MaverickSatan’s Fury MC

L Wilder

Maverick

Satan’sFuryMC

Copyright©2015LWilderKindle

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Dedication

TomyfellowIndieAuthors

Self-publicationisnotforthefaintofhearts.It’sadifficult,buttrulyrewardingjourney.Ihavebeengreatlyblessedtohaveencounteredsomanywonderfulauthorswhohaveshown,timeandtimeagain,

thatwithalittlefaithandpersistence,youcando

anything.Thankyouallforyourinvaluablesupport.You

guysrock!

Table of ContentsTitlePage

CopyrightPage

Dedication

Maverick

Chapter1

Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4

Chapter5

Chapter6

Chapter7

Chapter8

Chapter9

Chapter10

Chapter11

Chapter12

Chapter13

Chapter14

Chapter15

Chapter16

Chapter17

Chapter18

Chapter19

Chapter20

Chapter21

Chapter22

Chapter23

Chapter24

Chapter25

Chapter26

Chapter27

Chapter28

Chapter29

Author’sNote

Acknowledgements

ExcerptfromSummerStorm

MaverickMy mother used to say thateverything happens for areason. It didn’t matter howinsignificant or how heart-wrenchinglytragic,she’dsay itwasjustmeanttobe.Shetrulybelieved that if a person waspatient enough… looked hardenough… for long enough,

they’d be able to find theirsilver lining. Her faith neverfaltered. Facing difficult timeswith strength anddetermination, my lovingmother would wait… nomatter how long it took. Itmight have taken her monthsor even years, butmymotherwould always be able to findthatlightshiningattheendofthelong,darktunnel.

I say bullshit. There is no

fucking silver lining. Shithappens.Hardtimesarejustapart of life, like the air webreathe. We have to learn todealwiththehandwearedealtand move the hell on. Yet,every damn time somethingfuckeduphappensinmylife,Ifind myself thinking of mymother.Ifshewerestillalive,Iwonderwhatshe’dhavetosayabout everything that’shappened in my life over the

lastyear.Wouldshebeabletofindmy silver lining?Because,Isureashellcan’t.

*

Chapter 1Maverick

‡

“DON’T RUSH INTO this,Maverick. I knowwhat you’relike. Give it some time,brother,” Cotton told me. Icould see the concern in his

penetrating eyes, and itmeanta lot tome thathewas tryingtohelp.Hewasagoodman…agoodPresident.Thebrothersof Satan’s Fury looked up tohim-admiredhim.Weallknewthat the clubwas his life, andhe was all about thebrotherhood. As ourPresident, he had no problemsacrificing everything for theclub – even laying down hisown life, time and time again,

if it meant protecting hisfamily. I respected him forthat,andwashonored tobeapartofit.“Iknowwhat’sreallygoingonhere.Youcanblamethisonwhateveryouwant,butthetruthisglaringyourightintheface.”

“He’s my son! What kindofmanwouldIbeifIputhimin danger? I can’t risk it,Cotton,” I told him, as Ilooked down at my broken

armthatwasnowwrappedupin a sling. I was a fuckingmess.Bruisesandcutscoveredmy body from head to toe.They’ddoneaprettygoodjobofworkingmeover,andIstillcouldn’t figure out why theydidn’t just kill me when theyhad the chance. “Think aboutit. What if he was with mewhen those motherfuckersjumped me? It’s up to me toprotecthim,andIcouldn’tlive

with myself if somethinghappened to him. I alreadyruined his mother’s life, andI’llbedamnedifIruinhis.”

“That’s bullshit, and youknow it. Hailey brought thatshitonherself.Youcan’tkeepcarrying all of the blame,”Cottonsnapped.

“Itwasmyfault!Allifit!Iwasn’t therewhen sheneededme. I should have stuck withher,madesureshegotthehelp

she needed. Now she’s dead,and I have to own that. JohnWarrenisallIhaveleftofher.I can’t let anything happen tohim.”

“Nothing’s going tohappen tohim,Maverick,” heassuredme,butwebothknewhe couldn’t guarantee that.“Noneof thatevenmatters…it’s all in the past. Right now,youhavetofaceyourdemons,either fight them or learn to

livewiththem.”I knew he was right. My

mind had been a cluster fucksince the day I brought JohnWarren homewithme.WhenI looked at him, I could tellthathehadmybloodrunningthroughhisveins.Hewassucha good looking kid – healthyandstrong.Iwasthankfulthathis mother’s drug use hadn’thurt him. Yet, there was aquestion lingering deep inside

ofme.Icouldn’tputmyfingeronit.Whydidthisstrangepullkeep going off in my head? Iloved this kid from the start,but my mind was bombardedwithdoubts–someofwhichIcouldn’t even name. I had tobelieve that I was doing thisfor him. I’d fucked up somuch already, I couldn’t beresponsibleforruininganotherlife.Me…theclub…whateverthereason,JohnWarrendidn’t

belong here with me. Hedeservedmore.

“Ican’ttakethatchance.Ican’t make the same mistakesagain, Cotton.” My throattightened,makingitdifficulttoeven say the words. I trulybelievedthattakinghimtoLilywas the right thing to do.Hedeservedamother,andIknewshelovedhimasherown.But,the selfish side of me wishedthingscouldbedifferent.Still,

IknewIhadtoprotecthimatall costs. That was the mostimportantthingnow.

“Maverick…”Cottontriedagain.

“Ineedyoutobackmeupon this,” I argued. “It’s therightthingforJohnWarren…andforme.”

His face was registeredwithacceptanceashebroughthis hand up, and rested it onmy shoulder. “I wish you’d

giveitmoretime,butifthisiswhatyouthinkyoushoulddo,I’llsupportyouonit.Whendoyouneedtoleave?”

Istoodupandreachedformykeys.“Tonight.There’snoneedindelayingthisthinganylonger. It’s a long drive, so itwill takeme a couple of daystogetback.”

“I’lllettheguysknow.Justbecareful,”CottontoldmeasI turned towards the door.

“Maverick?”Ilookedovertowardshim

asCottonsaid,“Somechoicescan’t beundone.Youneed tobe sure about this one,brother.” My eyes droppeddown to the floor. The wornout boards creaked beneathmy feet, and Iwondered howthey managed to support myweight.Ifeltsoheavy,liketheunrelenting weight of theworld was pressing down on

my shoulders. It hurt tomove… to even breathe. Hiswords circled through mythoughts, and I knew he wasright. This one decision couldhaunt me for the rest of mylife, but I knew in my gut itwas the right thing to do forJohnWarren…formyson.

I opened the door to myroom, and stopped. It washardtobelievehowmuchthisroomhadchanged in justone

week.It’dbeenjustaroom.Aplace to crash when I neededit, but now I didn’t recognizeit. John Warren’s presencefilled the air, surrounding mewith his warmth. My chesttightened as I thought abouthimnotbeinghereanymore.Itriedtoblocktheturmoilfrommy mind as I grabbed a bagand quickly began filling itwith his clothes and toys.When I picked up the tiny

giraffethathesleptwitheverynight, I couldn’t hold ittogether any longer. My legsbegan to buckle under mewhen I thought about himlying in that cribwithhis tinylittle fingers wrapped aroundthegiraffe’sneck.Itguttedme.I dropped down to my kneesas I held the stuffed animaltightlyinmyhands,bringingitupclosetomyfacesoIcouldinhale JW’s scent. Damn. I’d

never felt a hurt like thisbefore.

Whydid ithave tobe likethis? Why couldn’t I be thefather he needed? What thefuckwas wrongwithme?Mychest tightened when IthoughtabouttakinghimbacktoLily.Myheartshatteredlikebroken glass when I thoughtaboutnotbeingabletoseehissmile; to touchhim…toholdhim.Hewasapartofme–the

best part of me – but Icouldn’t stop thedoubts fromspiraling through my head.Thedarknessinsideofmewasgrowing, engulfing me. JohnWarren deserved more than Icould give… a life nottarnishedbythelikesofme.

There was a tap on mydoor, and I had just enoughtime to get back on my feetbeforeCassidywalkedin.JohnWarren was propped up on

her hipwith a handful of herhair in one hand and a bottlein the other. “I just finishedgivinglittlemanhisdinnerandabath.He’sallreadyforbed.”

“Thanks, Cass.” She wasone of the bartenders at theclub. Even though shesometimes partied with theclub girls, I trusted her towatchhim.She’dcometolovethe kid in the short time he’dbeen here and enjoyed

spendingtimewithhim.Fromthe moment I brought himinto the club, she couldn’t getenoughofhim,alwayswantingtoholdhimandplaywithhim.Cass adored him, and Ihonestlywouldn’thaveknownwhattodowithouther.

I rubbedmyeyeswith thepalm of my hands, trying toclearthetearsaway.Whenshenoticed the expression onmyface,sheasked,“What’sgoing

on?Areyouok?”“WouldyoubelievemeifI

said yes?” I responded, as Ilooked away from her andstarted toput the lastof JohnWarren’sthingsinhisbag.

“Seriously,” she snapped.“Tell me what’s going on,Maverick?Areyou takinghimsomewhere?”

I took a deep breath andswallowedhard,tryingtoreignin the emotions that

threatened to tearme apart. Ihad to hold it together. “I’mtaking him back to Lily andGoliath. They can give himwhat he needs… the life thathedeserves…”

“What?No! You can’t dothat, Maverick… He belongshere, with us… with you.You’re his dad. You’re all heneeds,” Cassidy cried as thetearsbegantopoolinhereyes.

“Look at him, Cassidy.

He’sperfect.Soinnocent…sopure.Allthegoodintheworldis wrapped up in him.” Shelooked down at him, a grief-stricken expression on herbeautiful face. “I’m no goodforhim.I’llonlyfuck itallupifIkeephimhere.Ilovehim.I love him like nothing else,and I have to protect him…protecthim frommyworld…protecthimfromme.” I couldfeel the storm of emotions

begin to take hold again, so Itook JW from her arms andpicked up his bag. “I don’texpect you to understand it,Cassidy,butthisissomethingIhave to do. I have to do thisforhim.”

“Please… please don’t dothis,” she begged as shegrabbed my arm. Her eyespleaded with me to listen asshe said, “This is a mistake.You’regoingtoregret thisfor

therestofyourlife!”Icouldn’tlisten to anymore. Trying mybest to block out her cries, Iwalked past her and out thedoor.

I was relieved to see thattheparkinglotwasemptyasIsat John Warren into his carseat. When I clicked hisseatbelt around him, hereached for my hand andsmiled. That smile would beforever burned intomymind.

I took his little hand andbrought it up to my mouth,gently kissing the fingers thatwrappedaroundmine.“I loveyou,JW.Alwayswill.”

I handed the little guy hisgiraffeas Iput the restof thebags in the seat beside him. Iclosed his door and got intothe car. I sat there for a fewminutes in the silence, tryingto pull my shit together.Everythingwassoquiet.Itwas

like I was stuck in some kindof nightmare, lost in a deepfog, and then JW started tobabble. He was talking to melike I knew exactly what hewassaying.

I turned back to him andsaid, “I know, little buddy. Iknow.”

Iwiped the tears frommyeyes and started the engine. Itdidn’t take him long to fallasleep, leaving me with a

whirlwind of thoughts andquestions. I still couldn’tbelieve how much hadhappenedoverthepastyear.IfIhadjustknown…ifIhadn’tbeen so stupid and realizedeverything that was reallygoing on with Hailey, maybethings could have beendifferent.

I’ll never forget the firsttime I laid eyes on her. I’dpulled my bike into an old

diner out on Highway 19. Itwas an out of the way spot,but it was raining, and I waswet and cold. The moment Isawherwalkacrossthefloor,Iwasn’t cold anymore. Shewaswaitingtables,andIwonderedwhyasexywomanlikeherwasworking at a place like this inthe middle of nowhere. Shehad a figure thatmade amanwant to peel her clothes rightoff, and I would’ve done just

aboutanythingtodojustthat.I instantlycravedthetouchofher skin againstmine.Fuck…mywholebodytensedandmydick jumped up in need everytime she even passed by me.Herlongblackhairwaspulledback into a ponytail showingoff the most beautiful blueeyes I’d ever seen. Her smilethough, that mouth, thoselips…damn,shewasperfect.

One date was all it took.

After that, the months rolledby so fast that I lost track oftime. It was a whirlwind. Shewas everything I ever thoughtI wanted andmore. She likedbeing on the back ofmy bikeand enjoyed hanging with mybrothers at the clubhouse.Wespent hours talking anddrinking with them. She fit. Iloved that. We were happy.We’d even started talkingaboutourfuture,makingplans

for our life together. She hadenrolled in a nursing programand worked every day at thediner to pay for her tuition.Lifewasgood.

Then the nightmare hit.Everythingwentup in smoke.It was hell. A stupid drunkcrashed into Hailey’s car,leaving her severely wounded.The dashboard crushed in onher, breaking her leg andfracturing several vertebrae in

herneck.Itwasmyfault.Iwasbeing selfish that night. I justwanted to be with her everysecond, and I didn’t listenwhenshetoldmeshewastootired to come to the club.She’dbeenworkingalldayandjust wanted to go home. Ishould have listened to her,butIwastooselfish.I’dhadalongdayandjustwantedinsideher.

That crash stole her spark

and replaced it with pain andanguish. Her injuries were sopainful that the doctorsprescribed her strong painmedication, and it seemed tohelp, giving her some relieffrom her misery. After she’dbeen home for a while, Inoticedthatshewastakingtoomany pills. I figured she wasjusthurting,andsinceshewasgoingtoschooltobeanurse,Ithought that she knew what

shewasdoing.Amonth later,whenIsawhertakingthreeatatime,Iconfrontedheraboutit. She became defensive, butfinallyadmittedthatshemighthaveaproblem.As timewenton, I tried to get her help,sending her to rehab andtrying to find doctors thatcould stop the pain. Butnothing worked. The pull ofher addiction was already toostrong. She tried to hide it

fromme,overandoveragain.Each time I discovered thatshe was still using, she’dpromise to try harder. She’dswear that she loved me, andwould do whatever it took togetbetter.Ibelievedher,untilthedayI foundanotherhiddenstashofpills.Thatday,IknewI was done. She chose thedrugs over the lifewe shared,andIrefusedtobeapartofit.

The day I walked out of

her life, I prayed that shewould straighten herself outand find herway back tome.Instead,shebecamemoreandmore determined to get herhands on her next fix. Whenherdesperationtookhold,shedecided to give informationaboutourclubinexchangeformore drugs. Her betrayal tothe club was a decision we’dboth come to regret. I shouldhaveknown that if shewould

dosomethinglikethat,shewasway past just being introuble… her life was in truejeopardy. I should’ve seen shewas still struggling, and triedharder to help her. But intruth,itwastoolate…herlieswould send her to her grave.Allofherdamnlies.

She disappeared formonths. No one knew whereshewas.Theclubnever letsabetrayalgo.Theysearchedfor

her and finally found out thatshehadbeen living in a smalltown just outside ofWashington.Itlookedlikeshewas finally getting her shittogether. She’d gotten a joband had a nice place to live.She’d even had a baby. HerneighborsaidHaileywasreallytrying, but it all fell apart. Itwasjusttoomuchforher,andshe ended up taking the babyto her mother. My brothers

found her dead in herapartment from a drugoverdose. It was obvious thatit was no accident. Her deathhit me hard. I couldn’t helpbutblamemyselfforwhathadhappened,andtheguiltofherdeathwascrippling.Butitwasnothing compared to the hurtthat I felt when I discoveredthe mountain of secrets shehadkepthiddenfromme.

Itwasseveralmonthsafter

her death when I got anunexpected phone call from ahospitalinParis,Tennessee.Anursecalledtotellmethatmyson had just been in anaccident. My son. I felt likesomeone had knocked thewindout ofmewhen I heardthose words. My name waslisted on his birth certificate,right under Hailey’s. It wasright there inblackandwhite.I never dreamed the kid that

she’dhadwasmine,andnowIhadmissedalmostayearofhislife, becauseHailey never toldme about him. Instead, shetook our son to her mother,askinghertoprotecthimfromme. Trying to keep herpromise, Hailey’s mother sentJohn Warren away. Shedecided thatLilywas theonlyone that could keep him safefrom me and my club. Lilypacked him up, and took off

for Tennessee. I would havenever even known about myson if it hadn’t been for hisaccident. Her mother prayedthat I would never find out.She blamed me for Hailey’sdeath. In truth, shewas right.Hailey would still be alive ifshehadn’tbeenwithme.Iwillnever forgivemyself for whathappened. I had failed herthen, but I wouldn’t fail heragain. I wouldn’t let anything

happen to our son. I wouldmake sure thathehad the lifethatIcouldn’tgivehismother.

I could barely keep myeyesopenbythetimeIpulledinto Lily’s driveway. It wasChristmasEve, and thehousewas lit up with lights, makingwhat I was about to do feeleven more impossible. I triedto shake it off. This wasn’tabout me. It was about JohnWarren.Givinghima life like

this… filled with Christmastrees and family. The life I’dneverbeabletogivehim.

Goliath lived the club life,and although his club wasdifferent, safer, he understoodthe danger that came alongwithit.Hewouldknowbetterthan anyonewhy I had to dothis. As VP of the DevilChaser’s, he’d seen the hardtimes of living in a onepercenters’ club… the

uncertainty…thedanger.Theyhad put that all behind them,andhis clubhadworkedhardto become a legitimate clubthat was focused on thebrotherhoodandtheirfamilies.ItwasoneofthethingsthatIrespected most about thesemen. Nothing was moreimportant than keeping theirfamilies safe. I put the car inpark,andbythetimeIturnedofftheengineandopenedthe

cardoor,Lilywasstandingonthefrontporch.

“What happened to you?Are you ok?” she asked. Hereyes filled with fright as shestudiedmy cuts andbruises. Iknew I looked like hell, but Ihadno intentionoftellingherwhat had happened. When Ididn’t answer, she asked,“What are you doing here,Maverick?”

“Ineed to talk toyouand

Goliath. Is he here?” I askedher. I knew I was the lastperson she expected to seetonight,andIhatedthatIhadscaredher.

“I just got off the phonewithhim.Hesaidhe’dbeherein5minutes.Comeonin,andwe’llwait forhim inside,” shetoldmeassheturnedtowardsthefrontporch.

“Give me a second. JohnWarren is still sleeping in the

car.Letmegethim,”IsaidasIreachedforthecardoor.

“John Warren? He’s herewith you? Is he okay?” Hervoicewashighpitched,almostbreaking into a cry as shespoke.Her eyeswidenedwithdismayasshewatchedmepullJohn Warren out of his carseat.ThesecondIgothimout,sheracedovertomeandtookhimfrommyarms. I instantlyfelt the loss of his touch, and

fought the urge to take himbackfromher.Thelookonhisface stopped me. His eyes litup with excitement as hereachedouttoher,makingmerealizejusthowmuchhelovedher… he was where hebelonged.

“He’s here. I can’t believehe’s really here!” she cried,tearsstreamingdownherface.

JohnWarren lookedup atherandsmiled.Hereachedfor

the collar of her shirt andsquealed. Lily’s eyes dancedwithexcitement as she lookedat him. I took a deep breath,and began to feel a sense ofrelief. Lily loved him. Therewasnodoubtinmymindthatshewouldcareforhimlikeshewashisownmother.

“I don’t understand. Youhave to tell me what’s goingon,Maverick,”shepleaded.

“Let’s go inside and wait

forGoliath.”Ireachedintothebackseat

and grabbed John Warren’sbags, and Lily followed methrough the front door. Shecautiouslywatchedas I sethisbagsonthefloor.WewerejustsittingdownonthesofawhenIheardGoliath’sbikepullintothe driveway. Lily jumped upandmethimatthefrontdoor.

“Goliath….” she saidstoppinghimatthefrontdoor.

He looked down at JohnWarren in Lily’s arms,searching for any sign thatsomethingmightbewrong.Hefinally looked over to me,noticing my broken arm andall thebruisesthatmarkedmybody.

“Maverick,whatthehellisgoingon?”Goliathaskedashesteppedinside.

“Ireallydon’tknowwheretostart.”

“Startwithwhathappenedtoyou,”Lilysaidasshewalkedovertothesofaandsatdownbesideme.“Areyouokay?”

“Yeah… it’s nothing. Itrusted thewrongperson, andit costme,” I saidas I lookeddown to the floor, unable tolook at her. The irony of itbeinghersisterthatI’dtrustedwastoomuchformetobare.

“You gonna tell us whyyou’rehere?”Goliathasked.

I laid my head in myhands, tryingtosearchfortherightwordstosay.Afterafewseconds of silence, I drugmyfingersthroughmyhair,tryingto calm my nerves. I lookedover to Lily and said, “I justcan’tdo it tohim.I lovehim,Lily. I really do. I love himenoughtoknowthatheneedsmorethanIcangivehimrightnow.” Overwhelmed with allthe mixed emotions churning

inside me, I stood up. Myheart was racing, and I beganpacing back and forth. Ineeded to make themunderstand. They needed toknowwhyIhadtodothis.“Ilet Hailey down. I should’vedone more. Should’veprotectedher,butIfuckedup.Idon’tdeservetohaveJW.I’lljustfuckitup.”

“You’rebeingtoohardonyourself, Maverick. Hailey

made those choices.Not you.Nooneblamesyou,”Lilytoldme,tryingtocalmmedown.

“I do,” I stopped pacing,and looked directly at her. “Ishould’ve been there forHailey. Instead, she sank intothe darkness where no onecould saveher. I can’t let thathappentoJW.”

“Idon’t understand.Whatexactly are you saying?” sheaskedme.

“I came here to see… toaskif…”Iswallowedmyprideandmyownbrokenheartandsaid,“Iwantedtoknowifyouand Goliath would take JohnWarren… raise him as yourown. I want to be everythingheneeds,butIknowI’mnot.Ican’tgivehimwhatyoucan.”

“But why now?” Lilyasked, as she looked down atmy son, her hand softlybrushing over the top of his

head.“Lots of reasons. More

than I care to explain. Let’sjust say ababydoesn’t exactlyfit in the life I’m living rightnow.” The thoughts of thembeatingmewiththatcrowbarflashed throughmymind,andI winced in remembrance ofthepaintheyinflicted.Itdidn’tcomeclosetotheagonyIwasfeeling at this moment, but itreassured me that I was

making the right choice forhim.

“Are you sure about thisMaverick? You have to knowthat I want him, but I needyoutobesure.Icouldn’ttakelosinghimagain,”Lilysaid.

“He means the world tome. He’s the one truly goodthingI’vedonewithmy life.Ihatethethoughtoflosinghim,butI justcan’tdothistohim.Hedeservesmore.”

“Maverick, we’ll want toadopt him if he stayswith us.Yougonnabeokaywiththat?”Goliath asked. Lily lookedovertohimwithsurprise,andI could see the love andwonder in her eyes when shelooked at him. A small smilespread across her face whenshe realized what he wassaying. Now, I knew Goliathwanted him just as much asshedid.

“I get that. Yeah, I’d beokaywiththat,butIstillwantto see him. I want him toknow who I am, so that oneday, when he’s older, he’llunderstand why I did this,” Iexplained. I knew itwas a lotto ask, but I couldn’t imaginenever seeing him again. Ineeded to know that I couldstillhavesomekindofcontactwithhim,orIwouldn’tbeabletosurvivethis.

“You will always bewelcome here, Maverick. Iwant John Warren to knowyou,too.Ittakesaspecialkindof person to love someoneenough to let them go,” Lilytoldmewithtearsinhereyes.

“I wish I could be moreforhim.IwishIcouldbethefather that he needs, but Iknow you both love him.You’llgivehimthekindoflifeIcan’t.”

“We’ll do our best. I canpromise you that,” Goliathsaidconfidently.

“Thankyoufortrustinguswith him.We’ll do everythingwe can to make him happy,”Lilypromised.JWreachedouthis hands for Goliath. Hewalked over and took himfromLily’sarms.Herestedhishead against Goliath’s chestlikehewasmeanttobethere.Goliath ran his hand over his

little head and down his backashehuggedhimcloser.

Goliath kissed JW on thehead and said, “Glad you’rebackLittleMan.We’vemissedyou.”

I couldn’t take it anylonger. One more second ofthis, and I was going to fallapart. “I’m going to headback.”

“You can stay heretonight,”Lilyoffered.

“ThanksLily,butIneedtogetback.We’vegot someshitgoing down back home, andmy president needsme to getback.I’llbeintouch.”

“Okay, but you are morethan welcome. The door isalways open. Just let us knowwhen youwant to come backforavisit.”

“I’ll be back. You cancountonthat.Ifyoueverneedme,I’mjustaphonecallaway.

Thankyouboth.Iknowinmygut that this is the right thingto do.” I walked over to JWandkissedhimon the sideofhishead.Ilaidmyhandonhisback and stared at him for aminute. I leaned over andwhispered in his ear, “Don’thatemeforthis.Iwouldn’tdoitifitwasn’ttherightthingtodo.I loveyou.”Icouldn’tstopthe tears from filling my eyesasIwalkedouttomycar.

Chapter 2Henley

‡

SixMonthsLater

“ARE YOU REALLY going tokeep your face buried in thatbookallnight?”Cassidyasked.

“You know, I have myfinal tomorrow. I need tomakeanAinthisclass,”Itoldher without looking up frommybook.

“You have to make anAin every class. It’s like you’veforgotten how to have fun. Imiss fun Henley. Whathappened toher?” she said asshe looked in the mirror andplayed with her hair. “Youneed to go out with some

friendsandhaveagoodtime.”“Yadda,yadda,yadda…I’ll

go out and celebrate when Ifinishmyfinals.”

“Why don’t you come totheclubwithmetonight?Theguys are having a party, and Iknowthey’dlovetoseeyou.Imiss hanging out with you.Let’s go out and have somefunlikeweusedto.”

“Ummm… how aboutNO?”Iansweredsarcastically.

IhadnothingagainstgoingtotheclubhousewithCassidy.I actually kind of liked goingthere from time to time. Theguyswerealittlerougharoundtheedges,but theyall seemedlike pretty decent guys. Itdidn’t go unnoticed however,that they all likedCassidy… alot. The way they pawed alloverher,mademefeela littleuncomfortablesometimes.ButI’ve done my best to avoid

asking her questions about it.She’s not one to talk aboutwhatreallygoesonattheclub.Besides, I learned a long timeagothatCassidyhasamindofher own, and it’s best to justleaveher to it.Shewashappy—that was all that mattered.The Satan’s Fury MC hadbecomelikeasecondfamilytoher, and I knew she lovedthem… all of them. I’ll admitthat I’ve even foundmyself a

littlejealousofthelifeshehascreatedoutsideofours,butI’dnevertellherthat.

“Oh…comeon.Don’tbea ‘Debbie Downer’. It’ll befun.Wecanhaveafewdrinksand dance on my break…,”she encouraged as she shookherhipsfromsidetoside.Thebangles on her wrist clankedtogether as she tugged at thehemof hermini skirt.As shelooked in the mirror, Cassidy

pulled her hair up in a messybun, and touched up hermake-up.Shewasclubready.Ismiledtomyself thinkinghowdifferent she looked an hourago when she was sprawledout in front of the TV eatingpotato chips and chocolatechip cookies in her pajamas.Her transformation wascomplete.

