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A second later, as we step into the house, Hulk appears from the living room looking sheepish. “What are you doing here?” growls Anton. His tone is deadly, and I shudder.
Michael places Ella on her feet but remains in front of her, keeping her a good distance from Anton. “I invited him,” she spits angrily. “When I couldn’t get a hold of you, I tried the clubhouse. I needed support.”
Anton’s deadly stare fixes on his sister. “You called the club and asked a biker to come and support you?”
“I'm offended,” says Hulk, squaring his shoulders like he’s readying for a fight. “She got upset on the phone. I was trying to do a nice thing.”
I raise my eyebrow sceptically. “And you just love to rescue a damsel,” I mutter.
“You know me, Piper, always happy to lend a hand.” I roll my eyes. “Actually, can we have a chat . . . outside?”
“No,” snaps Anton, grabbing my hand again.
I give it a reassuring squeeze. “You need a minute to speak to Ella,” I say calmly. “I’ll be fine.” He holds my stare for a few seconds before eventually releasing me.
Outside, Hulk turns on me as soon as the door is closed. “Why in the hell are you here in your pyjamas in the middle of the night? Did you sneak out of the clubhouse?”
“I didn’t break any rules, Hulk. I’m single and old enough to make my own choices. I would have texted my mum in the morning.”
“It’s freezing and you’re here in your bed shorts,” he snaps. “You’re clearly a booty call.”
“You’re just pissed because I’m not your booty call anymore. Why did you come to Ella’s rescue? She’s delicate, Hulk. Please don’t use her to get back at Anton.”
Hulk laughs sarcastically. “Please,” he mutters. “Do you really think you’re worth that? I’ve moved on from you.”
I squash down the hurt. “You never really started with me. I didn’t come out here so you could make me feel like shit again. Ella’s a nice girl. She deserves a nice guy.”
He takes a deep breath and rubs at his forehead. “I spend days thinking of things to say to you just so I can hear your voice.” He laughs to himself, turning away from me. “I hate it when you’re mad at me, which is most of the time. And when I finally get the chance to talk to you, everything comes out wrong and I say shit I don’t mean. I’m sorry I always upset you, Piper.”
I’m taken aback by his honesty and my heart melts a little. “I guess we both say the wrong thing.”
“I hate that you’re here with him,” he almost whispers, turning back to face me. He steps closer and laces his fingers with mine. “It’s killing me, Pip.” His lips are on mine before I have a chance to register that he’s moved so close. His hands release mine and move up, cupping my jaw. Our tongues begin a slow dance until I hear the door open. It breaks the spell, and I step back, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. I stare at Hulk wide-eyed.
“Sorry to spoil the moment, Piper, but get inside.” Anton sounds calm, but when I look at his face, I see the storm in his eyes.
“She doesn’t have to go with you if she doesn’t want to. Piper, you can come home with me,” Hulk snaps.
I stand between the pair, looking from one to the other. I suddenly feel like one of those puppies you sometimes see on the internet, where their owners place themselves either side and shout the puppy’s name until he chooses who he loves more.
ANTON
I wait patiently for Piper to come to me, but when it’s clear she’s indecisive, I pull out my ace card. “Actually, she does have to come inside. We have a recording to view. Don’t we, Piper? Remember . . . from the club?” Her face falls when she realises it’s a veiled threat, then she pushes past me and comes inside. I smile at Hulk and then give him a small wave before slamming the door in his face. The urge to have him killed weighs heavy on my mind. I don’t want him near Piper or Ella.
It’s quiet inside. Ella has taken herself off to bed in a mood, and Michael is in the office, putting a call in to check on my mother. I find Piper pacing in the living room. “What the hell was that?” she spits angrily.
“A reminder of the reason we’re doing this.”
“But I thought . . .” She pauses. “Never mind.”
“I still need you for my plan. You might have gotten what you want with Hulk, but you’re helping me.”
“I thought you were upset. That’s why I agreed to come. I thought you needed me.”
I don’t tell her that she’s correct and that the reason I called was I’d just had my hands over two stab wounds in one of my capos as he lay dying. I don’t tell her that I left the hospital after waiting most of the night for news only to find out he’d died, and the only person I wanted was her. Seeing her with Hulk, their tongues down each other’s throat, woke me up. It was the ice bucket I needed to remind me that Piper is serving a purpose. Now, more than ever, I need my men to see me as their leader.
“We’re going to Italy,” I announce. “Michael is going to book our flights shortly. It’ll be for a few days.”
“I can’t just go to Italy,” she scoffs.
