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Tank was outside working, and she kept on checking to make sure he was okay.

  The sun was way too intense, and she quickly poured them both some cold water. There was a little ice in the freezer, so she put some in Tank’s glass. She didn’t know how long the men were going to be, and well, water was water, warm or cold.

  Carrying the glasses out, she stood by Tank’s bike.

  It was a fierce machine. It looked … sturdy.

  She didn’t know what else to say about the bike. The men had gone to the grocery store on their bikes. She hoped they could carry back the food she’d need.

  “Hey,” she said. “I thought you might like a drink.”

  She held out a glass to him.

  Tank got to his feet.

  He was wearing a white tank shirt as well. His had grease on it and looked like it had seen many better days.

  His muscles though, and the ink that covered them … this man was easily twice, if not three times, her size.

  He was so big that it made her feel small.

  Tank stared at the glass and then at her.

  “You think I’ve poisoned it?” she asked.

  “Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust anyone but my brothers.”

  “Oh, it’s fine. Fine. Look.” She drank from each glass. “See, nothing wrong with them. I promise. I have no reason to kill you.”

  “You don’t want to get away?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’ve told you. I’ve got nowhere else to go. I’m all alone here. Is that so hard to imagine?”

  “We took you as payment. Now you’re cleaning and cooking for us,” he said. “You think I should believe you’re happy about that?”

  “I guess looking at it like that, no. I wouldn’t trust me either.” Tank turned away without taking the drink. “At least come inside and have a drink. It’s way too hot out here, and you could hurt yourself. I promise you, nothing is wrong with the water. I just wanted you to be okay. I know you’ve got no reason to trust me, and I get it, I do. You don’t know me. You don’t know what it’s like to grow up in the system.”

  “You think I don’t know what it’s like to be passed around?” he asked.

  “You grew up in the system?”

  “I never had a parent to my name. I never went looking for the woman that dumped me in that place either. You don’t get to learn how to cook and clean. You learn how to survive. I don’t know what bullshit story you’re pulling—”

  “All of my stuff remained in a black bag. I never was allowed to unpack, no matter where I went. Some of the mothers or foster homes were all right. The one that was the best, the woman was old, too old to care for us any longer. That was where I learned how to cook. It was the best experience of my childhood, learning how to cook with her. She was the only one who told me being a foster kid or in the system didn’t define who I was. I was special. The others that wanted me to be ‘special’ wanted to pay nighttime visits. I caused a lot of problems for them. I wasn’t going to be any man or woman’s plaything.” She took a deep breath. “If you don’t want to take the water from me, fine. Don’t for a second begin to presume that because I’ve gained skills that I’m lying. I know what it’s like to be abandoned and sold on.”

  She spun on her heel, about to leave him without his water. She was only doing a kind thing, but here he was, telling her she was lying about who she was.

  How dare he?

  She didn’t get two steps before the water was plucked out of her hands. She turned to see Tank down one glass, then the other.

  “Why was one warmer than the other?” he asked.

  “I gave you the ice. I figured you could use it.”

  “Oh.”

  She nibbled her lip. “I’ll go and finish cleaning.”

  She didn’t stick around.

  Tank had really upset her, and she shouldn’t allow his words to affect her. None of these men owed her anything.

  She had tried all of her life not to let anything affect her, and here she was, bothered by a few assumptions and words of a man who had control over her.

  It was stupid.

  Cleaning the glasses, she dried them as she didn’t like the glasses to get stained from drying water.

  She wasn’t always so neurotic when it came to cleaning. With the Broken Devils MC, she wanted to surprise them. To show each man she wasn’t like her mother. She wasn’t afraid of hard work, and she was someone they could trust.

  Again, she didn’t know why, only that she wanted to succeed with surprising them.

  ****

  Tank walked into the main clubhouse at lunchtime. He got a text from Edge to say they were close, and would be there within thirty minutes. He had a lot of trust issues when it came to women.

  Leah was a problem.

  From the moment he saw her, she inspired a need within him that had been dead a long time. He wanted to protect her.

  He felt that way about the men he called his brothers. They were the only ones who had ever inspired any kind of loyalty within him.

  He wanted to protect them. With Leah, he didn’t know what he wanted.

  Women were … weak.

  They made mistakes and were foolish in love, or lust. They always thought with their pussy or their bank balance.

  That was his experience of women.

  Leah bringing him out a simple glass of water, a cold one at that, it had unnerved him, and he didn’t like the feeling.

  The main room looked freaking shiny. There was not a single speck of dust. He moved up to the bar, running a finger across the surface, and sure enough, no dust. No nothing.

  Everywhere sparkled.

  He walked into the kitchen, and there were once again, clean surfaces. He opened the fridge, and there wasn’t any food or grime, or mold.

  She had completely gutted the place.

  The sound of the washing machine drew him to the laundry room. He had never been in this room, ever. He always bargained with the other men to get out of laundry. There she was, folding laundry. He had seen her hanging out clothes.

  She looked very domesticated, putting the clothes out on the line to dry, leaving them, coming back, gathering them up.

