“I thought we were going to the garage to wait on my car.”
“No sense in that when you could get a bite to eat and wait in the air conditioning. By the time we’re done, Red will have it fixed and you can be on your way.”
When she hesitated, he put his hand at the small of her back and urged her inside the diner. He was greeted heartily by Tito when they walked in.
“Thorn!” The rotund man’s face split in a genuine smile in greeting. “’Bout time you brought a woman in here! Ready to settle down, eh?”
The girl seemed to shrink in on herself, her shoulders hunching. “Unfortunately, she won’t have me, Tito. Perhaps Elena could help with that?”
“She’ll be happy to sing your praises. I’ve resigned myself to losing her to one of you boys someday.” The man sounded dejected, but winked at his young charge. “If my Elena likes someone, young lady, you can bet they’re a good person. And she loves your Thorn there.” He pointed his spatula at Thorn before turning back to his grill.
Thorn ushered her to a booth and slid into the one across from her. Leaning his forearms on the table, he looked at her until she met his gaze. “What’s your name, girl?” He tried to keep his voice soft. He didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already was, with a big, rough biker swooping her up like he had.
“Mariana Everly,” she murmured before looking away.
With a sigh, Thorn picked up a menu and opened it for her. “I can recommend the burgers and the pancakes.”
She picked up the menu, showing obvious interest, then winced slightly and put it down when Marge approached.
“What’ll it be, sugar?” She grinned at Thorn before turning to Mariana.
“Um, just a glass of water. We really don’t have that much time.”
Thorn snagged the menu from her with more abruptness than he should have, but really. It was obvious she was hungry and thirsty. “She’ll have a house burger and fries. Bring her water now, and she can decide what she wants to drink while we’re waiting. I’ll have the same and a beer.”
Marge grinned at him. “Now and later, sugar?”
“You know it.”
“Comin’ right up.” She eyed Mariana speculatively. “I think I know what the young lady would like. You leave it to Aunt Marge, honey. I’ll put a smile on that pretty face.” Marge had worked at the diner as long as Tito had owned it. She knew everyone in town and never failed to peg her customers’ wants. It was the reason Thorn had brought her here. Good food and caring service.
She looked up at him with hurt in her eyes. “I can’t pay for this,” she said bluntly.
“No one said you were payin’.” When she just ducked her head, he said. “My name is Colin McGregor, but everyone calls me Thorn.”
“Thanks for helping me out, Mr. McGregor. I’m not sure what I would have done if you hadn’t come along.” She was silent for long moments before finally sighing. “I suppose you deserve to know what’s going on.”
He shrugged. “None of my business. Not a requirement for me helping you, either. You want to tell me, I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to better the situation.”
She gave him a look like she didn’t quite believe him, but she didn’t offer more, either. Just laced her fingers together nervously and stared at them.
Thorn sat back, sprawling as much as his large frame would allow. One arm draped lazily over the back of the booth as he studied the young woman in front of him. She was pale. Too much so. Probably hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a while. From the parts of the conversation he’d overheard, it sounded like the pregnancy was hard on her. The heat couldn’t be helping, he was sure. He was just about to do exactly what he’d said he wouldn’t and pry into her personal problems when Marge returned.
The older woman reminded him of a character from a seventies sitcom. Flo from Mel’s Diner in the flesh. Slim, flaming red hair, and gum she smacked constantly. “Here you go, sugar,” she said, setting the beer down in front of Thorn and the ice water in front of Mariana. “And here’s the Marge special for any woman brave enough to enter this place with Thorn.” She gave Mariana a smile as she sat down a huge chocolate malt with whipped cream, a cherry, and chocolate sprinkles in front of her.
Mariana’s eyes widened and her hands reached for it immediately before she curled her fingers into fists and put them under the table. “Thanks, but I can’t --”
“Can and will, honey.” Then she frowned. “Unless you’re allergic.” Marge turned to Thorn. “She allergic?”
Thorn shrugged. “Don’t know.”
“It’s not that,” Mariana said. She took a deep breath. “I just… I can’t… pay for all this.”
