The Long Road Home: A Devil Chaser's MC Novella

by L. Wilder

  “Thanks, Slick,” I told her, taking the bottle from her hand. Her full lips curved into a sexy smile, tempting me to pull her close. “You ready to go?”

  She laid the palm of her hand on my chest and said, “You really want me to go? I don’t mind staying here. I can hang out with Bobby or Gavin until you get back.”

  “No, you’re coming. Lily said it shouldn’t take long, so I thought I’d show you around the lake when we get done, maybe grab a bite to eat.”

  “I’d like that.”

  With Lily and Goliath following behind us in their car, we headed over to the lawyer’s office. We drove in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I couldn’t stop thinking about the night I took JW back to Lily and Goliath—the night that sealed my fate, our fate. Every decision I’d made over the past year had a rippling effect, and I wondered if it all ended today. Would it—could it ever really end?

  When we pulled into the parking lot, Ana was leaning against her car with a large, yellow envelope in her hand. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she was wearing her scrubs. Even in her work clothes, it was easy to see why Sheppard had fallen for her. She was beautiful and smart. Almost dying in that river was the best thing that ever happened to him.

  Goliath pulled in next to me, and as we were getting out of the car, Ana walked over to us with a troubled look on her face. When she reached Lily, she said, “Hey, I need to talk to you before we go inside.”

  “Why? What’s going on?” she asked.

  The distressed look on Ana’s face said it all. Something was wrong.

  “It’s the DNA test results. I don’t know how to tell you this…” she started as her eyes skirted over to me. Fuck. What the hell was that look? Whatever was bothering her obviously had something to do with me, but I had no idea what it could be.

  “What is it? Just say it already,” I demanded, feeling my heart pound against my chest. I tried to think of all the things that they might find in a DNA test. Was John Warren sick? Did he have some kind of genetic defect because of me?

  Lily looked at Ana with a pleading look in her eyes. “Just tell us, Ana,” she begged.

  “The test results showed that …. Maverick isn’t John Warren’s father. After analyzing all the markers, they determined that the percentages were just too low for him to be the father,” she explained.

  “Then the fucking test is wrong!” I roared.

  “I don’t know what to say. There has to be some kind of mistake! We all know that Maverick is John Warren’s father!” Lily shouted hysterically. “It just doesn’t make any sense!”

  A million thoughts were running through my head, and when I tried to speak, the words just wouldn’t come. The rage began to boil in my gut when I finally realized what Ana’s words really meant.

  “Lily, I don’t know what to say. I’ve gone over it a hundred times. The results show that Maverick is indeed a close relative, but he’s not the father,” she tried to explain.

  As soon as the word relative came from her mouth, I knew. Gavin was John Warren’s father. I think a part of me had known all along that I wasn’t his father. I’d felt it whenever I held him in my arms, certain something wasn’t right. Now, hearing the words out loud… knowing that I hadn’t been fucking crazy, made the ground shake beneath me. How the hell could I have been so goddamn blind? I took a deep breath, trying to slow the storm of thoughts that were spinning in my head. I couldn’t figure out how the fuck this happened? Gavin… Gavin was John Warren’s father. I was sure of it. Fuck! How could he watch me go through hell, and never say a goddamn thing?

  Fury soared through my body. I’d spent the past six months thinking I was some kind of monster. Gavin knew how tormented I was, how broken I had become and the self-loathing I felt for not being the father John Warren needed. I thought I was incapable of being there for him… my own child. I detested the very thought of it. I tried to make excuses, telling myself I was protecting him from the club. But I knew that was never really why. It was me, only me I was protecting him from.

