by L. Wilder
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Me: Henley – you’ve been warned
Unknown caller: Message failed to be recognized
“For fucks sake,” I groaned as I returned my phone to my back pocket.
“Henley?”
“None other.”
“She giving you a hard time? Can’t handle sweet, little Henley?” he laughed out loud.
“Oh…I’ll handle her. You can count on that,” I huffed as I went in search of my little troublemaker.
Chapter 12
Henley
“Dusty looked so happy with Maverick,” I told Cassidy as she tossed another bag into the large garbage bin.
“Yeah, all the guys seem to have a soft spot for him. I can’t really blame them. He’s an awesome kid.”
“It makes me feel a little bad for messing with Maverick so much over the last couple of days,” I confessed. A part of me wondered if I was going too far, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
“You need to lay off before you really piss him off,” Cassidy warned as I closed the lid on the dumpster.
“You’re no fun, sis. It’s just a few text messages,” I smirked, following her back into the bar. It was pretty quiet except for a few of the guys sitting at the back table, drinking a beer. They were having an intense conversation and didn’t even look up when we walked in.
“Henley, I think something bad happened with the club today. Everyone is on edge. You better lay off for a little while.”
“Maybe, but,” I told her, smiling, as I sat down at the bar, watching her start to take inventory.
“Henley… what did you do?” she probed.
“Well… let’s just say that the little stop we made on the way home from Dallas’ house wasn’t for me.”
“You mean the drugstore? You said you needed tampons,” she said, placing her hands on her hips.
“I did, but I may have bought a few other things while I was in there,” I told her, shrugging my shoulders.
She let out a deep, disapproving sigh and said, “Oh God, Henley. He’s going to blow a gasket.”
“Probably. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he goes into that bathroom. It’s going to be savage,” I told her as I laughed so loud several of the guys turned to look at me.
“Well, don’t come crying to me when he …”
“Henley!” Maverick roared behind my back.
My heart started to race at the sound of my name rolling off of his tongue. I didn’t have to turn around to know he was furious with me. I could hear it in his voice.
The subtle hint of cologne and leather whirled around me as I turned to face him. Smiling at him with my most innocent smile, I said, “Hey, there, Maverick. How’s it going?” The closeness of his body next to mine made my knees begin to tremble, but I did my best to ignore my traitorous body.
He stepped closer, his face inches from mine, and said, “No more of your bullshit, Henley. No more fucking text messages and no more of that shit you put in my bathroom.” I was right. He was pissed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, trying to hold back my laughter.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. There’s going to be hell to pay if you don’t stop this shit right now!” he growled, glaring at me with rage in his eyes. Even though his reaction wasn’t exactly what I was going for, at least I’d distracted him from his world of gloom and doom for a little while.
“Well… just so you know, Preparation H isn’t just for hemorrhoids anymore. Lots of people use it for wrinkle cream. You might try it on those little crow’s feet you’re getting in the corner of your eyes from all that scowling you’ve been doing,” I told him as I grazed my teeth over my bottom lip, still trying my best not to laugh in his face. He slowly dragged both of his hands down his face, trying to contain his frustration, which made it even more challenging for me not to continue. I just couldn’t help myself.
“And, you know, fiber is really good for your digestive system. It might help regulate your…”
“You think you’re pretty slick, don’t you?” he said. The expression on his face was slowly beginning to change, softening just a bit. A wave of satisfaction washed over me when I realized I was getting to him. As he stepped closer to me, he lifted his hand up to my face and tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. “You should know something, Henley.”
“What’s that?” I whispered, feeling my knees weaken by the slight touch of his hand.
“Pay back’s a bitch,” he told me with a panty-melting wink. A little shiver of anticipation crept down my spine, while I stood there, looking at him with that sexy smirk on his face. That smile could bring a girl to her knees, and I would do just about anything to keep it right there on his handsome face.
“Bring it on,” I told him as I put on my brave front and walked out of the room. I couldn’t help but wonder if he really had it in him to get me back and just how far he’d be willing to go, but I looked forward to finding out.
I managed to talk Cassidy into letting me use her laptop. Over the past few days, I’d been obsessed with searching for practical jokes. I tried a few on Maverick. Vaseline on his doorknob, a sexy male model poster hanging over his bed, and changing all his radio stations to Rap. I kept waiting for him to call me out or get me back, and I was a little disappointed when he had no reaction whatsoever to any of it. I was busy searching for my next big stunt when there was a knock on my door. When I opened it, I was surprised to see Guardrail standing there.
“Hey, Kane. How’s it going?” I asked, wondering what I’d done to have the VP come knocking at my door.
“Allie’s going to babysit Dusty tonight, and she wanted to know if you’d like to go with her.”
“Sure! I’d love to,” I told him as I quickly closed the laptop.
“She’s waiting for you out front. I’ll let Maverick know where you are, and I’ll send one of the brothers along with you to keep an eye on things.”