Immediately Marge relaxed. “You don’t worry ’bout the malt none. That’s on the house.” She waved a hand at Thorn. “And this one here don’t pay for your food, he’ll answer to Elena.” She patted Mariana on the shoulder. “I bet you could use a man like this one in your life. Bit on the wild side, but then, don’t all women like to live dangerously once in a while?” With a wink, Marge went back to her other customers.
Mariana eyed the malt longingly but didn’t reach for it. So Thorn picked up the straw Marge had left, took the wrapper off it, and stuffed it into the frozen concoction.
“Here,” he said, sliding it closer. “Drink.”
She still hesitated, but finally curled her hands around the glass and lifted it. When she drew on the straw, her eyes slid closed and she let out a soft moan of pleasure.
And just like that, Thorn was hard as a fucking pole.
“Oh, God,” she said around a mouthful of ice cream. “This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.”
How pathetic was it that just this girl’s smile made Thorn feel lighter? He absently rubbed his chest, the feeling there uncomfortable. Fuck. This was bad. “Marge knows her customers. She can peg just about anyone.”
“Well, she certainly got me,” she said.
At that moment, Marge appeared with their order. “There you go, sugar. You eat up.” She looked at Mariana with a critical eye. “Need to feed that little one and build yourself up. You got a long road ahead of you, sweetie. Good thing you got a man here who can see you through it.”
“He’s not my man,” Mariana said, the joyful smile fading from her face.
Marge just laughed. “Oh, sweetie. That’s rich.” The feisty waitress patted Thorn on the shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at her. She only winked, as if it were all an inside joke only the two of them were a party to.
Mariana eyed her burger, then glanced up at Thorn. He met her gaze steadily, not backing down. So help him, he wasn’t letting her leave here until she’d eaten that fucking burger. The girl needed it. The greasy meat might not be great nutrition-wise, but it was high in calories, and she looked like she desperately needed energy.
Finally, with a halfhearted sigh, she picked up the burger and took a bite. As she chewed, her eyes seemed to glaze over and she chewed faster. Again, those moans of pleasure came as she took one bite after another. The mixture of arousal and amusement in Thorn was a heady combination. When the girl finally dropped her inhibitions, she had the burger in one hand, the shake in the other and was eyeing his burger as she took another bite.
Thorn picked up the squeeze bottle of ketchup and squirted a generous dollop onto her plate next to the crinkle-cut fries. It was the only encouragement she needed. Reluctantly, she let go of the shake and snagged a fry, dragging it through the ketchup before popping it into her mouth. The bliss on her face was mesmerizing. When she let out a little burp, Thorn had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He had the feeling she wouldn’t appreciate it, and he’d happily cut off his right arm if she’d just keep eating.
When her fries were nearly gone, he waited until she got distracted by a noise. The second she glanced away, he put a handful of his own fries in her plate. Girl didn’t miss a beat, continuing to eat until everything on her plate was gone. Not long after, t
he malt was gone as well.
She set the glass down and picked up her napkin, eyes scanning the plate. Probably to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Then, as if coming out of a trance, she blinked. Her eyes went wide before she glanced up at him. Thorn was pretty sure he didn’t manage to wipe the grin off his face before she saw him.
“Oh, God,” she whispered.
“Nope. Not God,” he said, taking a bite of his own burger. “That’s all Tito. Well, the shake is Marge, but you get the idea.”
Almost in a panic, she grabbed her napkin and frantically wiped her face, letting out a little sigh of relief when it came back with only a small dab of mustard from the corner of her lips. Good thing, too, because Thorn had been giving considerable thought to cleaning it for her. With his tongue.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I must look like a maniac.”
“You look like a pregnant woman craving a good, hot meal and a delicious milkshake. Happens to most pregnant women. Nothing to be sorry ’bout.”
Marge appeared again, a huge smile on her face. “Good! Bet you feel better now, doncha, sugar?” She scooped up their plates before asking, “Dessert?”
Thorn held up a hand. “I’m good.”
