She was lying. How could she not be lying? The feelings he inspired from the lust to the jealousy were not easily explained. Mia couldn’t deny what was happening to her even if she didn’t want it to be true.
“What’s so wrong with being with me?” he asked.
“You’re a biker.”
“And you’re talking bullshit.”
“You don’t know a thing about me or what I’m capable of,” she said, blurting the words out. Her dirty past threatened to spill out of her mouth at any moment. The secrets she kept were not for others to know. When Ashley was ready for others to know the truth about what happened to her then she’d come clean about her part. “Forget I ever said anything.”
She made to move around him, but he wouldn’t let her go. His hand went to her cheek and stayed there.
“No, you don’t get to leave.” His body trapped her. There was nowhere for her to hide. He was forcing her to face him. “Everyone has a past. Shit, I know some guys who’ve got so much of a past it gets other people killed.”
His voice shouldn’t soothe her or make her feel better.
“Fine, you don’t want to tell me then I’ll never know the answer. I’ve lived without explanations before, but I swear to you, Mia, you ever try to do that shit again, and me and you are going to have some serious fucking problems.”
He shoved away from her, heading toward the kitchen.
“Have you ever killed someone?” she asked.
Curse stopped and turned to look at her.
“You’ll have your secrets, and I’ll have mine.” This time he didn’t stop until he was out of sight.
She watched him go feeling like the worst bitch in the world. Walking down to the kitchen, she saw him grabbing stuff from the fridge. “Can I use your phone to call Ashley?”
“Sure.” He tossed the cell phone her way and left her to make the call.
Entering the sitting room, she typed in Ashley’s number.
“Hey, everything is covered here. Do you have Mia?” Ashley asked.
“It’s Mia. I’m with Curse, and everything is fine. I want to phone, to apologize for the shit I said.” Pressing a hand to her face, Mia was swamped by the humiliation of what had happened. The things she’d said were completely shameful. “I can’t believe I said what I said and did what I did. I’m sorry.”
“I love you, Mia. I’ll do whatever you need me to do. I owe you so much. You know that, right?”
Shaking her head, Mia pressed a palm to her mouth. “I think I’m going crazy.”
“We’ll have a girly night soon, and we’ll deal with whatever you’re going through.”
Nodding, at that time she’d agree to anything. Minutes passed, and when they were both feeling better, Mia hung up the call and stared in front of her.
She was losing her mind. Every year it was getting harder, but there was nothing she could do about it. The secret she held within her would be carried to her grave.
Chapter Seven
For the next week Curse divided his time among Mia, her mother, and the club. Ripper was organizing a party for Judi at the clubhouse while Devil was dealing with his family. The whole club was settling into stationary life. The open road was no longer a factor in their life. They all loved to ride, and there were nights when they all took to the road just to clear their head.
Most of the time, Curse was too busy trying to get through to Mia when he wasn’t fucking her. He could spend hours inside her tight cunt, licking her pussy, or preparing her ass, but the moment he tried to talk about anything more, she cut him off.
On the one hand it was refreshing to have a woman keep him at arms’ length, but on the other, he was getting pissed with fighting her. Mia was a challenge he didn’t want to have to deal with.
He saw the yearning in her eyes whenever she looked at him. Curse also saw when she pulled away from him, shutting down. Running fingers through his hair, he grabbed a wrench from the tool box and started to work on his bike. He liked using his hands, and working on his bike was much better than working on his car. Pussy came to stand beside him.
“What’s going on with you?” Pussy asked.
“Nothing. Why?” He didn’t bother to look at the other man. His attention was on his bike.
“Because you used to help me keep Ashley occupied in the sack, and now you don’t go near her. You don’t help Vincent, and none of the other club whores have been in your bed in a while. I’m curious. What gives? Is Mia the one? I know you were pissed at Jerry, but you’ve not made a claim on her or even brought her to the club?”
Standing up, Curse wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve. “I’m seeing someone. Yes, it’s Mia, but she’s not like any other woman I know. The club whores and Ashley don’t bother me anymore. I’ve got what I need in one package. Now, trying to convince my woman of that is fucking hard.”
“So, you’re really serious about the waitress? The ice-queen who’ll freeze your cock off before you get anywhere near her?” Pussy looked positively upset. “Seriously? You’re giving up all of our women for her.”
“I like her. She’s what I want, so be careful what you say. I’ll still kick your ass if you say anything to fucking insult her.”
“What could I say that isn’t the truth? She’s cold.” Pussy shivered and glanced over his shoulder. “She’s nothing like Ashley.”
Curse checked to see what he was looking at. Ashley was talking with Death and Ripper. The young woman was laughing as if she didn’t have a care in the world. He didn’t believe any of it.
“She fucks everything that walks.”
“Within the club. I bag my shit and don’t want a bitch getting too emotionally attached. I’m not up to that kind of crap.” Pussy shrugged. “I don’t know what you see in the waitress. I bet her cunt will freeze your dick off.”
Curse laughed at his friend. Pussy had no idea how she looked after his cock was inside her warm cunt.
“God, that smile. You make me sick.” Pussy looked away.
