Mace (Untamed Sons MC: Birmingham Chapter #1)

22. Maylie

TWENTY-TWO

MAYLIE

I’m on edge as I wait for Mace to return. I can tell my sister is too, and I get the feeling it’s going to take a lot to undo everything Link has done to her.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet,” my brother remarks as I pace the floor of the room we stayed in last night.

“I’m worried.” It takes a lot for me to admit that, to not shelter my siblings from the reality of things happening around us, but I’m too scared to hide my feelings. What if something happens to Mace?

“He’ll be okay,” my brother assures me. “Right, Ivy?”

He looks to our sister to back up his words, but Ivy is lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, one hand pressed against her stomach.

“This is all my fault.” Her whispered words hit me in the chest like a wrecking ball.

I cross the room, dropping onto the mattress next to her. “No, it’s not. Nothing he has done is your fault, Ivy. I know that’s what he’s probably made you believe, but it’s not true.” I grab her face in my hands, and her eyes swivel to look at me. “I need you to believe that. Truly believe it. Link is a dangerous man, and men like him have the ability to make their loved ones think all the bad things they do are their fault. But they’re not. You’re a victim in this, Ivy, and I don’t blame you for anything that’s happened.”

Tears streak down her cheeks, and a hollow feeling opens inside my stomach. I try to think of ways in which I can help her overcome the guilt she feels for how she reacted in a situation that was beyond her control. Most adults wouldn’t have handled things any better than she did.

In the end, I do the only thing I can. I lie down next to her and wrap my arms around her, leaning my head against her chest.

“I don’t deserve you, Maylie. I was horrid.”

“None of that matters now.”

Toby comes to lie on the other side of Ivy, resting his head on her shoulder, like we used to do when we were younger, only it was Mum in the middle, not Ivy.

“Now that we don’t have to worry about Link anymore, can we talk about Maylie dating a biker?”

My whole body stiffens. Are they going to be okay with me and Mace dating?

“He’s seriously hot,” Ivy says between sniffles. “Like otherworldly hot.”

“The bike makes him pretty cool too,” Toby adds.

“It’s still very early days, guys. Don’t get too ahead of yourselves. We’re… trying to figure things out. ”

This time, it’s me staring at the ceiling, trying to imagine going back to a life without Mace at the forefront of it. Could I be smiley Maylie, the girl who delivers brownies to a strip bar?

“That man looks at you in a way that tells me he doesn’t care it’s early days,” Ivy says.

“What do you mean?” I sit up, peering down at her as my brows draw together.

Her gaze bounces to me. “Maylie, I know you’re not experienced in the dating world, but there is no way you’re this blind to what’s in front of you. The man looks at you like his world begins and ends with you.”

I blink rapidly. Is that true? “No, he doesn’t. We’ve only known each other a really short time.”

“And yet he’s just run off to solve all your problems… and they’re not even your problems.” My sister’s smile is wry as she looks at me through wet lashes. “I think it’s safe to assume he really likes you.”

“Which is a good thing,” Toby adds, “cos I really like him. You think he likes gaming?”

“I have no idea.” Other than bikes and kissing, I have no idea what Mace likes.

Ivy pokes him in the ribs. “Not everyone is into your games, you little dork.”

He laughs, trying to angle his body away from her finger. “You’re not playing fair. I can’t attack you back when you’re in the ‘family way’, can I?”

My brow arches as my sister snorts. “The ‘family way’? Where the hell did you hear that?” Ivy asks before I can.

His shoulders shift. “I play a lot of fantasy games. You pick things up. I’m hoping your baby is a boy so we can game together. ”

She hits him with a pillow. “You’re not rotting my baby’s brain with your stupid games.”

“First of all, they are not stupid. Second, a lot of them are visual masterpieces, Ivy, which I wouldn’t expect you to understand because you’ve never played a game in your entire life.”

I leave them bickering as I walk over to the window and peer out. The view beyond is of the side of the clubhouse, which means I can’t see when Mace returns. I chew my thumbnail, trying to calm my frantic nerves. Everything’s going to be okay. I have to believe that. He’ll sort out things with Link without getting hurt, and we can go about our lives again.