“How ’bout you, sugar? Elena makes a mean apple pie. Just took one out of the oven. Big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream on hot pie makes everything better.”
“No, thanks,” she said, rubbing her belly. “I’m not sure anything else will fit.”
Marge chuckled. “You get a pass this time, honey. Next time, though, I’ll expect you to save room for dessert.” She glanced at Thorn. “I’ll add this to your tab. You get this little lady home so she can rest. Looks better, but still a little pale.”
“Marge, we’re not, you know, really together,” Mariana said. “He was kind and helped me when my car broke down.”
Marge just grinned. “Whatever, sugar. You still have to eat dessert next time he brings you here.”
Thorn checked his watch. “Should still be a while before your car’s done. We’ve got time to kill.” He nodded to the back corner down dimly lit hallway. “Bathroom’s down there if you need to freshen up. I can also take you anywhere else you need to go if you need supplies or something.”
“I’m good, thanks. Just let me wash my hands, and I’ll be ready.” As she headed off to the bathroom, Thorn couldn’t help but watch that sweet ass of hers. From the back, he would have had no clue she was expecting. The dress she wore was knee length and swished delicately around her legs. It didn’t cling, but he suspected her body was tight and compact. He tilted his head, mesmerized as she walked away.
“Someone’s got it bad,” Marge said from the counter. She had her hip cocked with a hand resting on it. “Where’d you find that little innocent thing?”
“Broke down on the side of the road.”
“You keepin’ her?”
“Marge, at some point you really need to learn to mind your own business.”
The older woman wasn’t deterred. In fact, her grin widened. “Now, what fun would that be? Besides, you’ll need all the help you can get with that one. Got a feelin’ she has some things goin’ on.” Marge glanced in the direction of the restroom where Mariana had disappeared. “I know her mother. Go to church with the ol’ hag. You know, that woman tells everyone her only daughter is dead? Can you believe that?”
Thorn’s senses went on high alert. “That so?”
“Yep. Started about the time she found out little Mariana there was pregnant. Woman don’t live in the twenty-first century. Would rather everyone think the girl was dead than that she got pregnant without being married. Probably giving the girl hell if she speaks to her at all.”
“She was talkin’ to her mom earlier, when I found her. Couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but from what I could hear, it sounded like she was willin’ to leave the girl where she was rather than help.”
Marge shook her head, anger and frustration on her wrinkled face. “I’ve never wanted to give a person a piece of my mind more than I do Adelaide Everly. Woman never deserved to have a child in the first place. Drove her husband into an early grave, now she’s about killing her daughter.”
Great. Another person he needed to have a talk with. “You know anything about the boyfriend?”
“Hmm. Not sure about that one. But I can find out. Think his name is Harrison or something. Parents are Catholic, so they attend church across town. Don’t think he’s much account, though.” She patted Thorn’s shoulder again. “You keep a watch on that one. She’s a good girl. Works hard.”
“If you knew her, why didn’t you say something when we first came in?”
Marge shrugged. “Knew the situation with her mother. Figured she’d be more comfortable if she thought I didn’t know anything about it.”
“If you weren’t already married, Marge, I’d propose.”
She slapped at him playfully, her cheeks blushing slightly. “Now, you know I’d never be caught dead ridin’ behind someone on a Harley.”
Thorn barked a laugh. “Yeah. You don’t ride bitch.”
“Exactly.”
Mariana walked back out, and Thorn rose. “You stay out of trouble, Marge.” He raised his voice, calling out to Tito. “Give Elena my love.”
“No way, Thorn,” Tito said with a grin. “I do that, she might take off with you. Then where would I be?”
Thorn chuckled as he took Mariana’s hand and escorted her out the door. “Careful of the pipes when you get on. They’ll still be hot.” He helped her on, handed her the helmet, then climbed on himself. Once she had the helmet secured, he started up the big hog and pulled out of the diner.
