by Sam Crescent
“You fucked my sister, and you expect me to think that you’ve not used her for information.”
“What information?” Elena asked, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Huh?” Saint asked, turning to her.
“What information could I give?” She’d found her anger, and it was rushing to every pore of her being. “I’m not part of the fucking club. I work in a sex shop. I don’t have anything to say. I don’t even know my fucking brother, and you know what, I don’t fucking care.”
“This is my enemy.”
“He’s the man I love!” The truth spilled out of her mouth, and she shook her head, turning toward Pipe. “I’m sorry. I know we didn’t talk about it.”
“Don’t talk to him. Get the fuck out,” Saint said, urging Pipe toward the front door.
“No. You can’t do that.” Elena rushed toward Pipe. “This is my house.”
“It’s okay, baby,” Pipe said. “I’ll deal with this.”
“I’m dealing with this. Stay the fuck away from my sister, and don’t come back.”
“I’m not leaving Elena,” Pipe said. “I’m willing to talk to you, and you’re not in the right mind to talk.”
“Leave, before I fucking kill you.”
Elena gasped as Saint pulled a gun out of the back of his pants, and pointed it at Pipe.
“No!” She rushed in front of Pipe. “Put the gun down.”
“You’ve not been around the club, Elena. What you did was fucking betray me. I should cast you the fuck out.”
“I did nothing wrong. There’s nothing that I know of the club.”
“By fucking that asshole, you fucked with the club. Get out of the way before I do something I’ll regret.”
Leave with him.
Glancing up at Pipe, she took a deep breath. “Will you help me?” she asked.
“Always.”
Nodding, she glanced back at her brother. “I’ve never done anything to hurt you, and being with Pipe wasn’t about you. I like him, I love him, but you feel I’ve betrayed you.” She gave him a watery smile. “I’ll leave.”
She took hold of Pipe’s hands, and stepped away from the house.
“Elena?” Saint grabbed her arm, and she shoved him away.
“This is for the best. I don’t belong here, and you’ve just proven that. I belong with Pipe. Goodbye, Saint.”
She turned her back on him, and kept on walking with Pipe. The shirt she wore landed mid-thigh, and she held onto Pipe’s hand tightly. Glancing up at him, she saw blood was dripping down his lip, and bruises were already forming.
“Are you okay?”
“Me, I’m fine. How are you?”
“I’m … numb. Why did you not fight him at the beginning, and then hit him?”
“No one calls my woman a whore, no one. I’ll take care of you.”
Chapter Eleven
Saint was held back by Rage and Ralf. He was going to kill Pipe. The bastard had taken his sister, and he didn’t know what to fucking do.
“Dude, you need to calm down. You’re going to fucking hurt her if you go now,” Rage said.
Pulling out of their hold, he grabbed the lampshade, and threw it across the room. He was so damn angry. Years ago he’d failed his sister, and she’d been the one to betray him.
Picking up several items that were close, he threw them across the room, losing his shit. He was aware of his brothers watching him, but he didn’t care.
His sister had just walked away from him without looking back.
You called her a whore.
You were an angry asshole.
Gritting his teeth, he couldn’t handle the crap that was going around in his head. “I’ve got to make plans. I’m taking out the Hell’s Wolves.”
“Saint, that’s fucking childish.”
“No, he took advantage of Elena, and this is what he wants. That club is our enemy, and we fuck over our enemy.” Saint wasn’t going to allow his sister to come between the two clubs, and he was going to save her. Pipe was not the kind of man she should have. She needed a calm businessman, or someone who was kind.
“Didn’t anyone else notice that Pipe only attacked when you said some shit about Elena?” Ralf asked.
“What?” Saint asked.
“Your fists were flying, and your mouth was spouting shit. Throughout it all, Pipe didn’t attack you until you were mean to Elena. I actually think that bastard may love her.” Ralf laughed. “I’ve had way too much to drink right now to even think about this crap. My woman is leaving my ass, and I’ve got no job.” Ralf laughed again, and took a seat.