With Link out of the picture, I just have two more problems—Bernie and the rent situation, and the baby that’s on the way. I have no idea how I’m going to support my siblings and a newborn, even with my promotion.

But that’s a problem for future Maylie and another day.

For now, all we have to do is survive the next few months. We might have to move somewhere cheaper. I think that decision is out of my hands now. The baby can sleep in Ivy’s room for at least the first year, and then after that… well, I guess we’ll work something out.

My thoughts scatter at the knock on the door. I spin to face it as the handle depresses and it swings open.

My relief is instantaneous as I lock my gaze to Mace. There is no blood on his face or obvious injuries, and my body sags in relief.

I eat up the space between us until I’m standing in front of him, and I risk reaching out to place my hands against his chest as I peer up at him. Maybe this isn’t real. Maybe this is all I can ever have with him. But it’s enough for now. I’ll take anything he gives me, because something is better than nothing.

“Are you okay?” I demand.

Did my voice wobble? I feel like it did.

“I’m good,” he assures me, grabbing my face in his hands and kissing me like we’re alone.

I don’t care that we have an audience. I’m so happy to see him that I kiss him back like a love-starved teenager.

I never knew it was possible to be this consumed by another person, but I feel incomplete when I’m not with him, and it should scare me how fast these feelings have developed, but I like living in this bubble.

Deep down, I know I’m going to get hurt. This isn’t going to last. How can it? I don’t know if our feelings are real, or if we simply got wrapped up in the moment. Neither thought sits well with me. I don’t want to lose him. He has the power to completely annihilate me.

He pulls back, his hand still cupping my face, his eyes searching mine. “What’s going on in the pretty head of yours?”

I guess I must be wearing every emotion I’m feeling on my face. “I’m fine,” I lie. “Link?”

“Dealt with. He’ll leave your sister alone now.”

Relief floods my bones, and as he pulls back, I catch sight of the back of his knuckles and gasp. I grab his hand, turning it so I can see the shredded skin. “What happened? You need to have this looked at.”

“I’m fine.” He throws back my lie, which makes me frown.

“Mace.”

“Honestly, baby, I’m fine.” He looks over my shoulder to my brother and sister, who are sitting on the edge of the bed, watching us as if we’re entertainment. “You guys hungry?”

“Starving!” Toby drags the word out dramatically.

“You ate like an hour ago,” Ivy says.

“Which is why I’m hungry now.”

“I’m pregnant and eating less.”

“Come on,” Mace interrupts their bickering. “There’s a place nearby where we can eat, but before we go, I want you to meet some friends of mine.”

He presses a kiss into my hair, and my legs get a little weak. How does he make that simple act seem so sexy?

And it definitely must be, because my sister lets out a dreamy sigh.

I quickly pull on my shoes while my brother and sister do the same, and then we leave the room. Mace’s hand slips into mine, his big palm dwarfing my smaller one. My heart thumps an erratic beat, fluttering wildly in my chest.

What if this isn’t a long-term thing? What if he decides I have far too much baggage?

What if he doesn’t?

What if this is the start of something amazing?

I barely dare to dream it could be everything I want.

He squeezes my hand gently, as if telling me without words he can feel my tension and that it’s okay. I relax instantly, knowing that for now, everything is as good as it can be.

When we step into the bar, there are several tables occupied by men wearing the same vests as Mace. Eyes come to us. We’ve mostly kept to the rooms, seen only by Riley, so it’s no surprise everyone is curious about us.

Mace walks over to a door that leads to an outside space where two men are sitting together. They’re both huge, which isn’t surprising because that seems to be a requirement for this club.

They stand as we approach, the taller of the two quickly stubbing out a cigarette under his boot.

“Maylie, this is Nicky and my foster brother, Nate.”

I never even thought to ask if he was still in contact with any of his foster families, but it makes me happy that he has someone around him since he lost his mum.

“Only he calls me Nate. Everyone else calls me Riot.”

Riot? “Is that because you’re really funny? You know, he’s a good riot?”