Chapter Two
No matter how much she knew she should be on her guard, Mariana found herself casting caution away as Thorn sped down the road. Wind in her hair, a powerful man insisting she hang on to him, the freedom of something like flying -- all of it was like a balm to every single hurt she’d experienced in the past five months. She laughed as she tipped her face up to the sun and the breeze. After they passed the same grocery store the third time, she suspected Thorn had driven around the outskirts of Palm Beach because she was enjoying herself so much. Any trepidation she might have held for the biker vanished with that realization. He might look tough, but he was a good man. One who would take care of his woman and their child, not leave them stranded on the side of the road while he got a blow job. The memory of that stupid phone call with Jason finally sobered her.
When her laughter died, Thorn gave a heavy sigh. Mariana didn’t miss that he glanced over her shoulder at her. Five minutes later, they pulled into Red’s Garage. To her surprise, her car was in the bay, a mechanic bending over it. Another surprise came after Thorn helped her from the bike. As she turned back to the garage, she caught sight of two men arguing just outside the first big bay area. Was that… Jason? Arguing with Red?
Jason seemed to be in a heated debate with the big mechanic, gesturing to her car more than once as he did. Red looked like he couldn’t give two shits and seemed to be only half listening. He stabbed at his cell phone while Jason yelled at him. Any time she’d needed someone to look at her old car, she’d always gone to Red. They knew her car better than she did. Surely Jason wasn’t trying to sabotage her being able to get her car fixed. That was just her being paranoid. Wasn’t it?
“She can’t even pay you, Red!” Jason was yelling, nearly pulling at his hair in frustration. “That piece-of-shit car isn’t even worth fixing! Just tell her to fuck off!”
Red said nothing, just kept tapping on his phone. When he tucked the thing into his shirt pocket, Thorn’s phone pinged. Red crossed his arms over his chest and said something to Jason she couldn’t hear, but it seemed to infuriate her ex. He let out a string of expletives, moving threateningly toward Red. The bigger man didn’t budge. In fact, he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward subtly. That small move made Jason halt abruptly, or he’d have run into his adversar
y.
Thorn stopped, placing a gentle hand on Mariana’s shoulder to stop her as well. He pulled out his phone and read the text message. Apparently, Red was reaching out to Thorn. She wondered why as Thorn looked at his phone for several seconds. It was hard to read his expression. He kept glancing sharply at the two men until he finally put the phone away and just stared. The look on his face made Mariana cringe. She took an unconscious step away from Thorn, and his focus instantly landed on her. The second his gaze met hers, Mariana froze. Thorn took back the step she’d put between them and took her hand.
“That your baby’s daddy?”
Mortified, Mariana closed her eyes and nodded. This was beyond embarrassing. It was one thing for Thorn to have heard the earlier conversation, but for him to actually witness firsthand how Jason treated her? She’d never live this down. Never be able to look at him again. Which was just as well. The second she left -- hopefully in her car -- she was sure Thorn would never lay eyes on her again. Which suited her just fine. Didn’t it?
“Eyes up,” he snapped softly. Instinctively, she brought her gaze back to Thorn. “If you can’t look at him, look at me. Do not lower your gaze to him. Don’t let that bastard think he’s better’n you. Got me?”
“I -- yes. I’ll try.”
“No. You won’t try. You’ll do what I fuckin’ tell you to or there will be consequences.” OK, she didn’t want to know what consequences he was referring to. At. All. When she gave a faint nod he asked, “Do you shorten your name?”
“Jason does. He calls me Mari, but I don’t like it.”
“You prefer your whole name, then?”
She thought about it. “When I was little, my dad used to call me Ana. He was so different from my mom. She hated it when she heard him shorten my name, but I always liked it. No one else ever called me Ana.”
“Good,” he said, then cupped her cheek gently and bent his head to brush his lips over hers. It wasn’t any more than a quick, tender movement, but it was enough for Jason to see them. Which was probably what Thorn had intended. Didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy it. Her stomach fluttered, and she knew she whimpered a little. When he pulled back, he gave her a slight smile. “That’ll do.” His grin widened. “For now.” The clasped her hand tighter and urged her forward toward Red and her car. “Red!” He called. “How’s the car goin’?”
Thorn (Salvation's Bane MC 3): A Bones MC Romance Page 2