  “You’ve taken a shower,” he said, noticing the change of clothes. She wore a black pair of shorts this time.

  She gasped, turning toward him.

  “You startled me.”

  “Sorry,” he said. He didn’t feel it.

  “I had no choice but to take a shower. This heat is terrible, and I stunk. I didn’t even want to be around me it was that bad.”

  He chuckled.

  “I’ve put the clothes into piles. I’m going to let the guys know. I didn’t want to go into anyone’s room in case they thought I was trying to steal their stuff.”

  She wouldn’t look at him, and when she spoke, she turned away.

  Tank sighed. He moved toward her. He couldn’t touch the washing; he was filthy.

  “I don’t trust well.”

  “I don’t either. I’m not a criminal.”

  He laughed. “Sweetheart, you’re in an entire building full of men who are.”

  “Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean I am. I just want to make it out of here alive. Is that so hard to believe?” she asked.

  “It’s not. We’re used to women like your mother.”

  “Offering you her services so you’ll give her all the dope she wants?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “It’s not exactly a good way of looking at women,” she said.

  “In my experience, women bring it on themselves.”

  “You’ve prejudged me. I’ve never been with a man. I’ve never given a man that kind of power over me. I don’t do drugs. I’ve never taken them in my life.”

  “And?” he asked.

  “No and. I just wanted you to know.” She shrugged. “I’m a good person. I’d never hurt anyone.”

  “It sucks being in the system.”

&n
bsp; “It makes you feel worthless.” She shook her head. “You were looking for me.”

  “Edge called. He’s not too far out.”

  “Great.” Her stomach growled.

  “You tossed out all the food.”

  She finished folding the last shirt. “It wasn’t edible, and I’m not going to serve you guys something that could kill you.”

  “It makes you one step ahead of Junior.”

  She chuckled. “Please tell me he was joking about the whole moldy cheese being okay for bread and meat?”

  “Nope. Wish I could.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know how you guys survived.”

  “Barely.”

  He walked out into the kitchen, and he watched as she started to open cupboards, ready and waiting.

  He sat down at the small table in the room and watched her.

  “Do you like to clean?” he asked.

  “Not so much. I like to have clean spaces, but it’s not imperative that everything is clean.” She laughed. “Is it that obvious that I do?” Her cheeks were bright red.

  “You keep trying to tell yourself you’re not obsessive when it comes to cleaning?”

  “All the time. I don’t even know why it happened. One moment I was used to dust and dirt. I lived in a place when I was ten, I think, and there was even a mouse. I pretended he was my best friend.”

  He smiled.

  “Since then, and when I got out, I made sure I cleaned everything. Not a speck of dust or anything out of place. It always had to be perfect. I guess I’m crazy.”

  “You’re not crazy. Maybe a little bit, but that’s okay. I find it a little sexy.”

  She snorted.

  The sound of bikes in the distance made her stop. He watched her look outside. She didn’t tense up.

  “I’m so pleased they’re here. I thought I was going to starve.” Her stomach growled, and she placed a hand on it. “See, not good. So not good.”

  He followed her outside and watched the men, who were all weighed down with bags of food.

  Tank helped them, and he watched Leah, who looked to be in her element putting everything away, giving each item a home.

  She looked so happy and at home as she filled the cupboards. He couldn’t take his gaze away from her. She was the first woman in his life that he could bear to be around. He didn’t know if he trusted her just yet. Time would tell. For now, he wasn’t going to give her any shit and help make her stay at the clubhouse a little easier.

  ****

  The scents coming from the kitchen were driving Edge insane. Since lunch time, Leah had kept herself in the kitchen. Whenever any of the guys entered, they would always come out minutes later with fresh coffee and a cookie.

  When Junior had come out, he looked like he’d seen Santa Claus, he was that freaking excited.

  “She bakes as well. This is so fucking awesome.”

  Edge glanced toward the door. He was starving.

  He was the only one who hadn’t been in the kitchen, and it was starting to grate on his last nerve.

  He’d barely seen Leah all day. She’d given him that list, looking sexy in her denim shorts, and sent him on his merry way.

  Tank had even looked somewhat approachable, and he wondered what she’d done to their emotionless guy.

  Did she have some kind of magic wand that she was using to cast a spell all over them? No, he didn’t believe in fairy tales, and he wasn’t about to start now.

  Getting to his feet, he gathered up the cups, noticing that none of the men had gone for a beer. Why hadn’t they gone for alcohol? They usually liked to do so. Booze was what helped their day go by.

  Especially after a call from Marcel. There was another shipment the man wanted them to take care of. It was so close from their last order that Edge was tempted to refuse. Only, he’d offered them twice the usual pay package purely because of the extra risk.

  He didn’t know what to do.

  It was his job as club President to do the right thing. His men trusted him. They had voted him in as club President many years ago after he’d gotten them all out of hell. He’d vowed to protect them, to keep their asses out of jail, and to keep them on the straight and narrow, so long as they followed him.

  Entering the kitchen, he saw the counters were covered in chocolate chip cookies. That explained the large bag of chocolate chips she’d asked him to pick up. There were so many cookies, so many goodies.