He snorts. “Sure. Let’s say it’s because of that.”

I want to know more, but before I can interrogate him, Nicky speaks. “I admired the way you stood up for Sam, but it does make me wonder about your self-preservation skills.” He says it with a completely straight face, which tells me he isn’t kidding.

“I would’ve stood up for anyone in that situation.” I don’t add that I did it because I thought he was going to kill him. I don’t want to scare my brother and sister.

Nicky and Riot exchange glances, a smirk playing on the latter’s face. “I like her.”

“I don’t care if you like her. I like her,” Mace grumbles, and I can’t stop the smile from creeping onto my own face. “Let’s go.”

“It was nice to meet you both,” I say as Mace leads us over to a side gate that opens out onto the car park.

His hand remains firmly in mine as he leads me over to small SUV-type car. We all pile in, and once we’re on the road, his hand rests on my thigh. The heat of his palm sears through the thin material of my leggings, and his thumb swipes close to that delicious apex between my legs.

I’m a bundle of need by the time he pulls into a small car park in front of a restaurant.

My brother and sister are oblivious to the heat pouring off me as they climb out. Mace glances at me, a wicked look crossing his face. “Are you doing okay?”

“You’re a mean man,” I accuse once the doors are shut to the back of the car. His hand slides between my legs, rubbing me through my leggings. I suck in a breath, gripping the handle on the side of the door.

“Why don’t you tell me how mean I am again?”

He presses a kiss to the side of my neck before he pulls away, his hand following.

I grit my teeth, my body vibrating. Bastard.

He gets out the car, and I take a moment to get myself together before I join them. I’m pretty sure my eyes are wild because my sister gives me a knowing look before ducking her head and smirking.

Composing myself as we walk into the building, I have no idea how I’m getting through this meal without feeling like I’m being tortured.

Mace leads us over to a table, and my brother and sister sit one side while I take the chair next to Mace.

His huge body blocks me in, giving me a sense of safety that I have never felt before. If this is all we’re ever going to be, then it will be enough. It has to be. At some point, he’s going to realise how much trouble I am and that I’m not worth the effort.

He’s not exactly going to stick around when I have a screaming baby at home and all my time is spent working to provide for Ivy and her child. If he had any sense, he’d run now.

I keep my smile in place as he hands me a menu and I scan over the prices. Shit. This is expensive, and considering Mace treated me last time, and I’m assuming he bought the meals we had at the clubhouse, I really should get his this time.

“Maybe we should just get some stuff from the supermarket and make something back at the clubhouse,” I suggest.

I can feel the weight of my siblings’ gaze on me, but it’s Mace who speaks. “Why?”

“Because I’d just feel better doing that.”

My brother and sister close the menus, placing them back on the table. They know the score, but Mace hands them back to them. “Pick whatever you want. You’re only allowed one cup of coffee.” He points to my sister. “Ain’t good for the bun you’re bakin’.”

Ivy slides her gaze towards me, a hint of amusement there as well as something else—a softness maybe—that I haven’t seen from her since she started dating Link.

“You’re such a killjoy,” Ivy mutters, but I hear the thread of humour in her voice.

“You want a healthy baby, don’t you?” She nods. “So, only one cup of coffee.” Mace turns to me, handing me back the menu I’d placed on the table. “Your coffee ain’t limited.”

I don’t take the menu from him, my gaze locked on the table. Fuck, this is awkward. “You can’t keep paying for things and sorting all my problems. I’m not your responsibility, Mace.”

The air is so tense, it’s suffocating. Mace blows out a frustrated breath before he slips off his seat. “We’ll be back in a second.”

I’m not sure what he means until he grabs my wrist and tugs me towards him. I have no choice but to follow as he steers me to a corridor at the back of the restaurant that leads to the toilets.

As soon as we’re out of sight, he backs me up against the wall, his huge frame pressing into my space. My body twitches, my pussy craving his touch, and to my complete embarrassment, I let out a needy moan.

Fuck. What the hell is wrong with me?

His hand presses against the wall at the side of my head as he dips his face close to mine. My heart flutters as I lift my lashes to look at him.

