFF, like Jenny.

Jenny wants in, and I held her off; I still haven’t heard if the one she was interested in wanted her too.

Who was it?

Blaze, I think, was a good guy. He didn’t play around as a lot of guys do; he does have a lot of chicks interested in him, but he doesn’t take just any girl, and I haven’t noticed him doing it right there in the main hall; he was more discreet.

I didn’t want to bring Jenny into, this life if I can’t handle it.

I sighed and swallowed the lump in my throat, and pushing that thought aside, it was in the way of what I was trying to say to Tank.

Saying I loved him out loud made it true. Grandpa was the last person to hear those words.

Tank surprised me, it was like he just won the grand prize, he kissed me, like there was no tomorrow, and pulled me onto his lap, moving me about like I weighed nothing at all, and I guess compared to an engine block, I don’t.

He said it too.

Tank loves me.

How lucky can I get?

A cut, his cut, well, a copy of it, I think, but one for me, that says I am the property of, and strangely enough, I didn’t mind being called his property, because in my mind, he was my property too, a celebration, a party, for me, us. I haven’t had a party, like ever. I didn’t deserve one, according to my parents and sister. My grandparents gave me a little one, where it was just us, and Jenny, with her friends, gave me one too; her birthday was a few days from mine. It was really her birthday party that she shared with me.

“You’re making the cut yourself?” I found this difficult to believe.

“Yep. It’s nearly finished, I hope you like it.” I wondered what he was doing. I have seen some with designs on them, making them more feminine, but still have the vital information on them.

“Do all the partners make their lady a cut?” I asked curiously.

I glanced around the room and noticed Bruiser and Prez watching me, while others chatted and ate, even Sticks was talking animatedly to a girl, not giving me the eye, which made me pause.

Did he not tell Sticks what happened?

Tank came back with two plates piled high with food, way more than I thought I could eat, as my stomach, even though grumbling, was still upset, and I wouldn’t have even looked at food tonight if Tank hadn’t gone and fetched it for me.

He handed me the cutlery and sat beside me, digging in, like it was the most normal thing to do; maybe it was.

I cut some meat and popped it into my mouth. The cook does a marvelous job on the roast, which we often have, as it feeds many with less work. Once a week, they have a barbecue, with the men doing the cooking. I feel guilty that I don’t do kitchen duty, which was a must for all the other women. A roster was set up, so all contributed. If you live here or on the property, you were on the roster, and visiting girlfriends, not yet official, but no skanks, were expected to help with the cleanup.

I tried a few times but got kicked out each time. The only time I had been successful was when I was in the kitchen, early in the morning, and managed to start cooking breakfast, and made a few pies for dessert at dinner time, before anyone came in.

“Office, when you finished eating,” Bruiser said as he and Prez walked by. I noticed Sticks looking at me with a confused look and knew I would have to explain at some point.

Tank finished my plate for me, noticing I was playing with it rather than eating.

“Can’t let good food go to waste.” He said as he dug into what I had left.

Cricket collected our plates as she walked by, giving me a look that said Me too, want answers.

Tank took my hand, and we headed to the office. Butterflies are dancing in my stomach, threatening to send what I just ate back up.