“Maybesomeother time,”ItoldherasIflippedthrough

thepagesofmytextbook.“I’mjustnotuptopartyingtonight.Besides, youknow I’ve got togetupearlyinthemorning.”

“Okay, then let’s dosomethingelsethen.Wecouldgo grab a burger andwatch amovie?I’llgetoneof thegirlstocovermyshift.YouknowIhateleavingyouhereallalone,LeeBug.”

“I’mfine,Cass.Ireallydoneedtostudy.I’llgowithyou

nexttime…promise.Gohaveagoodtime.I’llbeherewhenyougetback.”

“Ok.Haveityourway,butyou know you’ve got this.You’ve been studying forweeks,”shesaidasshereachedfor her purse. “You knowwhere to findme if you needme.”

“Trytobehave,”Itoldherplayfully.

“Always,” she said giving

meawink.Iwatchedherwalkoutthe

door.Silencequickly filled theapartment as soon the doorclosed behind her.Questioningmychoicetostayhome, I took a deep breathand tried to focus on mynotes.Studying rightnowwaspointless; it was just toofreaking quiet. Every littlenoisebecameadistraction,andI couldn’t concentrate.

Deciding it was time for abreak,Ireachedfortheremoteand started scrolling throughall the endless channels ofsitcoms and infomercials. Ifinally stopped on somedetective show that my dadalways liked to watch. Icouldn’t help but feel a littlehomesick when I saw hisfavorite character appear onthe screen, so I grabbed myphoneandcalledhim.

He picked up on the firstring, “Hey there, sweetheart.How’s it going?” Just hearinghis voice brought a big smiletomyface.

“Hey, daddy. Everything’sgreat. I have my last finaltomorrow, and then I havesome time off before thesummersemesterstarts.”

“Why don’t you just takethesummeroff?TakeCassidyandgo to thebeachfora few

days… or come home for avisit.YouknowI’dlovetoseeyou.” I felt a twinge of guiltwhen I thought about himbeing there all alone. Eventhough it’d been several yearssince mom left, he was stillhavingahardtimeadjustingtonothavingherthere.

“You know I’d love that,butI’vegotalotgoingon.I’llsee what I can work out,” Itoldhim.

“You need to get out andsee the world. You’re onlyyoungonce,youknow.”

“I’ll see plenty once Igraduate. Promise,” Ianswered. “You worry toomuch.”

“That’s what fathers do.Whataboutyoursister?What’sshe up to these days?” heasked apprehensively. Dadwasn’texactlyhappyaboutherworking as a bartender at an

MC’s clubhouse, but he’dgiven up trying to talk to herabout it. Actually, they barelytalk at all anymore, and I cantellitbothershim.

“She’sdoinggreat.Justleftforworkafewminutesago.”

“Ok… well, keep an eyeonher.YouknowIworry,”hesaidsoftly.

“I will, daddy. She’shappy…really.”Iwaitedafewseconds for him to say

something, but he remainedquiet.Finally,Isaid,“Well…Iguess I better get back tostudying.”

“Ok, sweetheart. Call melaterandletmeknowhowyoudidonyourexams.And,thinkaboutwhatIsaid.Itwoulddoyou some good to take thesummer off. You’ve workedreallyhard.Youdeserve togooutandhavesomefun.”

“Ok. I’ll think about it.

Talk to you soon,” I toldhimasIhungupthephone.

I tried to get back tostudying, but searchingthrough the endless pages ofnotes was making me stircrazy, and my growlingstomachwasmakingithardtofocus. I hadn’t stoppedstudying long enough to eatdinner, and it was finallycatchingupwithme.Igrabbedthe bag of chips that Cassidy

left on the coffee table, andwhen I put my hand in thebag, Ionly foundamoundofcrumbs. I tossed the bag intothe garbage and went to thekitchen to search forsomething to eat. We weredowntomilk,eggs,andanoldveggie tray. Thatwasn’t goingtowork.Itwastimetomakeasnackrun.

Chapter 3Maverick

‡

WITH A TWIST of my wrist, Ithrottled the accelerator andthesoundoftheengineroaredto life around me. The windwhipped against my face as I

sped down the long, curvyroad to nowhere. Nothinghelped me clear my head likethe feel of the raw powerradiating from the machinebeneath me. The wind. Theopen road. The freedom. It’sjust a matter of time, but Iknew that it was out therewaitingforme.Peace.

I’d gotten to know thishighway pretty well over thepast few months. He’d never

admitit,butIknewtheserunswere Cotton’s way of keepingmebusy.He knew it’swhat Ineeded right now. Giving upJohn Warren had almostbrokenme,andfocusingallofmy attention on the club washelping me reconcile withsome of my demons. Today,he sent me to meet up withNitro to handle the paymentforthismonth’sshipment.Hewas waiting for me in the

upstairs loft of an oldwarehouse.Eachtimewemet,it was somewhere different…a bar, an apartment, or thebackof anSUV.Nitroalwaysmade sure he covered histracks,andCottontrustedhim.He was the only one that wedealtwithwhenitcametothegun trafficking side of ourclub. He was older and hadbeen around the block longenough to know a good deal

whenhesawit.“Youagain?I’mbeginning

to think that you like comingto see me,” he said with asmirk,hisdarkeyespeeringatme. His sarcasm didn’t gounnoticed, but I decided toignoreit.IlearnedalongtimeagothatNitrowasasmartass,and itwasbest tokeep thingsshort.The last thing I neededwastominglewordswithhimtoday.

“Cotton wants theshipment doubled for nextmonth. Is that going to be aproblem?”Iasked.

“Nope. Not a problem atall. I’ll take care of it,” heansweredashewrotehimselfanote and then shoved it intothebackpocketofhisjeans.

“I’ll let him know,” I saidas I handed him the thickenvelope full of cash. “Thisshouldsettleusupfornow.”

“Right on, brother. I’msureI’llbeseeingyousoon.”

Igavehimaquicknodandheaded back for my bike. Asthe miles back home blurredinto one another, I foundmyself thinking about myyoungerbrother,Gavin. Ihadbeen thinking abouthima lotlately. It just hasn’t been thesame since the day he left forTennessee. I couldn’t stopthinking about the

conversation we’d had abouthimleaving.ItwasatalkthatIhadn’tbeenlookingforwardtohaving, but I knew it wasinevitable. It was somethingwe’d discussed several timesover the past year.Gavinwasbound and determined tofollow my footsteps into theclub life. Itwasgettingharderand harder to put him off.Gavin is a good kid, and anyclub would be lucky to have

him.But ifhe trulywanted toprospect for Satan’s Fury, hewouldhavetowaituntilthingssettleddownat theclub.He’dneed to have time to adjustbeforeallhellbrokeloose,andrest assured – all hell wouldbreakloose.

When I pulled up in hisdriveway that day, he was in hisworkshop.Asusual,hewascoveredin grease while he worked on his

bike.RestoringoldHarleyswashispassion, and he’d spent every freeminutehehadoutinhisgarage.Fora twenty year old, he had a talentlike no one I had ever known.Hecouldtakeapieceof junkandturnitintoaworkofartinamatterofafewdays.

“I was beginning to think youwere going to blow me off again,”Gavin whispered under his breath,as he continued to disassemble theengine.

“Told you I’d be here. I hadsomethingstotakecareoffirst.”

“Yeah…well, I’ve heard thatbefore,”hegrunted.

“Yougoingtotellmewhatyouwantedtotalkabout?”IaskedasIwalked over to themini-refrigeratorandgotusbothabeer.Itwistedoffthetopsandplacedoneonthetablenexttohim.

“Been thinking about a fewthings,”hesaid.

“This ought to be good,” I

grumbledundermybreath.“Why do you do that? You

knowwhat…just forget it. Idon’tneed this shit from you right now.Just go,”hebarkedashemotionedtowardsthedoor.

“Just tell me what the hellyou’vebeenthinkingabout,Gavin.”I grabbed a wrench and startedhelping him remove the differentscrews that were corroded with rustandgrimefromtheoldengine.

He glared at me for a few

seconds before he finally said, “IwanttomovetoTennessee.”

“Whatthehellareyoutalkingabout?”He’d caughtme off guard.ThatwasthelastthingIexpectedtohearfromhimrightnow.

“I want to go prospect for theDevilChasers.”

“Gavin,”Ibarked.“Justhearmeoutbeforeyoufly

offthehandle.Youtoldmethatyoudidn’twantmeprospecting for yourclubrightnowbecauseofalltheshit

that’s going on. I get that, but I’veheard you talk about Goliath andhis club. You’ve said yourself thatyou liked being there. I’ve alwayswantedtohaveaplacewhereIcouldwork on bikes, and they’re knownall over the country for therestorations they do. Prospecting forthem makes sense,” he saidsounding hopeful. “Besides, if Iprospected at your club, I’d alwaysbe following under your shadow. Iwant a chance tomakeaname for

myself…withoutallthebullshit.”“It wouldn’t be like that,

Gavin.”“It would, and you know it.

You’vealreadymadeyourmarkontheclub.Iwanttobeabletodothesame. Besides, being in TennesseewouldalsogivemeachancetokeepaneyeonJohnWarren.”

“Whatmakesyouthinkthey’lleventakeyouon?Theydon’tknowadamnthingaboutyou.”

“I was hoping that you’d talk

toGoliath.Put in a goodword forme.”

Fuck.Icouldn’tbelievewhathewasasking.Theverythoughtofhimprospecting for another club wasdifficult to digest, but one so faraway made it impossible tocomprehend. How the hell was Isupposed help him leave? Deepdown,Iknewitwastheperfectplaceforhim toprospect,but the thoughtoflosinghim–mybrother,theonlylink tomy life before the club,was

hardformetoaccept.“Youhavetogive me some time to think aboutthis.”

“Fuck,Maverick!Youneedtostop thinking sodamnmuch.Sincewe lostHailey, you’ve been…”hestarted.

“We?What the fuck are youtalking about?” I shouted, steppingcloser to him. “We didn’t loseHailey. I’m the one that loved her,andI’mtheonethatlosther.Hell,I’m the one that got fuckedoverby

allofherdamnlies!”“Youweren’t the only onewho

lost her, Maverick. You know Icared for her, too. More than youknow.” His eyes flickered with ahurtthatIdidn’tquiteunderstand.

“What are you trying to sayhere,Gavin?”

“I’msayinggetyourheadoutofyourassandrealizethatyouweren’tthe only one that got hurt byeverything that happened withHailey. Itwashardonall ofus to

lose her, but it’s time to move on.You’re twenty-six years old, butyou’re acting like your life is over,”heexplainedashedroppedhistoolsonthetable.“It’stimeforbothofusto move on. Moving to Tennessee…”

“I said I’d think about it,Gavin.That’sallI’mwillingtogiveyourightnow.”

We spent the next few hoursworking in the garage in silence. Ithought about everything he said,

andIhonestlycouldn’tfindareasonforhimnottogo.WorkingwiththeDevil Chasers would be a greatopportunity for him, and I knewthey’dtakecareofhim.Ihatedthatitreallywasthebestoptionforhim.Iwasn’t ready to let him go, but Icouldn’tholdhimback.

Once we’d finisheddisassemblingtheengine,Iturnedtohim and said, “I’ll callGoliath inthemorningandseewhathethinksaboutyoucomingdown.”

“Thanks,Maverick.I’lldomybesttomakeyouproud…”

“Gavin, I can’t remember atimewhenIwasn’tproudofyou.”

I’ve talked to him severaltimes since the day he packedhis bags and left. He trulyseemed happy. As hard as itwastoadmit,hewasright.Hewasalreadymakinganameforhimself in their garage, and Iwas proud of him for taking

the risk. That didn’t mean Ididn’tmisshim.

Chapter 4Henley

‡

WHEN I PULLED up at theconvenience store, it wasalready almost midnight, andtherewerenoothercarsintheparking lot. Even with my

shortson,theheatofthenightinstantlybroughta lightsheenof sweat on my skin when Igot out of my car. A chimerang out when I opened thestore door, and the cashierbriefly looked up from hermagazine as she watched mewalk inside. Once she’dacknowledged my presencewith an unappreciative sneer,she looked back down at hermagazine.WhenIreachedinto

the refrigerator for my soda,the bite of the cold air fromthe freezer broughtgoosebumps to my skin. Iquickly closed the door, andtried to shake off the chill byrubbingmyhandupanddownmyarm.

I walked down each andevery aisle looking forsomethingdecenttoeat.WhenIcouldn’tmakeupmymind,Ijust started filling my arms

anything and everything thatlooked like it might curb mygrowinghunger.BythetimeImade ituptothecounter,myhands were loaded with anembarrassing amount ofdrinks,chips,andchocolate.

“Did you find everythingyou need?” the lady askedwithout ever really lookingupat me. She obviously wasn’thappy that I was interruptingherreadingtime.

“Yeah, I think so,” I toldher as I looked around thestore, feeling slightly ashamedat the enormous amount ofjunk food sitting in front ofme.

After an excruciatingamount of time, she finallysaid,“That’llbe$24.96.”

I swiped my debit card,andwhenthereceiptprinted,Iquicklygrabbedmyheavybagofgoodiesandheadedoutinto

the empty parking lot. As Iwalked towards my car andstarted to open the door, Iheard a loud thud comingfrom the sideof the store.Atfirst I ignored it, but then Ihearditagain…louder.IknewIshouldhavejustgotteninmycar and left, but my curiositygotthebestofme.Ithrewmybaginthefrontseatandcreptquietlyovertothedarksideofthebuilding.Iknewdumbshit

like this was what got peopleinto trouble, but I honestlyhopedthere’dbenothingtoit.I just kept thinking that thesales clerk must have decidedto pull herself away from hermagazine long enough to takeout the trash. Little did Iknow, I was wrong… terriblywrong.

AssoonasImadeittotheedgeofthebuilding,therewasanotherloudcrashfollowedby

the sounds of feet scufflingagainsttheconcrete.Icouldn’tsee anything. It was just toodamn dark. So I quietlysteppedintotheshadows,andwaitedformyeyestoadjusttothelackoflight.Shit!Suddenlyit wasn’t just noise as thesounds of aman’s grunts andanguished cries echoed alongthe wall of the building,making my heart nearly jumpout ofmy chest. A feeling of

terror washed over me as Irealized someone was introuble.Itookonestepcloser,and my world instantlystopped moving. A man wasstandingwith his back tome,andeventhough,Ihadnoideawho he was, I instantlyrecognizedhis black vestwiththe dark red embroideryscrolledontheback.Hewasamember of the Satan’s FuryMC, and something was

wrong…verywrong.I was turning to go for

help when I heard, “We’redone playing games with youasshole.”

“Fuck you. I’m not tellingyouagoddamnthing.”

“Then your time is up,brother.” Two gunshots rangoutandmyheartstoppedasIwatched his head jerk backwhenthebulletsslammedintohis chest. As I watched his

limpbodydroptotheground,I felt like someone punchedme in the stomach, knockingthewindoutofme.Icouldn’tbreathe… couldn’t move. Iwas absolutely frozen withfear. I looked behind me,praying for someone to bethere – a car driving by orsomeone walking down thestreet; anyone to help meescape this nightmare, butthere was no one. The

darknessofthenightengulfedme as I realized that I wascompletely alone, except forthesemonsters standing just afew feet away from me thathadjustkilledamemberoftheSatan’sFuryclub.Thehairsonthe back of my neck prickledagainstmyskinasIlistenedtothe dying man gasping forbreath… then there wasnothing,justdeafeningsilence.He was lying dead just a few

feet from me, and there wasnothing I could do to helphim. An overwhelming senseof panic surged through mybodyasIrealizedhowbadthisreally was. A small whimperescaped my lips as my chesttightened, and my legs begantotremblebeneathme.

Iwas about to completelyloseitwhenIheard,“HEY!”

One of the men hadspotted me; the sound of his

voice startled me back toreality. Before I had time tothink,amassiveshadowbeganstalkingtowardsme.

“I… uh… I… shit!” Iscreeched as I twirled aroundandracedtowardsmycar.Mylegs felt like jelly as I ran,making me feel like I wasmoving in slow motion.Behind me, the sounds ofboots hitting the pavementfilled me with pure terror. I

was freaking out. Thefootsteps were getting closer,and I just knew they weregoingtogetme.Iwasgoingtodie in the middle of aconvenience store parking lot!IranwitheverythingIhadandwas relieved when I saw thatmycardoorwasstillopen.Myentire body was shaking as Ijumped inside and locked thedoors. I started the engine,threw it in reverse, and

stomped on the gas! I heardoneofthemhitthebackofmycarasIspedtowardsthemainroad. When I looked in myrear view mirror, two largemen were standing under thelight of the conveniencestore… staring at the back ofmy vehicle with pure rage intheir eyes. They were aftermoreblood…mine.

Whentheywerefinallyoutofsight,Ireacheddowninmy

purse formyphone. I quicklydialedCassidy’snumber.

“Come on… come on.Answer the damn phone,” Ishouted. After calling threetimes without an answer, Igave up. Everything thathappened kept racing throughmy mind. I had to tellsomeone.Cassidytoldmethatthe club didn’t do cops, but Ididn’tknowwhatelsetodo.

“This is 911. State your

emergency,” the operatorcalmlysaid.

My hands were shaking,andIwasfindingitdifficulttospeak. I took a deep breathand said, “I just witnessed ashooting behind the S&KQuickMart!Therewere thesetwoguys,andtheyshotamaninthealley.Ididn’tknowwhatto do and … and… thosemen…ohmygod,I…Ithinktheysawme!Theywere…”

“Miss,Ineedyoutotrytocalm down. I am sending anofficer to that locationnow. Iwill need your name and aphonenumberwhere you canbereached,”sheanswered.

“My name is HenleyGray.” I stammered. I couldbarely tell the operator myphonenumber,myhandswereshaking so badly that I couldhardlyholdontothephone.

“Ma’am, as soon as the

officers check the location oftheshooting,theywillcallyoutomake a report. It shouldn’ttake long. Please stay close toyourphone.I’msuretheywillwanttotalktoyou.”

“Okay.Iwill.Thankyou,”Itoldher.

As soon as I got home, Isearched the house forCassidy. When she wasn’tthere, I triedcallingher again.ThistimeIleftheramessage,

“Cassidy, I need you to callme. I saw something tonight.It was bad, and…” Withoutfinishing,Ihungupthephone.ThosemenhadnoideawhoIwas, and there was no reasonfor me to get all freaked outaboutit.I’dtellCassidywhatIsaw when she got home andthat would be the end of it.Theclubwouldtakecareofit.

I checked all the locks onthedoorsbeforecurlingupon

the sofa, praying that mynerveswould settledown,butbeing in this empty apartmentwasn’tmaking it easy.My testwasfirstthinginthemorning,andIdesperatelyneededtogetsomesleep.Iwasfinallyabouttodriftoffwhenmytelephonerang.

“Hello?”Ianswered.“Henley Gray?” a deep,

raspyvoiceasked.“Yes?”

“This is Officer RonnieDonaldson, from theWilliamson County PoliceDepartment. I’mcalling aboutthe report you made of ashooting at the S&K on ParkStreet.”

“Yes, that was me. Didyoucatchthem?”

“Ms. Gray, did you knowthat placing a false report isagainst the law,” he scoldedwith his voice deep and

forceful.“What? What are you

talking about?” I askeddefensively.

“Wewent to the location,and there was no sign of anydisturbance. It’s themiddleofthe night, Ms. Gray. Youwasted our time and the taxpayers’dollars.”

“Thatcan’tberight.Isawthem…. They shot him rightin front of me! There had to

be something… a body orblood?” I pleaded with him,tryingtomakehimbelieveme.

“There was nothing. Idon’t know what to tell you,Ms. Gray. We didn’t findanything. If there really was ashooting,theydidonehellofajobofcoveringtheirtracks.”

“What am I supposed todonow?”Iasked.

“We’ll go back and checkthings out again in the

morning.I’llcontactyouifwefind anything,” he said flatly.Fromthesoundofhisvoice,Icould tell that he had nointentionofgoingback. Iwasregretting calling them in thefirstplace.Hopefully, theclubwould be able to figure outwhatthehellhappened.

Chapter 5Maverick

‡

MY PHONE HAD been ringingfor several minutes, before Imanaged to pull off the roadtoanswerit.WhenIlookedatthescreenandsawthat itwas

Guardrail, I immediatelybecame uneasy. He wouldn’tbe calling so early in themorning unless there wassomething wrong. When hetoldmethatCottonhadcalledus all in to meet at church, Iknew without a doubt thatsomething was off. It was inhis voice… he soundedshaken, and itwasn’t like himat all. Guardrail had been VPofSatan’sFuryforaslongasI

couldremember,andittookalottorattlehim.Whateverwasgoingon,itwasn’tgood.

WhenIdrovethroughthegate, Iwas instantlyovercomewith a feeling of dread. Theparking lotwas filledwithmybrother’sbikes,buteverythingwas still. No music from thebar, no talking or laughing…just an eerie silence that sentchillsdownmyspine.Assoonas Iparkedmybike, Iheaded

straight for themeetingroom.Allofthebrothersweresittingaround the long oak table,their faces marked with grief.There were no words orexpressionsofgreetings– thiswas not a typical call tochurch.

“Have a seat, Maverick,”Cottonorderedwithastrainedvoice.“Beenwaitingonyoutogetstarted.”

AssoonasItookmyseat,

I looked over to Guardrail,searching for some sign ofwhat the hell was going on.His face was completely voidof expression as he looked atthewallinfrontofhim.Yeah,something was definitelywrong.MyeyeswanderedovertoStitch.His facewas twistedwith anguish, and the veinsaround his neck pulsed withrage. I could feel the angervibrating off of him as he sat

back inhis chairwithhis fistsclenched tight. He was theclubEnforcer, and at 6’9”, hewasnot aman youwanted totanglewith.Thehell thatmanwascapableofinflictingwouldhumble anyone. He’d neverbacked down from anything,andhehad the scars toproveit, leaving no doubt how hegothisroadname.Lookingathim, I could see the furyliterally rolling off of him.

Whoeverhadfuckedup,Stitchwasgoingtomakethempay.

The tension in the roomcrackled around us as Cottonsaid, “As someof you alreadyknow,welostoneofourownlastnight.”

Stitch slammed his fistdown on the table as hegrowled,“Someonewas tryingto send us a message withSkidrow’s death.Whoever thehell it was, they can consider

themessagefuckingreceived!”“There’s no doubt that

they were trying to make astatement. One of theprospects found him thismorning out by the maingate…tossedoutliketrashbythe side of the road,” Cottoncontinued. Anger flashedthrough his eyes as heproceeded to explaineverything thathadhappened.“Hispatchhadbeenremoved,

and any sign of Satan’s Furyonhisbodyhadbeenburned.”

“Who do you think didthis?” I asked, still trying tomake senseof everythinghe’djust said. They hadn’t justkilled one of our brothers…they had insulted our club tothe highest degree bydesecratinganyandallsignsofour club’s name on Skidrow’sbody.

“Tony’soldcrewwouldn’t

havetheballstodosomethinglikethis.Ithadtobesomeoneelse,”Guardrailscowled,ashelookedovertome.

“Iwanteverymanonthis.I want to know where hewas… who he’s been talkingto.Hell, Iwant toknowwhathe had for dinner last night.Any fucking thing that mighthelpusfindoutwhodidthis.”

Everyone nodded inagreement. Itwouldonlybea

matteroftimebeforewewereable to track down themotherfuckers that did this.Ourclubhadeyesandears inplaces no one would everexpect.Whoeverhaddonethishad fucked with the wrongclub.

“All of you know thatMaverick has more thanproven himself as aninvaluable asset to the clubover the past few years. He’d

givehislifeforanyoneofyou,and I’m naming him asSergeantofArms.Everyoneinagreement say, Aye,” Cottonmotioned.BeforeIhadtimetoprotest, the room filled withchantsofapproval.Fuck.

“Done.Maverick,getwithBig Mike. See what you twocan find out and get back tomewithinthehour.”Mikewasthebesthackerintheclub,andif there was anything that

mighthelpus,he’dbetheonetofindit.

“Yougotit,”Ianswered.“Guardrail, we need to

make arrangements forSkidrow.Makesurehegetstherespecthedeserves.GetDallasto the clubhouse. I want eyeson her at all times,” Cottonorderedashestoodup.DallaswasSkidrow’soldlady,andweallknewshewasgoingtotakethis hard. “Meeting

adjourned.”Ittookseveralsecondsfor

everyone tostartmoving.Theshock of everything that hadhappenedwas still lingering inthe room. Skid was one ofthose brothers that we all feltclose to. He was always therewhen you needed him, and IwashumbledthattheythoughtIwas the rightman to followinhisfootsteps.

Guardrail walked over to

meandplacedhishandonmyshoulder. “You were the bestchoice.You and I both knowthat.”

“Itdoesn’tseemright.Wehaven’t even put the man inthe ground, and now we’vereplaced him… with me, noless.”

“Now’s the time. Do himproud,brother.He’dwantthisforyou,too.”

Chapter 6Henley

‡

MY EYES BURNED as Ianswered the last question onmyfinal.Icouldn’tsleepatalllastnight,andmybodyliterallyached from exhaustion. After

turning inmy exam, I headedoutofthebuildingtowardsmycar. I was distracted as Isearched formykeys thathadgotten lost in the bottomlesspit of my purse, therefore Ialmostdidn’tseethetwomenwho were leaning against mycar.Theywerehavingaheatedconversation and were totallyunaware that I was evencomingintheirdirection.Ihadno idea who they were, but

there was no doubt that theywere there waiting for me.Tryingnot to call attention tomyself, I slowly turned backtowards the front door of thebuilding. Once I was backinside, I looked out thewindow praying that theydidn’t see me. They were stilltalking when I grabbed myphoneandcalledCassidy.

“I was just about to callyou. How was the final? Did

youmakeyourA?”sheasked.“I’ve been trying to call

you all night, Cassidy. Whydidn’t you answer your damnphone?”Ishouted.

“I’m sorry, Lee Bug. Ididn’t even hear my phoneringing.Youknowhowlouditis when these guys have aparty,”sheapologized.

“I think I’m in trouble,Cassidy.Badtrouble,”Itoldherasmyvoiceshookinfear.

“What do you mean?What’sgoingon?”

“These two guys … theyshotoneofthemenfromyourclub,andI…Isawit.Isawitall,Cassidy. I tried to call youand tell you, but you didn’tanswer…andnow…Ohshit!They’re here!Atmy school…waiting out there by my car.What the hell am I supposedtodo,Cassidy?”

“Skidrow,”shemumbled.

“What?”“Where are you right

now?”shesnapped.“In one of the Biology

labs.”“Okay… stay put. I’m

sending someone to get you,”sheordered.“What’stheroomnumber?”

