by L. Wilder
“He went to talk to Cotton. If you’ve got a minute, I’d like to ask you about something.”
“Okay? Come on in,” he said as he stepped out of the doorway.
“So… Maverick told me about your idea?” I lied. I knew he wouldn’t talk to me about it, otherwise. His eyebrows pinched together as he struggled with whether he should believe me or not. He was struggling and didn’t know what to say.
“Well, he didn’t like the idea, so there’s no point talking about it,” he said, turning away from me.
“Come on, Mike. Don’t be like that. I really think this could solve everything. We’d just need to figure out how this whole thing would work,” I explained. I still had no idea what I was talking about, but I could see the wheels start to turn behind his eyes.
“Maverick will shit a brick if he finds out I’m even talking to you about this,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, well, what else is new? He has a conniption fit about everything,” I said smiling. I didn’t like keeping this from Maverick, but I didn’t know any other way. “I just don’t see how it could work?”
“It’s a stupid idea, Henley. It’s just too dangerous. Maverick was right, using you just isn’t an option.”
“I think you both are wrong about that,” I snapped.
“It is too dangerous. Using you as bait was a stupid idea, and who knows if that tracker on your car is still working? And even if we were there waiting for them, it is just too risky. Anything could happen.”
“That’s the one thing that I don’t understand. Why would they still want me? I don’t really have anything to do with your club.”
“These men are different, Henley. Whoever they are, they aren’t the kind of people who like to leave loose ends. You’re the only one who can tie them to Skidrow’s murder, and they won’t want to take a chance on you burning them later down the road.”
It made sense, but I still found it hard to believe that these men would really come after me. “What does Cotton think about your idea?”
“I haven’t said anything to him. Maverick…”
“I’m not telling you to go against Maverick. I know you aren’t in the position to do that. It would take a lot to change his mind, but if you think it’s a good idea, you should push for it. I am willing to do whatever the club needs me to do.”
“Henley, just let it go. I’ve already told you. These men are dangerous. They aren’t the kind of guys you mess around with or you could end up getting yourself killed. Maverick’s right. We’ll find another way,” he warned.
“Okay, maybe you are right.” I could hear it in his voice that he had no intention of going against Maverick. I didn’t blame him. No one wanted to piss him off, especially me.
It was well after midnight when Maverick finally came to bed. The sounds of his snoring echoed through the room, but I didn’t have the heart to nudge him. He’d had such a long day, and the deep sleep would do him good. The air conditioner was set on high, so the room was absolutely freezing. My toes felt like ice as I snuggled up beside him, enjoying the heat that radiated off of his warm body. Once I was able to stop my jaw from chattering, I closed my eyes and tried to welcome the exhaustion that was overtaking my body. I just wanted to sleep, to forget all the thoughts that were racing through my head. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Big Mike had said. There had to be a way to make his plan work without really putting myself in danger. When I couldn’t think of a safe plan, one that didn’t involve me getting brutally murdered, I gave up and finally went to sleep.
Sometime in the middle of the night, I felt Maverick kissing along my neck. He continued to nip and suck along my neck and shoulder, while he eased my lace panties down my hips. My back was pressed against his chest as I pushed my ass back against his hard cock. That’s all it took. We spent the next hour making love, and the world around us disappeared. There were no thoughts of Tennessee or overheard phone conversations. It was just him and me, and nothing else mattered. I loved him. He made me feel safe and secure, and being wrapped up in his arms was the only place I wanted to be.
I was still in a sex-induced coma when Maverick gave me a swift slap against my ass and said, “Hey, Slick. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
He’d just gotten out of the shower, and his tousled wet hair fell low across his eyebrows. His black t-shirt hugged across his chest, showing off his broad shoulders, and his faded jeans fell just below his hips. Just seeing him standing there looking so damn gorgeous snapped me out of my haze. “Wait! Where are you going?” I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes as I sat up in the bed.
“Heading over to the hospital. I’ve got someone I need to see.”
I didn’t miss the lack of information he’d just provided, like who he was going to see and why, so I hesitated for just a minute before I asked, “Mind if I tag along?”
“You going to behave?” he smirked.
“Maverick, I always behave. Now, can I go or not?” I said, giving him my most innocent smile.
“You can come, but you’ll have to hang back while I go inside,” he told me, crossing his arms across his chest. “It’s business, Henley. No fucking around.”
“Yes, Boss. I’ll do anything you tell me to.”
“Hmmm… anything?” he growled. “I’ll take you up on that when we get back.” His lips crashed against mine as he pulled me to my feet, kissing me with such passion and heat that my knees buckled beneath me. He held me close to his chest, claiming me with his mouth. I was about to melt there on the spot, when he pulled himself from our embrace. “We need to go,” he said, smacking me on the ass again.
“You’re going to pay for that mister!” I told him with my finger pointed towards him. I shook my head as I walked to the bathroom to get ready to go. “Totally going to pay.”
“Bring it on, Slick,” he taunted before I closed the door behind me.