“Great. Thanks for asking me. I’ll be right out.” I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and grabbed my purse before heading out front to meet Allie. When I got there, Maverick was busy talking to several of the prospects. They were all intently listening to whatever he was saying; however, his mouth stopped moving the moment he saw me heading in their direction. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he watched me walk over to Allie, and it made me wonder what they were talking about. I was still staring at him when Allie called out to me.
“Hey, Henley. You ready to roll?” Allie asked while she pulled her long hair up into a messy bun. She was wearing a short pencil skirt and high heels, and her smile was bright and welcoming. I could see why Guardrail was so smitten with her.
“You bet. Thanks for asking me to tag along. I needed to get out of that place for a little while,” I told her as I got into the passenger seat of her car.
“Girl, I know. There’s only so much testosterone a girl can take!” she said, laughing.
“Testosterone and sweat!” I snorted.
We were both still laughing when we pulled out of the driveway, but my smile faded when I spotted Maverick. His green eyes were focused completely on me as he continued to talk to the prospects. The minute he was out of my line of sight, I found myself longing to be back there, looking at him and watching his every move. Damn. What was wrong with me? Was I really turning into one of those crazy stalker ladies who drool over some guy who wasn’t even interested in them? Yep. I had a thing for the Grinch.
I was relieved to have a distraction from Maverick, even if it was only for a few hours. We spent the night playing Candy Land and Hungry Hungry Hippos with Dusty. Allie and I were completely out of practice, and Dusty won every single game. Seeing the smile on his face made me want to keep playing, even after Da
llas came home.
I really enjoyed having the time to get to know Allie better. She was so easy to talk to, and her eyes sparkled when she told me about the youth center Guardrail was building for her company. Now that it was almost complete, she was planning a huge grand opening celebration. Between that and her upcoming wedding, I couldn’t imagine her being any happier.
“I have the final fitting for my dress next week. Would you mind going with me? Tell me what you think? I really need an honest opinion,” Allie asked.
“I’m sure it will be perfect, but I would love to go with you.”
“Great. I’ll let Kane know so he can get it worked out with Maverick.”
“He’ll want to send the cavalry along with us. Hope you’re okay with that,” I warned her.
“Girl, I’m used to it. I’m lucky if I can go to the grocery store without someone tagging along. But after everything that happened with Tony, I like knowing that he’s looking out for me,” she explained.
“Actually sounds kind of nice when you put it like that,” I confessed.
“When you find someone who loves you enough to put your life before their own, there’s nothing like it in the world. I never thought I would find it, but now that I have, I’m going to hold on to it.” I could see the love in her eyes as she spoke of their relationship. I found myself wanting that kind of love.
When we pulled through the gates of the clubhouse, things were oddly quiet. After making plans to meet Allie after lunch tomorrow, I headed inside. I couldn’t figure out where everyone had gone. Usually, the place was humming with the guys moving about and music blaring from the bar. I considered myself lucky to have a quiet night and headed to my room for a hot shower.
When I turned the doorknob, I heard a strange rustle behind my door. Thinking maybe someone was in there, I quickly swung my door open. Before I could move out of the way, a gazillion packing peanuts came barreling into the hall, covering my feet and ankles in white. I stood there, frozen, stunned by the mountain of Styrofoam pieces that filled my room. There wasn’t a place where I could look that wasn’t covered.
“What the hell?” I screeched as they continued to cascade down through the doorway.
My attention was instantly drawn over to a dark corner at my left when Maverick purposefully cleared his throat. Gloating, he stood with his arms crossed, wearing the sexiest smile I have ever seen in my life. Just looking at him, with his childlike expression of pure satisfaction, made me want to wrap my arms around him. I should’ve been pissed. I should’ve wanted to scream and yell at him, but seeing that look on his face was worth every single little piece of Styrofoam in that room.
“You did this?” I asked, laughing, as I pointed toward the huge mess in my room.
He nodded, still smiling with pride.
I looked back at my room for just a brief moment, making sure I wasn’t dreaming. Styrofoam crunched beneath my feet as I walked over to him and said, “You’re pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Yep,” he snickered.
“I have to admit,” I said, motioning toward my room, “that is pretty impressive.” He remained silent as I continued, “I mean, that took some time. I bet you enjoyed planning this all out. Thinking of the perfect way to get me back and waiting for just the right time.” I stopped talking when he took a step closer to me.
“I did.” His voice was raspy and deep as he inched closer to me. My knees trembled ever so slightly as the warmth of his breath caressed my neck. “All the time it took to get those damn things shoved into your room. It was worth every second to see the look on your face when you opened that door,” he whispered.