Ashley was approaching them with a wide smile on her lips. “Hey, Curse.”
“Hey.” He stared at his bike wishing for the peace he had seconds before.
She ran her hand up Pussy’s chest, practically purring as if she was some fucking cat.
“I’m hungry and horny.”
“What do you want to eat? I can fix you something,” Pussy said, to which Ashley wrinkled her nose.
“You’ve got no chance. You can’t cook. I’d be better off eating cardboard than what you eat. Let’s head to the diner. I’m in a serious need for grease, and their burgers are just what I need.”
Watching the two people together, Curse saw the friendship between them and nothing else. Ashley was never going to be the settling down kind of girl. She would probably always be a respected club whore who kept the other women in their place.
“Did you hear that Devil is planning on taking on some prospects? Death was telling me about a few of the hangers-on at parties are requesting to join.” Ashley shoved some hair off her shoulder. There was a time he thought her black hair was natural like Mia’s, and he later learned she got all of her looks out of a box.
“No, I hadn’t heard,” Curse said. Pussy muttered the same as him. There hadn’t been a club meeting for a few months. With Devil’s latest son being born, no one expected to be around the club twenty-four seven.
“I don’t know. It’s just something the other guys were talking about. Are you coming to the diner?” she asked.
“Mia won’t be there.”
“I know. She’s put in a good word for us to one of the other servers.” Ashley gripped his arm, holding it close to her breast.
His cock stayed flaccid at the contact. Ashely did nothing for him, not even her body, which was slightly slenderer than Mia’s curves.
“Then I’ll come. I’m famished.” Mia had kept him up all night with her tight pussy.
Wiping his hands on a cloth, he checked to make sure he fit every
thing back to his bike and straddled the machine. Ashley climbed on the back of Pussy’s and wrapped her arms around his waist. No woman was allowed on the back of Curse’s bike. He only had room for one woman, and Mia wasn’t going to be moved off his bike ever. She was an addiction that was much better than drugs or booze. Curse knew. He’d tried both kinds of addiction. None of them had really stuck with him. Yeah, he liked a good drink, but losing himself in drugs hadn’t been his thing. He liked to keep his wits about him, which drugs didn’t offer. Coke, heroin, weed, none of it gave him a buzz like being on the back of his bike.
He knew others in the club did have an addiction, but under Devil’s orders, they kept their shit contained. Any man who let the drugs control him ended up six feet under. There was only so much room within the club for that kind of shit. Chaos Bleeds were lenient compared to The Skulls, but even Devil only liked men he could trust around him. Having some prospects around could be useful. The only problem with that was trying to find new brothers was always a challenge. They would have to tests the guys’ loyalties, throw crazy assed shit at them with the hope of them figuring it out.
If they had someone who’d tattle at the first opportunity then they were not the kind of men they wanted in their club. It was a brotherhood, a bond, a union, whatever shit people wanted to call them. They had each other’s backs, and those who didn’t, were gone. There was no room for mistakes in their lives. It was either fight all the way, or die trying. It was one of the reasons why The Skulls had his respect. They would all die for each other, but also, they’d fight to the death for one another.
Entering the diner, Curse noticed the place was crowded. They took the last table at the back of the diner, and a slim blonde headed straight toward them. “Hi, I’m Sandra, and I’ll be your server today.”
Mia had done this for them. Whenever she wasn’t working, she’d fixed to have someone to serve them. He was oddly touched by her actions. Every chance she got, she tried to keep him at arms’ length, yet here she was, taking care of him and the club.
They ordered a shitload of food, and Curse relaxed against the plush cushion taking in his surroundings.
He noticed a brunette sitting at a table with some stern looking parents who were glaring at their table. Raising a brow, he kept the man’s gaze, waiting to see who’d look away first. The guy looked down at his plate.
Curse noticed him grip the girl’s jean covered thigh, tightly. Her cry was silent as her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Staring at the scene Curse took note of the glistening tears in her eyes, but they wouldn’t fall down her cheeks. She picked up her fork and continued to eat.
The father removed his hand and smiled over at his wife. The older woman looked at him adoringly.
“Who’s that?” he asked, turning to look at Ashley.
She checked to where he pointed with his cup. The sneer on her face was not hard to make out. “Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael. They’re snobs of the highest order. Their daughter, Sasha, is a dear, but she’s not allowed out of their sight. He’s her stepfather and a fucking bastard to boot.”
“There’s certainly no love lost between the two.”
“He causes problems for everyone he doesn’t like, and I mean everyone.” Ashley looked over the table and glared at him. “He pulled Sasha out of school and wouldn’t let her mingle with us low earners.”
The control in the other man was absolute. He ordered what his family would eat, and if either of them spoke when he wasn’t ready to listen, he cut them down. Curse watched the byplay with the family. Sasha certainly hated him.
Their food came from Sandra, and his thoughts returned to Mia. He wondered what she was like when her father was around to take away some of the slack. There had to be a time when she was happier, easier, more carefree.
Even as he thought it, Curse doubted it. Whatever happened in Mia and Ashley’s past would stay there, but it had changed Mia completely.