Once I was dressed, I followed him out to his bike. He held out his hand to me, helping me get on behind him. I fastened my helmet while he started up the engine, and within seconds, we were out on the main road. I loved riding with him. There was nothing like being so close to him as he sped through the traffic. I’d never felt so alive, and I was almost disappointed when he pulled into the hospital parking lot.
Just as we were stepping off the elevator, Maverick turned to me and said, “His room is down the hall. You can just hang out in the waiting room.”
“Okay.”
“I won’t be long,” he assured me.
He kissed me quickly on the lips before he headed down the hall. When he disappeared into the hospital room, I went to the waiting room and sat down in the only empty seat. After flipping through the pages of three different magazines, I began to get restless. I tried to be patient… tried to do what he told me to, but I couldn’t stop wondering who was lying in that hospital bed. When I couldn’t take it any longer, I got up from my seat, and slowly walked out of the crowded waiting room. The hallway seemed so much longer than it did thirty minutes ago, and I was having a hard time remembering where he turned to go into that room. I was about to give up and go back to the waiting room when I heard Maverick. His voice was low, but I could tell that he was upset.
When I stepped up to the glass window, and peered into the room, I saw Maverick try to console his hurting friend. I’d never seen this man before, so I knew he wasn’t one of Maverick’s brothers. I had no idea what had happened to him, but it was obviously bad – very bad. His face was deathly pale, and he was covered in bandages. He looked like he was in horrible pain as he laid there listening to Maverick. Every so often, he would wince when he struggled to respond to Maverick. He could barely talk, barely move as Maverick tried to talk to him. My chest tightened when I realized that he didn’t have cuts or scratches. There were no signs of bruising that might have come from some sort of accident. He’d been shot – more times than I could count. When I looked over to Maverick and saw the look of anguish on his face, I wan
ted to go to him, try to comfort him, but I knew I couldn’t. I had to get back to the waiting room before he saw me.
I rushed back to my seat in the waiting room, and tried shake the image of what I had seen from my mind. I couldn’t stop obsessing over the bullet wounds that covered the man’s body. Who could have done that to him? Was it the same men that killed Skidrow? I wasn’t sure how, but the man lying in that hospital bed had to have some tie to the club, and it scared me. Things weren’t getting any better, and I wished there was something I could do to help them.
Chapter 21
Maverick
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NITRO WASN’T MUCH help. He was still in a lot of pain, and it was hard for him to talk about it. He told me it was dark, and he couldn’t see who it was that shot him. It was bugging the shit out of him that he didn’t know more. In all the years Satan’s Fury has been working with him, this was the first time anyone had gotten past his long line of artillery. Nitro was the kind of man who always covered his tracks, never letting anyone fuck with him, and he was pissed that someone managed to catch him off guard. Considering how much protection he had, I could only assume that Nitro was shot by someone using a long distance rifle. It was the only way they’d ever be able to get a decent shot. Seeing him laid up in that hospital bed, actually made me feel a little sorry for the guy. He’d always been a pain in the ass, but he was good at his job. After all this, I knew he’d tighten up the reigns, making it even harder to deal with him.
Over the past few days, the club had met time and time again trying to find some kind of strategy. This shit was getting serious, and we had no idea what these guys were going to do next. Cotton was on edge, and the tension among the brothers was growing out of control. I needed a fucking break, so I headed into the kitchen for something to eat. When I walked into the kitchen, I found Dusty sitting at the table alone.
“Hey, little brother. What’s up?” I asked, with a chin lift as I pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. His eyebrows pinched together, making him look agitated.
“Nutin’,” he mumbled.
I was surprised to see him sitting there alone, so I asked, “Where’s your mom?”
“She’s talkin’ to Cotton,” he told me as he took a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something was wrong. He didn’t plow into me with a hug. Hell, he wouldn’t even look at me, and that just wasn’t like him.
“You want to tell me what’s bugging you?” I asked.
“No…” he pouted.
“Come on, Dusty. You know you can talk to me about it. Tell me what’s wrong.”
He let out a little defeated sigh before he said, “It was a girl in my class. She was really mean to me today,” he told me with his eyes skirting down towards his lap.
“Oh yeah… how was she mean?”
“She told me that I looked stupid… that I was stupid,” he cried. “She hit me in my arm really hard and called me retarded.”
“I’m sorry about that, Dusty. You’re right… that was mean. She doesn’t seem like a very nice girl to be saying something like that to you,” I told him. I hated that he had to deal with such ignorant people, but I knew it would only get worse as he got older. Dusty was an amazing kid, and if people would just give him a chance, they’d just see a special kid.
“Mom said that girl had a small mind like her momma,” he said. His eyes darted up to mine, searching for some kind of affirmation that his mother was right.
“Your mom’s right. That little girl is small minded, so I guess that makes her the one who’s not very smart,” I said trying my best to smile. “Fourth grade is tough. You just need to forget about what that little girl said and just be yourself. If she doesn’t want to be your friend, then it’s her loss.”
“Okay. Did you get any sprinkles?” he asked with his eyes sparkling with excitement. And just like that, he was moving on.
“I did. Finish your lunch, and I’ll make you some ice cream.”