  “Maverick,” Henley whispered with a pained look on her face. She placed her hand on my arm, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “It’s Gavin. He’s the father. He’s the only living relative I have,” I told Lily through gritted teeth. I took another deep breath, trying to calm my anger. I’d never felt such rage, such hurt. I took a step back, taking a deep breath. Then, just as suddenly as the onslaught of my initial rage from Gavin’s betrayal, it happened. Like a dim light shining through the black clouds, the darkness that had been surrounding me for fucking months was starting to fade away as an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me. Like the rolling in of the ocean’s tide, wave after wave of increasing relief, cleansing me of my guilt, my self-hatred, and my despair. John Warren wasn’t my son. I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t losing my mind. My instincts were right all along. “Call him. He won’t do anything to stand in your way of the adoption. He knows JW belongs with you,” I told her.

  “But how? How did this happen?” Lily asked with her voice trembling.

  “He failed to mention he was screwing Hailey, so you’ll have to ask him about that,” I snapped. The very thought of him being with Hailey and never telling me about it made my hands tremble with anger.

  “I’ll call him,” Goliath told her as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest. “We’ll figure this thing out.”

  I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to get the hell out of there. I needed to get this shit sorted in my head before I talked to Gavin. Right now, I couldn’t think about it. I needed an escape.

  “I’m taking Henley over to Paris Landing. Call me if you need me,” I told them, taking hold of Henley’s hand, and without either of us saying goodbye, I led her over to the car. I knew it was a shitty thing to do, leaving them alone to sort out this mess with Gavin, but I couldn’t stay. I wasn’t ready to deal with my brother.

  I started the engine and neither of us spoke as I pulled out of the parking lot. I’d been driving for almost an hour when Henley cleared her throat and asked, “Hey… are you okay?”

  “No, but I will be,” I told her.

  “Maverick, I’m really sorry,” she told me.

  “Nothing for you to be sorry about, Henley. This had nothing to do with you.”

  “Maybe not, but I’m still sorry all the same.” She tried to brush her long bangs behind her ear and looked out the window. She let out a deep sigh before she said, “I’m just going to say it. I’m pissed at Gavin. Totally, absolutely pissed! Like chop off his balls kind of pissed. He’s such an asshole for not telling you,” she snapped. “I know it wouldn’t have been easy, but he should have said something! Like, ‘Hey, Maverick, I screwed your girlfriend. Sorry about that!’”

  “He saw the hell I was going through. How could he not say something?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I can’t imagine keeping something like that from Cassidy, but I’m sure Gavin had his reasons.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what his reasons were, he should’ve talked to me about it.”

  “You’re right. So what now?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

  “You’ll sort it out. He’s your brother, and he’s about to find out that he’s a father. It isn’t going to be easy for him.”

  “You know what’s crazy? I’m actually relieved that Gavin’s the father. Totally, profoundly… relieved. How fucked up is that?” I confessed. “Don’t get me wrong. I love John Warren, always have. But when I held him in my arms, it just didn’t feel like he was mine. It’s hard to explain. Something didn’t feel right. I cared for him. Loved him and wanted to protect him, but I felt this emptiness in the pit of my stomach. I thought I was fucked up, that something was wrong with me, and I honestly felt like he was better off with Lily and Goliath.”

  “There was never anything wrong with you, Maverick. Your instincts were right, and in the end, you were doing what you though
t was best for John Warren. That’s all that really matters.”

  “I really did want him to be happy, to be safe. I knew Lily would be a good mother to him,” I told her.

  “Of course, you did. Lily and Goliath adore that child. You made them all very happy.”

  “Gavin…” I started, but his name got stuck in my throat.

  “Is an asshole,” she said, laughing under her breath.

  When I looked over to her and saw that sexy, little grin spreading across her face, I couldn’t help but smile back at her. Damn. My world had just been turned upside down, and Henley was here making me fucking smile. What was it about this girl? She had me thinking I might just have a future worth fighting for—a future with her.