“Mr. Yates’ class. Room132.”

“It’s going to be okay.Don’t move from that spot,”

sheassuredmejustbeforeshehungupthephone.

After locking the door, Islumpeddownthewallandmybutt hit the cold, hard floorwithathump.IfeltsoaloneasIsattherethinkingabouthowstupid I’d been. I had justgottenmyselfintoonehellofamess,andIonlyhadmyselftoblame. I should’ve just gottenin my car and followed myinitial instincts. I knew better.

Nothing good ever comesfrom poking around in thedark.

I was still sitting on thefloor when the sound offootsteps approached thedoor. Just as I was about tohaveafullblownpanicattack,amanwithadeep,raspyvoicecalledoutmyname.

“Henley? Are you inthere?” he called as he turnedthehandleofthelockeddoor.

Iwastooafraidtospeak.Ihad no idea who it was. Bynowwhoeverwasaftermehadto know my name, and Icouldn’t be sure it wasn’tthem.

“Henley, it’sme…Clutch.Cassidy sent us to find you. Ineed you to open the door,”he said in a low whisperingvoice.

I quickly got up off thefloor and unlocked the door.

When I opened it, fourmembers of the club werestanding there staringatme. Iinstantly recognized Clutchand Scooter, but had no ideawho theother twoguyswere.It didn’t really matter… theywereheretogetmeoutofthismess, and I was grateful thatthey’d come. “Sorry, I wasn’tsurewhoitwas,”Iwhispered.

“You did good, Henley.Areyouokay?”Clutchasked.I

didn’tknowhimverywell,butCassidy once told me that hewas the club’s Road Captain,whatever the hell that was. Ididn’tcareabouthistitle.Iwasjustgladhewasthere.

“I’m fine. A little rattled,but I don’t think they sawme,” I answered as I fumbledwith my purse. He steppedthrough the door, his largebody towering over me andrested his hand on my

shoulder. It was a smallgesture,buthistouchinstantlycalmedme.WhenIlookedupat him, his fierce blue eyeswere filled with concern. Hisfacewashiddenbehindalongthick beard, making mewonder what was hiddenbeneath it.His eyes never leftmine as he helped me gatherup my things. There wassomething about the way hewas lookingatme that tugged

at my heart. I couldn’t stopstaringathim.Thismanbarelyknewme,buthewaswillingtoput himself in danger to helpme. It wasn’t just him – theywereallhere,puttingtheirlivesatriskforme.

Scooter cleared his throat,pullingme frommy haze andsaid,“Wecheckedtheparkinglot. The guys were gone, butthey broke into your car.”Scooter was one of the

younger prospects, and wasjusttoodamncuteforhisowngood. He had one of thoseadorablebabyfaces,andallthetattoos in the world couldn’tmake him look like the toughguyhewantedtobe.Hewasagood guy, and I’d always hadfun hanging out with himwhen Iwent to theclubhousewithCassidy.

“Didyouhaveanything inyour car that theymight have

taken?”Clutchasked.“Well, shit… my laptop.

Was it still in there?” I askedhopefully.

“Nope.Looksliketheygotit,alongwithanythingelseyouhadinthere,”Scootertoldme.“We’lldowhatwecantogetitback.”

“Shit…ithasallmyschoolstuff on it. Why would theyneedthat?”

“They’re going to do

whatevertheycantotrackyoudown,doll,butwe’regoingtomake sure that doesn’thappen,” Clutch saidconfidently. It freakedmeoutthat those men had actuallycomeafterme,butitmademefeel better knowing that theclubwouldbetheretoprotectme.“Let’sgetyoubacktotheclubhouse. Cotton wants totalktoyou.”

“Cotton? Why do I

suddenly feel like I’m beingcalled to the principal’soffice?” When he didn’tanswer, a feeling of dreadwashedoverme.ThelastthingI wanted to do was get thePresident of the Satan’s FuryMC mad at me. I’d only methim a couple of times, but Iknew he wasn’t a man youwanted to get on your badside. He was attractive, in anominous sort of way. He was

farfromtheoldestmanintheclub, but he was older thanmost. His white hair andgoatee made him seem moredistinguished, maybe a littlesuperior to others. There wasjust something abouthim thatmade me feel… anxious. I’dalwaysdonemybesttojustbepolite and avoid him asmuchaspossible.Hewasthekindofmanwho commanded respectwithout saying a word, and

now, I was going to have toactually talk to him – have areal conversation. What if Isaid thewrong thing? I didn’teven know what to call him.President? President Cotton?PresidentCotton,sir?Ohhell,Iwasscrewed.

All eyes were on me as Ifollowed the four burly mendownthehallway.Theydidn’tfit the typical college scenewith their leather vests and

tattoos. I looked over at eachof them, and realized howdifferently I saw them. Thesemen may be rough, but theyhad shown me nothing butkindness. I knew they woulddoanythingtoprotectme,andjust walking with them, gavemeasenseofsecurity.

My rattled nerves slowlybegantocalmaswecontinueddown the hallway. Severalmembers of the football team

scuttled out of the way as wewalkedpastthem.Iwatchedasthese tough football playersunsuccessfully pretended thattheyweren’tabouttoshittheirpants as we passed by them.They were obviouslythreatenedastheycheckedoutthe Satan’s Fury patch on theback of Clutch’s cut. Thereaction from the femaleswasvastly different. A couple ofthe hookers… Imean sluts…

I mean pretty girls, smiled andflicked their long, beautifulhair as they tried their best toget the men’s attention. Mylips curved into a smile whentheir efforts were totallyignored. Yep… even thoughthese men were here to saveme from god-knows-what, Iwas walking down the hallsmilinglikeabigdork.

With people still gawkingat us, I followed Scooter over

tohisbike.Afterhehelpedmeget my helmet on, I climbedon the back and rested myhandsonhiswaist.Theenginesuddenly roared to life asScooter throttled the ignition,anddroveout theparking lot.The seat vibrated wildlybeneath me as we picked upspeed, quickly jetting intotraffic. Surrounded by theothers, we sped out onto theopen highway towards the

clubhouse.I’dneverriddenona bike before, and I loved it.AsIheldtightlyontoScooter,a feeling of pure ecstasywashed over me as we glideddown the highway. Thefreedom… the bliss of beingout on the open road thrilledme.Thesoundandspeedwasoverwhelming, but I felt saferiding with Scooter. Theseguys rode with suchconfidence that it made them

seeminvincible.Iwasenjoyingthe ride so much, I almostforgot why I was with them.Once we pulled through thegate, reality came crashingdownonme.Assoonas theyhadparked theirbikes,Clutchmotioned for me to followhimthroughthebackdoor.

“Cotton is in his office,”hetoldme.Mynervesjumpedinto overdrive when I took astep towards his office door,

makingitdifficulttowalkwithmytremblingknees.

“Okay,” I answeredwishing that he was going in,too.DreadwashedovermeasItappedonthedoor.Myheartjumpedwhenhecalledoutforme to come in. The doorcreaked loudly as I slowlyopenedhisdoor.

“Hey… uh… PresidentCotton… sir?Clutch said youwanted to talk to me,” I

stammered.He got up from his large

woodendeskandwalkedoverto me. Looking genuinelyconcernedhe asked, “Areyouokay?”

His voice was low andgentle, and it instantly set meat ease. “Yes, sir. I’m fine,” Ianswered.

“Just call me Cotton.Comeon in andhave a seat,”heofferedashepickeduphis

phoneandstated,“She’shere.Comedowntomyoffice.”

Justashewassettlingbackdown in his seat, Maverickwalked in. Shit!Now Ihad todeal with the two mostintimidatingmenI’devermet.I’ll admit it, Maverick wasgoodlooking–extremelygoodlooking, but damn, the manwas a giant. As he made hisway over to me, my eyesroamedoverhis largemuscles

that bulged beneath his tightblackt-shirt.Thescowlonhisface was hard to ignore as hestood thereglaringatme. Justbeing this close to him mademefeellikeIwastwelveagain.Without saying aword,he satdown next to me and waitedforCottontospeak.

“Henley, Cassidy told usthat you saw something lastnight,” Cotton said with ahopefulringinhisvoice.

“I did. I tried to call herlast night, but she couldn’thear her phone,” I told himdefensively.

“I need you to tell meeverything you can remember.Everything,”hedemanded.Thetiny crow’s feet around hiseyescrinkledashespoke.

Without any interruptions,bothmenlistenedintentlyasItold them everything that hadhappened over the past

twenty-fourhours. Icouldseethe anguish in their eyes asthey listened to the details oftheirbrotherbeingshot.Itriedmy best not to leave anythingout, but Iwasnervous, and itwashardtothinkstraight.

“Didthecopevercallyouback?”Maverickasked.

“No, but I could tell hewasjusttryingtoputmeoff,”I explained as I clenched myhands together and rested

them in my lap. “I’m prettysure they thought Iwas lying.The guy said they found noevidence of amurder. I don’tunderstand it. I mean… theyshot him. He was bleeding.Therehadtobesomething.”

“Guardrail and I went byearlier to check it out. Therewas no trace of bloodanywhere.Theplacehadbeencleanedbysomeonewhoknewwhathewasdoing,”Maverick

informedCotton.Cotton lookedover tome

and asked, “Can you tell usanything about thesemenyousaw? Were they wearing cuts,or did any of them havetattoos?”

“Theyweren’twearinganyleather,butoneofthemhadahuge tattoo going down thelength of his arm. I couldn’treally make it out… a snakemaybe? He had a long, dark

beardandseveralpiercings…abigdude,butnot likeyou.Hewasjustfat.Theotheronewastallandskinnyandhadhishairgreased back. Kind of slimylooking.And,hehadthesametattoo on his arm, along withanother weird one on hischeek,justbelowhisrighteye.A tear or a star? I couldn’treally tell.Theguy talkinghada slight accent. He didn’tsoundlikehewasfromaround

here.” My knees began toquiver involuntarily as Iremembered how those menlookedatmewithrageintheireyes.

“Do you think you’d beable to recognize them if yousaw them again?” Maverickquestioned.

“I think so.They’re prettymuch burned into mymemory.”

“Werethesethesamemen

you sawby your car?”Cottonasked as he reached in hispocket for his cigarettes. Hiseyes never left mine as hebrought one up to hismouthandlitit.Hetookalongdrag,taking it deep into his lungs.The smoke slowly rolledthroughhis lipsasheexhaled,waitingformetospeak.

“No. Those guys weredifferent, so it was probablynothing, just a coincidence,” I

explained. “I’m sure I justoverreacted when I saw thematmycar.Ibet theywere justaftermylaptop.”

Maverick looked over tome and said, “There are nocoincidences, Henley. Clutchfoundatrackingdevicehiddenin the undercarriage of yourcar.Itwasthereforareason,”hesaidfirmly.Coldchillswentdown my spine as I thoughtaboutthemhuntingmedown.

“We’re going to keep youhere for a while, so we cankeepaneyeonyou.Makesurenothing happens to you,”Mavericksaid.

“I really appreciate that,but I think I’ll be fine. That’sreally not necessary. I’m surethat…”Istarted.

“It’s not up for debate,Henley.As Sergeant ofArms,it’s Maverick’s job to protecttheclubandanyonetiedto it.

Youarestayinghere,underhiswatch”Cottondemanded.

“Um… okay?” I agreedhesitantly.Itwasofficial.Iwastotally,utterlyscrewed.

Chapter 7Maverick

‡

“HOWDOYOU think itwent?Doyouthinkshehasanythingwe can use?” Guardrail askedme.

“Yeah, but she was still

prettyrattled.Hopefully,morewill come to her later,” Iexplained.

“You know she’s underyour watch until we get ourhandsonthesemotherfuckers.She’s theonly linkwehave toSkidrow’s murder,” he said,takingadrinkfromhisbeer.

The bar was quiet behindus. The news of Skid’s deathwas hitting us all hard. Itwasalwaystoughwhenwelostone

of our own, but not knowingwho killed Skid was onlymaking it worse. His murderhad blindsided us. The needfor revenge filled the air,makingusallonedge.

“I won’t let anythinghappentoher,”Iassuredhim.As thenewSergeantofArms,Iknewhersafetywouldfalltomyhands.Thatdidn’tmean Iwashappyaboutit.

“That’s all I needed to

hear,” he said as he stoodup.“I need to go see aboutDallas.”

Just hearingDallas’s namemade my chest tighten. ThenewsofSkidrow’smurderhadjust about broken her. They’dbeen together for as long as Icouldremember,andeveryoneknew they had somethingspecial. Skid was crazy aboutDallas. Hell, he couldn’t keephisdamnhandsoffofher.He

was always holding her andkissing her, every chance hegot.He spenthis life showingher what she meant to him,and he never once thoughtaboutstraying.WhentheirsonDusty was born with Down’ssyndrome, they never skippeda beat. They loved both oftheir children, and their loveforthemseemedtomaketheirrelationship stronger, bringingthem closer together. Skidrow

brought them to the clubseveral times a week, sharinghis life with his children ineverywaypossible.WeallhadaspecialplaceinourheartsforDusty. There was somethingabout seeing the worldthrough his eyes that alwaysbrought a smile to our faces.He’sagreatkid,andIknewhewasgoing tobedevastatedbyhis father’s death. We’re allgoingtohavetodoourpartto

make sure he never forgetshowmuchhisdadlovedhim.

“Allie’s been with Dallasallafternoontryingtohelpherout,”Guardrailexplained.Alliewas his Old Lady. They metwhenGuardrailsetouttofindher brother, Tony.Guardrail’splanwastouseAllietogettoher brother, but he neverthought he’d actually fall forher. He did, nonetheless, andAllieisthebestthingthatever

happenedtohim.“Dustydoingok?”Iasked.“I don’t think she’s even

told him yet. She still needssome time to wrap her headaround all of this.Hell,we alldo,”heanswered.

“Nodoubtaboutthat.”“Callmeifanythingcomes

up.I’llbebacklatertonighttocheckonthings.”

“Noneedforthat.I’vegotit.I’llcallyouifweneedyou,”

Itoldhim.“Thanks,” he said as he

crossedhisarms.“Maverick?”“Yeah?”“Henley isn’t like the girls

around here, and being at theclub full time is going to bedifferentforher,”hesaid.

“And?”“Just give her a chance to

get accustomed to it. Youknow, try being… nice,” hesaid. He turned and walked

awaybeforeIhadachancetosay anything in response.Oneof those slow, depressingcountrysongsblaredfromthejukebox as I grabbedmybeerandfinisheditoff.Iwassittingtheemptybottledownon thecounter, whenCassidy walkedin with Henley. Cassidy’s lipsmoved amile aminute as sherambledonandoninHenley’sear, but I could tell from theexpression on Henley’s face

that shewasn’t really listeningto a word Cass said. I’d seenHenleyacoupleoftimeswhenshecamearoundtheclubwithCass,butneverreallymadeaneffort to talk to her. Neverreallyfelttheneed.Shewasn’tmy type, if I evenhad a type.But,nowIwasstuckwithheruntil this mess gets settled.Henley looked over in mydirection and seemed to becaught off-guard when she

noticedmelookingather.Sheheld my gaze for a moment,captivating me with a soul-searching stare. I was almostdisappointedwhen she turnedaway.

Iwatchedasshenervouslyran her fingers through herlong bangs as sheunsuccessfully tried to tuckthem behind her ear. Cassidycontinued to talk as Henley’sdark eyes anxiously skirted

around the room. Unlike hersister, she wasn’t wearingmuchmake-up,butthenagain,with her olive skin, she reallydidn’t need it. She was anatural beauty. When Cassidypointed across the room toBoozer, Henley’s full lipscurvedintoasmileassheheldup her hand and gave him abashful wave. Her cheeksturned crimson as she quicklydropped her hand to her side

and began to fiddle with thehem of her vintage t-shirt. Itwas obvious that she wasn’texactly comfortable beinghere, but she would have torealize that we were here tokeep her safe. Nothing elsereallymattered.

My attention was stillfocused on Henley whenCooter, one of our prospects,satdownbesideme.Heletouta deep sigh when his phone

chimed with a text message.He grabbed it out of his backpocket and read it, cursingunderhisbreath.

“Damn it. I can’t catch abreak with her. I mean,” hewhined.“Iloveherandall,butfuck.”

When I looked over tohim,hetookitasaninvitationtocontinuewithwhateverwasonhismind.

“I’vedoneeverythingshe’s

askedmetodo,andshe’sstillbitchingatme. I’ve just aboutdecided that you can’tmake awoman happy,” he started ashe motioned over to Cassidyforabeer.“She’salwaysonmycase about something. Itdoesn’t matter what I do, it’snever enough.” He stoppedlong enough to take a drinkfrom his beer before hecontinued. “I just can’t getaway from it. You know?

EverytimeIturnaroundshe’scalling to ask me… Are youokay? When are you going to behome? It never ends. You’dthinkshe’dfinallyjustgiveitarest,butnooo!Shejustkeepsatit. And it’s even worse whenI’mhome.Whenareyougoingtodo this?When are you going to dothat?Man, it just goes on andon.”

I looked down at myemptybeerandwonderedhow

thehellIgotstucklisteningtohim ramble on like this. Iraised my empty beer bottleandwaved it in the air lettingCassidy know that I neededanotherone.Whensheplacedmycoldbeeronthecounter,Inoticed Henley walking overto the back of the bar. As Iwatchedher,Irealizedthatshewas taller than I’dremembered, and I foundmyself wondering what she

was hiding under that old t-shirt. I imagined her havingone of those athletic buildsthat some girls have withouteven really trying. She didn’tseem like the kindof girl thatwas into sports as shewalkedovertowardsouroldPacManArcadegame.We’dpulled thedamn thing out of somerundownbardowntown,andIhadn’tseenanyoneevenplayitsinceweinstalledthething.

“I’vedoneeverythingshe’sasked. Hell, I painted herdamn bathroom three fuckingtimes before she was happywith it,” he carried on,completely oblivious to thefactthatIcouldcarelesswhathewas talkingabout.He tookanother tugofhisbeerbeforehecontinued,“Atleastshecancook.Man,shemakesthebestlasagna you ever put in yourmouth. Never found anyone

thatcouldmakeitlikehers.”ItriedtotunehimoutasI

watched Henley start up thegame. When she took theknob in her hand and leanedclosertothescreen,herfadedblue jean shorts rose slightly,showingoffhersexy,long,tanlegs. My eyes were zeroed inonherhipsswayingfromsideto side when Cooter’s voicepulledmebackintohisrant.

“Youjustcan’tfindagood

Italian woman like heranymore.She’soneofakind.Iguessthat’swhyIputupwithallofhershit.Weonlygetonemomma, right?What’s a mansupposedtodo?Youknow?”

Realizing for the first timethat he was actually talkingabout his mother, pissed methe fuck off. “I wouldn’tknow.MymotherdiedwhenIwasakid. I’d sayyou’re luckyto have her,” I told him as I

turned my head away fromhim, ignoring whatever hemumbled under his breath.Outofthecornerofmyeye,Inoticed Henley jumping upand down. Her hips jerkedfrom side-to-side as shepumped her fists in the air,obviously celebrating her winover the game. Watching hermademefeellightersomehow,anunlikelydiversion from thedarkness that usually

consumed me. After severalsecondsofprancingaroundinthe corner, she suddenlystoppedandslowlyturnedherhead, peering around theroom. Her lips pressedtogetherasshecheckedtoseeif anyone had seen her littlevictory dance. When her eyeslocked on mine, she bit herbottom lip.Hermouth slowlycurved into a bashful smile asshe shrugged her shoulders,

acknowledging that she knewI’dseenher.Iturnedmyheadandlookedawayindisbelief.

I sat there for a moment,trying to clearmy head, but Icouldn’t stop myself. I don’tknow what exactly triggeredit… maybe it was that goofylittle dance or her adorablesmile, but she’d just donesomething no one has beenable to do inmonths. HenleyGray just made me smile.

Fuck.

Chapter 8Henley

‡

WHAT IS IT about those greeneyesthatcaptivatedme?Itjustdoesn’t make any sense. Ofcourse, he’s absurdly goodlooking,withhisshaggybrown

hair and perfect body, but it’smorethanthat.WhenIlookedathim,IsawsomethingthatIjust couldn’t explain, and itmademewant to knowmoreabout him. I wanted to knowthedemonshewas fighting…why there was such hurthidden behind those beautifulemeraldeyes.

“Would you like abeerorsomething?”Boozeraskedme,beingagentlemanasalways.

“Nothanks.I’mgood.”“How about a game of

pool?”“Trust me… you don’t

wanttoplaypoolwithme.I’mbeyondterrible.ItwouldbelikeChinesetorturetoplayagainstme. Besides, it’s been a reallylongday.IthinkI’mjustgoingto go crash for the night.” Icould see the disappointmentcrosshishandsomefacewhenIturnedhimdown.Iwould’ve

suggested playing a game ofdarts, but I was exhausted. Ijust wanted to crawl into bedand forget this day everhappened.

“Maybe some other time,then,” he said with a kindsmile.“Justletmeknowifyouneedanything.”

“Thanks Boozer. I reallyappreciateit.”IpattedhimonthearmandheadedovertotellCassidy that I was going to

bed. She was clearing theempty bottles off the countertopasshetalkedtoacoupleoftheguyssittingatthebar.

“How’s it going Lee Bug?Haven’t seen much of youtonight.Youmaking itokay?”sheaskedasshebusiedherselfbehindthebar.

“Yep.Hangingin.”“Good. Sorry I haven’t

beenable to spendmore timewith you. I’ve been swamped

overhere.Ellie couldn’tmakeit in tonight, so it’s just beenmeallnight.”

“Cass, I’mfine.Youdon’thave to worry over me,” Iassuredher.

“Can’thelpmyself.You’vebeenthroughalottoday,”shesaidwithconcern.“Istillcan’tget it out of my head. Thoseguyscouldhave…”

“Don’t. Nothinghappened.Nothingisgoingto

happentome.I think it’ssillythat I am even here. I shouldbe home waiting on my finalgradestocomein,nothangingout here with the Hell’sAngels.”

“Henley,don’tsayshitlikethat!Youknowbetter than todisrespect these men,especially in their own damnclubhouse. You need themright now. They’re the onlyones who can keep you safe,

and you need to appreciatetheir…”

I held up my hands insurrender and said, “You’reright. You’re right. I’m a jerk.I’m sorry. I’m just tired. It’sbeenahellofaday,andIjustneedtogetsomesleep.”

“Cotton had a couple ofthe prospects bring your stuffover from the apartment. Igave them the list of thingsyou wanted, and they set up

everythinginyourroom.”“Wow.Well that was nice

of them. I’ll be sure to thankthemtomorrow,”Ipromised.

“Andyoushouldknow…”shestarted,butpausedtolookaround the bar before shecontinued. “I wasn’t going tosay anything, but someonebroke into our apartment.When the guys got there, theentire place had beenransacked.”

“What the hell? Whowould have done somethinglike that?” I knew the answerbefore the question ever leftmylips.

“They didn’t say for sure,butI’mpositiveitwastheguysthat tried to break into yourcar.”

“Whatweretheyexpectingto find in our apartment?” Iasked as my heart began topound nervously against my

chest.“You… or at least

something that could leadthem to you. Whoever theseguys are, they seem prettyintentonfindingyou,sothat’swhy Cotton put Maverick inchargeofwatchingoveryou.”

It was hard enough beinghere like this, but I definitelydidn’t need Mr. Green Eyeswatchingmyeverymove.He’salways so damn serious, with

his blank stare and grimexpression. It was likesomeone had just killed hisdog or something. I don’tthink I’ve ever even seen theman smile, and now he wasgoing to be watching over me.Crap on a cracker. Just being inthesameroomwithhimmademe feel all awkward andnervous,anditmademypalmssweatyjustthinkingaboutit.

“It’s his job,Henley.He’ll

makesurenothinghappenstoyou,”shereplied.

“Iwilldowhattheytellmeto do. But I don’t need afreaking babysitter, Cassidy.Especiallynothim.”

“Maverick will dowhatever it takes to keep yousafe. That’s all that matters.Evenifyoudon’tlikeit,you’regoing to have to make thisthingwork.It’snotgoingtobeeasy for either of you. You’re

justgoingtohavetomakethebest of it,” she said, as shestarted restocking the bar’scoolers.

“Damnitalltohell,”Itoldher as I rolledmyeyes. “Whydid I ever leave the house? Ishould’vejustgonetobedandnone of this would have everhappened. I wouldn’t have todealwithMr.Grouch.”

“Henley, just do what hesays. He takes club business

very seriously, and it’ll onlypiss him off if you don’t dowhathetellsyou,”shewarned.

“Yeah…well, I’ll dowhatI can to not piss him off.Alright?” I asked sarcastically.“I’mgoingtobed,mom.I’llseeyouinthemorning.”

AsIstartedtowalkoutofthe bar, I looked over atMaverick.Hewassittingalone,drinking another shot ofwhiskey. His elbows were

stretched across thecountertop as he stared intotheemptyshotglass.Apartofmewantedtogotohim…askhim what was bothering him,but I couldn’t get the couragetodoit,soIjustleft.

I stilldidn’tknowmywayaround the entire clubhouse.When Cassidy told me wheremy room was, I thought Iknew exactly where she wastalking about. I was wrong.

Thisplacewaslikeamazewithallthedoorsandhallways,butafter asking three differentguys for help, I finallymanaged to find my room.When I opened the door, IwaspleasedtoseethatCassidywas right. The guys managedto get everything I asked forandmore. One of them evenbrought my favorite blanketfrommybedroom. I took offmy clothes and put on my

favorite Game of Thrones t-shirt.WhenIcrawledintobed,Iwas relieved to see that theyeven remembered to get thepillows off of my bed. I’m alittle obsessed with them andknew I wouldn’t be able tosleepwithoutthem.

“Henley?” a man’s voicecalled with a pounding knockagainstonmydoor.

“Holdon,”IansweredasIgot up from the bed and

walked towards the door.When I opened it, Maverickwas standing there with hisoverpoweringpresenceandhisbeautiful green eyes glaringstraightatme.Hedidn’t sayaword as his eyes droppeddown, reading the words onmyt-shirtorpossiblycheckingoutmyboobs.Ireallycouldn’ttell.

I clearedmy throat, tryingto draw his attention back to

my face and asked, “Did youneedsomething?”

Hiseyesslowlymeandereddownmy body, roaming overmy bare legs. My feet shiftednervously as he continued tostand thereblatantly staring atme. His intense gaze burnedagainst my flesh, making mepull at the hemofmy long t-shirt.Withadeepsigh,heranhisfingersroughlythroughhishair, and my eyes instantly

zoned in on his waist. Hisfaded blue jeans dropped lowaround his hips and with hisarmlifted,itgavemeapeekathisabdomen.Myeyeswidenedwhen I noticed he had a verypronounced, very sexy V.Damn, I did not need to seethat.

His head was still facingdown, and I assumed he waschecking out my dark purpletoenail polish when he asked,

“You got everything youneed?”