My eyes drifted down to his perfect, round lips. Unable to stop myself, I leaned into him and pressed my mouth against his. His arms immediately wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. A light moan vibrated through my chest as his tongue gently ran across my bottom lip. I couldn’t hide my attraction to him any longer, not from him, not from myself. His hands slowly reached up to the sides of my face as I opened my mouth to him. The kiss became demanding, sending an involuntary shudder down my spine. This man had consumed my thoughts, my dreams, my very existence for weeks, and now, in this moment, he was consuming my heart. His scent, his touch, the heat of his body next to mine. I wanted all of him. My hands roamed across his broad chest, feeling his muscles tighten as he continued to claim me with his mouth. I wanted to remember everything about this moment. The feel of his hands against my body. The taste of him against my tongue. Every miniscule detail about this moment would be locked away forever in my memory. Without me even realizing it, Maverick had claimed my heart, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he would do with it.
With my back pressed against the wall, he pulled back, releasing me from our embrace and repeated, “Worth every damn second.”
Chapter 13
Maverick
I’d been sitting at the bar for over an hour, watching Henley and Cassidy carry out an endless line of garbage bags from her room. She’d slowly lost that adorable smile she was wearing last night, and now she was pouting. Each time she walked past me, her look of irritation grew. I wanted to stop her and pull her close to me, so I could feel her lips against mine. I wanted to feel her go limp in my arms and make her smile like she did last night. Before I could call out to her, Guardrail came and sat down beside me.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Guardrail asked as he watched them walk out the back door.
“Not as much as I thought I would,” I confessed.
“You could’ve had the prospects help her,” he suggested.
“Yeah, but where is the fun in that?” I asked as my eyes involuntarily wandered to the back door, waiting for her to come back in.
“Ahhh, brother… she’s getting to you,” he told me with a knowing smile.
“She’s a pain in the ass.” Even as I said the words, I knew I didn’t mean it. I couldn’t even look at her without thinking of her lips on mine. That one moment of being with her made the hell I had been going through just seem to fade into a distant memory.
“Been awhile since I’ve seen you like this, brother. Pain in the ass or not… she’s been good for you,” he stated. He stood, resting his hand on my shoulder, and said, “Get the prospects to finish cleaning up that mess you made.”
Knowing that I had put it off long enough, I picked up my phone and ordered Cooter to get it done. “Cooter’s on it.”
“Big Mike has been in contact with other clubs in the area. So far, we’re the only target, but that isn’t really a surprise. We all know we are the only ones capable of trafficking on a large scale. There has to be a connection we’re missing,” he explained.
“I think we’ve been looking at this all wrong. I don’t think this is about some pissed-off club trying to get back at us,” I told him. “These motherfuckers don’t give a damn about us or our club. These guys are after our territory.”
“And?” Guardrail questioned.
“It’s time for us to figure out who is looking to take over our claim on Clallam County. It’s a prime location for illegal distribution with all the different ports along the coast. Any idiot could look at a map and see that. We just need to find out who is looking for a new place to move their product.”
“I’ll talk to Cotton. We’ll get Big Mike to do some digging and see what he can come up with,” he said as he stood to leave.
After talking with Guardrail, Cotton called us all into church. It didn’t take long for him to explain everything to the guys. They all agreed that the chances of someone trying to take over our territory was a real possibility, but finding out who wasn’t going to be easy. Cotton planned to get Nitro to look into things on his end to see if he could find any leads.
I was on my way to find Henley when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I was surprised to see that it was Lily calling. I hadn’t heard from her in a few weeks, making me worried that something might be wrong.
“Lily?” I as
ked.
“Hey, Maverick. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Is everything okay with John Warren?” I asked, unable to hide the panic in my voice.
“Yes, he’s fine. He’s doing great… growing like a weed. He’s practically taken over the place—walking, climbing, running. He never stays put,” she said, laughing. I could hear the love in her voice when she spoke of him, reassuring me once again that he was exactly where he needed to be.
“Good.” My chest tightened at the thought of seeing him again. There was so much I’d missed, and I hated myself for not checking on him more. I should’ve wanted to know everything about him. I should have, but I couldn’t. Instead, I pushed it to the back of my mind, trying to forget, trying to pretend that none of it ever happened. It was just easier that way, easier not to think about what an asshole I really was. “Is there a reason you called, Lily?”
“You know how I told you a few weeks ago that we’re trying to get everything finalized with the adoption? Well, now they’re really pushing for a DNA test. I thought the birth certificate would be enough, but they want to be sure. Would you mind…” she started.
“When?”
“If it’s okay with you, I was thinking you could come here to do it. Then you could spend some time with John Warren. They said we could get the results within twenty-four hours, so you could sign the papers while you were still here,” she explained. “I know that’s asking a lot, but…”
“I’ll come as soon as I can. If I can work it out, I’ll leave tonight,” I told her.
“That would be great. I know John Warren would love to see you, and maybe you could spend some time with Gavin while you are here.”
I hadn’t seen Gavin since the day he left for Tennessee. We’d spoken on the phone a few times, and the way he talked about working in the garage and prospecting for their club let me know he’d made the right decision about moving. That didn’t mean I didn’t miss having him around.