Claimed by the Biker Giant (Maxine and Tank) novel Chapter 87

Tank POV

“Make sure you stay by her side at all times. We can’t be too careful, not with all the Jones activity.” They understood that Sticks’ life would be in danger, so would Max’s, but Max can take care of herself a lot better than the pregnant Sticks. I would be extra protective of Max if she were pregnant. I had no fears leaving her at the paint shop while I took Sticks to the shops; it won’t take long, and Dan would watch over her.

“Tank.” I looked at Sticks.

“Sorry for all the trouble I caused. I let Cricket get under my skin, and with the incidents that went on at the camp, and what Max did, and can do, like with Pixie, Cricket convinced me that Max was trouble. She was relentless, every tiny bad thing that happened, Cricket pushed it in my face, blocking all the good that Max did, like the pool competition, and keeping order with the girls, in a way I couldn’t, being Prez woman only goes so far, she tried to make it out that she was aiming for my place in the club, which in hindsight was stupid thing to think. Still, once the seed was planted, it was hard to shake, given all the praise and attention she was getting. Cricket made it easy to believe her distorted view of her.” I thought for a moment Sticks would cry, and if she did, I was conflicted on how to handle that.

“Max’s tough, and not judgmental. She will wade through what she knows, and if she can’t figure it out, she will ask when she’s ready. Don’t worry.”

“Yeah, she was relentless when she came to me. Banging on the door till I opened it, then filling me with sweet tea and ice cream till I was ready to talk. Constant flow of tissues. At the end of my tear fest, I feel we are closer and could be good friends. I would love to be close, like she is with Jenny, seeing how they were together, warmed me inside. You could see it was genuine and not the fake friends I am surrounded by.” I understood what she meant. Since becoming VP, I have suddenly gained guys who want to be my friends, although I see them all as brothers and would have their backs. That doesn’t mean we’re good friends; we all have our click groups.

“Thanks for listening, I’d better get going.” Sticks pushed the open door, climbed out, head held high as she entered the shop, the two bodyguards following close behind.

My phone rang before I started to return.

“Sup?” I answered, not looking at the caller’s ID.

“Max’s sister has arrived. It does not sound polite,” Dan growled over the phone and hung up before I could respond.

Reaching the paint shop, I saw through the shop window that a man and a woman were confronting Max. I recognised the woman, so the man had to be the ex. Max looked calm and not bothered, and the woman was trying hard to get a rise out of her.

Entering, the bell tinkled, and Max looked over the woman’s face and smiled at me. The woman was nasty, saying some things to hurt Max, and I was getting annoyed, wanting to rip her throat out, to stop the BS she was spewing.

My chance came, and I took it.

That strong perfumed woman spun around, and I saw her shocked face when she saw me, looking down at her. I didn’t need to do anything but stand and glare at her, and she fled, but I get the impression this was not over.

“I feel Sticks has at last seen Cricket and what she was doing now. Sticks had a lot shoved on her shoulders since we arrived at the camping site, and things were going sour. I don’t think you need to worry about her, but Pins? Yeah, maybe you should take her aside and talk to her, get to know her a little better. You were not exactly approachable in the beginning.” She nodded, listening, and evaluating, not me, but my observation.

“Agreed, time to take her aside and chat, might see if Sticks wants to be in on that, and hear Pins’ side of the story. I have a theory regarding Cricket.” She said hesitantly, as if she were still considering her theory.

“Spit it out, no matter how out reitag is,” I said, pulling her to me. I felt the need to touch her.

“I had expected her to be showing more by could be that she lost the baby, was to now, even a small bump, but there’s nothing. It afraid to say anything in case Bruiser got rid of her, and was trying to do things she shouldn’t have. She should have cemented her place.”

“That makes sense, lost it while at the camping trip, because that was when she started to say and behave oddly. Want me to talk to Bruiser, get the feel on this?” If she lost the baby, that would make more sense regarding her recent behaviour. I doubt Bruiser would get rid of her; he had gotten used to her as his woman. He’d be angrier if she kept it hidden when he could have been consoling her.

“If you don’t mind. You can tell him it was my thought, so you don’t get a black eye.” She joked, That’s my girl, thinking of others.