  Chapter 18

  Henley

  The minute Maverick parked the car, I jumped out and headed for the dock. It was such a beautiful day, and I wanted to get a better view of all the boats. As I started along the wooded walkway, the warmth of the afternoon sun was comforting. The waves rocked back and forth beneath my feet, and the cool water seemed to call out my name, begging me to jump in. I continued to walk along the narrow wooded path, completely enthralled with the luxury houseboats that lined the dock, and I desperately wanted to look inside one of them. A large, white yacht with golden trim caught my attention, and I just had to look inside. Leaning over to peek in one of the windows, I heard Maverick’s footsteps coming up behind me. When I looked over at him, there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the back of the yacht.

  “Whoa! What are you doing?” I asked as my feet stumbled behind him.

  “Watch your step,” he warned, stepping over the ledge and onto the massive boat.

  As I followed him up on the railing, I saw the name, The Emma Lou, that was written on the side. I’d never heard him talk about anyone named Emma, so I asked, “Wait… do you actually know the people who own this boat?”

  “No,” he answered nonchalantly. Still holding my hand, he gently tugged me toward the back door of the boat.

  “What do you mean, no? Doesn’t that mean we’re trespassing?” I questioned. I quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching us. I’d never done anything like this, and I couldn’t imagine being any more excited than I was at that moment.

  “Technically, yes,” he laughed. He reached for his wallet and pulled out one of his credit cards, carefully nudging it between the door and the lock. When the door popped open, he gave me a devilish grin and motioned for me to step inside.

  “What if someone saw us?” I asked, looking out the large glass window, still paranoid that someone might have seen us.

  “Then we’ll probably get arrested,” he snickered.

  “Maverick!”

  “Henley, look around. No one has been on this boat in weeks. There are no swimsuits, no food or drinks. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to steal their boat. We’re just looking around,” he explained as he leaned against the kitchen sink.

  “I’ve never been on one of these before. Have you?” I asked, running my hand over the smooth marble countertop.

  “First time,” he said, following me into the living room.

  When I looked around, I was amazed at how luxurious the yacht really was. Every corner and crevice sparkled with elegance. The sunlight bounced off the large crystal chandelier, casting an orange glow, making it feel more like a home than just a boat. Each piece of furniture looked like it was picked out by their own personal designer. I’d never seen anything like it. The floor-to-ceiling windows basked the entire interior with the warm light of the sun. The master bedroom was perfect, with its oversized sleigh bed facing the river. I could imagine myself watching a gorgeous sunset every single night through the beautiful bay windows.

  Maverick’s spirit seemed to improve as we walked through the enormous boat, each room just as impressive as the last. When we came to the last one, Maverick stopped at the doorway and stared at me while I looked at the large painting of sunflowers hanging on the wall.

  “Thank you,” I whispered as I walked over to him. “Not for the breaking and entering exactly, but the rest of it. Thanks for bringing me here. Showing me this place. It’s really amazing.”

  “Come here,” he demanded, his voice low and filled with a hint of mischief. A thrill shot through me as I stepped closer to him, feeling the heat of his stare burn against my flesh. When I was face-to-face with him, I placed my palms flat against his chest, trying to steady myself from my shaky knees. His hands dropped to my waist, pulling me closer to him. He leaned over me, his lips trailing kisses down my neck.

  He reached for the hem of my t-shirt, quickly pulling it over my head. As soon as my favorite pink bra hit the floor, he kissed me—an aggressive, bruising, mind-blowing kiss. I wasn’t patient. I needed to feel him against my body to ease the growing desire that was building in my stomach. My fingers slid up under his shirt, feeling the muscles of his stomach grow taut against the touch of my fingertips. I eased the soft fabric t-shirt over his head and tossed it toward the bed.

  He was reaching for the button of my shorts when I said, “We’re going to be in so much trouble if these people come home and find us here screwing around in their bed.” It was a warning, but I didn’t want to stop; stopping was the last thing I wanted to do. There was something about the thought of getting caught that actually enticed me even more.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Thinking about getting caught turns you on, doesn’t it?” he teased.