“What’s going on with you?”

“You mean besides my sister being in an abusive relationship and pregnant, you coming back with torn-up knuckles which I assume means you beat him up, besides missing my first day as manager, which I’m pretty sure doesn’t set the best example, and the fact I can’t even treat us to breakfast? What could possibly be wrong, Mace?” I ask with a smile on my face to take the sting out of my words. My world is a mess, and none of that includes the problems I’m having with Bernie.

“All of that shit ain’t a problem. Not anymore.”

“All of it is a problem. I’m barely feeding my brother and sister, and in seven months’ time, I’m going to have a newborn baby to take care of as well. Babies need things. They need lots of things. And then you bring us out to breakfast and the prices on that menu make my eyes water. I don’t have the money for things like this. When you said we were going for breakfast, I assumed we’d get a breakfast roll for a few pounds each. I can’t even pay for the three of us, let alone treat you. I am so tired and scared, and I can’t keep doing this. I just want to lie down and stop, but I don’t have that luxury either. And I’m terrified that all of this isn’t real, that you’re going to wake up and realise the giant millstone you’ve tethered yourself to.”

He stares at me, his mouth inches from mine, his eyes scanning my face. There is a ripple of emotion that works across his face before it settles into something I can’t read. “There’s a lot to unpack there.”

“Exactly.” I press my hand against his chest, trying to push him back so I can slide out from beneath him, but Mace doesn’t move so much as an inch. “Please move.”

Am I crying? Could this situation get any more mortifying? Mace already thinks I’m a mess, I don’t need to add a breakdown.

“Baby,” that one word hits me in my chest, spreading warmth through me, “I need you to stop worrying about every little thing. Firstly, we’ll make sure Ivy has everything she needs for her baby. That ain’t an issue at all.”

“That’s not your responsibility.”

Now, I see that flash of irritation that has been building inside him that he has tried so hard to keep under wraps. “Were you or were you not in my bed last night?”

The change in direction has my mouth working before I manage to mutter, “You know I was.”

He leans closer, the scent of his aftershave filling my nose. It’s like a drug, how good he smells. I could just lick him. Just a little taste…

“Do you think I let just anyone sleep next to me?” He scatters my thoughts with those words.

“I don’t know, Mace. We barely know each other. I don’t know what you like, what you hate. I didn’t even know you have a brother until this morning.”

His hand wraps around the back of my neck in a firm grasp. “I have two foster brothers and a sister. Jack and Julie are fuckin’ cunts. I barely see them. Nathan is the only one who’s stayed at my side. You know about Maggie. She raised me in those years after my mum died. About a year ago, she started actin’ weird, forgettin’ shit, forgettin’ names. Docs say it’s some kind of dementia, and it kills me that she ain’t the proud woman I know. Julie stuck her in some shitty fuckin’ assisted living facility that ain’t even worthy of someone like Maggie, but she has all the legal power to do whatever she wants.”

My heart squeezes. His words are sharp, like a knife’s edge, but I still hear the hurt beneath.

“I’m sorry.”

“Bad shit happens to good people all the fuckin’ time, Maylie. It ain’t fair, but it’s how shit goes.” He blows out a breath. “I like pizza, don’t like fish. The fuckin’ smell of it turns my stomach. I love riding. My motorcycle gave me something I craved—freedom. When I’m on the back, I feel invincible, my mind empty of all the bad shit.”

“That sounds amazing.” His fingers sift through my hair to collar the back of my neck, and my skin tingles.

“It is. I’ll take you out with me.”

He wants to take me for a ride on his bike? The thrill that spreads through me is enough to make me suck in a breath through my teeth. “You’d let me go with you?”

“If you’re in my bed, babe, you’re on the back of my bike too.”

Warmth pools in my belly as I peer up at him. He’s so handsome, so perfect. I want to kiss him, and he must see that in my eyes because he dips his head and crushes our mouths together. I immediately open to him, giving his tongue the access it needs to slide inside. If I was to die in the next few minutes, I could go happily, knowing I’d had these moments.