  The woman herself stood at the stove, stirring a sauce. The door leading out onto the back yard behind the clubhouse was wide open. She could have run. None of them would have known she was gone.

  It was crazy.

  Leah was still there.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked.

  “Yeah, starving.” He looked at the door and then at her.

  “I didn’t run. I don’t want to go. You guys can trust me.”

  “You do know it would have made a lot more sense for you to run,” he said.

  “Why? You’ll only catch me, and then I wouldn’t have this freedom, would I? I don’t want to be chained up or put in a darkened room.”

  He noticed she shivered, and he wondered what that meant. Was she used to being locked in a dark room?

  “Do you like the cookies?” she asked.

  “They’d delicious.”

  “I’ve made an apple pie for dessert. We’ve got meatballs first though. I hope you like them.”

  He looked over her shoulder, and sure enough, a pot of bubbling meatballs in a tomato sauce.

  She grabbed a pair of oven mitts, lifted the large, boiling pot of water, and carried it to the sink.

  She let out a sigh as she drained the pot.

  “This is one of my favorite meals ever,” she said. “I just love pasta. It is a comfort food classic to me.”

  She tipped the pasta back into the pot and moved toward the stove.

  He watched her drizzle in some oil, grate over some cheese, and then put the meatballs and sauce into the pot.

  She gave it a stir.

  “Would you carry this? I can serve at the table,” she said.

  He picked up the heavy pot and was amazed she’d even been able to lift it. The thing weighed a ton. They were all starving.

  She leaned down, opened up the oven, and out came some garlic cheese bread.

  How the fuck did this woman know how to cook?

  Carrying the pot to the table, he saw the men were already waiting. Leah followed, putting the bread on the table.

  “Tank, just for you.” She took a bite of the garlic bread, and then some meatball, followed by the spaghetti.

  One glance over at Tank, and he saw his man was red-faced.

  “I get it, Leah.”

  “What’s going on?” Junior asked.

  “I wanted to assure you all that I’m not going to try and poison you.”

  “I get it,” Tank said. “It was my mistake, and I won’t make it again.”

  “I hope not. I don’t want to have to keep proving myself to you all, but I will. I’m innocent, and I’m happy to feed you all. I hope you like it.”

  She served them all a large portion, and Edge wasn’t ashamed by how much he was going to eat. The more food the better for him.

  Twirling the spaghetti around his fork, he also took a meatball. The food was amazing, the meatball so full of flavor.

  Leah sat beside Junior and Dig. Both men were watching her as she ate.

  She didn’t seem to notice their attention. If she did, she wasn’t trying to flirt with them.

  So far, she had surprised him.

  Doors open, complete freedom. He’d only called Tank ahead of time because he’d been hit by some serious doubt when it came to this woman. He didn’t know for sure if he could trust her or not.

  He didn’t trust anyone else, apart from his men.

  Leah finished up the food, served the guys another helping of those that wanted, and disappeared.

  She came back moments late
r, carrying two steaming pies and whipped cream.

  This time, Tank told her not to prove anything to him, and in front of the table, apologized for being an asshole.

  The girl was fucking magical, that was for sure.

  Chapter Four

  Dig smiled as he walked into the kitchen. Leah had been with them now for four days. Each one of them was even better than the last. Today she was baking some brownies. The day before, there had been lemon bars, and the day before that, cupcakes. The guys weren’t going to complain. It was the first time in a good long while they had good food.

  “Hey, Dig,” she said, smiling at him.

  “Hey, sweetness. Can I take one?”

  “Of course. I hope you like them.” She turned toward him, biting that sexy lip of hers as she watched him eat.

  He took a bite, moaning as the chocolate flavor exploded in his mouth.

  “They’re not poisoned in case you were thinking that.”

  They all knew about Tank thinking she was trying to poison him with a glass of water. There was no way this woman could hurt anyone. She didn’t have a single malicious bone in her body.

  “I know you’re not, sweetheart. They’re delicious.” He finished his brownie in two bites, and that was only because he was trying to be polite, as otherwise he’d have shoved the entire thing into his mouth.

  “Thanks. I’m running out of things to do. Everywhere is clean. I tackled the bathrooms today. Bedrooms are off-limits, and well, I was wondering if you’d like me to clean yours?” she asked.

  To have her in his room, looking through his stuff, he didn’t have any problem.

  “Sure thing, baby,” he said. “You can go right on in and clean that.”

  She smiled at him, and the truth was, he didn’t want her cleaning. He’d rather feel her underneath him as he drove inside her.

  “Perfect.”

  He watched her move back to the stove and begin assembling something into foil trays. His curiosity always got the better of him.

  “What are you doing there?” he asked.

  “Oh, I’m making some food ready for the freezer. This is lasagna. Just in case one of us ever gets sick or I’m not around anymore to take care of your food. You know, just in case.”

  She was thinking of taking care of them even when she wasn’t around.

  He stood close by watching her ladle out meat sauce, pasta sheets, cheese, and some kind of white sauce. His cooking ability extended to being able to pick up the phone and ordering a pizza.