“Yep. All good here,” Itoldhimas I turnedbackandlooked around the room. Myclotheswereallhanginginthecloset,mymake-upwasonthesmalldresser,andmybedwasmade up with fresh sheets.Theguyshaddoneeverythingthey could to make the roomas nice as possible. When Iturned back to faceMaverick,

hewasstillstaringatmewithapeculiarlookonhisface.“Theguys reallydidanamazing jobhere. It was really sweet ofthem. Did you needsomething?”

“Good,” Maverick saidwith a nod. “It’s late. I justwantedtomakesureyouweresettled, I’ll be back in themorning.Wehaveafewthingsto discuss.” Without anotherword, he turned around and

left.Istoodtherestaringatthe

empty doorway, wonderingwhat the hell we had to talkabout.Somethingtoldmethathewasn’texactlythrilledabouthaving to keep an eye onme,but the way he just looked atme? Yeah, that was hot. Thisman had me all kinds ofconfused. I was tempted tojust pack upmy stuff and getthe hell out of here. I told

Cotton everything I knew, sotherewasreallynopointinmestaying.

Chapter 9Maverick

‡

“WHERE THE HELL do youthinkyou’regoing,Henley?”Igrowled. I was onmy way tothe kitchen when I foundHenley tiptoeing down the

dark hallway, her armscrammed full with all of hershit. An exasperated curserumbled under her breath asshestoppeddeadinhertracks.Withherhipcockedouttotheside, she stared at me with afrustrated pout. Too fuckingcute.Her longhairwaspulledup high on her head in somekindofbun,withloosestrandsfalling down around hershoulders. Her dark brown

eyes looked black as coal asshe stood there staring atme,wearingnothingbutthatdamnt-shirt. My eyes trailed downthe length of her long, sexylegs, and I instantly imaginedthem wrapped around me.Damn. This girl was gettingundermyskin.

“I’m… uhhh… I’m goinghome?”shesputtered.

“No… you’re not. Getyour ass back to your room

and go to bed,” I ordered.TherewasnowayIwaslettingherleave,atleastnotyet.

“And why should I dothat? I’ve already told Cottoneverything I rememberedabout the shooting, so there’sreallynoreasonformetostayhere,” she said, sounding likeshe actually believedwhat shewassaying.

“Whatareyougoingtodowhen these guys come

knockingonyourdoor?Huh?You gonna take care of it onyour own?Hit them over thehead with one of your fancyfucking pillows? Hear mewhen I say this,HenleyGray.Onceyouleavehere,there’snocoming back. No one will bethere to help you when theycomeforthatprettylittleneckof yours. And let’s be clear…they will come for you,” Iwarned. A defeated look

crossed her face as she stoodtrying to decidewhat shewasgoing to do. Then a spark ofanger crossed her face whenshe realized that I was right,making me almost smile withsatisfaction.

She glanced up to theceiling as a frustratedburstofair rushed from her lungs.“Well, thank you for clearingthatallupforme,Maverick.”

“Henley…”Icalledoutto

her.“What?”shesnapped.“You’llbesaferhere.Club

protection is the best thingyou’vegotgoingrightnow.”

“Whatever you say, boss.”She rolled her eyes as sheturned and walked back intoher room, slamming the doorbehindher.Istoodthereforaminutelisteningtoherendlessstream of profanities as shetossedherthingsaroundinher

room. A part of me wastemptedtogointhereandsetherstraight.Explainwhatkindof danger shewas really in. Ifshe had left here tonight, Ihavenodoubtthattheywouldhavefoundherandkilledher.Even though having her herewas going to be a pain inmyass, Iwouldn’t be able to livewith myself if somethinghappenedtoher.

“You lost, Maverick?”

Peyton asked playfully. Shewasoneoftheclubgirls.Mostof the brothers called themFury’s Felines… pussies thatwere always eager to please,andPeytonwasaclubfavorite.Shehadawaywithhermouththat could make any manforget the world around him,evenifjustforalittlewhile.

“Hey, Peyton. You’re uplatetonight.”

“Iwasjustspendingalittle

timewithClutch.He’s havinga hard time with … youknow… everything. I wastrying to cheer him up a bit,”sheexplained.“Buthe’sasleepnow, and I was just headingbacktomyroom.Wanttojoinme?”

“Yeah, I’mup for that,” ItoldherasIfollowedherbackto her room. I needed to letoff some steam, and Peytonwas just the girl to help me

out.“I haven’t seen much of

youlately,”shetoldmeasshehastily began to unbuckle mybelt. Without hesitation, shedropped down to her knees.Her long, black hair fellaround her shoulders as herfingers worked to release thezipper ofmy jeans. “We havesome catching up to do,handsome.” She smiled up atme, and her brown eyes filled

with eagerness, she beganloweringmyjeansdownbelowmy hips. She took me in herhand and brushed her warmwettonguearoundtheheadofmycock.Asherhandbegantoslowlystrokeupanddownmynow hardening shaft, she said“I heard you’re going to bearound more since you’rehelping out with Henley andall.”

As soon as the sound of

Henley’snameleftherlips,mydick went limp. Fuck. She’donlybeenhereonenight, andshewas already turning into acockblock.Itookastepbackandsaid,“I’vegottogo.”

“What?Baby,wewerejustgetting started. Let me makeyoufeelgood…,”shewhined,her hands dropping down toherside.

“Maybesomeother time,”I told her as I pulled up my

jeansandheadedforthedoor.Still pulling up my zipper, Istepped out into the hall.When I started down thehallway, I found Henleystanding in her doorwaywatching me with a look ofdisgust on her face that Iwasn’texpecting.BeforeIhadI chance to say anything toher,sheslammedherdoorandlockedit.Ialmostcalledouttoher, but I stopped myself. I

knew therewas no reason forme to fucking explain myselftoher,butIcouldn’tshakethefeeling of guilt that wasscratching at the back of mymind. I decided to ignore itandheadedtobed.Iwasreadyforthisfuckingdaytoend.

Forthenextweek,Henleydid her best to avoid me.Every time we were in thesame room, she would makeherselfbusy talking toCassidy

or one of the guys. Eventhough she wasn’t exactlysharing itwithme, she alwayshad a beaming smile on herface. It was like she wasimmunetoallthenegativeshitthatwasswarmingaroundher.Hell, nothing seemed to getherdown.AsmuchasIhatedto admit it, I found myselfbeing drawn to her light, andeach day I was finding ithardertoignore.Fromtimeto

time, she would notice mewatchingher,oureyes lockingforjustabriefmomentbeforeshewouldsmileandturnaway.I couldn’t help myself, Istarted to look forward tothosesmiles.

With everything that wasgoingon at the club, thenextfewdaysbecameablur.Afterwe buried Skidrow, I spentmostofmytimeworkingwithBigMike,lookingforanything

that might help us find theguys that killed Skid. Fromeverything that Henley hadtold us, we had completelyruledoutTony’soldcrew.Wealready knew that they didn’thave the manpower to backthatkindofthreat.Ithadtobesomeoneelse.

Cotton called Henley intohisofficeagain.Hewasgettingimpatient with the lack ofinformation we’d collected,

and he wanted to make sureshe’d told us everything shecould remember.Unfortunately, shedidn’thaveanything to add towhat she’dalready told us. We wererunningoutofideaswhenBigMike suggested, “Why don’tweuseherasbait?”

“Who?”“Henley.Wealreadyknow

that theywanther.Theywentto all the trouble of putting

thattrackeronhercar.It’dbeeasy.We could send her backhome and wait for them tocomeafterher,”he explained.“WecouldhookherupwithawireandaGPS.”

“No.”“Hearmeout.Wehaveto

do whatever we can to findthese guys, and she might bethe only option that we haveright now. You know wewouldn’t let anything happen

to her,” he promised. “I’dmakesureofit.”

“Nottakingthatchance,”Igrowled. I’m sure he wasn’texpecting my reaction, buttherewasnowayinhellthatIwas going to take a chancewith Henley’s life. It was myjob to keep her safe, and Iintendedtodojustthat.

“Let’s, at least, talk toCotton about it. See what hethinks,” he suggested, not

willingtolethisideago.“Drop it, Mike. It’s not

going to happen,” I told himfirmly.“We’lljusthavetofindanotherway.”

Chapter 10Henley

‡

I WAS STARVING. I’d beenhelpingCassidywithinventoryfor the past two hours, and Ihadn’thadachancetoeat.Assoon as we finished sorting

everythingatthebar,Iwenttothe kitchen to see if the guyshad anything made up forlunch. When I walked in, theroom was empty except forMaverick. He was sitting allaloneatthelong,kitchentablewith a not-so-subtle scowl onhis face. I wondered what hewas thinking about, sittingthere alone in the quiet. Hewas in a daze, totally unawarethatIhadevenwalkedintothe

room.WhenIlookedathim,Icould see a world of hurthidden behind those beautifulgreen eyes. He sat thereslumpeddowninhischair,andI could almost see the weightof the world sitting on hisbroad shoulders. He wascompletely lost in his ownthoughts, and it didn’t looklike a place anyone needed tobe.

Trying to knock him out

of his stupor, I sat downbeside him and asked, “Doyou ever smile?”He let out adeep sigh of frustration,making sure I knewhewasn’texactly thrilled that I wasinterrupting his lunch. Hedidn’t even acknowledge myquestion as he took a big biteofhishamsandwich.

“Seriously, does anythingmake you happy, or are youalways such a grouch?” I

pushed, trying to get somekindofreactionoutofhim.

“Are you bored, Henley?Tryingtopickafightwithmeso you’ll have something tooccupy your time?” he askedwithhismouthfull.

“I just don’t get it.You’rea good-looking guy, the newSergeant ofArmsof the club,and the guys seem to reallyrespectyou.”

“So,you’re flirtingwithme

now?” he asked, looking overto me with a sexy smirk.Damn. That smile could meltheartsfromamileaway.

“Oh please, don’t flatteryourself. I’m just trying to getinsidethatheadofyours.”

“Don’t,” he barked. “Youdon’t know shit about me,and…”

“That’s not exactly true. Iknow you have a son. A sonyou lovedenough togivehim

up,sohecouldhavealifeyoudidn’t think you could givehim on your own.” Hiseyebrows furrowed as heglaredatme,buthedidn’t tryto stop me from continuing.“And I know that had to behard – really hard, but youdidn’tletitstopyou.Youkeptliving, working to make yourclub better… safer. I alsoknow that you helped yourbrother get in that other club

inTennessee,eventhoughyouprobably wanted him to behere with you. You did it,because it was the best thingforhim.”

“Cassidy talks too damnmuch,”hegrumbled.

“You’re missing thepoint,”Isnapped.

“What’s the point then,Henley?Tellme.Whatexactlydo you think I should besmiling about?” he said as he

glared at me angrily, warningme to shut the hell up, but Iwas determined to make mypoint.

“As far as I can tell youhaveplentytosmileabout,butyou’re focusing on the wrongthings.Youhavetolearnfromyourmistakes and let thepastgo. Just live your life the bestway that you can and forgetaboutthethingsthatyoucan’tchange. Don’t be so hard on

yourself about everything.Lighten up,” I explained,wishing thathewouldactuallylistentowhatIwassaying.

“The past makes us whoweare.I live itandbreathe it.It’snotsomethingIcanjustletgoof,”hesaidasheturnedhisattentionbacktohissandwich.

“That may be true,Maverick, but you can eitherdwell on your own misery ortry to find your way back to

some kind of happiness. Youjust have to take that firststep.”

“Maybe, just maybe, Idon’t want to take that step.Maybe I like things just theway they are.”His green eyesdarkenedwiththeanguishthatchurned inside of him. Iwanted to reach out and holdhim in my arms. Take all hispainaway.Ihadtofindawayto make him see things

differently, to distract himfrom his despair, even if it’sjustforalittlewhile.Ihavetotrytogethimtotakethatfirststep.

“We’ll just have to seeaboutthat,”Itoldhimsmiling.

“Just leave it alone,Henley,”hesaid,hisvoicefullof irritation, all of which wasdirectedatme.

“Don’tbesuchagrump.Imight just end up surprising

you,”ItoldhimasIstoodup.“I’mgoingwithCassidytoseeDallas.”

“You’re not going alone,”he snapped, dropping hissandwichdownonhisplate.

“I won’t be alone. I’mgoingwithCassidy.”

“You don’t go anywherewithoutamemberofthisclub.Period. I’ve got to meet withCotton,soI’llgetClutchtogowith you. Go straight there

and back. No stops,” he saidfirmly.

“Whatever you say, boss.”I gave a quick salute as Iturnedtoleave.

When I finally made itoutside, Cassidy was alreadywaitingforme inhercar.Theengine was running while shesattheretalkingonherphone.When I got in the car, shebrought her finger up to herlips, letting me know not to

sayanything.“Yes, sir. I’ll tell her,” she

saidwithhervoiceoozingwithsweetness. I knew right awaythatshewastalkingwithDad.“Yeah, she got her scores lastnight. I think she aced themall,” she said as she rolledhereyes atme. Shewanted to actlike she didn’t care about mygrades, but I knew she wasproudofme.“I loveyou too,Daddy.I’llhavehercallyouas

soonasshegetshome.Talktoyoulater,”shesaidasshehungupthephone.

“Did you tell him aboutwhat happened?” I asked,praying that she had enoughsensenottoworryhim.

“Ofcoursenot.Youknowhow he overreacts aboutstuff.”

“Good.Youreadytogo?”I asked, trying to change thesubject.

“Yeah,webettergetgoing.I don’t want to be late,” shesaidassheslippedthecarintoreverse.

I’dmadeplanswithhertogo over and help babysitDallas’kids, so shecould takecare of some things with herlawyer. Apparently, herinsurance companywas givingher a hard time about herhusband’slifeinsurancepolicy,and they didn’t want to give

herthefullpayout.Herfamilyreally needed thatmoney, andshe had to do whatever shecouldtomakesuretheygotit.

Whenwegottoherhouse,Clutch parked his bike in thestreet out front. I thought hewouldfollowus inside,buthestayedput.Hewas just sittingthere,watchingus. Igavehimaquickwaveaswegotoutofthe car, but I got nothing inreturn. When I noticed the

serious look on his face, Iwonderedifhewaspissedthathehadtocome.IwonderedifhethoughtitwasasridiculousasIdidthatheevenhadtobehere.

“Don’t worry about it,Henley. He’s just doing hisjob,” Cassidy assured me assheshuthercardoor.

“I feel bad. He doesn’tlook like he wants to be hereand,”Istarted.

“Henley, stop fretting overClutch, and let’s get inside.Dallas is waiting for us,” sheurged.

I lookedback towards thehouseandsawthatDallaswasalready waiting for us at thefrontdoor.Itwasagreatlittleranch style house with whiterockersonthefrontporchandabigshopintheback.Cassidytold me that Guardrail’sconstruction company helped

her husband build the houseseveral years ago, just beforeDusty was born. In the frontyard, there was an amazingtreehouse with swings and aslide and severalbicycleswerescatteredonthegrass.

“Thank you both forcoming. I appreciate it morethan you could ever know,”Dallas said as she picked upher purse and keys from thesidetable.“Ishouldn’tbelong.

IthinkIjusthavetosignsomepapersorsomething,andthen,I’llbeback.”

“There’s no rush. Takeyour time,” Cassidy told her.“We’ve been looking forwardtobabysitting.”

“They’re hanging out inDusty’s room playing videogames.Thatshouldkeepthementertained for a little while,and there’s sandwich stuff inthekitcheniftheygethungry,”

Dallas explained. “Call me ifanythingcomesup.”

“We’ll be fine,” I assuredher.

As soon as Dallas pulledout of the driveway, Cassidysaid, “I’ll go make up somelunch for them.Yougomakesure they aren’t up toanything.”

“Gotcha,”IsaidasIwentin search of Dusty’s room.Considering everything that

had happened, the house wasextremely neat and organized.Everything seemed tohave itsplace.AsIwalkedthroughthehouse, the walls were filledwith pictures of their family,and each photo told its ownstory.Theywerehappy,anditbrokemy heart to see such aprecious family destroyed bysuch a malicious act. Thosemen really had no idea whatthatonenight, thatoneactof

violence took away from thisfamily.Iwaslookingatoneofthemostrecentpicturesofthekids sitting on Skidrow’smotorcycle when the soundsof the children’s voicesrumbled down the hallway.When I peeked my headthrough the doorway, both ofthem stopped what they weredoing and looked at me withmischief intheireyes.Iwasn’tsure what was going on, but

I’d been around enough kidsto know somethingwas goingon.

“So,whatareyouguysupto?” I asked smiling. Theylooked so adorable sittingtheretogethersidebysidewiththeirvideogamecontrollersintheir hands. Looking at themmadeithardformetobelievethat they would evermisbehave.

“Playing Batman. We’re

tryingtoget thebadguys,butKatiewon’tdoitright,”Dustycomplained.Hisnose crinkledwith frustration as he lookedoverathissister.

“Iamdoingitright,Dusty.Stop being such a twerp,”Katie protested. Her faceflashed red with anger as shetossed the controller towardsDusty. “Youdo it.This gameis stupid anyway.” She stoodup and started for the door.

Dustywatchedherwalkoutoftheroom,hislongblondehairfalling into his eyes, almostcovering the tiny freckles thatdappledthebridgeofhisnose.I had always heard thatDown’s children wereextremely lovable and happy,and Dusty certainly fit thatdescription.

“Don’t go,Katie. Iwannaplaywif’you,”hepleaded.Thesoundofhislittlevoicetugged

atmyheart,andIwishedKatiewouldcomebacktofinishthegame.IrememberwhatitwaslikewhenCassidyandIwouldargueoverlittlethingslikeourBarbie dolls and tea sets. Italways killed me when shewouldstormoutof the room,leaving me to play all alone.Dusty was ten years old, andheclearlyenjoyedplayingwithhisoldersister.

Regrettably, she was

officially a teenager with ashortfuseandwasn’twillingtolisten to him. “We’ve beenplaying that stupid game forover anhour,Dusty. Ineed abreak,” she huffed just beforeslammingherbedroomdoor.Ifelt certain that it wasn’t justthe video game that wasgetting to Katie, so I decidedto distract Dusty in hopes ofgiving her some time to cooloff. Iwalkedover tohimand

placedmyhandon topofhishead, drawing his attentionawayfromKatie.

“Cassidy is making upsome sandwiches for lunch.Areyouhungry?”

“Is it Peanut butter andjelly?”Dustyasked.

“If that’s what you want,I’msureCassidywillmakeyouone.”

“Yay! That’s what I wantand wif’ lots of chips… and

oneof those cherry popsicles,if I clean my plate,” hedeclared, his eyes bright withexcitement.

“You got it,” I answered.His face lit up, and hisargument with Katie wastotally forgotten.He raced forthe kitchen, his little feetclompingonthefloor,andsatat the table. A wide smilespread across his face as hewatched Cassidy fix his plate.

So freaking cute. Happinessradiated off of him,making itimpossible not to smile rightalongwithhim.

“Yum,” he hummed assoon as Cassidy sat hissandwich and chips down infront of him. He grabbed afewchipsandshoved them inhis mouth. Knowing that hewas distracted, I went to gocheckonKatie.

When I tapped on her

door, she mumbled, “Comein.”

“You ok?” I asked. Ishould’ve left her alone,especially since I didn’t knowher very well, but I’ve neverbeen the type to just leavethingsalone.ShewaslayingonherbedlisteningtoheriPod.

“I’m fine…. I’m sorryabout earlier,” Katiewhispered, pulling theheadphones from her ears.

“I’ve just got a lot on mymind, and there’s only somuchBatmanIcantake.”

“Totally understandable.You’ve had a lot to deal withoverthelastcoupleofweeks.Iknow it’s been hard,” I toldher as I sat on the corner ofthebed.“Hopefullythingswillgetbettersoon.”

“I shouldn’t have beenmean toDusty.He’s having ahard time, too. I just get

frustrated with those stupidgames.Hewantsmetowinallthetime,andIjustcan’t.”

“Did you know thatBatman has some pretty coolcheats? Itwouldmake it a loteasier to play it, if you usedthem.”

“I’ve heard about them,but I’ve never really knownhowtodoit.”

“It isn’thard,andyoucanfind most of them online. It

will let you change Batman’soutfits and skins. You canevenchoosealternateendings.They aren’thard todo, and ifyouwantmeto,Icouldshowyouhowtodoit,”Ioffered.

“That’d be so cool. I’msureDustywouldloveit,andIknow he could use thedistraction.Daddy’s death hasreally been hard on him. Hejustdoesn’tunderstandwhyheisn’t coming home. I’ve tried

toexplainittohim,buthejustkeeps expecting him to comewalking through the frontdoor,” she said, her voicecrackedastearsbegantopoolinhereyes.

“I’msureit’shardonallofyou,butintime,it’llgetbetter.You’ll always miss him. Buteventuallyyou’llbeabletofindcomfort in knowing that yourdadlovedyoubothverymuch,andhe’dbeherewithyouifhe

could.”“It’s just hard, you know?

I’m used to seeing him everysingleday,andnow…he’sjustgone. I didn’t even get to tellhim goodbye. I know peoplesaythatstuffallthetime,butIjust wish I had five moreminutes with him. I don’tknow what to do anymore,”she cried with tearsshimmeringinhereyes.

Seeing her in pain, the

tearsnowstreamingdownherprecious face, made my hearthurt for her. Her tear soakedeyes looked up at me when Iputmy hand on her shoulderand said, “You move forward.It’s the only direction Godreallygivesus.”

She nodded withunderstanding and wiped thetearsfromhercheeks.Ileanedoverandgaveheraquickhug,before I stood up and said,

“Let’s grab something to eat,and then I’ll show you somecooltrickstousethenexttimeyouplayBatmanwithDusty.”

“Thanks, Henley. That’dbe awesome,” she said as shefollowed me to the kitchen.Afterweate,wespentthenexthour going over the cheats Iknew for the games they had.Wewereall sittingaround theTV cheering Katie on whenDallas came home. She

stopped in his doorway andsmiled when she found ushuddledonthefloortogether.

“Did you get it workedout?” Cassidy asked as shepulledherselfupoffthefloor.

“I think so. The lawyersaidifnothingelsecomesupIshould have my check by theendoftheweek.”

“That’s great, Dallas. I’msureyou’rerelieved,”Itoldheras Cassidy reached out her

handandhelpedmeup.“Youhavenoidea.Daniel

alwayspaidallthebills,soI’malittleoverwhelmed,”hereyesdropped to the ground as shegot lost in thememoryofherhusband.

“I could help you if youneedit,”Ioffered.“I’mprettygoodwithnumbers.”

“Really? That would begreat.Ineedall thehelpIcangetrightnow,andthanksagain

for coming today. It reallyhelpedmeout.”

“Can they come back andplay wif’ me?” Dustyinterrupted, jumping up anddownwithexcitement.

“Of course they can,buddy.Somedayrealsoon,butrightnow,Ineedtoheadoverto the clubhouse for a bit. Ijust talked to Clutch, and hesaid theycould fix thecar if Ibrought it over to the garage.

It’s been making that funnynoiseagain,”sheexplained.I’dforgotten that he was evenhereuntil shesaidhisname. Ilooked out the windowtowardsthefrontyard,andhewas still sitting there on hisbike, doing his thing, and hestill didn’t look happy aboutbeingthere.

“Awesome. Can I go wif’you?”Dustybegged.

“You have to be a good

boy… no touching anything,”shewarned.

“Ipomis’.”His face lit upwhenhe realized that shewasgoingtolethimgo.Iwasgladthathestillhadthatpartofhisdad.Theclubwouldalwaysbethereforhim.

“Can I stay here?” Katieasked.“Iwanttotrytherestofthese tricks that Henley gaveme.”

“No, Katie. I’m not

leavingyoualone,at least,notyet,” her mother said as sheplacedherarmaroundKatie’sshoulder, pulling her close toherchest.

“We better get going,” Itoldthem,headingtowardsthedoor.

Cassidy and I gave themeach a hug beforewe left. Aswe were pulling out of theirdriveway,Ithoughtabouthowironictodayhadactuallybeen.

We were there to help themout and to raise their spirits,but I left there feeling betterthanIhadinweeks.

Chapter 11Maverick

‡

“DUSTY! PUT THAT down,”Dallas scolded. “You knowyou aren’t supposed to touchanythinginhere.”Shetookthewrench from his hand and

wiped the grease off of hislittlefingers.I’dgoneoutbackto the garage to see Clutch. Iwent to ask how things wentwith Henley, and found himwith his head under the hoodofDallas’s car.Hewasalwaysworkingonsomeone’sengine,andIwonderedwhyhedidn’thaveagarageofhisown.

My phone chimed with atextmessage, but I ignored it,leaving it inmypocket.Dallas

had already noticed mewalking up, and she lookedrelieved toseeme.Shesmiledand said, “Look, Dusty!Maverick’shere.”

“Mav-wrick!” he shoutedas he raced over in mydirectionwithhis arms spreadwide.Ibentdownandtriedtobrace myself for his impact,but still almost fell backwardswhenhejumpedintomyarms.

I lifted him up and said,

“Hey there, little brother. Areyou giving your mom a hardtime?” I noticed Katie sittingin the corner with her faceglued to her phone, and Iwondered if she even knew Iwasthere.

“No sir,” he said shakinghis head. “I’m being good.” IlookedovertoDallas,andsheshrugged her shoulders andsmiled as she turned back toClutch to see what he was

doingwiththecar.“You want to go to the

kitchen and see if there’s anyicecream?”

“Yes!Iwantcookiedoughice cream. It’smy fav-rit’,”heexplained. His little bodybegan to wiggle withexcitement. I lowered him tothegroundandstartedwalkingtowards thebackdoor. “We’llbe right back,” I calledout toDallas.

“Just a little, Dusty. Wehaven’t had dinner yet,” sheordered.

“Okay,” he said as hereachedupandtookaholdofmyhand.

Justaswewereleavingthegarage, Dusty shouted, “HeyHenwey!”Liftinghisfreehandup high, he began wavingfranticallyinherdirection.Shewas helping Cassidy carrysome empty boxes to the

dumpster.Shestoppedwithherarms

loaded with cardboard boxesand shouted, “Hey Dusty!”Her face beamed with a widesmile, and I knew right thenthat they’d had a good daytogether.

“I’m gonna go get someice kem’ withMav-wrick,” hetold her with the biggest grinI’deverseen.

Still smiling, she said,

“Savesomeforme!”“Iwill.MommasaidIcan

only have a little since Ihaven’t ate dinner yet.” Hislittle finger clutched tightlyaroundmyfingersasIledhiminto the kitchen. I reachedunder his arms and lifted himup on to the counter by therefrigerator. He sat there,swinging his feet out andkicking the cabinet with theback of his heels, as I dug in

the freezer looking for hiscookie dough ice cream. Heeagerly watched as I placedseveral spoonfuls into thebowl.

“Thanks, Mav-wrick’,”Dusty said with his eyestrained on his bowl of icecream. “Ummm, you havesprinkles?”

“Sorry,buddy.Idon’t,butI’llmake sure toget some fornexttime.”