“That sounds amazing.”

“What else?” He considers for a moment. “I hate the beach. Sand gets fuckin’ everywhere.”

“I don’t mind it,” I say around a smile, “but we don’t have to ever go.”

“I love being around you.”

My heart swells. “There’s a lot to unpack there,” I fire his earlier words at him.

“And I love waking up with you.”

“I love that too,” I admit.

He leans in as a customer scurries past us to the bathrooms at the end of the corridor. My cheeks heat, and I expect Mace to move away from me, but he keeps his position, his eyes locked on mine.

Once we’re alone again, he says, “We have all the time in the world to get to know each other, but right now, I know enough to understand this thing between us is fuckin’ real, Maylie. And before you try to talk yourself out of this fact, just remember, I had my fingers inside your cunt this morning and your juices all over my tongue.”

The crassness of his words shocks me. “Mace!” My cheeks heat as I glance up and down the corridor, scared someone might have heard him say that.

“Baby, I know this thing has been fast, but I think we have something special. Something I want to explore. Tell me you want that too. ”

“I do.” I don’t even bother lying—I want that and more.

“Good. Then I think I need to explain some things to you. When we’re together, you don’t pay for shit. I take care of you.”

I stare at him, trying to discern if he’s joking. He’s not. “Well, that’s kind of archaic. I don’t expect you to pay for me.”

He dips his head closer, his breath warm against my skin. “I know, but that’s how I am, darlin’. You’re gonna have to accept that for us to be together. If we go out for breakfast, dinner, whatever the fuck, I ain’t expectin’ you to pay.”

“Okay, but… I come as a package deal, and it’s not fair for you to pay for Ivy and Toby too.”

“Babe, they’re your family, which makes ‘em mine too. You and me datin’ ain’t gonna change anything between the three of you, understand?”

That pleasant sensation washes through me again. Most people would run a mile from me, but he wants to take on all of us, and I never thought I could find that. “I understand.”

“Right. Good. So, please come back to the table, order something to eat—something substantial, not the cheapest fuckin’ thing on the menu—and let me treat my fuckin’ woman like she deserves to be treated.”

My throat feels suddenly tight. “I’m your woman?”

His brows come together. “Did you not listen to anything I just said?”

“I listened. I just… I’m scared this is moving fast and you’re going to wake up and realise what a disaster I am. I’ m… I’m scared of falling for you and you leaving me behind.”

He smiles, which doesn’t thrill me, considering I just bared my soul to him. “Finally, some fuckin’ truth from you.” He brushes his fingers over my cheek before kissing me, and any doubts I might have had disappear the moment his lips touch mine.

I melt into his arms, and when he finally pulls back, he kisses my forehead. It’s such a sweet gesture, and yet heat blazes through me. “Baby, you are the most adorable, beautiful, smart woman I have ever encountered, and someone like me doesn’t deserve all that sunshine you bring. But I’m a bad person, which means I ain’t gonna step aside to let someone else have you, someone more deserving. I want you, disasters and all, but your shit ain’t even that much of a problem, darlin’. I’ve dealt with far fuckin’ worse over the years.”

I grip the front of his leather vest, holding him tight, scared all of this is going to slip away. “I know it might ruin your reputation as this hardened biker, but you’re a good man, Mace, and that’s why I’m so scared.”

“You don’t have anything to be scared of. I’m all in this.”

The knot in my chest loosens, letting my heart pump fully. “So am I.”

“Good. Let’s eat, and then later, I’ll eat you.”

My pussy throbs. “Mace!”

“What?” His hand slides down between us to cup me between my legs. The fabric of my pants is annoyingly in the way of the delicious friction he creates as he presses against that sensitive spot. “This cunt is mine, Maylie Fernsby. ”

“You have a dirty mouth,” I say around a smile.

“Yeah, but you like it.”

I roll my eyes at him, even though I do, and he takes my hand, leading me back to the table. I ignore the smirks from my siblings as I pick up the menu and scan the pages. Mace slides in next to me, his hand resting on my thigh, and for the first time in a really long time, I feel like everything is going to be okay.