Saint thought over the attack, and Pipe hadn’t done anything, not until he growled at her first.
“What do you think?” Saint asked, looking toward Rage.
“My woman’s brother-in-law wants to fuck her.”
“I’m not talking about Pea. I want to know what you saw.”
Rage rubbed the back of his head. “There’s something going on here, and you rushed in without exactly asking questions.”
“Elena is my concern.”
“I know, but did you really listen to her? She’s in love with Pipe, and he’s shown that he doesn’t want war.” Rage shrugged. “I’m not going to judge your reaction. I don’t have a sister. This is entirely your decision.”
Collapsing onto the sofa, Saint groaned, and stood back up. He’d seen Elena and Pipe making out, and he didn’t want to be anywhere near that kind of shit. Running a hand down his face, moved toward the window, and tried to gather his thoughts.
What the fuck had he done?
****
The following day
Pipe watched as Elena stood at the kitchen sink at the clubhouse, and was washing up the breakfast dishes. They’d not talked about what had happened last night. The moment he got to the clubhouse, he’d told Knife to put Elena in his room, and then brought the rest of the brothers up to speed with what had happened.
They were all tense, waiting for the attack he was sure was going to come. He’d have taken her back to his cabin, but since her admission that she loved him, he couldn’t let her out of his sight. Pipe loved her. He loved her so damn much that it scared him. Sipping at his coffee, he didn’t take his gaze off her, even as his men looked on, not impressed with the fact he hadn’t taken her home.
“Have you told her that she belongs to you?” Shawl asked.
“I will today. Last night when I got to bed, she’d been asleep.” He’d taken note of her tears though. Elena had fallen asleep crying, and he didn’t like that.
“Are you sure this is the right decision?”
“Do the men have a problem with my decision?” he asked, countering the question with a question.
“No. They trust you, and so do I, Pipe.”
“I’m not going to put the club at risk. The Hell’s Wolves is still my priority, and it’s not going to change. Elena is my woman, and she will have the best life I can give her. Making peace with the Saints and Sinners is my aim.”
“When do you think Saint will arrive?”
“A couple of hours. He needs to calm down first.” Getting to his feet, he made his way toward Elena. Once he stood behind her, he wrapped his arm around her waist. “Hey, baby.”
She tensed up.
“You were asleep last night when I came to bed.”
“You were gone a long time.”
He kissed her neck. “I had to make the club aware of what is going on. Saint’s not going to let you go easily.”
She held onto the edge of the counter, and he kept his hand on her stomach. “Should I even be here?”
“Yes.”
“But we’re causing problems.”
He turned her toward him, and cupped her face so that she had no choice but to look at him. “Listen to me closely, Elena, I love you. You’re my woman, and I’m not backing down, nor am I letting you go. I will fight Saint for you.”
“You love me? You don’t have to say that you do.
”
The only way to silence her was with his lips. He slammed his mouth down on hers stopping all protest from her. Sinking his fingers into her hair, he held her tight against him with another hand cupping her ass.
Releasing her lips, he didn’t back away from her, or give her the chance to pull away. “I once told you that you couldn’t handle what I feel for you. I’m in love with you, you’re my old lady, and we’re going to make this work. I promise you.”
“I believe you.”
He pressed a kiss against her mouth. “You’re my old lady now.”
She smiled. “I never thought I’d be an old lady.”
He let her go, and removed his leather jacket. “I’ll get you a cut soon enough, but I want you to wear this one.” He placed his jacket over her shoulders, and she looked so damn beautiful in the cut.
“It’s a little big,” she said.
“It looks good on you.”
“Pipe, they’re here,” Shawl said, calling to him.
The smile that was on her face disappeared.
“Saint arrived sooner than I thought.”
“He’s not alone. Several members of his club are here.”
Gripping the lapels of the jacket, he kissed her hard. “Trust me, baby.”
“I trust you.”