Dusty was almost finished eating his ice cream when Dallas walked in. Her mascara was running down her cheeks, and she was carrying a balled up tissue in her hand. She stopped before Dusty caught sight of her, and tried to clear the traces of her tears, but it was no use. She was a mess.
“Dallas? What’s wrong?” I asked as I stood up and walked over to her.
“I’m fine… it’s nothing,” she said as she wiped her nose.
“Dallas…” I started.
“It’s that damn insurance company. They’re still giving me a hard time, and it’s just wearing me out. We’re not hurting for money, at least not yet, but Dusty’s behavioral therapist is expensive. His bills add up fast. Daniel wanted the kids to have that insurance money for their future, and those assholes are trying to keep it from them,” she snapped.
“Anything I can do?”
“Thanks, but Cotton is looking into it. He said he might be able to contact some resources.”
“Good. Be sure to let me know if you need anything. All you have to do is ask,” I told her.
“I know that, Maverick. I really appreciate you being so good to Dusty. He’s had a hard day today, and he loves being with you.”
“I like hanging out with him, too,” I said smiling. “Don’t worry about the money, Dallas. We’ll work it out.”
“Thanks, Maverick. I better get going. Katie has a game tonight, and she’ll freak if I’m late,” she said as she reached up and gave me a quick hug. “Come on, buddy. We’ve got to hurry.” She took him by the hand and led him out of the kitchen.
I was opening up the refrigerator when I felt Dusty’s body slam across my back. His little arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he said, “Bye, Mav-wreck.” He quickly let go and ran out the door. Damn, I loved that kid. He was just the distraction that I needed. For the first time since we’d got home, I had something to smile about.
After I finished my lunch, I went to my room looking for Henley. She was lying in the bed reading one of her books, and I was tempted to lay down with her. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time.
“I’ve got some club business to see about, so I’ll be gone for a few hours,” I told her.
“Okay,” she said, never looking up from her book.
“It shouldn’t take long.”
“Okay,” she mumbled as her eyes remained focused on her book.
“I might get attacked and eaten alive by a pack of wild beavers.”
“Okay,” she whispered as her teeth grazed across her bottom lip. Yeah. She was fucking with me.
“Alright, check ya later,” I told her as I took a step towards the door. When she still didn’t look over to me, I lunged towards her, pouncing right on top of her, and pinned her hands to the bed. Her eyes widened with surprise as her book went sailing across the room. “Are you pouting, Henley Gray?”
“Maybe,” she whispered as she gave me her best puppy dog eyes.
I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers before I said, “You missing me, Henley?”
She rolled her eyes and said, “Ummm… nooo. I’m not.”
“Yeah, you’re missing me,” I teased as I ground my hips against hers. When she bucked against me, I asked, “You miss my mouth, don’t you, baby?”
“Ummm… maybe a little,” she admitted as she squirmed beneath me.
“You want to feel my cock deep inside you, don’t you?” I asked, rocking against her.
A deep, frustrated sigh vibrated through her chest as she said, “Yes!”
“Good,” I taunted her as I pulled myself up off the bed. “I like you missing me. Now, behave until I get back.”
“Maverick?” she called out. “I’ve been thinking…” her voice trailed off as she thought about what she was about to say. “I know you’ve been having a hard time finding the guys that shot Skidrow, and I imagine they had something to do with your friend being in the hospital. I’d like to do something to help.”
“Henley, I should tan that pretty little ass of yours for even thinking
about this. Trust me. I’ll take care of it,” I assured her. “Gotta go. Let Smokey or Boozer know if you need anything. The rest of the guys will be out.”
“Okay. Please be careful,” she pleaded.
“Always,” I assured her as I walked out of the room. I’d meant it when I told her that I liked her missing me. I hadn’t had much time to spend with her over the past couple of days, and I liked the thought of her thinking about me, longing for me to hold her, to love on her. Amidst all the turmoil that’d thrown her into my life, she’d given me a light that I’d never known possible. I was missing her, too, and I was looking forward to making up for lost time as soon as I got back tonight.
Chapter 22
Henley
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I HATED WATCHING Maverick walk out that door. I wanted to call him back, beg him to stay there with me, but I knew it was no use. He had so much going on with the club that I’d barely seen him over the past couple of days. I had too much time on my hands, and I was going insane. I felt useless. Having been around the brothers since the shooting, I’d come to really care for them. I was so tired of seeing the guys stressed. Their tension was palpable. Mostly, I missed Maverick. I craved the feeling of knowing he was always near me. I’d never had or wanted such undivided attention from a man.
I couldn’t stop thinking about that guy in the hospital. Everything was going to shit, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had been thinking about this for days, and it was time to take a chance. I needed to do this for Maverick.
I had no idea what time he would be back, so I didn’t waste any time. If my plan was going to work, I would need Cassidy’s help, so I went to see if she was at the bar. Thankfully, she was there filling the beer cooler when I walked up. “Hey, Sis! You got a minute?”
“What’s up?”
“I really need to talk to you about something,” I told her after a quick glance around the room, ensuring we wouldn’t be overheard. “You’re not going to like it, Cass, but I really need your help with something.”