  “Maybe,” I confessed. The sound of his zipper sliding down sent a jolt of excitement through me. This man had me imagining all sorts of things—very naughty, wicked things. Unable to hide the thoughts that were going through my head, a devious smile crept across my face. I slowly dropped to my knees, reaching out for the waistband of his jeans. His eyes widened when I started to inch his jeans down his hips.

  A torturous groan vibrated through his chest when I took him in my hand and began to stroke up and down his hard, rigid shaft. His fingers clamped around the edge of the dresser, and his eyes shut when I brushed my tongue across the head of his dick.

  “Fuck,” he mumbled as I took him deep in my mouth. I continued to stroke him slowly, with my fingers wound tightly around his cock, feeling him throb against my tongue. His fingers tangled in my hair as his hips thrust forward, guiding me to take him deeper. I wasn’t exactly confident I was doing it right, but seeing how his body responded to my touch gave me such a sense of power. The thought of making this man lose control with just my mouth exhilarated me, fueled my desire, and made me want him even more. With just the twist of my hand, a guttural moan echoed through the room and a pained expression crossed his face.

  I loved seeing him fall apart by my touch, and I was shocked when I was suddenly yanked up from the floor and carried over to the bed. He dropped me, with my back lying flat against the mattress. I propped up on my elbows and watched him slowly lower my shorts down my legs.

  “Hey!” I protested.

  He whispered, “I love your mouth, Henley, but I want to be inside you.”

  I anxiously awaited as he tore the condom wrapper with his teeth and slowly slid the latex down his long, hard shaft. He hovered between my legs, and goosebumps rose from my flesh, while I watched his eyes roam over every inch of my bare skin.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful, Henley,” he whispered, the heat of his breath caressing my neck.

  His calloused thumb circled around my nipple, and my hips bucked toward him, needing to feel him inside me. “Please,” I begged.

  His warm, wet tongue pressed against my breast as he said, “Please what, Henley? Tell me what you want.” He was teasing me with his words, driving me wild with anticipation.

  “You, Logan. I want you,” I purred. When I looked at him, his eyes were filled with hunger, hunger for me. It gave me a thrill to see him looking at me like that. My body shuddered beneath him, unable to withstand the intensity of hi
s gaze. My heart pounded furiously in my chest, and in that moment, I knew. Logan had stolen my heart, and there was nothing I could do about it. I loved him, body and soul. His eyes were still locked on mine when he drove deep inside me… harder and faster than I expected. A strangled cry of relief got caught in my throat when he pulled out to the tip and then pushed back inside me. My nails dug into his back as I tilted my hips forward, welcoming his invasion. His eyes were locked on mine while he thrust inside of me, again and again. I slowly raised my knees up to his hips, pulling him deeper inside me. A low groan of pleasure vibrated through his chest as he steadied his stride, easing his rhythm to a slow, demanding pace.

  I couldn’t take it. I needed more. All of his restraint began to vanish as my body started to tremble and writhe beneath him. With one hand on my hip and the other on my shoulder, he ground his hips against mine. A jolt of pleasure shot through me when he deepened the angle, making my body clamp down around him. The muscles in my body grew tight as my release began to build, burning deep in my stomach. I lifted my hips, trying to match his unrelenting rhythm, but it was too much. The warmth of his body, the consuming burn of his touch, sent me over the edge. My hands reached for the sheets at my side, fisting them tightly when my body began to tremble uncontrollably as my orgasm took hold.

  “That’s it, baby. I want to feel you come. Your pussy is so fucking tight,” he groaned, and just the sound of his voice sent me spiraling out of control. With a look of pure ecstasy on his face, he quickened his pace. I arched my back as my orgasm seized against my spine. He leaned over me, pressing his lips against mine, smothering my moans of ecstasy. Sweat trickled down his back, while his body continued to pound into mine. I wound my legs around his hips, pulling him deeper inside me. With one last, powerful thrust, he found his own release. He held us there, motionless, until his body collapsed against mine.