****
Mia gritted her teeth as Dale got her to bend over the bed to finish smoothing out the covers. She hated this job more than any other. He had her cleaning his office, the kitchen, the sitting room and finally the bathroom downstairs before he ordered her to clean upstairs.
Think about the money.
When she thought about money and the chance of getting her mother’s prescription and maybe some meat for dinner, she was able to do what he wanted without even gritting her teeth. It was hard to work for a guy who gave her the creeps.
Since she quit working for Jerry she had more time free to clean. Jerry offered to let the street know of her services, but the only person to take more of her time was Dale, the creep.
“Very nice,” he said.
Rolling her eyes, she wondered if she should just tell Curse to have a word with Dale. The thought of that happening filled her with joy. Dale would soon back off with that threat. Climbing off the bed, she was startled as an arm banded around her waist.
“I’ve got you, baby.”
His voice sent chills down her spine. Tugging out of his hold, she tensed as he seemed to grip her a little tighter. Walking around the bed, she saw the time was a little after lunch.
Curse was a creature of habit. She wondered what he was doing for lunch. Earlier in the week she’d spoken to Sandra about serving the table. The other woman had two kids, and her husband was off work with a bad back. Mia told Ashley to advise the men to tip the woman greatly. The extra money would help Sandra out no end. Ashley had argued with her, telling her the men would rather tip her for her mother’s medicine, at which point, Mia told her friend she could no longer accept money from them. Curse, in a strange kind of way, was her boyfriend. It was strange for her as she wouldn’t put Curse and boyfriend in the same sentence.
“I really do love your cleaning,” Dale said, pulling her out of her thoughts.
You’re not out of the woods yet. Clean this bastard’s house and get gone.
“Good. I’m glad my services please you.” She tucked the bottom sheet underneath the mattress.
“I don’t suppose you’ll look under the bed. I’m sure the wife dropped something under there this morning.”
His wife was always conveniently missing whenever she came around to work.
Last time, Mia. Last time of working for this creep.
Kneeling down, she looked under the bed to find something glinting. Mia reached under to grasp the jewel. “I’ve got it.”
She jerked, slamming her head against the wooden slats of the bed as fingers ran up her leg.
“So soft. I knew you’d be soft to the touch.”
“Get off me.”
Mia tried to climb out, but he stood with one foot between her thighs.
Think, Mia, think.
“You’ve been teasing me with this body on display.” She’d worn her waitressing uniform as she was at the diner immediately after finishing Dale’s home.
“Leave me alone. I’m not teasing you. You’re seeing stuff that isn’t there.” She tried to move back, but her butt hit his thigh keeping her in place. Cringing, she tightened her fist around the jewel. She cursed her actions over and over as he proceeded to stroke her thighs.
Would she fit underneath the bed? If her ass was small enough she’d make it out the other side.
He grabbed her ankle, jerked up her dress and tugged. For a slender man, he had a lot of muscle. She cried out as her leg gave out and she fell to the floor. Clawing at the carpet, she tried with all of her might to stay underneath.
“You’re not running from me anymore. I want to know what that pretty pussy feels like.”
In one yank, she was tugged from underneath the bed. She screamed as the carpet rubbed against her flesh. The uniform she wore provided little protection against the onslaught. She released the jewel and tried to stop him from hurting her.
The moment she was out from under the bed, he turned her over. Slapping out her arms, she hit out. Dale backed away, but she didn’t know how long for.
Fight.
He charged at the bed, and she kicked him in the stomach. Dale went down, grunting. Scrambling off the bed, she ran for the door trying to get away from him as fast as she could. She screamed in pain as he caught her hair. Thrown against the wall, she wasn’t prepared for his slap.
“You little bitch. You’re going to learn your place.”
His hands went around her neck, cutting off her oxygen. She clawed at his hands. Nothing was helping. Reaching out, she scratched his face, and he released her. The attack went on. Dale slapped her around the face, landing blows to her body. Mia fought, wishing Curse was near to help her. No one was going to save her. Grabbing the lightshade on the drawer beside the bed, she slammed it against Dale so hard. With him following behind her, she wouldn’t make it out of the house alive.
Locking herself in the bathroom, she tugged the phone off the wall. The door shook under the impact of his body.
Dialing Ashley’s number took her two attempts. Her hands were shaking so hard, she couldn’t even focus. Tears fell down her face, and she worked fast.
The phone rang, and she jumped as Dale threw his body against the door.
“Come on, Ashley, pick up.”
“Get out here, bitch. I’m going to fuck you and make sure you can’t stand for the rest of your life. I’ll fuck up that pretty face of yours. No one will come near you.” His threats poured out. Fear gripped her with every passing second.
“Who is this?” Ashley asked.
“Ashley, I need your help.”
“Mia, what’s wrong?”
She heard Curse in the background.
“Dale Worthington attacked me. I’m locked in his bathroom. Please, I can’t fight him. He’s a lot stronger than I thought. I’m—” She cried out as the door rattled again.
Curse's Claim (Chaos Bleeds) Page 7