After handing him thebowl, I lifted him up andcarried him over to the table.“Didyouhave fun todaywithHenleyandCassidy?”

“Hen-wey is cool. Shesaved Gotham City for me,”he said eyeing his bowl of icecream.He grabbedhis spoon,and brought a big bite up tohismouth.“Yum!It’sgood.”

My phone chimed withanother text message, but I

continuedtoignoreit.Whenitbeepedtwomoretimes,Dustysaid,“Yourphonebeepsalot.Ithinksomeonewantsyou.”

“I’ll check it later.Eat up,mister. Your mom is waitingforus.”Ialreadyknewthatthemessages weren’t important.I’dbeengettingthesameonesoverandover,andIwasabouttolosemypatience.

I watched as Dustyshoveledbiteafterbiteintohis

mouth. He made all thesefunny little humming andgrunting noises as he ate. Hewas obviously enjoying everydamnspoonful.Assoonashefinished his ice cream, I tookhimbacktoDallas.Clutchwasjust about done with the car,andtheyweregettingreadytoleave.

On my way back inside,myphonebeepedagain,andIwent straight to Big Mike’s

room.Iwasreadytothrowthedamn thing out the fuckingwindow, and he was the onlyoneIknewwhocouldfixit.

“Something is wrongwiththis piece of shit phone,” Itoldhim. “I need you to lookatittoseeifyoucanfixit.”

“What’s it doing?” BigMike asked as he took thephonefrommyhand.

“I keep getting thesestupid text messages, and I

can’t get them to stop,” Iexplained. “Itmust be a virusorsomething.”

“These phones don’t getviruses,Mav.Letmeseewhatyou’re talking about.” Ipointedtooneofthemessagesthathadbeenbombardingmyphone over the past twenty-fourhours.

Unknown caller:Dogs arecapable of understanding

up to 250 words andgestures, can count up tofive, and can performsimple mathematicalcalculations. The averagedog is as intelligent as atwo-year-old child.

Thank you for signing upforAll About Canines. ToUnsubscribe reply“Unsubscribe”

Me:Unsubscribe

Unknown caller:Messageunrecognized

Unknown caller: It is amyth that dogs are colorblind. They can actuallysee in color, just not asvividly as humans. It issimilar to our vision atdusk.

Thank you for signing upforAll About Canines. ToUnsubscribe reply

“Unsubscribe”

Me:Unsubscribe now!

Unknown caller: Unableto retrieve messages atthis time

Unknown caller: A dog’smouth exerts 150-200pounds of pressure persquare inch.

Thank you for signing upforAll About Canines. To

Unsubscribe reply“Unsubscribe”

Me: Stop fucking textingme!

Unknown caller:Are yousure you want to stop yoursubscription of All AboutCanines. You know theyare Man’s best friend.

Me:Yes

Unknown caller:

Command not recognized.

“Seewhat Imean? I can’tget thisshit tostop,andthereare at least six different sitessending me these fuckingmessages,” I shouted withfrustration.

“Are you sure you didn’tsign up for something?” heasked laughing. “There mustbe some reason they aresendingthemtoyou.”

“No, I didn’t sign up forshit!Justfixitorgetmeanewdamnphone!”

“Give me a few minutes,and I’ll see what I can figureout,”hetoldmeashepluggedmyphoneuptohiscomputer.Afterafewclicks,heturnedtome with a knowing smile onhisface.

“Looks like someone wasmessing with you, man,” hechuckled as he handed me

backmyphone.“Who the fuck was it?” I

demandedtoknow.“I’llwringhis fucking neck!” I lookeddown at my phone and wastemptedtothrowitagainstthedamnwall.

“Maverick, I’m sure shedidn’t mean anything by it. Itwasjust…”hestarted.

“She?Ahh… fucking hell.Henley! It was Henley, wasn’tit?”Igrowled,turningtoleave

before he responded. Hedidn’t have to answer. I knewitwasher. Just thinkingaboutallthosedamnmessagesaboutdogs and cats made my teethhurt.

“Henley!” I shouted as Iheaded down the main halltowards her room. “Hen…ley!”

I bangedonher door andcontinued to shout untilGuardrail came up tome and

said,“Heyman,she’soutbackwith Cassidy. What’s goingon?”

“NothingIcan’thandle,”Isnapped.

“Yougotaminute?Cottonwantstoseeusinhisoffice.”

“Yeah,”Ianswered,justasmy phone chimed withanotherfuckingtextmessage.

Unknown Caller:A groupof cats is called a clowder,

a male cat is called a tom,a female cat is called amolly or queen while youngcats are called kittens.

Thank you for subscribingto Funny Facts about Cats.To unsubscribe reply‘Unsubscribe.’

Me:Henley… knock it off!

Unknown Caller:Response Not Recognized

Me:You are going to payfor this shit

“What’s that all about?”Guardrail asked as he lookeddownatmyphone.

“Don’task,”IgroanedasIshovedit intomybackpocketand followed him intoCotton’s office. Cotton wassitting at his desk, sortingthrough all the papers thatwerescatteredaroundhim.

“What’s going on?” Iasked.

“We had some trouble ontoday’s run,” he grumbled ashe dropped the papers on hisdesk. “The guys wereambushed.Evenwiththeextramanpower,wealmost lost theshipment.”

“What the fuck?” I asked.“Whathappened?”

“Boozer said they wereloading the crates into the

SUV when one of theprospects saw several menwatching from one of theempty warehouses. At first itseemed like they were justwatching, taking pictures orsome shit like that. But thenshotswerefired,andeveryonescattered. Thankfully, no onewashurt,”Cottonexplained.

“Was it the same guys?” Iasked.

“Possibly.Boozersaidhe’d

never seen thembefore. Theywere wearing all black, nopatches or cuts, but severalhad the same snake tattooHenley mentioned.” Cottonrubbed the back of his neck,trying to ease the tensiongrowing inhisshouldersashecontinued.

“What’s with thepictures?”Iasked.

“I’d say, for whateverreason, they’re gathering intel

on us. I’m calling churchtonight.We’regoingtobuckledown and find outwho thesefuckersareonceandforall.”

“I’ll let the guys know,”Guardrail told him. “Are youcallingforalockdown?”

“Notyet,butIdon’twantanyonetakinganyunnecessarychances.Until we get a betteridea of who is coming at us,we need to be prepared foranything. I have a feeling that

these guys are just gettingstarted,”hecontinued.

After leaving Cotton’soffice, I followed Guardrailout to the parking lot. Hehadn’tbeenaroundmuch,andIwantedtoseewhatwasgoingonwithhim.

“Howare youmakingoutwithHenley?” he asked as hegotonhisbike.

“She’s a pain in the ass.Nothing like I thought she’d

be,butI’mgettingahandleonher. What about you? How’sthe new addition on thehouse?”He’dbeenremodelingone of those historical housesfor over a year, and now thathe and Allie were gettingmarried, he was even moredetermined to finish it. Hewanted it done before theirweddingthisfall.

“Slow,”hegrumbled. “Justhaven’t had the time to work

on it like I’ve wanted to.Between this mess with theclubandfinishinguptheyouthcenter project – hell, there’sjust not enough time in theday.”

“You’ll get it done. Youalwaysdo,besidestheweddingisstillafewmonthsaway.”

“You know I want itperfect for her. She’s beenthrough somuch, and I wanthertobehappy.”

“She’sbeenlivingwithyoufor months, and she’s crazyabout the place. You don’thave todomuch tomake it ahome, and then, she’ll wannafill it upwith abunchof rug-rats,” I laughed.A year ago, Iwouldn’t have imagined Kanehaving kids of his own, butsince he met Allie, he’schanged. Now, he wantsnothingmore than to fill thathousewiththeirchildren.

“Wewill. I’llmakesureofit. Things are heating uparound here. Make sureHenley understands that,” hewarned. Just as the wordscame out of his mouth, myphone chimed with anothertextmessage.Ipulleditoutofmy pocket and read themessage.

Unknown caller:Did youknow that for its weight,

spider web silk is actuallystronger and tougher thansteel.

Thank you for subscribingto Crazy Facts aboutSpiders. To unsubscribe,reply ‘unsubscribe.’

Me:Henley – you’ve beenwarned

Unknown caller:Messagefailed to be recognized

“For fucks sake,” Igroaned as I returned myphonetomybackpocket.

“Henley?”“Noneother.”“She giving you a hard

time?Can’thandlesweet,littleHenley?”helaughedoutloud.

“Oh…I’ll handleher.Youcancountonthat,”IhuffedasI went in search of my littletroublemaker.

Chapter 12Henley

‡

“DUSTY LOOKED SO happywithMaverick,”ItoldCassidyasshetossedanotherbag intothelargegarbagebin.

“Yeah,alltheguysseemto

have a soft spot for him. Ican’t really blame them. He’sanawesomekid.”

“It makes me feel a littlebadformessingwithMaverickso much over the last coupleof days,” I confessed. A partofmewonderedifIwasgoingtoofar,butIcouldn’tseemtostopmyself.

“You need to lay offbeforeyoureallypisshimoff,”CassidywarnedasIclosedthe

lidonthedumpster.“You’re no fun, sis. It’s

just a few text messages,” Ismirked, following her backintothebar.Itwasprettyquietexcept for a few of the guyssitting at the back tabledrinking a beer. They werehavinganintenseconversationanddidn’t even lookupwhenwewalkedin.

“Henley,Ithinksomethingbad happened with the club

today. Everyone is on edge.You better lay off for a littlewhile.”

“Maybe, but,” I told hersmiling as I sat down at thebar,watchingher start to takeinventory.

“Henley… what did youdo?”sheprobed.

“Well… let’s just say thatthe little stopwemadeon thewayhomefromDallas’shousewasn’tforme.”

“Youmean thedrugstore?You said you neededtampons,”shesaid,placingherhandsonherhips.

“I did, but I may havebought a few other thingswhile I was in there,” I toldhershruggingmyshoulders.

She let out a deepdisapproving sigh and said,“Oh god, Henley. He’s goingtoblowagasket.”

“Probably.I’dlovetobea

fly on the wall when he goesinto that bathroom. It’s goingto be savage,” I told her as Ilaughed so loud severalof theguysturnedtolookatme.

“Well, don’t come cryingtomewhenhe…”

“Henley,” Maverick roaredbehindmyback.

Myheartstartedtoraceatthe soundofmyname rollingoffofhistongue.Ididn’thavetoturnaroundtoknowthathe

was furious with me. I couldhearitinhisvoice.

Thesubtlehintofcologneandleatherwhirledaroundme,as I turned to face him.Smiling at him with my mostinnocent smile, I said, “Heythere, Maverick. How’s itgoing?” The closeness of hisbody next to mine made myknees begin to tremble, but Idid my best to ignore mytraitorousbody.

Hesteppedcloser,hisfaceinches from mine and said,“No more of your bullshit,Henley.Nomore fucking textmessagesandnomoreof thatshityouputinmybathroom.”Iwasright.Hewaspissed.

“I have no idea whatyou’re talking about,” I said,trying to hold back mylaughter.

“You know exactly whatI’m talking about. There’s

going to be hell to pay if youdon’tstopthisshitrightnow!”hegrowled,glaringatmewithrage in his eyes. Even thoughhis reaction wasn’t exactlywhat I was going for, at leastI’d distracted him from hisworldofgloomanddoomforalittlewhile.

“Well…just so you know,Preparation H isn’t just forhemorrhoidsanymore.Lotsofpeople use it for wrinkle

cream. You might try it onthose little crow’s feet you’regetting in the corner of youreyes from all that scowlingyou’vebeendoing,”Itoldhimas I grazedmy teeth overmybottomlip,still tryingmybestnot to laugh in his face. Heslowly drug both his handsdown his face, trying tocontain his frustration, whichmadeitevenmorechallengingforme not to continue. I just

couldn’thelpmyself.“And you know fiber is

really good for your digestivesystem. It might help regulateyour…”

“You think your prettyslick,don’tyou?”hesaid.Theexpression on his face wasslowly beginning to change,softeningjustabit.Awaveofsatisfaction washed over mewhen I realized I was gettingtohim.Ashesteppedcloserto

me,heliftedhishanduptomyfaceandtuckedaloosestrandof my hair behind my ear.“Youshouldknowsomething,Henley.”

“What’s that?” Iwhispered, feeling my kneesweaken by the slight touch ofhishand.

“Payback’sabitch,”hetoldmewithapanty-meltingwink.A little shiver of anticipationcrept down my spine while I

stood there looking at himwith that sexy smirk on hisface.That smile could bring agirl toherknees, and Iwoulddojustaboutanythingtokeepitrightthereonhishandsomeface.

“Bringiton,”ItoldhimasI put on my brave front andwalked out of the room. Icouldn’thelpbutwonderifhereally had it in him to getmebackand justhowfarhe’dbe

willing to go, but I lookedforwardtofindingout.

I managed to talk Cassidyinto lettingmeuseher laptop.Over the past few days, I’dbeen obsessed with searchingforpracticaljokes.Itriedafewon Maverick. Vaseline on hisdoorknob,asexymalemodelposter hanging over his bed,and changing all his radiostations toRap. Ikeptwaitingfor him to call me out or get

me back, and I was a littledisappointed when he had noreactionwhatsoever to any ofit.Iwasbusysearchingformynextbigstuntwhen therewasa knock onmy door.When Iopened it, I was surprised toseeGuardrailstandingthere.

“Hey, Kane. How’s itgoing?” I asked, wonderingwhat I’ddone tohave theVPcomeknockingatmydoor.

“Allie’s going to babysit

Dustytonight,andshewantedto know if you’d like to gowithher.”

“Sure! I’d love to,” I toldhim as I quickly closed thelaptop.

“She’swaiting for yououtfront. I’ll let Maverick knowwhere you are, and I’ll sendoneofthebrothersalongwithyoutokeepaneyeonthings.”

“Great. Thanks for askingme. I’ll be rightout.” Ipulled

myhairupintoaponytailandgrabbed my purse beforeheading out front to meetAllie. When I got there,Maverick was busy talking toseveral of theprospects.Theywere all intently listening towhatever he was saying;however, his mouth stoppedmoving the moment he sawme heading in their direction.There was a mischievoustwinkle in his eye as he

watchedmewalkovertoAllie,and it mademe wonder whattheywere talkingabout. Iwasstill staring at him when Alliecalledouttome.

“Hey, Henley. You readyto roll?”Allie askedwhile shepulled her long hair up into amessybun.Shewaswearingashort pencil skirt and highheels,andhersmilewasbrightand welcoming. I could seewhyGuardrail was so smitten

withher.“You bet. Thanks for

asking me to tag along. Ineededtogetoutofthatplaceforalittlewhile,”ItoldherasI got in the passenger seat ofhercar.

“Girl,Iknow.There’sonlysomuchtestosteroneagirlcantake!”shesaidlaughing.

“Testosterone and sweat!”Isnorted.

Wewerebothstilllaughing

when we pulled out of thedriveway, but my smile fadedwhen I spottedMaverick.Hisgreen eyes were focusedcompletely on me as hecontinued to talk to theprospects. Theminute hewasoutofmylineofsight,Ifoundmyself longing to be backthere, looking at him andwatching his every move.Damn.What was wrong withme?Was I really turning into

one of those crazy stalkerladies that drool over someguywhowasn’teveninterestedinthem?Yep.IhadathingfortheGrinch.

I was relieved to have adistraction from Maverick,even if it was for only a fewhours. We spent the nightplaying Candy Land andHungry Hippo with Dusty.Allie and I were completelyoutofpractice,andDustywon

every single game. Seeing thesmile on his face made mewant to keep playing, evenafterDallascamehome.

I reallyenjoyedhaving thetime to get to know Alliebetter.Shewassoeasy to talkto,andhereyessparkledwhenshe told me about the youthcenter that Guardrail wasbuilding for her company.Now that it was almostcomplete, she was planning a

huge grand openingcelebration. Between that andher upcoming wedding, Icouldn’timagineherbeinganyhappier.

“Ihavemyfinalfittingformy dress next week. Wouldyoumindgoingwithme?Tellme what you think? I reallyneedanhonestopinion,”Allieasked.

“I’msureitwillbeperfect,but I would love to go with

you.”“Great. I’ll letKane know

so he can get it worked outwithMaverick.”

“He’ll want to send thecavalry along with us. Hopeyou’re okay with that,” Iwarnedher.

“Girl, I’m used to it. I’mluckyifIcangotothegrocerystorewithoutsomeonetaggingalong.Butaftereverythingthathappened with Tony, I like

knowing that he’s looking outforme,”sheexplained.

“Actually sounds kind ofnicewhenyouputitlikethat,”Iconfessed.

“When you find someonewho loves you enough to putyour life before their own,there’s nothing like it in theworld.IneverthoughtIwouldfind it, but now that I have,I’m going to hold on to it.” Icould see the love in her eyes

as she spoke of theirrelationship. I found myselfwantingthatkindoflove.

When we pulled throughthe gates of the clubhouse,thingswere oddly quiet.Aftermaking plans to meet Allieafter lunch tomorrow, Iheadedinside.Icouldn’tfigureoutwhere everyonehadgone.Usually the place washumming with the guysmoving about and music

blaring from the bar. Iconsidered myself lucky tohaveaquietnight andheadedtomyroomforahotshower.

When I turned thedoorknob, I heard a strangerustle behind my door.Thinkingmaybe someonewasin there, I quickly swung mydoor open. Before I couldmove out of the way, agazillionpackingpeanutscamebarrelingintothehall,covering

my feet and ankles inwhite. Istoodtherefrozen,stunnedbythe mountain of styrofoampieces that filled my room.There wasn’t a place where Icouldlookthatwasn’tcovered.

“What the hell?” Iscreechedastheycontinuedtocascade down through thedoorway.

My attentionwas instantlydrawnovertoadarkcorneratmy left when Maverick

purposefullyclearedhisthroat.Gloating, he stood with hisarms crossed, wearing thesexiest smile I have ever seeninmylife.Justlookingathim,withhischildlikeexpressionofpure satisfaction, made mewanttowrapmyarmsaroundhim.Ishould’vebeenpissed.Ishould’ve wanted to screamandyellathim,butseeingthatlook on his face was worthevery single little piece of

styrofoaminthatroom.“You did this?” I asked

laughing as I pointed towardsthehugemessinmyroom.

He nodded, still smilingwithpride.

I lookedbackatmy roomfor just a brief moment,making sure that I wasn’tdreaming.Styrofoamcrunchedbeneath my feet as I walkedover tohimand said, “You’reprettyproudofyourself,aren’t

you?”“Yep,”hesnickered.“I have to admit,” I said,

motioning towards my room,“that is pretty impressive.”HeremainedsilentasIcontinued,“Imeanthattooksometime.Ibet you enjoyed planning thisallout.Thinkingoftheperfectway to get me back andwaitingforjusttherighttime.”Istoppedtalkingwhenhetookastepclosertome.

“I did.” His voice wasraspy and deep as he inchedcloser to me. My kneestrembledeversoslightlyasthewarmthof his breath caressedmyneck.“All thetime it tookto get those damn thingsshovedintoyourroom.Itwasworthevery second to see thelook on your face when youopened that door,” hewhispered.

My eyes drifted down to

his perfect round lips. Unableto stop myself, I leaned intohim and pressed my mouthagainst his. His armsimmediately wrapped aroundmywaist,pullingmecloser tohim. A light moan vibratedthroughmychestashistonguegently ran across my bottomlip. I couldn’t hide myattraction to him any longer,not from him, not frommyself. His hands slowly

reachedup to the sidesofmyfaceasIopenedmymouthtohim. The kiss becamedemanding, sending aninvoluntary shudder downmyspine.Thismanhadconsumedmy thoughts, my dreams, myvery existence for weeks, andnow, in this moment, he wasconsuming my heart. Hisscent,histouch,theheatofhisbodynexttomine.Iwantedallof him. My hands roamed

across his broad chest, feelinghis muscles tighten as hecontinuedtoclaimmewithhismouth.Iwantedtoremembereverythingaboutthismoment.The feel of his hands againstmy body. The taste of himagainst my tongue. Everyminiscule detail about thismomentwouldbelockedawayforever in my memory.Without me even realizing it,Maverick had claimed my

heart, and I couldn’t help butwonderwhathewoulddowithit.

With my back pressedagainst the wall, he pulledback, releasing me from ourembraceandrepeated,“Wortheverydamnsecond.”

Chapter 13Maverick

‡

I’DBEENSITTINGatthebarforoveranhourwatchingHenleyand Cassidy carry out anendless line of garbage bagsfrom her room. She’d slowly

lost that adorable smile thatshewaswearinglastnight,andnow she was pouting. Eachtime she walked past me, herlook of irritation grew. Iwanted to stop her and pullherclosetomesoIcouldfeelherlipsagainstmine.Iwantedtofeelhergolimpinmyarms,and make her smile like shedid last night. Before I couldcallouttoher,Guardrailcameandsatdownbesideme.

“Are you enjoyingyourself?” Guardrail asked ashewatchedthemwalkoutthebackdoor.

“NotasmuchasIthoughtIwould,”Iconfessed.

“You could’ve had theprospects help her,” hesuggested.

“Yeah, but where is thefun in that?” I asked as myeyes involuntarilywandered tothebackdoor,waiting forher

tocomebackin.“Ahhh, brother… she’s

getting to you,” he told mewithaknowingsmile.

“She’s a pain in the ass.”Even as I said the words, Iknew I didn’t mean it. Icouldn’t even look at herwithoutthinkingofherlipsonmine. That one moment ofbeingwithhermadethehellIhad been going through justseem to fade into a distant

memory.“Been awhile since I’ve

seen you like this, brother.Pain in the ass or not…she’sbeengoodforyou,”hestated.He stood, restinghishandonmy shoulder, and said, “Gettheprospectstofinishcleaningupthatmessyoumade.”

Knowing that I had put itoff long enough, I picked upmyphoneandorderedCootertogetitdone.“Cooter’sonit.”

“Big Mike has been incontactwithotherclubsinthearea. So far, we’re the onlytarget, but that isn’t really asurprise.We all know thatweare the only ones capable oftrafficking on a large scale.There has to be a connectionwe’remissing,”heexplained.

“I think we’ve beenlooking at this all wrong. Idon’t think this is about somepissed off club trying to get

backatus,”Itoldhim.“Thesemotherfuckers don’t give adamn about us or our club.These guys are after ourterritory.”

“And?” Guardrailquestioned.

“It’s time for us to figureoutwhoislookingtotakeoverour claim on Clallam County.It’saprime locationfor illegaldistribution with all thedifferentportsalongthecoast.

Any idiotcould lookatamapand see that.We just need tofind out who is looking for anew place to move theirproduct.”

“I’ll talk to Cotton. We’llget Big Mike to do somedigging and see what he cancome up with,” he said as hestoodtoleave.

After talking withGuardrail,Cotton called us allintochurch.Itdidn’ttakelong

for him to explain everythingto the guys. They all agreedthat the chances of someonetryingtotakeoverourterritorywas a real possibility, butfinding out who wasn’t goingto be easy.Cottonplanned toget Nitro to look into thingsonhisend,seeifhecouldfindanyleads.

I was on my way to findHenley when my phonevibrated in my pocket. I was

surprisedtoseethatitwasLilycalling.Ihadn’theardfromherin a few weeks, making meworried that something mightbewrong.

“Lily?”Iasked.“Hey, Maverick. How are

you?”“I’m fine. Is everything

okay with John Warren?” Iasked,unabletohidethepanicinmyvoice.

“Yes,he’sfine.He’sdoing

great… growing like a weed.He’spractically takenover theplace—walking, climbing,running. He never stays put,”shesaidlaughing.Icouldheartheloveinhervoicewhenshespoke of him, reassuring meonceagain thathewasexactlywhereheneededtobe.

“Good.” My chesttightened at the thought ofseeinghimagain.Therewassomuch that I’d missed, and I

hatedmyself for not checkingon him more. I should’vewanted to know everythingabouthim.Ishouldhave,butIcouldn’t.Instead,Ipusheditinthebackofmymind,tryingtoforget, trying to pretend thatnone of it ever happened. Itwas justeasier thatway,easiernot to think about what anassholeIreallywas.“Isthereareasonyoucalled,Lily?”

“YouknowhowItoldyou

a few weeks ago that we’retrying to get everythingfinalized with the adoption?Well, now they’re reallypushing for a DNA test. Ithought the birth certificatewould be enough, but theywant to be sure. Would youmind…”shestarted.

“When?”“If it’s okay with you, I

was thinking you could comehere to do it.Then you could

spend some time with JohnWarren. They said we couldget the results within twenty-four hours, so you could signthe papers while you werehere,” she explained. “I knowthat’saskingalot,but…”

“I’llcomeassoonasIcan.If I canwork it out, I’ll leavetonight,”Itoldher.

“That would be great. IknowJohnWarrenwouldloveto see you, and maybe you

could spend some time withGavinwhileyouwerehere.”

I hadn’t seen Gavin sincethe day he left for Tennessee.We’d spoken on the phone afew times, and the way hetalked about working in thegarage and prospecting fortheir club, let me know thathe’d made the right decisionabout moving. That didn’tmeanIdidn’tmisshavinghimaround.

“I’ll be there as soon as Ican.”

“Maverick?”“Yeah?”“Thank you. For

everything,”shewhispered.“Seeyousoon,Lily,”Itold

her as I hung up the phoneand headed straight forCotton’soffice.

CottonandGuardrailwerestandinginhisdoorwaytalkingwhen Iwalked up. They both

turned their attention to mewhen I said, “I need to go toTennesseeforafewdays.”

“What’sgoingon?”Cottonasked.

“I’vejustgotsomethingsIneedtotakecareof.Iwon’tbelong,”Iclipped.Iwasn’tinthemood for a lecture tonight,and I knew I’d get one ifCottonknew that Iwas goingtosign thoseadoptionpapers.He’dgivenmehisblessing,but

Iknewhe’dalwayshopedthatI’dchangemymindaboutit.

“And Henley?” Cottoninquired.

“Fuck,” I mumbled. “Iguess she’ll have to go withme.”

“Yeah,shewill,”Guardrailsmirked, but I wasn’t in themoodtodebatewitheitherofthem. I ignored that fuckinggrinonhisfaceasIheadedforthedoor.

“She isn’t going to behappyaboutit,”IcalledoutasIwalkedoutintothehall.

I hadn’t noticed thatGuardrailfollowedmeuntilhesaid, “I’ll talk to her. You gogetpacked.”

Ididn’thavetimetoargue,soInoddedandheadedtomyroom to pack.As I threwmyclothesintomydufflebag,mymind drifted to Henley. Iwanted to think that having

hertherewithmewouldmakethings easier, but I wasn’treally sure how she’d feelaboutmesigningthosepapers.Would she truly be able tounderstand why I was doingthis? Could she come awayfrom this without hating me?Fuck.HowcouldIexpectherto do something that Iwasn’tabletodomyself?

Chapter 14Henley

‡

“SOMETHING’S COME UP,Henley. You’re going to needto pack a bag,” Guardrailordered.