Taking her hand, he made his way out of the club, and there in the parking lot at the head of the club sat Saint. He’d already climbed off his bike, and Pipe kept Elena by his side as he moved toward the front of his men. The Hell’s Wolves were all tense, ready to reach for their weapons, and so were the Saints and Sinners.
If he let it turn to a gunfight, it would be a bloodbath, and he wasn’t interested in that. None of them would make it out alive, and he had to protect his club and Elena.
“We’ve got a score to settle,” Saint said, moving to stand in front of him.
“We do. I’ve been expecting you.” Elena gripped his hand a little tighter. He did his best to reassure her.
“The only place I know this is going to go down is in the fucking ring.”
“You want to fight?”
“You’ve got it.”
“What? No, you can’t fight. That is archaic. Pipe, don’t fight him. I’m here, and you can leave him alone. You don’t need to fight.”
Pipe saw the pain in Saint’s eyes. “I need to fight. When we’re in the ring, we’re going to negotiate what our relationship means. I love your sister, and I’m not going to let her go.”
Saint’s jaw clenched. “Let’s fight this out.”
He nodded toward Shawl to get it all set up. “Let’s fight.”
Keeping hold of Elena’s hand, he made his way back into the clubhouse.
“You can’t fight him, Pipe. I don’t want you to fight him.”
“I’m going to fight him so that you can get to know your brother.”
“That makes no sense.”
He chuckled. “You and Saint may not be on the best of terms right now, but you love him. He’s your brother, and he’s family. You’ll regret it, baby. I’m going to make sure you’re happy, and if this fight helps, I’ll do it.”
“I don’t want to see either of you in pain.”
“I can take a hit, babe. You can stay here, or come out. It’s up to you, but I’m going out there to strike a deal with him, for us.”
“I don’t want you hurt.”
“I’m not going to get hurt. Trust me.” He cupped her cheek, kissed her lips, and reluctantly walked away. Knife was standing by the door. “Protect her.”
He waited long enough for him to nod, and then made his way toward the fighting ring. The Saints and Sinners were on one part, and his club was on the other.
“Are you sure Elena is worth this?” Shawl asked.
“Without a doubt.”
He made his way into the ring, and watched as Saint removed his leather cut, making his way toward him.
“You really want to do this?”
“We’ve got problems to resolve, and I think the only way I’m going to handle these problems is with our fists.” Pipe kept his hands down by his sides as did Saint. They were both evenly matched, and he didn’t know who would win, him or Saint.
“How long you been screwing my sister?”
“None of your business. I’ve treated Elena with respect, and you should as well.” Pipe was determined that he wasn’t going to lose his cool. This was what had to happen. They were two different leaders, and not only did they have to prove their strength to each other, they had to prove it to their clubs.
“I’ll treat my sister how I want to treat her.”
“What’s that? Leaving her with a crazy bitch who beat her?”
Saint rushed him, and Pipe laid into him, landing punches where he could. Several swipes of their fists, and he pulled away, wiping his mouth.
“I didn’t fucking know what was going on. Do you think I’d let anyone hurt her? I love my fucking sister, and Elena should have come to me. I fucked up!”
“I’m not going to hurt her. I love her.” He took the blow to the face, and spitting out blood, he glared at Saint. “You can keep on hitting me. It’s not going to change the fact that I’m in love with your sister. She’s my whole world.”
The fighting really commenced, and it was brutal. They yelled, fought, and Pipe proved to Saint that he wasn’t going to back down, nor was he going to give in when it came to Elena. He was in love with her, and whether Saint liked it or not, they were destined to be brothers-in-law.
They stood, facing each other, bleeding, and ready to fight some more.
“Saint?” Elena said, drawing their attention to the edge of the fighting ring. Knife held her arm, keeping her back. “I love him. I never shared any club information. I didn’t betray you, but I knew you wouldn’t let me see him.”
“I didn’t ask her anything. We were seeing each other. The clubs never came into it.”