“Why?What’s going on?”

I asked, startled by hiscommand.

“I don’t have time toexplain it all, but you’ll begoing to Tennessee withMaverick for a few days. Hehas some things to take careof,andsinceheisinchargeofwatching out for you, you’llhave to go with him,” heexplained. “He’s taking hiscage to save time, so feel freetopackasuitcase.”

“Really? Do I have to? Ican’t hang out here until hegets back?” I whined like athree-year-old child. I hatedlong road trips, and thethoughtofbeingconfinedinacarforhoursuponhourswithMaverick freaked me out. Icouldn’t even look at himwithoutstaringatthoseperfectfull lips, thinking about thatdamnkiss.

“Like I said, I don’t have

time to explain all this shit toyou, Henley. Just pack a bagandbe ready to gowithin thehour.”

“I’ll be ready.” I couldn’thelp but wonder if everythingwasalright.“IsMaverickokay?Issomethingwrong?”

“Ifhewantsyoutoknow,he’lltellyou.”

“Okay,” I mumbled as Iturnedtoleave.

“Henley, I don’t know

what you’ve done, but sinceyou’vebeenaround,he’sbeenbetter.Don’tgiveuponhim.”

“I’ll be ready in fifteenminutes,” I told him. I wentback to my room and startedcrammingmy clothes intomysuitcase. I couldn’t stopthinking aboutwhatGuardrailsaid, and Iwondered if itwasreallytrue.WasMavericktrulybetter because of somethingI’ddone?Iwaslostinmyown

thoughtswhenCassidywalkedintomyroom.

“I just heard aboutMaverick.Roadtrip!”

I just grunted as I threwmy make-up bag into mysuitcase.

“Do you need any helppacking?”sheasked.

“No,IthinkI’vegot it,”Itold her as I continued toshove all my odds and endsintomysuitcase.

Her eyebrows rose as sheasked, “Are you okay withthis?”

“Honestly?No. I’mtotallyfreaking out,” I confessed. “Ihaveno ideawhat’s goingon,and…”

“It’s going to be fine, LeeBug. It’s just for a few days,and you’re going to love JohnWarren. He’s absolutelyprecious. I wish I was goingwith you so I could see him,

too. I’ve really missed him,”she paused. She cleared herthroat, trying to change thesubject,asshesaid,“I’veheardthatParisisareallyneatplace,andtheyhaveabeautifullake.”

“Why doesn’t that makemefeelanybetter?”

“You never know. Youmightjustenjoyyourself.”Shesmiledas she reachedout andwrappedher armsaroundme,hugging me tightly. “Be

yourself, and everyone willloveyou,includingMaverick.”

“Do you have any ideawhat’s going on with him?Guardrail didn’t tell meanything.”

She releasedme from ourembraceandlookedmeintheeye as she said, “No, but Ihave a feeling that this trip isgoingtobehardonhim.”

“Why does everyone keepsayingthat?”

“You weren’t here to seehimwhenhecameback fromtakingJohnWarrentoLilyandGoliath.Itwashardtoseehimlike that,” she explained withtearsfillinghereyes.

“If going back there isgoing to be difficult for him,then having me there is onlygoingtomakeit…”Istarted.

“No matter what is goingonwithhim,havingyoutherewill onlymake it better.Now,

stop worrying yourself todeath about it and let’s get amoveon.IfIknowMaverick,he’salreadyinthecarreadytogo.”

“Alright. Let’s do this,” Itold her as I grabbed thehandleofmy suitcase, tuggingitoutthedoor.

She was right. Maverickwas already waiting for me atthe end of the hall.He didn’tsay a word as I followed him

out to the car. In fact, hedidn’tsayanythingforthefirstfour hours of the drive. Hejust drove with his handstightly gripping the steeringwheel. The tension just rolledoff of him,making it hard toknowwhatIshoulddoorsay.Idecided that thiswasoneofthose times that I just neededto sit there with my mouthshut. There was no need topokethebearwithastick,soI

just triedtokeepmyattentionfocusedonthesceneryoutsidemy window. There were acoupleof times that Inoticedhim looking over in mydirection, but he never said aword. I wished he would saysomething.Anything.Ihadsomanyquestions,butIcouldn’twork up the courage to askhim.

When I couldn’t stand itany longer, I finally said,“I’ve

gottogotothebathroom,andmaybegetsomethingtoeat?”

“It’salongdrive.Wedon’thave time for a bunch ofstops,Henley,”hegrumbled.

“I’m talking about fiveminutes,Maverick. I’llmake itquick.Ipromise,”Ipleaded.

Pulling off the interstate,hemurmuredsomethingunderhis breath.As soon as he putthe car in park, I got out andraced towards the front door

oftheconveniencestore.“Five minutes!” I heard

Maverick shout as the doorshutbehindme.

I was tempted to takemytime, but I was afraid hewouldn’t stop again if I didn’thurry. I finished in therestroom, bought a couple ofdrinksandahandfulofsnacks,and I quickly grabbedmybagof goodies, heading back tothe car. Maverick was waiting

outside formewhen Iwalkedout.

“I got us some snacks.” Ismiled, hoping to get somekindofreactionoutofhim.

“You planning on feedinganarmywithallthat?”

“Iwasn’t surehow long itwould be before we stoppedagain.”He took adrink and abagofchipsfrommyhandashe started the car and pulledoutontotheroad.

Tryingtomakethebestofthequiettimeinthecar,Iusedmyphonetocheckmyemails,send out a few text messagesand finish reading my book.Every now and then, I wouldlook over to check onMaverick, hoping that hemight say something, tell mewhat was worrying him. Butwithout fail, his attention wasfocusedontheroad,lettingmeknowthathehadnointention

of talking to me. When thedaunting silencegot tobe toomuch, I closed my eyes andfellasleep.

IhadnoideahowlongI’dbeenasleepwhenIfeltmyselfbeingcarefullyliftedoutofthecar.Withoutopeningmyeyes,I knewMaverickwas cradlingmeinhisarms.Thewarmthofhisbodywas too inviting,andI was too damn exhausted toprotest. So, I rested my head

on his shoulder and let himcarrymetotheroom.

I couldn’t even rememberhimputtingmeinthebed,butI woke up the next morningwithmyheadplasteredonhisbare chest. I slowly liftedmyself up, tryingmy best notto wake him up and carefullyeasedmyself onto the floor. Istoppedattheedgeofthebed,unable to keep my eyes fromroaming over his chest,

marveling at the beautifulartwork that marked his skin.It was the first time I’d seenthe large tattoo across hisbroad chest, and my fingerstwitchedatmyside,longingtoreach out and touch him.Mybody yearned for him,overwhelmingmewithadesirelikeI’dneverknownbefore. Ihaven’t had much experiencewith men… just one realboyfriend since high school.

AfterIcaughthimcheatingonme with my best friend, I’dsworn off guys altogether andtried to focus on my studies.Until now, I hadn’t missed it.That spark, that desire to bewith a man. I’d had mydistractions with school andmy family, and I was happyjustbeingbymyself.Now…itwas different. Now, I wantedhim.

The white cotton sheet

rested just below his hips,taunting me, begging me tocrawl back into that bed nextto him. My eyes slowlytraveled up along themusclesofhischest,graduallystoppingwhen I reached his handsomeface. My heart ached as Ilooked at him sleeping sosoundly, the burden that hecarriedwithhimevery secondofthedayhadseemedtomeltaway.Lyingtherewithhisface

freefromhisdarkthoughts,heactually looked peaceful,almostvulnerable.Iwantedtocurl up next to him and holdhim close. I wanted to try tokeepthedemonsfromfindingtheirwaybacktohim.

“How long are youplanningtostandtherestaringatme like that?” he grumbledwith his eyes barely squintingopen. Damn. The spell wasbroken.

“Well,youruined it.Foraminute there, you actuallylookedkindofsweet.”

“Nothing about me issweet,Slick,”hesmirked.

“Whydon’tyougobacktosleep, and let me enjoy SweetMaverick for a little whilelonger?” I teased, but hewasn’t in the mood for it.“What time is it,Henley?” hedemanded.

I lookedover at the clock

andtoldhim,“8:30.”He closed his eyes and

growled under his breath. Fora second, I thought he wasgoing to do like I suggestedand sleep longer, but instead,he threw the covers back andsatat theedgeof thebed.Hedropped his head into hishandsandrestedhiselbowsonhis knees, letting out a low,deepsigh.

“How much longer is the

drive?”Iaskedapprehensively.“We’ll get there late

tonight, but we need to getrolling,”hesaidashestoodupand headed towards thebathroom. He stopped at thedoorway and glanced back atme, lost in a thoughtful gaze.Afterafewseconds,hesaid,“Islept better last night than Ihave in months, even thoughyou’re like sleeping next to adamn heating pad. Hell, I’m

surprised that I don’t havethird degree burns after lyingnext to you all night.” Inoticed just a glimmer of asmile creeping across his facebefore he closed the doorbehind him. Damn, I lovedthat smile… it’s going to betheendofme.

I was already dressed andready to go by the timeMaverickhadthecarloaded.Iknew he was in a rush, but I

was in dire need of a cup ofcoffee. “So, how about somebreakfastbeforewego?”

“Drive through,” was allhe said as he started theengine.

I’d already given up anyhopesforpancakesandbacon,soIsaid,“Coolbeans.”

After we grabbedsomethingtoeat,itwasseveralhours before we stoppedagain,andthatwasonlytoget

more gas. The long drive waskilling me. It would bedifferent if Maverick wouldactuallytalktome,buthejustsat there stewing in histhoughts. I wanted to knowwhatwasgoingoninthatheadofhis,but Iwasafraid I’d sethim off. When I had finallyworked up the courage, Iaskedhim,“How’dyougetthenameMaverick?”

“Cotton.”

“Okay… but whyMaverick?”Ipushed.

“He used to watch rerunsof some old show calledMaverick.He thought the guyremindedhimofme,”hesaid,looking over in my direction.“I’vealwaysstoodupforwhatI believe in, even when itwould be easier to just letthingsgo.”

“I like it. I think it suitsyou.” I finallyhadhim talking

so I thought I would push alittlefurther.“Areyougoingtotell me why we are going toTennessee?”

“I have some papers tosign.”

“Couldn’t they just faxthemtoyouorsomething?”

“No.”Oneword.That’sallIgot,soIkepttrying.

“Will I get to meet yourbrotherwhilewe’rethere?”

“Probably.”

“Doeshehaveadelightfulpersonality likehisbrother?”Itaunted. Surely one of themknew how to have a decentconversation.

Helookedovertomewithasmirkandsaid,“Ofcourse.”

That smile! I’d do justabout anything to keep thatsmile on his face. I felt like Iwas getting somewhere, so Ijust kept talking. “Good toknow.How about the others?

IsthisMCclublikeyours?”“They’re different,” he

clipped.“How?”Iprodded.“Justdifferent…safer,but

aclubnonetheless.”“By safer I’d assume that

you mean they don’t deal inillegal activities, so there areless threats to deal with?”When he didn’t reply, I kepttalking. “I guess that wouldmake it easier. I mean not

having to worry about who’swaiting to take you down atevery corner must have itsadvantages.” The muscles inhis throat began to twitchletting me know that it wastime for me to redirect.“Cassidy says theyhavea lakethere.”

“Yeah, their club is just afewmilesfromthewater.”

“That would be so cool.I’d lovetohaveaplacewhere

I could sit out on a big wideporch and drink my cup ofcoffeewhileIlookedoutoverthewater.Perfectway to starttheday.”Justthethoughtofaplace like that made mewonderwhatIwasgoingtodoafter college. After two moreclasses,Iwouldbegraduating,andIreallyhadnoideawhatIwas going to do. I’d alwaysdreamed of being a graphicdesigner–creatingimagesthat

could be seen all over theworld. Now, I found myselfwondering if Maverick wouldhave a place in my life whenthis thing was all over. WhatdidhisfutureholdandwouldIbe a part of it somehow? Itwas silly forme to even thinkabout it.Webarelykneweachother. It was ridiculous, but apartofmelikedthethoughtofhavinghiminmylife.

“If anyone could manage

toget aplace like that, it’dbeyou,” Maverick said, pullingmefrommythoughts.

I wondered about thatremark. It seemed like a realcompliment, but I didn’trespond.Instead,Isatthereinsilence, looking out thewindowwishingwe’dhurryupand pass the Tennessee stateline.When theminutes rolledinto an hour, I finally justclosedmyeyesanddriftedoff

tosleep.IwokeupwhenMaverick

nudgedmewithhiselbowandsaid, “We’re almost there. It’slate,sowe’rejustgoingtostayattheclubtonight.”

“Okay,” I yawned with adeep breath, trying to pullmyself awake. I was too tiredtogetnervousaboutmeetingabunchofnewpeople,butIdidhave enough sense to knowthatIneededtobrushoutmy

hair and fix the mascarasmudges fromundermy eyes.Just as I finished makingmyself look half-waypresentable,hepulled througha small gate and stopped infront of the Devil Chaser’sclubhouse. It was muchsmaller than Maverick’s club,but even in the dark, I couldtell that it was a really coolplace.Ithadarusticfeel to it,andIcouldn’twaittoseewhat

itlookedlikeinside.“Most of the guys aren’t

here, so it should be a prettyquietnight.”

When I opened my cardoor and finally stoodup andstretchedwide, themuscles inmylegscriedoutinrelief.“Atthispoint,Idon’tcareifSatanhimself is in there. I’m justglad to be out of that damncar.”

Chapter 15Maverick

‡

I WASN’T IN the mood tosearchforanotherhotelroom,soIwasrelievedwhenBishopgavemetheokaytostayattheclub tonight. He was already

expectingme,butwasn’tawarethat Henley had come along.After asking a hundred damnquestions, he finally agreed toletusbothstay.Ididn’tblamehim for being concerned.Bishop’s the president of theclub,andhe’dworkedhardtoprotect his brothers and theirfamilies. Having Henley withme made him apprehensive,butIassuredhimthatwe’dbegone as soon as I signed the

adoptionpapers.When I opened the door

forHenley, Iwas surprised tosee Courtney and Bobbysittingatthebar.Iputmyarmaround Henley’s waist,nudging her forward. I hadn’treally had time to prepare herfor Court, but I had a feelingthatshecouldholdherown.

“Well, if it isn’tMr.Serioushimself,” Courtney called outas we walked over to them.

“It’sgoodtoseeyou,stranger.Lily told us you were comingin tonight, but she didn’t saythat you were bringing yourgirlfriend.”

“It’s good to see you,Courtney. Been awhile. Haveyoubeenkeepingyourselfoutoftrouble?”Isaidlaughing.

“Always!” she replied,trying tosounddefensive.Shemotionedherheadoverinmydirection and said, “He’s a

greatguy.Youknow,onceyougetpastallthatbroodymoodystuff.” She extendedher handout to Henley and said, “I’mCourtney, and this is myfiancé,Bobby.”

Henleylookedovertome,waiting for me to correctCourtney’sgirlfriendcommentfrom earlier, and when Ididn’t, she said, “I’m Henley.It’snicetomeetyouboth,andI’mgladtoknowthatI’mnot

theonlyonethatcallshimoutonhisgrimdisposition.”

“Tellme about it. It takesan act ofCongress just to getthe man to smile,” Courtneylaughed.

“Well, some things neverchange. Crack Nut, get yourwoman to behave,” I teased.“MindifIgrababeer?”

“Brother, it looks like youcouldusemorethanone.Grabus both a couple,” he said

smiling.I reached in the cooler,

grabbing us each a beer, andthen sat downnext toBobby.“Bishopstillaround?”

“He had to go check onTessa.She’shad some troublewith the pregnancy, and theyputheronbedrestforacoupleof weeks. But before he left,hesaidfory’all totakeoneoftheempty rooms.There’sonedownthehall.Seconddooron

yourright.”“Appreciateit,”Itoldhim,

before Courtney startedrambling on. She talkednonstop about school, thewedding, and me. She hadn’tchanged a bit since the lasttimeIwashere.WhenIhadtolay low, the Devil Chasersopened their doors tome, onthe condition that I helpedthem out with Courtney.They’dhad some troublewith

arivalMCgangthatwastryingto come into their territory,and they’dneededme tokeepan eye on her. It gave me achance to get to know themall, and I got to spend someextra time with John Warren.When everything went to hellback at home with Tony andhis thugs, I had to return.Fortunately, things with theDC’s were resolved shortlyafterIleft.

Bobby and I listened tothemcarry on aswe all drankseveral beers, and I wassurprised that Henley nevermentioned that we weren’t acouple. Instead, she playedalong with the idea, lettingthem both think that she wasmine.EventellingCourtneyallabout the pranks she’d pulledover the past few weeks,somehow making ourrelationship seem… real. They

continued to talk anddrinkasBobbytoldmeaboutsomeofthe new bikes they had beenrenovating, and how Gavinhad been a great addition totheircrew.

We’dbeentheretalkingforalmost an hour, and we wereall feeling the effects of thealcohol. It was good to seeCourtney and Bobby again,andIwasgladtheywerebothdoing so well. As Henley

continued to talk, she nestledherself into the crook of myarm like itwas something shehad always done. Withoutthinking, I restedmyhandonher hip and pulled her closertome. It felt right having hertherenext tome, calmingme,makingmefeelhumanforthefirst time in so long. Sheturned her head back to lookatme,andwhenhereyesmetmine, I couldn’t stop myself

from leaning down andpressing my lips against hers.The feel ofhermouth againstmine made the blood rush tomy cock, instantly fueling myneed to have her – all of her.She slowly turned her bodyfacing me, pressing her hipsagainst my growing bulge. Itracedherbottomlipwithmytongue, andwhen sheopenedup tome, I completely forgotthatweweren’talone.

Wewerestilllockedinourembrace when Bobbyannounced,“Ithinkthat’sourcuetoheadhome,Court.”Helaughed as he stood up toleave, taking Courtney by thehand and leading her towardsthedoor.

“I’llseeyoutwolove-birdstomorrow,” Courtney shoutedjust before the door closedbehindthem.

Henley placed her hands

on my chest, pulling herselfaway just long enough to say,“Where’sourroom?”

I didn’t hesitate, didn’tthink about the consequences.I just took her hand and ledherdownthehall.AssoonasIshutthedoorbehindus,Isaid,“Are you sure about this?” Iprayedthatshehadn’tchangedher mind. I wanted her…craved her. Without me evenrealizing it, this woman had

turnedmyworldupsidedownandmademewant…more.

“Absolutely,” she said asshe lifted herself up on hertiptoes andwrapped her armsaround my neck, pulling mecloser as she pressed her lipsagainstmine.Thekissinstantlybecame heated, intensifyingmyneedforher.Itookseveralsteps forward until Henley’sback was pressed against thewall. My hands slid down to

her ass, lifting her off theground as I grinded mythrobbing cock against her.Her legs instinctively madetheirwayaroundmywaist,andtheheatofherbodysetmeonfire.Anoverwhelmingneedtoextinguish the burn had mestruggling to contain mycraving for her. I’d neverwanted anyone as much I aswanted her in that moment.My lips left her mouth, and

slowly traveleddownher longslender neck. Henley moanedwith pleasure as her fingersraked through my hair anddown the back of my neck.Her hips rocked against me,makingmy cock grow harder,pryingagainstthezipperofmyjeans.

“I’ve imagined having youlike this, Henley. Your hotlittle body pressed against thewall while I fucked you,” I

whispered as her fingertipsclawedatthebackofmyshirt,lifting it over my head.“You’vethoughtabout it, too.Haven’tyou?Feelingmycockinside you, fucking you untilyour body collapses aroundme?”

“Yes! Yes!” she cried out.“Please, Maverick.” My mindflashedredatthesoundofmyroad name coming from herlips. At any other time, it

wouldn’thavemattered. She’dcalledmeMaverickathousandtimes, but in that moment,something was different. Ineeded tohearher callmebymyname.

“Logan,” I corrected her.“Whenever we’re alone, whenI have my mouth on you,” Iwhispered as I nipped at herneck.Ireacheddownbetweenher legs and pressed firmlyagainst the fabricofherwhite

shorts and whispered, “myfingers inside of you, or,” adeep moan vibrated throughherchestasIgroundmycockagainsther,“whenI’mfuckingyou senselesswithmy cock, Iwanttohearyoucryingoutmyname.”

“Logan,” she whimperedas the warmth of her breathswept across my neck. I’dnever felt like this before. I’dnever wanted something so

much. She was more than Iever imagined, and it wasimpossible to resist her. Ieased her shirt over her head,exposing her perfect roundtits.Icouldn’twaittogetthemin my mouth, feeling hersquirm beneath me while Iexplored every inch of herbody.

Withherlegsstillwrappedaroundmywaist,Icarriedherover to the edge of the bed.

She lowered her feet to thefloor, and slowly reachedbehindherback,removingherpink, lace bra. She didn’t shyawayfrommewhenIwatchedher breasts fall free from thelace fabric, taunting me,begging for my mouth. Shewas absolutely stunning, but Iwantedtoseemoreofher–allofher.

“I want to see all of you,Henley.” She eagerly released

the buttons of her shorts andlet them drop to the floor.Withhereyeslockedonmine,she stepped out of them,leavinghersandalsbehind.Shestood beforemewearing onlya pink pair of lacy panties.Fuckme…shewasgorgeous.

“Allofit,Henley.”Her fingers trailed along

herhips as she lowered them,inch by inch, down her longlegs, her eyes never leaving

mine as she teased me. Shegentlykicked themto thesideand faced me, waiting to seemyreaction.Iwaspleasedthatshe wasn’t intimidated by myintense stare, letting my eyesslowlyroamovereveryinchofher. Instead, she seemed torelish the fact that her bodywas affecting me to such adegree.Herheadcockedtotheside, and her eyes drifted tothe tent inmy jeans.Withher

hands now on her hips, awicked smile crept across herface.

“Your turn,Logan. I wantto see all of you,” she saidplayfully,usingmyownwordsagainstme.

It was difficult to restrainmyselfwithherstandingtherelooking so fucking tempting,but I tookmy time, watchingher reaction as I slowlyundressed. I needed to know

that she wanted this, andwatching her squirm in frontofme, leftmewithnodoubt.Her eyes widened withanticipation as I graduallyloweredmy zipper, takingmytimetoeasemyjeansdownmyhips.Herteethtoyedwithherbottom lip as I tossed myclothes to the side. A lightwhimper echoed through theroom when she noticed myhardcockbeneathmyboxers.

“All of it,” she demandedsoftly.

Without hesitation, Itugged them off and tossedthem across the room. Shestood there motionless whileshe looked at me… her eyesfilledwith lust as shewatchedmyhand reach formycock. Itookmydick inmyhand andsqueezed, relieving some ofthethrobbingpressure.Ifeltitpulse against my hand as I

slowlystrokedit,groaningouta curse. Henley bit her lipharderasshewatchedme,hereyes focused totally on themotion of my hand. I justknew she was wet for me,wantingtofeelmycockinsideher.

I stepped closer, and putmy free hand on her ass,pulling her body against mineand whispered, “Do you likewhatyousee,Henley?Areyou

wet forme?” Ididn’twait forher toanswerasmyhandslidbetween her legs. My fingersbrushed against her entrance,and I found my answer.“Yeah,you’rewetforme.Youwantmycockdeepinsideyou,making you cum, but you’regoing to have to wait for mycock,baby.”Ipressedmy lipsagainst hers as I lowered herdowntothebed.Thewarmthof her naked body enveloped

me, and I wondered howmuchmoreIcouldtakebeforeIwasinsideher.

My need for her wasbuilding, burning deep insidemygut.Fuck.Iwantedtotakemy time with her, but seeingherbodyrespondtomytouchwas driving me crazy. Icontinued to lick and suckalongthelinesofherneckandshoulder, slowly trailing downto her breasts while her

whimpers and groans urgedmeon.Itookoneinthepalmof my hand, gently squeezingas my tongue twirled aroundher nipple. Her hips buckedagainstmeasIteasedherwithmymouth.

“Soon,Henley,”Igroaned,kissing my way down her flatstomach.Myhands slid underher ass, pulling her closer tomymouth. I thought shewasgoing to jumpoutofher skin

when I pressed the flat ofmytongue against her clit. Herfingers dove into my hair,guiding me as her kneesopened wider. I teased herwith my mouth, bringing herclose to the edge, but pullingawaybeforeshecouldorgasm.The taste of her against mytonguewasdrivingmewild. Ihadtohearhercum.Icouldn’twait to feel her pussy tightenaroundmy cock. Slipping two

fingersdeep inside,Ibegantofuck her with my hand. Herhips rocked against me,grinding hard against myfingers while she tried to getthefrictionsheneededtofindher orgasm. I wanted to beinsideofherwhenshebroke,Ipulled back, making her waitfor it. She groaned infrustration when I found herg-spot, teasing her even as Icurledmyfingersagainstit.

She was writhing beneathme, tortured by heroverwhelming need to findrelease. I couldn’t take itanymore. I had to be insideher.Iliftedmyselfupbetweenher legs and reached for acondom. A small smile ofrelief washed over her facewhen she watch me roll thelatexdownmycock.

“Hurry,” she grumbled asshe wrapped her legs around

mywaist,pullingmecloser toherentrance.Ilookeddownather, captivated by her lustfilledeyes.

Ibrushedmycockagainsther clit, and demanded, “Tellme…tellmeyouwantthis.”

“Umm…hmm,” shemurmured.

“Ineedtohearthewords,Henley.Tellme.”

Her eyes locked on mine,and Iknewher answerbefore

she even said it. “I want you,Logan. Iwantallofyou,”shewhispered, her voice low andraspy. She wound her armsaroundmyneck,andIfeltherquiver beneath me as Ithrusted deep inside her. Herhandspushedagainstmychestletting me know she neededtime to adjust. After a fewseconds,herhipsslowlybegantorollagainstmine,urgingmeinsideher.Notwantingtohurt

her, I slowly began to move,butkeptaslow,steadyrhythm.

“More,”shepleaded.Her body grew rigid as I

begantothrustdeeper,harder.Her snug pussy throbbedagainstmycock,weakeningallof my restraint. I intended togo slow…needed to go slow,but I couldn’t fucking stop.Her pussy was so tight, soready. I couldn’t restrainmyself any longer. She was

morethanIhadeverexpected,makingmeloseallmysenseofcontrol.Hernailsdugintomylowerbackasherhipsbuckedagainst mine, meeting myeverythrustwithmoreforce…moreintensity.Icouldfeelthepressure building in my cockasherwallsconstrictedagainstme.

Her head reared back asshe shouted, “Oh god,Logan!”

“Fuck,” I groaned as herpussy tightened, clenchingdown against me. She pantedwildly,moaningandclawingatmybackwhen I increasedmypace. I knew shewas close tothe edge, unable to stop theinevitable torment of herbuilding orgasm. The musclesinherbodygrewtaut,andherbodystilledasherreleasetookover.Icontinuedtodriveintoher, the sounds of my body

poundingagainsthersechoingthroughout the room. Myhands reached under her,lifting her ass off of the bed,andcontinuedtothrustharderanddeeper,untilIfinallycameinsideher.

Her body fell limp underme. I remained still, seateddeep inside her, not ready forthis to end. I rested my headon her chest and listened toher rapid heartbeat begin to

steady.Herbreathingbegantoslow to the point that Ithoughtshehadactuallyfallenasleep. I lookedupather andwas surprised to see a sexysmile on her face. I settledmyself beside her, and sheslowlybegantowiggleherwayinto thecrookofmyarmandlaid her head down on mychest.

With her fingers tracingthelinesofmytattoo,shesaid,

“Itwasnicetoseeyouhaveagoodtimetonight.”

“Yeah, it’s been awhile,” Itoldher.

Whenshelookedupatme,I saw something in her eyesthat I wasn’t prepared to see.God. IhopedIwasn’t right. Iwasthelastmanawomanlikeher needed to fall for.My lifewas a fucking mess. Ishould’ve protected her frommy darkness, not pulled her

into it. Fuck. I was a selfishbastard. I knew I should saysomething, warn hersomehow,butfeelingherbodypressed against mine felt toofuckinggood.Icouldn’tlethergo,notyet.We laidtangled ineach other’s arms until wefinallyfellasleep.

Iwokeupearly, thedreadofthedayaheadofmealreadycreeping in, making my chestso tight that itwasdifficult to

breathe.When I lookeddownand foundHenley still drapedacross my chest, I felt aninstant sense of calm washoverme. I could’ve spent theentire day wrapped in herarms, but I knew Lily waswaiting for me. I gave her alight kissonher forehead andtried to pull myself from herarms without waking her. Ittook some effort, but I finallymanagedtowedgemyselffree

andheadedforthebathroom.After a hot shower, I got

dressedandsatontheedgeofthebed.Henleyhadn’tbudgedsince I had gotten out of thebed. Leaning down close toher ear, I whispered, “Hey,Slick.Wakeup.”

She groaned as she threwher arm over her eyes, tryingto block out the light. “Whattimeisit?”shefussed.

“It’s early, go back to

sleep,”ItoldherasIstoodupand kissed her on theforehead.

“Are you leaving?” sheasked as she lifted her arm,peakingupatme.

“Yeah,butIwon’tbegonelong.”

“Ihope it goesokay,” shewhispered.

“It will, now go back tosleep,” I told her as I headedoutthedoor.

Just like I thought, Bobbywasworking on his computerin his office. I stuckmy headinside his doorway and said,“Hey, man. I’ve got to runover to Lily’s for a bit. Mindkeeping an eye onHenley foran hour or so? She’s still inbed.”

“Sure.Notaproblem.Youwant me to bring her overthere when she gets up?” heoffered.

“That’dbe great. Just givemeacallbeforeyouleave.I’mnotsurehowlongitwilltake.”

“Yougotit.CourtneyisinthekitchenwithTaylormakingcookies for the kids. I’m surethey can keep her entertainedwhile you’re gone,” helaughed.

I sent a text toLily that Iwas on my way, and when Ipulled into the driveway, shewas waiting for me on the

front porch. She had JohnWarrenproppeduponherhipnexttoherfull,obviouslyverypregnantbelly.Lookingather,holdingherfamilyclosetoherheart, gave me a sense ofpeace. John Warren had hisfamily.Seeinghimforthefirsttime in months, I wassurprisedbyhowmuchhehadchanged. He watched meapprehensively as I made mywayuptotheporch.

“Hey,Lily.”He lookedupather,waitingtoseewhatherreaction would be. I was astrangertohim,andhewasn’tquitesurewhattomakeofmeyet.

When she leaned in andgave me a hug, he piped upandsaid,“Bye-bye.”

“He isn’t going anywhereyetsilly.This isMaverick.I’vetold you all about him,” Lilyexplained.

“Momma,” he said as hegraspedLily’sarmtightly.

“Hey there, little man.You’vegrownafootsincethelast time I saw you.” JohnWarrenstudiedme,almostlikehe was trying to decide if heknewme,orifheevenwantedtoknowme.

“Our appointment is infifteenminutes.We better getrolling if we want to be ontime,” Lily started. “You

wannajustridewithus?”“Sure,” I told her as I

grabbed the diaper bag off ofthe rocking chair. Once shehadJohnWarrenbuckled intohis car seat, she said, “Theplace is just down on thesquare, and they said itwouldn’t take long.Thenursesaid that they’d just run acottonswabinsideyourcheekandthenJohnWarren’s.Whenthe results comeback,wecan

signoffonthepapers.”Her voice cracked when

she spoke. I knew she wasworried that I might changemymind, decide that I didn’twant them to adopt my son,but there was no chance ofthat.Itwasimpossibletomissthewayhelookedather,likeasonlooksathismother,andIwould never take that awayfromhim.

“Soundsgood.”

“I really appreciate youcoming all the way here. Iknow…”shestarted.

“It’s fine, Lily. I knowyou’re eager to get this thingdone,”Iclipped.

“Maverick,he’shappy.Hereallyis.We’llgivehim…”

“Lily,stop….Iknowheishappy. Anybody can see that,andIknowyou’llgivehimthelife he deserves. That’s why Ibroughthimtoyouinthefirst

place, and I’m not about tochange my mind now.” Mychesttightenedatthethought.There was no turning backafter this. I had to wonderwhat the hell was wrongwithme. I should’ve had somedoubts,somesecondthoughts,butIdidn’t.WhenIlookedatJohn Warren, I still foundmyself questioning how all ofthishappened.

Onthewaytothehospital,

Lily talked nonstop abouteverything that had happenedsince I’d been gone.Oncewegot there, the test didn’t takelong, and they said that weshould have the results latertoday or in the morning.Usually these kinds of teststakedays,evenweeks,tocomeback, but Sheppard’s wife,Ana, worked at the localhospital. She called in a fewfavors and was able to get a

rushputonit.As soonasweweredone,

I texted Bobby to let himknow that we were headingbacktothehouse.Bythetimewegotback toLily’s,Bobby’sSUV was already in thedriveway.Whenwewalked in,I was relieved to catch thesmell of coffee coming fromthe kitchen. Goliath waspouring himself a cupwhen Iwalkedin.

“Mind if I grab one ofthose?” I asked without evensayinghello.

“There’s a fresh potbrewing… help yourself,”Goliath told me as hemotioned his hand overtowardthecoffeepot.

Iwaspouringmyselfacupwhen Henley walked over toLily and said, “You must beLily. I’m Henley, a friend ofMaverick’s.”

Shaking her hand, Lilyreplied, “It’s great to finallymeet you, Henley. I’m gladMaverickhadyoutotagalong,sohedidn’thavetomakethatlongdrivealone.”

“I don’t think he reallyevenknewIwasthere.He’saman of few words,” Henleylaughed. She gently ran herhandoverJohnWarren’sheadand said, “He is just too cuteforhisowngood.”

“He’s going to be a ladykiller, that’s for sure,”Courtneychimedin.

When I looked over toHenley,shecaughtmyeyeforjust a moment, then lookedaway. She twirled a loosestrand of her hair around herfinger as she listened to theconversation floating aroundthe room. This wasn’t theHenleyIknew.Shewasn’thernormal confident self. The

doubts of last night wererolling around in her head. IknewIshouldgoover toher,try to ease the awkwardnessthat was building between us,but I couldn’t make myselftake that first step. She wasright to have her doubts. Sheshould fucking regret it. Shewasinnocentandpure,andthelast thing she needed was toget involved with a man likeme – a man tarnished by his

past.

Chapter 16Henley

‡

WHATTHEHELLiswrongwithme? I can’t even look at him.It’s stupid. I know I have noreasontofeellikethis.Iknowlastnightdidn’tmeananything

or did it? He’s not acting allweird.Atleast,Idon’tthinkheis. Sowhy I am feeling sooffcenter?

“I was going to takeHenley into town and showher the shops around thesquare. Do you want to gowithus?”CourtneyaskedLily.

LilylookedovertoGoliathand asked, “Can you keep aneye on JW for me? I don’tthink it’s a good idea to take

him with us. You know howhe likes to get his hands intostuff.”

“Noproblem.I’lltakehimovertotheclubhousewithus.You can just meet us overthere when you’re done,” heanswered, looking at her likeshe was the most preciousthing in the world. This hugebrute of a man was wrappedtight around her little finger,and he didn’t seem to mind

that everyone knew it. I likedthatabouthim.

“Cool beans. Let’s roll,chickadees,” Courtney said asshemotionedforus to followheroutthedoor.

I lookedover toMaverickonce more, hoping that hemight do or say something tosettle my nerves, but he wasstillbusytalkingtoBobby.Hedidn’t even seem to noticewhen I walked passed him,

headingoutthedoor.Damn.Theminute we got in the

car, Courtney started herinquisition. “Sooo… what’sthe deal with you andMaverick?”

“Courtney,” Lily scolded.“At leastgiveus time togetacupof coffeebeforeyou startlaying into her.” They bothlaughed,but Ididn’tmiss thatsparkle in Courtney’s eye.There was no way she was

goingtoleaveitalone.“Oh come on, Lily. You

knowyou’re just as curiousasI am about what’s going onwith the two of them,”Courtneylaughed.

“I’dtellyouifIknew,butto be honest… I don’t knowwhat the hell is going on,” Iconfessed as I dropped myheadintomyhands.

“I don’t imagineMaverickwouldmakeiteasy.Whydon’t

you just start from thebeginning, and we’ll help yousort it all out,” Courtneyoffered.

“That’s just it. I don’tknow where to start. I neverintended to fall for him, and…” I started, but stoppedmyselfwhen I realizedwhat Iwassaying.

“Youknow,noonewouldblame you for falling in lovewith Maverick, Henley,” Lily

assured me. “He’s a reallygoodguy.He’sbeenthroughalot, and it would be good tosee him with someone whocanmakehimhappy.”

“And he’s easy on theeyes,”Courtneychimedin,andwealllaughed.

“He’sjustso…”“Frustrating?” Courtney

asked. “Hard headed? A painintheass?”

“Yep!Alloftheabove.”

“All men are, but whenyougetpastthat…pastallthestuffthatdoesn’treallymatter,then you’ll find the real manhidden beneath. That will bethemanyouwillcometolove,and the other stuff doesn’treally matter anymore,” Lilyexplained.

“Inotherwords,youhaveto get past all the bullshit tofindthepotofgoldattheendof the rainbow,” Courtney

snickered.They continued their line

of questioning all the waydowntown. Paris was a smalltown, but it had a lot ofpersonality. The town squarehadseveralspecialtyshopsandboutiques, and I was lookingforward to going into all ofthem.Whenwestoppedatthefirst store, Maverick’s carpulled in right next to us.Without giving his presence a

second thought, the girls gotout of the car and headedinside. I, on the other hand,wasshocked toseehimthere.I sat there staring at him likehe had lost hismind.When Ididn’t move, Maverick gavemeasexysmirkandmotionedwithhishandformetofollowthe girls inside the store. Idon’t know why I was sosurprised that he was there.SincethedayIwalkedintothe

club,healwaysmadesurethatI was safe. I quickly realizedthatCourtneywasright…Ijusthadtogetpastallthebullshit.

Courtney never stoppedtalking while we walkedaround all the quaint littleshops, telling me every storythatpoppedintoherhead.I’venever laughed somuch inmyentire life. I loved getting toknow them both, and I couldhave spent the entire day

looking around at all thedifferentstores.Unfortunately,Lily was getting tired.Although she nevercomplained, her face wasgrowing pale, and I could tellthatshewaswearingdown.

“Youreadytoheadback?”Iasked.

“Do you mind? I reallyneedtogetbackandfeedJohnWarren,”sheexplained.

“Sure… ready whenever

youare,”Itoldher.After Courtney finished

checkingout, she grabbedherbags, and we headed back tothe car. With Maverickfollowing close behind, wedrove back to the clubhouse.When we got there, the guyswere gathered in the kitchentalking about what they weregoing to fix for dinner.Without saying a word,Mavericksatdownatthetable

besideJohnWarrenandbeganfeeding him a handful ofCheerios. Goliath and one ofhisbrotherspulledoutseveralsteaks from the refrigeratorandstartedgettingthemreadyforthegrill.

“Yougotoneofthoseforme,Shep?”Courtneyaskedasshe peered over his shoulderand watched him sprinkle theseasoningonthesteaks.

“You know it. We’ve got

plenty.Hopey’allarehungry,”Sheppard told her. With hisblonde hair and blue eyes, Ithoughthe lookedmore likeamodelthanabiker.Therewasawarmthtohissmilethatgavehim a wholesomeness that Iwouldn’t have expected fromoneoftheDevilChasers.

“Yes, we’re starving…well, I am, but I’m alwayshungry these days,” Lily toldhim as she patted her round

stomach. “Have you heardanythingfromAna?”

“Nothingyet.Shecheckedthe lab before she left, andthey weren’t ready yet,”Sheppardtoldher.

Goliathwalkedovertoherwith his eyebrows furrowedwith concern and gave her alight kiss on her forehead.“She’ll have them in themorning.Now,whydon’tyougo rest for a bit while we get

dinner ready? You lookexhausted.”

“Okay. I could use a littlebreak. Just call me when it’sready,” she told him. Beforeshe turned to leave, shereachedupandkissedhimonthelips.

I felt a twinge of jealousyas I watched them together.They had it all… they were afamily and John Warren wasthe one that brought them

together. I wondered ifMaverick felt the same way.Did it hurt him to see themtogether,toseethefamilythathedidn’thave?

I leaned over to him andsaid,“Hey.”

“Hey. How did things gotoday?”heasked.

“Ihadagreattime,butI’msure you already knew that,sinceyouweretherethewholetime,”Ianswered.

“Just keeping an eye onthings,” he said, soundingalmostdefensive.

“You should’ve spentsome time with John Warrenor Gavin. You didn’t have tospend the day watching overme.It’snotlikeanyonewouldfollow us all the way toTennessee.”

“Not taking any chances,”he said as he handed JohnWarren his sippy cup. I’ll

admitit.Ilikedthat,evenwitheverything that was going onin his life, he was still therelookingoutforme.

“So… did everything gookay this morning?” I wasalmost afraid to ask. Lily toldmeabouttheDNAtest,andIwasn’t sure how he’d feelaboutmeknowing.

“Not much to it,” hemumbled. His shoulders grewtense, obviously not wanting

totalkaboutit.“Okay.Well,IguessI’llgo

call Cassidy and check in. Iknow she’ll beworried. I’ll bebackintimefordinner.”

“Takeyourtime.It’sgoingto take them awhile to getdinnerready,”heexplained.

When I got up from thetable, a part ofmewished hehadaskedmetostay.Iwantedhim to talk tome aboutwhatwas going on in his head, but

he still wasn’t ready to letmein.IwonderedifIwouldeverbeabletogetthroughthatwallhe’d put up. It scared me tothink that I might never getpastit.

On the way to get myphone, I heard a huge ruckuscoming from one of thebedrooms.Icouldn’treallytellwhat was going on, butsomeonewasobviouslyupset.Curiosity got the best of me,

soIpeekedmyheadinsidethedoorwayandfoundthreemensitting on a sofa, shoutingcurses at the television screen.They each had a video gamecontroller in their hand, andthesoundsofgunfireexplodedaroundtheroom.

One of them jumped upand shouted, “Comeon,Levi!Don’t go out in the open likethat.That’sadumbassmove!”

“Shut the fuck up,man. I

got this,” he said, defendinghimself.Noneofthemseemedto noticewhen I stepped intotheroom.

They continued to shoutback and forth while each ofthem tried to defeat theiropponent.Thegamewasreallyheating up when one of theirphones chimed with a textmessage. The man lookeddownathisphoneandsaid,“Igottarun.”

“What the hell, Conner?We’reinthemiddleofadeathmatch.”

“Duty calls. We’ll get ’emnext time,” he told him as hetossed his controller down onthe sofa and headed for thedoor.When he finally noticedme standing there, his eyesroamed up and down mybody.Withhiseyebrowarchedhigh, he gave me amischievous grin. I rolled my

eyes and walked past him,headingforthesofa.

“Mind if I play?” I askedthem, walking over andpickingupthecontroller.

WithoutevenaskingwhoIwasorwhatIwasdoingthere,one of them asked, “Youknow how to play?” Theminute he looked at me, IknewhewasGavin. I’dknowthose eyes anywhere. His hairwas lighter and he wasn’t as

filled out as Maverick, buttherewasnodoubtthathewasMaverick’sbrother.

“Yeah…I’veplayedatimeor two,” I said confidently,sittingdownbesidehim.

“Well,let’sseewhatyou’vegot, sweet thang,” Gavinsmirked as his focus returnedtothegame.

It had been awhile since Ihad played, but I managed toholdmyown.Beforelong,we

were all shouting andscreaming at each other likewe’dbeenplayingtogetherforyears.Wetriedourbesttotakedown the enemy, and I wasdoingreallywell.Every timeIgot a good shot, Gavin andLeviwouldbothcheermeon.I was having a blast. My killswere really adding up, and I’donly died twice, when I feltMaverick’s presence enter theroom.

None of us evenacknowledged that he hadwalkedup, therewasno time.We were all too engrossed inthegametoevenspeaktohim.After a few minutes, with hiseyes still trained on the TV,Gavinsaid,“Goodtoseeyou,man. Your friend here is anamazingshot.”

“Is that right?” Maverickasked, looking over to mesmiling.

“Yep,” Gavin said. Henudgedmewithhiselbowandcontinued, “I might have justfound the perfect woman.She’sbeautifulandknowshowtoquickscopeasniperrifle.”

The second thewords leftGavin’s mouth, Maverick’ssmile vanished. “Dinner’sready,” he snapped, soundingalmostpissed.

“Just a second… I’vealmost got him,” I shouted

withmyeyes still glued to thescreen. When the last guydropped to theground,GavinandLevireachedoutandgavemeahighfive.

“Didyouseethat?Wejustbeat our high score,” Gavinsaidproudly.

“Conner is going to bepissed that he missed that!”Levisaidlaughing.

Assoonasmyfeethitthefloor, Maverick took hold of

my hand and ledme out intothe hall, closing the doorbehind us. Before I had achancetoaskhimifsomethingwas wrong, my back wasagainst the wall, and he waskissing me. It was no gentlekiss.Therewasnothingsoftorsweet about it. It wasdemanding and intense, and Iloved every minute of it. Hisbodygroundagainstmine,andwewere both lost in the heat

of the moment when Gavinstepped out in the hall.Maverickpulledback,releasingme from our embrace andgrowled.Yes…growled– likeamad dog hovering over hispreciousbone.

Gavin sighed and said,“Well, damn. I thought I’dfound theone.”Hewinkedatme as he patted Maverick onthe shoulder. “Let’s go, bigbrother. Dinner is getting

cold.”

Chapter 17Maverick

‡

WHENISAWGavinlookingatHenleylikeshewasthestarontop of the fucking Christmastree,Ilostit.Enoughsaid.

“Are you going to tellme

what that was all about?”Henley whispered as wewalked down the hall towardsthekitchen.

“No.”“Really? You’re not going

tosay…”shestarted.“No,”Itoldherfirmly.“Alrighty then,” she said

sarcastically. “Just so youknow, I think Gavin is reallynice, and it was fun hangingoutwithhim.”

“Goodtoknow.”“I’m sure you’ve missed

him. I mean… it has to behard being so far away fromhim, but I can tell he’s happyhere. The guys seem to likehim.”

I didn’t respond. Therewas nothing to say. Yes, Imissedmybrother,andyes,heseemedtobedoinggreathere.Itwasagoodmoveforhimtoprospect here, but I had no

intentionof talking about it. Ihadotherthingsonmymind.

After dinner, everyonewent their separate ways.Henley helped the girls finishcleaning up the kitchen andthen, headed back to theroom.Ihadn’thadmuchtimeto talk to Gavin alone, so Iwent to thebar tohavea fewbeerswithhim.

“Things seem to be goingpretty well for you,” I told

him.“Yeah, it’s been good,

reallygood.Theguysaregreat,and I love working in thegarage. You should see someofthebikesandcarstheypullthrough here. They’ve reallymadeanamefor themselves,”heexplained.Hiseyesgleamedwith pride while he talkedabout his work in the garage,anditmeantalottome.Whenmom died, we both took it

hard, but it was different forGavin. He was just a kid andstill needed his mother’sguidance. I tried to be therefor him, but he was just tooyoung and naïve. He had tofigurethingsoutforhimself.Ialwaysthoughthe’djustfollowin my footsteps and joinSatan’s Fury, but seeing himnow… I knew he’dmade theright decision.He’d found hisway, and he’d done it on his

own.“I’m glad you’re a part of

it.It’sgoodtoseeyouhappy.”“What about you?” he

askedhesitantly.“Areyousureabout signing off on theadoptiontomorrow?”

“Yeah.I’msure.”“You know, I’d

understand ifyouwerehavingsecondthoughtsorsomething,butJohnWarren…”

“I’m not having any

doubts, Gavin. I know he’swhere he needs to be,” Iclipped.

“You’reright.Iknowthat,now. I’ve never told you this,but back then, I thought youwerewrong.Ithoughtitwasashittythingforyoutogivehimup.Ireallydid,butwhenIsawhim here with them, Iunderstood. Iunderstoodwhyyou did it. You did the rightthing.”

As soon as those wordscame out of his mouthsomething shifted inside ofme. Just knowing that heactuallygotwhyIdidit,madetheweightIhadbeencarryingaroundseemlighter.

“Thanks for telling methat,Gavin.Itmeansalot.”

“So what’s the story withthegirl?”heprodded.

“Nothing to tell. I’mkeepinganeyeonheruntilwe

find the guys that killedSkidrow.Endofstory.”

“Nah. There’s more to itthan that, and you know it. Isaw thewayyouwere lookingather,andthewayyouhadherpinned against the wall. Shemeanssomethingtoyou.”

“Maybe so, but it doesn’tmatter.”

“It matters. Everybodyneeds someone that they cancare about Maverick, even

you,” he toldme as he took adrinkofhisbeer.

It was after three in themorning by the time GavinandIleftthebar.IfiguredthatHenleywouldbepissed that Iwas coming in so late, butwhen I crawled into bed, shedidn’t hesitate curling up nextto me. With her head restingon my shoulder and her armdraped across my chest, shewhispered,“Everythingokay?”

“Itisnow,”ItoldherasIkissedherontopofherhead.“It’slate,gobacktosleep.”

The alcohol was cloudingmy thoughts, making itdifficult to think straight, butI’m almost certain that shesaid, “In case you werewondering… I wasn’tinterested inGavin or anyoneelse, for that matter. I onlywantyou…justyou.”

The room was silent. I

could feel the rise and fall ofher chest as her breathingbecame slow and deep. Eventhough she was sleepingsoundly, her words continuedtoechothroughmymind,andI wondered if I had imaginedhersayingthosewordstome.

“Henley?”Iwhispered,butshe didn’t answer. The roomwas spinning, so I finallygaveintomy intoxicatedstate,andfell asleep. I couldn’t have

beenout formore than a fewhours,when I heard someonepoundingonthedoor.

“Maverick!” Goliathshouted as he continued toslam his fist into my door. ItfeltlikeIhadbarelyclosedmyeyeswhenhesaid,“It’stimetoroll, man. Ana just called andthetestisback.”

Why the fuck did I drinkso much? My head wasthrobbing, and the light

creeping in through thewindow was only making itworse. “Just a minute!” Ishouted back. Henley wasnowhereinsightwhenIpulledmyselfoutofbed.

Wearing only a pair ofboxers,Iopenedthedoorandasked, “Have you seenHenley?”

“She’s out frontwithLily.She can hang out here withBobbyor…”

“No,she’sgoingwithus,”I told him. “Just giveme fiveminutes.” I still reeked ofalcohol, and I needed a hotshower to clear my head.GoliathnoddedasIclosedthedoorbehindhim.

I turned the hot water onhigh and stepped into theshower, trying to wash awaythe fog of my hangover. Itdidn’t help. My head was stillpounding while I got dressed

andheadeddownthehallway.WhenIopenedthebackdoor,the heat of the earlymorningsun hitme like a brickwall. Istill hadn’t gotten used to theTennessee humidity, and Icould already feel the sweatbegintotrickledownmyback.Henleywalkedovertomewitha bottle of cold water and acouple of aspirin in her hand.“Ithoughtyoucouldusethis.”

“Thanks,Slick,”Itoldher,

taking the bottle from herhand.Herfull lipscurvedintoa sexy smile, tempting me topull her close. “You ready togo?”

She laid the palm of herhand on my chest and said,“You really wantme to go? Idon’tmind stayinghere. I canhangoutwithBobbyorGavinuntilyougetback.”

“No, you’re coming. Lilysaiditshouldn’ttakelong,soI

thought I’d show you aroundthe lake when we got done,maybegrababitetoeat.”

“I’dlikethat.”With Lily and Goliath

following behind us in theircar, we headed over to thelawyer’s office. We drove insilence, both of us lost in ourown thoughts. I couldn’t stopthinkingaboutthenightthatItook JW back to Lily andGoliath–thenightthatsealed

my fate, our fate. Everydecision I’d made over thepastyearhadaripplingeffect,and Iwondered if it all endedtoday.Wouldit–coulditeverreallyend?

When we pulled into theparking lot, Ana was leaningagainst her car with a largeyellow envelope in her hand.Her hair was pulled up in aponytail, and shewas wearingherdoctorscrubs.Eveninher

workclothes,itwaseasytoseewhy Sheppard had fallen forher. She was beautiful andsmart. Almost dying in thatriver was the best thing thateverhappenedtohim.

Goliath pulled in next tome,andasweweregettingoutofthecar,Anawalkedovertouswithatroubledlookonherface. When she reached Lily,she said, “Hey, I need to talktoyoubeforewegoinside.”

“Why?What’s going on?”sheasked.

The distressed look onAna’s face said it all.Somethingwaswrong.

“It’s theDNAtest results.I don’t know how to tell youthis…”shestartedashereyesskirtedovertome.Fuck.Whatthe hell was that look?Whatever was bothering herobviouslyhadsomethingtodowith me, but I had no idea

whatitcouldbe.“What is it? Just say it,

already,” I demanded, feelingmy heart pound against mychest.ItriedtothinkofallthethingsthattheymightfindinaDNA test. Was John Warrensick? Did he have some kindof genetic defect because ofme?

Lily looked at Ana with apleadinglookinhereyes.“JusttellusAna,”shebegged.

“The test results showedthat …. Maverick isn’t JohnWarren’s father. Afteranalyzing all themarkers, theydetermined that thepercentages were just too lowforhim tobe the father,” sheexplained.

“Then, the fucking test iswrong!”Iroared.

“Idon’tknowwhattosay.Therehas tobe somekindofmistake! We all know that

Maverick is John Warren’sfather!” Lily shoutedhysterically. “It just doesn’tmakeanysense!”

A million thoughts wererunningthroughmyhead,andwhen I tried to speak, thewordsjustwouldn’tcome.Therage began to boil in my gutwhen I finally realized whatAna’swordsreallymeant.