Saint lowered his fists. “I’m sorry for losing my temper. Elena, I don’t think you’re a whore, and I’m so sorry.” He opened his arms, and Pipe moved out of the way so Elena could embrace her brother.
“I’m not going to come between the two of you,” Pipe said. “I love Elena, and I know she loves you. I won’t make her pick.”
“You want to make this work, Elena with you?”
“Yes.” Pipe had already got the backing of his club.
“This would mean we can’t go to war. We’re going to have to come to terms with sharing information, and passing through each other’s territory?”
Pipe shrugged. “I’ve had worse things happen to my club. I’m prepared to do everything to make peace, and to keep the woman I love safe.”
Saint looked back toward his club, and they nodded. “We’re not interested in war. We can make this work, not just for the clubs, but for my sister as well.” He kissed Elena’s head, and reached out to shake his hand.
Pipe looked at the hand, and took it, shaking it.
It was going to be a rocky friendship, but he was determined to make it work.
****
Two weeks later
Ralf parked his car outside of the café where Sarah worked. She’d been out of his life completely for two weeks, and he was dying inside. He loved the club, and would always be loyal to Saint.
Sarah was his woman, and he’d made the biggest fucking mistake. He’d gone back to the apartment, and it was completely empty. Her stuff was all gone, and he couldn’t bring himself to stay at night anymore.
He slept at the clubhouse, and stayed away from the club pussy. He’d not been with anyone since Sarah. Club pussy was more than willing to give in to him, but he didn’t want the skanks that were on offer. He wanted Sarah.
Climbing out of his car, he made his way toward the café, and took a seat in the back. He picked up the menu and started reading through.
“What can I get you?” Sarah asked.
He lowered the menu and stared at his woman. Her hair was no longer dyed
. The brown locks looking glossy, pulled back in a ponytail.
“What are you doing here, Ralf?”
“I want you to come home.”
“I’m not coming home. I’m happy here.”
“You’re happy in a city that offers you shit?”
She sighed. “Are you going to order something?”
“Come home.”
“No.”
“You’re going to be difficult.”
She released a sexy growl, and took a seat opposite him. She folded her arms and leaned on the table. “You want to talk this through now? I thought your deal was to go back running to your club.”
“I wasn’t running.”
“I thought I was pregnant, Ralf, and in response, you ran. Guess what? I’m not pregnant, and we’re through. I don’t need a man who will run at the first sign of actual commitment. Leave me alone, and move on.” She picked up her notebook and pen, moving away.
Ralf stayed at his table, and Sarah brought him a coffee. No one knew that they had nearly been pregnant. When Sarah had told him, he’d panicked, and run like a fucking asshole. It was going to take more than an apology and asking for her to come back to win her over. He was going to win Sarah back, whether she liked it or not.
Chapter Twelve
Four weeks later
Elena stared at the white stick, waiting for something to happen. She didn’t know what to expect, or how she was going to handle if she was pregnant or not. It had been six weeks since Pipe and Saint had been in the ring, fighting each other. She had gone to Pipe’s bedroom, which happened to overlook the club’s grounds, and also the spot where Saint and Pipe fought.
She hadn’t been hopeful for either one to win. Her love for both men was different, and yet it meant she didn’t want either one to suffer. That entire event had been over six weeks ago, and since then she’d been suffering with morning sickness and mood swings. She hadn’t told Pipe, but her breasts were tender, not to mention the fact she hadn’t had her cycle either.
“Is someone in there?” she asked, glancing down at her stomach.
Nothing answered, and she took a breath. Two minutes—or was it four?—was a long time to wait.
Resting her head against the back of the toilet in the Hell’s Wolves clubhouse, she was able to reflect on everything that had been happening. So far, her brother and Pipe had come to an amicable agreement that had also seen the two clubs getting together for a tense barbeque. It had been hard, and everyone had been on edge, ready to go for their guns until Shawl had arrived with his wife and kids.