“Lily,Idon’tknowwhattosay. I’vegoneover ithundred

times. The results show thatMaverick is indeed a closerelative, but he’s not thefather,”shetriedtoexplain.

As soon as the wordrelativecamefromhermouth,I knew. Gavin is JohnWarren’s father. I thinkapartofmehadknownallalongthatI wasn’t his father. I’d felt itwhenever I held him in myarms,certainsomethingwasn’tright.Now,hearing thewords

out loud… knowing that Ihadn’t been fucking crazy,made the ground shakebeneath me. How the hellcouldIhavebeensogoddamnblind? I took a deep breathtrying to slow the storm ofthoughtsthatwerespinninginmyhead. I couldn’t figureouthow the fuck this happened?Gavin… Gavin was JohnWarren’sfather.Iwassureofit.Fuck!Howcouldhewatchme

gothroughhell,andneversayagoddamnthing?

Fury soared through mybody. I’d spent the past sixmonths thinking I was somekind ofmonster. Gavin knewhow tormented I was, howbroken I had become and theself-loathing I felt for notbeing the father that JohnWarren needed. I thought Iwas incapable of being therefor him… my own child. I

detestedtheverythoughtofit.Itriedtomakeexcuses,tellingmyself that I was protectinghimfromtheclub.But,Iknewthatwas reallynever it. Itwasme, onlyme I was protectinghimfrom.

“Maverick,” Henleywhispered with a pained lookon her face. She placed herhand on my arm, pulling mefrommythoughts.

“It’s Gavin. He’s the

father. He’s the only livingrelative I have,” I told Lilythrough gritted teeth. I tookanother deep breath, trying tocalm my anger. I’d never feltsuch rage, such hurt. I took astep back, taking a deepbreath. Then, just as suddenlyas the onslaught of my initialrage from Gavin’s betrayal, ithappened. Like a dim lightshining through the blackclouds, the darkness that had

been surrounding me forfuckingmonthswasstartingtofadeawayasanoverwhelmingsenseofreliefwashedoverme.Like the rolling in of theocean’s tide, wave after waveof increasing relief, cleaningmeofmyguilt,myself-hatredand my despair. JohnWarrenwasn’tmy son. Iwasn’t crazy.I wasn’t losing my mind. Myinstincts were right all along.“Call him. He won’t do

anything to stand in yourwayoftheadoption.HeknowsJWbelongswithyou,”Itoldher.

“But how? How did thishappen?” Lily asked with hervoicetrembling.

“Hefailedtomentionthathe was screwing Hailey, soyou’ll have to ask him aboutthat,” I snapped. The verythought of him being withHailey and never telling meabout it, made my hands

tremblewithanger.“I’llcallhim,”Goliathtold

her as he wrapped his armsaround her, holding her closeto his chest. “We’ll figure thisthingout.”

Icouldn’t take itanymore.I had to get the hell out ofthere.Ineededtoget thisshitsorted in my head before Italked toGavin. Right now, Icouldn’t think about it. Ineededanescape.

“I’mtakingHenleyovertoParis Landing. Call me if youneedme,” I told them, takinghold of Henley’s hand, andwithout either of us sayinggoodbye,I ledherover tothecar.Iknewitwasashittythingto do, leaving them alone tosortoutthismesswithGavin,but I couldn’t stay. I wasn’treadytodealwithmybrother.

I started the engine andneitherofusspokeasIpulled

outoftheparkinglot.I’dbeendriving for almost an hourwhen Henley cleared herthroat and asked, “Hey… areyouokay?”

“No,but Iwillbe,” I toldher.

“Maverick, I’m reallysorry,”shetoldme.

“Nothing for you to besorry about,Henley. This hadnothingtodowithyou.”

“Maybe not, but I’m still

sorry all the same.” She triedto brush her long bangsbehindherearandlookedoutthewindow.Sheletoutadeepsighbefore she said, “I’m justgoing to say it. I’m pissed atGavin. Totally, absolutelypissed!Like chopoffhisballskind of pissed. He’s such anasshole for not telling you,”she snapped. “I know itwouldn’t have been easy, butheshouldhavesaidsomething!

Like, ‘Hey, Maverick, I screwedyourgirlfriend.Sorryaboutthat!’”

“He saw the hell I wasgoing through.How could henotsaysomething?”Iasked.

“I don’t know. I can’timagine keeping somethinglikethatfromCassidy,butI’msureGavinhadhisreasons.”

“I don’t give a fuck whathis reasonswere,heshould’vetalkedtomeaboutit.”

“You’re right. So what

now?”sheasked.“Idon’tknow.Ijustdon’t

know.”“You’ll sort it out. He’s

yourbrother,andhe’sabouttofind out that he’s a father. Itisn’tgoingtobeeasyforhim.”

“You know what’s crazy?I’mactuallyrelievedthatGavin’sthe father. Totally,profoundly… relieved. Howfucked up is that?” Iconfessed. “Don’t get me

wrong. I love John Warren,always have. But when I heldhim inmy arms, it just didn’tfeel likehewasmine. It’s hardto explain. Something didn’tfeel right. I cared for him.Loved him and wanted toprotect him, but I felt thisemptiness in the pit of mystomach. I thought I wasfuckedup,thatsomethingwaswrongwithme,andIhonestlyfelt likehewasbetteroffwith

LilyandGoliath.”“Therewasneveranything

wrong with you, Maverick.Your instincts were right, andin the end, you were doingwhatyouthoughtwasbestforJohn Warren. That’s all thatreallymatters.”

“I really did want him tobe happy, to be safe. I knewLily would be a goodmothertohim,”Itoldher.

“Of course, you did. Lily

and Goliath adore that child.You made them all veryhappy.”

“Gavin…” I started, buthis name got stuck in mythroat.

“Is an asshole,” she said,laughingunderherbreath.

WhenIlookedovertoherand saw that sexy, little grinspreading across her face, Icouldn’thelpbutsmilebackather.Damn.Myworldhadjust

beenturnedupsidedown,andHenley was here making mefucking smile. What was itabout this girl? She had methinking I might just have afuture worth fighting for – afuturewithher.

Chapter 18Henley

‡

THEMINUTEMAVERICKparkedthe car, I jumped out andheaded for the dock. It wassuch a beautiful day, and Iwantedtogetabetterviewof

alltheboats.AsIwalkedalongthe wooded walkway, thewarmth of the afternoon sunwas comforting. The wavesrockedbackandforthbeneathmy feet, and the cool waterseemed to call out my name,begging me to jump in. Icontinued to walk along thenarrow wooded path,completely enthralledwith theluxury house boats that linedthe dock, and I desperately

wanted to look inside one ofthem.Alarge,whiteyachtwitha golden trim caught myattention, and I just had tolook inside. Leaning over topeekinoneofthewindows,Iheard Maverick’s footstepscomingupbehindme.WhenIlookedoverathim,therewasamischievousgleaminhiseyes.He grabbed my hand andstartedpullingmetowardsthebackoftheyacht.

“Whoa! What are youdoing?” I asked as my feetstumbledbehindhim.

“Watch your step,” hewarned, stepping over theledge and onto the massiveboat.

As I followed him up onthe railing, I read the name,TheEmmaLouthatwaswrittenon the side. I’d never heardhim talk about anyone namedEmma,soIasked,“Wait…do

you actually know the peoplewhoownthisboat?”

“No,” he answerednonchalantly. Still holding myhand, he gently tugged metowards the back door of theboat.

“What do you mean, no?Doesn’t that mean we’retrespassing?” I questioned. Iquicklylookedaroundtoseeifanyone was watching us. I’dnever done anything like this,

and I couldn’t imagine beinganymoreexcitedthanIwasatthatmoment.

“Technically, yes,” helaughed. He reached for hiswallet and pulled out one ofhis credit cards, carefullynudging it between the doorand the lock. When the doorpopped open, he gave me adevilishgrinandmotionedformetostepinside.

“What if someone saw

us?” I asked, looking out thelarge, glass window stillparanoid that someone mighthaveseenus.

“Then, we’ll probably getarrested,”hesnickered.

“Maverick!”“Henley, look around.No

one has been on this boat inweeks.Therearenoswimsuits,nofoodordrinks.Besides,it’snot like we’re going to stealtheir boat. We’re just looking

around,” he explained as heleanedagainstthekitchensink.

“I’veneverbeenononeofthese before. Have you?” Iasked, running my hand overthesmoothmarblecountertop.

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

When I looked around, Iwas amazed at how luxuriousthe yacht really was. Everycorner and crevice sparkled

with elegance. The sunlightbounced off the large crystalchandelier, casting an orangeglow,makingitfeelmorelikeahome than just a boat. Eachpieceoffurniturelookedlikeitwas picked out by their ownpersonal designer. I’d neverseen anything like it. Thefloor-to-ceiling windowsbasked theentire interiorwiththewarmlightofthesun.Themaster bedroom was perfect,

with its oversized sleigh bedfacing the river. I couldimagine myself watching agorgeous sunset every singlenightthroughthebeautifulbaywindows.

Maverick’sspiritseemedtoimproveaswewalkedthroughtheenormousboat,eachroomjust as impressive as the last.Whenwecametothelastone,Maverick stopped at thedoorway and stared at me

while I looked at the largepaintingofsunflowershangingonthewall.

“Thank you,” I whisperedasIwalkedovertohim.“Notfor the breaking and enteringexactly, but the rest of it.Thanks for bringing me here.Showing me this place. It’sreallyamazing.”

“Come here,” hedemanded, his voice was lowand filled with a hint of

mischief.AthrillshotthroughmeasIsteppedclosertohim,feeling the heat of his stareburnagainstmyflesh.WhenIwas face-to-face with him, Iplaced my palms flat againsthis chest, trying to steadymyself from my shaky knees.His hands dropped to mywaist,pullingmeclosertohim.He leaned over me, his lipstrailingkissesdownmyneck.

Hereachedforthehemof

my t-shirt, quickly pulling itovermyhead.As soonasmyfavorite,pinkbrahitthefloor,he kissed me – an aggressive,bruising, mind-blowing kiss. Iwasn’tpatient.Ineededtofeelhim against my body to easethe growing desire that wasbuilding in my stomach. Myfingers slidupunderhis shirt,feeling the muscles of hisstomach grow taut against thetouchofmyfingertips.Ieased

the soft fabric t-shirt over hisheadandtossedittowardsthebed.

He was reaching for thebutton of my shorts when Isaid,“We’regoing tobe in somuch trouble if these peoplecome home and find us herescrewingaroundintheirbed.”Itwas awarning, but I didn’twanttostop,stoppingwasthelast thing I wanted to do.There was something about

the thought of getting caughtthat actually enticed me evenmore.

“You’d like that, wouldn’tyou? Thinking about gettingcaught, turns you on, doesn’tit?”heteased.

“Maybe,”Iconfessed.Thesound of his zipper slidingdownsentajoltofexcitementthroughme.Thismanhadmeimagining all sorts of things –very naughty, wicked things.

Unable to hide the thoughtsthat were going through myhead, a devious smile creptacross my face. I slowlydroppedtomyknees,reachingout for the waistband of hisjeans.HiseyeswidenedwhenIstarted to inchhis jeansdownhiships.

AtorturousgroanvibratedthroughhischestwhenItookhim inmyhand andbegan tostrokemy hand up and down

his hard, rigid shaft. Hisfingers clamped around theedge of the dresser, and hiseyes shut when I brushedmytongue across the head of hisdick.

“Fuck,” he mumbled as Itookhimdeepinmymouth.Icontinued to stroke himslowly,withmyfingerswoundtightlyaroundhiscock,feelinghim throb against my tongue.His fingers tangled inmyhair

as his hips thrust forward,guidingmetotakehimdeeper.Iwasn’t exactly confident thatIwasdoingitright,butseeinghowhisbodyrespondedtomytouch,gavemesuchasenseofpower.Thethoughtofmakingthismanlosecontrolwithjustmy mouth exhilarated me,fueledmydesire,andmademewanthimevenmore.Withjustthe twist of my hand, agutturalmoanechoed through

the room and a painedexpressioncrossedhisface.

I loved seeing him fallapart bymy touch, and Iwasshockedwhen Iwas suddenlyyanked up from the floor andcarried over to the bed. Hedropped me, with my backlyingflatagainstthemattress.Iproppeduponmyelbowsandwatched him slowly lowermyshortsdownmylegs.

“Hey!”Iprotested.

Hewhispered,“Iloveyourmouth,Henley, but I want tobeinsideyouwhenIcum.”

I anxiously waited as hetorethecondomwrapperwithhis teeth, and slowly slid thelatex down his long, hardshaft.Hehoveredbetweenmylegs, and goosebumps rosefrommyflesh,whileIwatchedhis eyes roamover every inchofmybareskin.

“You’re so fucking

beautiful, Henley,” hewhispered, the heat of hisbreathcaressingmyneck.

His calloused thumbcircled aroundmy nipple, andmy hips bucked towards him,needingtofeelhiminsideme.“Please,”Ibegged.

His warm, wet tonguepressedagainstmybreastashesaid, “Please what, Henley?Tell me what you want.” Hewasteasingmewithhiswords,

driving me wild withanticipation.

“You,Logan.Iwantyou,”Ipurred.WhenIlookedathim,his eyes were filled withhunger,hungerforme.Itgaveme a thrill to seehim lookingat me like that. My bodyshuddered beneath him,unable to withstand theintensityofhisgaze.Myheartpoundedfuriouslyinmychest,and, in that moment, I knew.

Logan had stolen my heart,and therewasnothingIcoulddoabout it.I lovedhim,bodyand soul. His eyes were stilllocked on mine, when hedrovedeepinsideme…harderand faster than I expected. Astrangled cry of relief gotcaught in my throat when hepulledout to the tip and thenpushed back inside me. Mynails dug into his back as Itilted my hips forward,

welcoming his invasion. Hiseyes were locked on minewhile he thrust inside of me,againandagain.Islowlyraisedmy knees up to his hips,pulling him deeper inside me.A low groan of pleasurevibrated through his chest ashe steadied his stride, easinghis rhythm to a slow,demandingpace.

I couldn’t take it. I needmore.Allofhisrestraintbegan

tovanishasmybodystartedtotremble and writhe beneathhim.Withonehandonmyhipandtheotheronmyshoulder,he ground his hips againstmine. A jolt of pleasure shotthroughmewhenhedeepenedthe angle, making my bodyclamp down around him.Themusclesinmybodygrewtightas my release began to build,burningdeepinmystomach.Iliftedmyhips,tryingtomatch

his unrelenting rhythm, but itwastoomuch.Thewarmthofhis body, the consumingburnofhistouch,sentmeovertheedge. My hands reached forthe sheets at my side, fistingthem tightly when my bodybegan to trembleuncontrollably as my orgasmtookhold.

“That’s it, baby. Iwant tofeelyoucum.Yourpussyissofuckingtight,”hegroaned,and

justthesoundofhisvoicesentme spiraling out of control.Withalookofpureecstasyonhisface,hequickenedhispace.I arched my back as myorgasm seized against myspine. He leaned over me,pressing his lips against mine,smothering my moans ofecstasy. Sweat trickled downhis back while his bodycontinuedtopoundintomine.I wound my legs around his

hips,pullinghimdeeperinsideme. With one last, powerfulthrust, he found his ownrelease. He held us there,motionless, until his bodycollapsedagainstmine.

Minutes passed and I wasstill trying tocatchmybreath.Finally,Iwhispered,“Asmuchas I like having your hot,sweatybodyontopofme,I…can’t… breathe,” I gasped.Smiling, he quickly rolled to

thesideandhepulledmeovertohim.

“Is that better?” hechuckled.

“Much,” I laughed. Therumbles of voices outside thewindowstolemy laughter andreplaced it with panic. “Shit!They’rehere!”

Maverick jumped off thebed, revealing his perfectlyround ass and long, muscularlegs. He peered through the

curtains, looking to see whowas coming. “It’s not them.It’sjusttheirneighbors,butwebetter getmoving. Itwouldn’tbegoodfor themtoseeus inhere.”

After putting on ourclothes, we quickly made thebed,making sure not to leaveany evidence of our little visitbehind. When we finished,Maverick took my hand andled me down the hall. My

nerveswereonfullalert,whenhelookedthroughthewindowone last time tomakesurewewerecleartoleave.Thankfully,the neighbors were busyunloadinggroceries fromtheircar and didn’t see us slip outthebackdoor.

Whenwe stepped outside,it was almost noon, and thesunwasbarrelingdownonusaswewalkeddownthedock.Iwanted to jump into the lake

and let the water cool myburning skin, but Maverickwas still holding my hand,tuggingme towards the car. Iwasn’treadytogobacktotheclubhouse yet, so as soon ashis car door slammed shut, Iturned to him and asked,“Howaboutsomethingtoeat?I’mstarving.”

“You’re always starving.My girl and her snacks,” hesnickered. The sound of ‘my

girl’rollingoffofhislipsmademy heart flip inside of mychest. “We’ll grab a burger atHiddenCreekonthewaybacktotheclub.”

“Great,” I told himsmiling.Ididn’tcarewherewewent. I just wanted to keephim to myself, as long as Icould.

After a few turns down along,curvyroad,wepulledupto a quaint little store with a

smallpatio-styledbar attachedon the side. There was aflashing sign out frontannouncing that there wouldbe a band playing thisweekend, and golf carts linedthefrontparkinglot.Whenweopened thedoor, the smell ofbacon whipped around me,making my stomach growlwith hunger. We’d only beenstanding there for a fewseconds when a young girl in

her twenties came up andgreetedus.

“I’ll be with y’all in just asecond. Make yourselfcomfortable,”shesaid,forcinga smile as she motioned herhandtowardsthetables intheback corner of the room.Severaloldermenwere sittingaround drinking coffee. Eachone of them was leaned backin his chairs, reading themorningpaper.Ihadnodoubt

that they came here everymorningtostarttheday.

“They’ve got pretty goodcheeseburgers, or bacon andeggsifyou’restillinthemoodfor breakfast,” Maverick toldmewhenwe sat down at oneoftheemptytables.

“A cheeseburger soundsperfect. I want mine with theworks,”Itoldhim.“I’mgoingtoruntothebathroom.I’llberightback.”

“It’s down the hall on theright,” Maverick told me,pointing down a long, darkhall. Iwas just about to openthe bathroom door when Iheard the waitress’s voicecoming through the wall. Shewasobviouslyupset,hervoicegetting higher and higher. Noonewasrespondingtoher,soIassumedthatshewastalkingonhercellphone.

“I told you months ago

thatIwasdonewithyourshit,Drew. Now, let it go! Stopcalling me! Stop texting me.And for fuck’s sake, stopcoming by the house. If youhaven’t freaking noticed, I donot want to see you!” shebarked. There was a briefpause before she started upagain, “I don’t give a shit!You’retheonewhodecidedtoscrew that whore from nextdoor.That’sallonyou.Idon’t

wanttohearanythingelseyouhave to say. If you comearound here again, I’m callingBishop. Period.” There was alittlecommotioncomingfromthe restroom, and then,suddenlythedoorflewopen.

Her face flushed red withembarrassment when she sawme standing there, andbeforeI could tell her not to worryaboutit,shesaid,“Uh…sorryaboutthat.Ihavetheexfrom

hell, andhe justdoesn’tknowhowtotakenoforananswer.”

“No need to apologize.There’s nothing worse than aguy like that, but it soundedlike you handled him prettywell,” I told her, smiling. Sheseemed like a really cool girl,and I hated that this guy wasgiving her such a hard time.Shewas a least a foot shorterthan me, making her seem alittle younger than she really

was.Herhairwaspulledbackinafishtailbraid,andshewaswearingapairofshortswithahot tank top that said, ‘I’mactually not funny. I’m just meanand people think I’m joking’. Iwanted one, and if she hadn’tbeeninthemiddleofanangryrant, I would have ask herwhereshe’dgottenit.

“I’d really like to throatpunchtheasshole,butIdoubtthatit’dmakemuchdifference.

We’d been dating for over ayearwhenIfoundouthewasscrewing the slut-bag nextdoor.Ibrokeitoff,buthejustcan’t get it through his thickskull that I’m done with hisdumbass,”sheexplainedasshelet out a flustered sigh. “I’msorry. I got carried away. It’sjustoneofthosedays.”

“Noproblem.Weallhavethem,”Isaidlaughing.

“By the way, my name is

Sunny.”“Nicetomeetyou,Sunny.

I’m Henley. I’m here withMaverick,” I told her as Ilooked back to our table.WhenIsawthatMaverickwasdistracted with his phone, Iasked her, “So, I heard youmentionBishop’snameearlier.Doyouknowhim?”Ibroughtmy hand up to my face,covering my eyes with myfingerswhileIshookmyhead.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t haveasked… that’s none of mybusiness.”

“Don’t be silly. I basicallyjust spilled my guts to you inthe ladies restroom, so I’d sayyou’reentitledtoaquestionortwo. I’m Bishop’s neighbor.My mom used to babysit hisson,Myles, sowe’re all prettyclose. I’d never really call himoversomething likethis,butIknowhe’dbethereforme,ifI

really needed him,” sheexplained.

“I’m sure he would. Besure to let him know, if youkeep having problems withthis guy. Maybe he can dosomethingtohelpyousortit.”

“Iwill. I’d better get backup front before the lunchcrowd starts rolling in,” shetoldmeasshestartedtowardsthe front. She turned back tome and said, “It was really

great meeting you. Next timeyou’reintown,stopby,andI’llbuyyouadrink.”

“That would be great,Sunny. I’ll do that,” I repliedjust before I walked into therestroom. By the time I cameback, Maverick had alreadyplaced our order and ourdrinks were sitting on thetable.

“Did you get lost?” heasked, putting his phone back

inhispocket.“I was just having a little

chatwithourwaitress, Sunny.She’s having some guytroubles,”Itoldhim.

“Did you get her sorted?”heaskedwithamockinggrin.

“From what I could tell,she did a pretty good job ofsorting itherself,”Iexplained.I looked back over to Sunny,hoping that I was right. Sheseemed like a really amazing

girl, and I’d hate for anythingtohappentoher.

When we finished eating,Maverick stood up from thetableandsaid,“Weneedtogetback to the club. I textedGavintotellhimthatwewereon our way. I’m not exactlylooking forward to it, but it’stimeforustotalk.”

I’d almost forgotten thehell that was waiting forMaverickwhenwegotbackto

the club, but hearing Gavin’sname tossed me right backintoreality.Gavinhadscrewedupbig timewhenhebetrayedhisbrother,andIwondered ifMaverick would ever be ableto forgive him. I worried thatafter today, neither of themwouldeverbethesame.

Chapter 19Maverick

‡

THE AIR WAS thick withtensionwhenIwalkedintotheempty bar. Gavin was sittingalone, lost in his thoughtswhilehetookadrinkfromhis

beer. The stool screechedagainstthefloorasIsatdownnext to him, and when heturned to faceme, Icould tellfrom the expression on hisface that hewas dreading thisconversation almost as muchasIwas.Wewereboth tryingto face the demons from ourpast; things we wished wehadn’t done, and it wasn’tgoing to be easy for either ofus.Butthenagain,Iwasn’tthe

onewhohadbeenlyingtomyown flesh and blood for allthese months, keeping secretsthatnobrothershould’vekept.Hell,Iwantedhimtodreadit,to feel like the sorry bastardthat he was. He’s my fuckingbrother! He should have saidsomething,andIdoubtedthatIwouldeverbeabletoforgivehimforkeepingthisfromme.Things between us will neverbethesame,andhewasgoing

tohavetolivewiththatregretfortherestofhislife.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbledwith his eyes full of remorse.“Idon’tknowwhatelsetosay.I’mjustsofuckingsorry.”

“How about you tell mehow John Warren ended upbeing your son, Gavin? Whydon’t you tell me when youstarted fucking Hailey?” Igrowled. The anger inside ofmewasburninginmygut,and

Iwantedtobeatthelivinghelloutofhim…tellhimhowhefucked it all up. I wanted towalkoutofthatbarandneverspeak to him again, but Ineeded to know the truth. Ihad to know what happenedbetweenhimandHailey.

“Itwasonlythatonenight,Logan.Iswearit.Haileylovedyou.Lovedyoumorethanyouever really knew, but thatnight…shewas just,”hesaid,

as he dropped his head intothepalmsofhishands.

“What night, Gavin?” Iasked.Whenhedidn’tanswer,I slammedmy fist against thecounterandshouted,“Tellme.Whatfuckingnight?”

He turned to look at me,and anguish rippled across hisfaceashesaid,“Thenightyoucaught her buyingmoredrugsandwalkedoutonher.I’mnotsaying it was the wrong thing

foryoutodo,butitbrokeher.Shewasjustsodamnbroken.”

“So you fucked her? Thatwas your answer to all hertroubles?Iwastryingtomakehersee that sheneeded togethelp,thatshewasgoingtokillherselfifshekeptthatshitup,andyoudecidetogoandfuckher. You thought that wasgoing tomake it all better?” Ishouted. “That’s just great,Gavin. You’re the fucking

hero.” The sarcasm drippedfrommymouth as I glared athimwith all the rage thatwasbuildinginsideofme.

“Itwasn’tlikethat,Logan!You know Iwouldn’t…Theguys and Ihadbeenwatchingthe game, and I was alreadyplasteredwhen she got to thehouse. After they left, HaileyandIhadafewdrinks–morethanafew.Shewasupset,andwe spent the entire night

talking about everything thathad happened. There was somuchpaininhervoice.Ihatedto see her like that, and Iwantedtohelpher.”

He looked up to theceiling, trying to reign in hisemotions. Finally, he clearedhisthroatandcontinued,“Shewanted to be the Hailey thatyou loved, but a part of herknew she’d never be that girlagain. I’d never seen her so

upset. She was just soheartbroken. You know I’vealways had a soft spot forHailey, and I just wanted tohelpher, tobe there forher.”Hetookalongtugofhisbeerandletoutadeepbreath.

“Why didn’t you just tellme? You knew the hell I wasgoing through, and you neversaid a goddamn thing! That’sbullshit, Gavin. I should’vebeen able to trust you more

than anyone, but you lied tome to protect your own sorryass. There’s no excuse. Youshould’ve said something!” Itoldhim.

“Maverick, I don’t evenrememberwhathappenedthatnight.Itwasalljustablur.Themorewetalked,theangriershegot. The angrier she got, themoreshedrank.Wewerebothcompletelywasted,andwhenIwokeupthenextmorning,she

wasgone.Icouldn’tremembera damn thing. I wasn’t evensure thatwehadactually slepttogether. I prayed that wedidn’t. I hated myself forputtingmyselfinthatsituation,but you have to know that Iwould never intentionally hurtyou or her.”He looked up tome,glaringatmewithhurt inhiseyesandsaid,“Ishould’vetoldyou,Maverick.I’msorry.Ireally am. It was only one

night, and I really thought hewasyourkid.”

Myangerslowlystarted tosubside as I listened to himtalk,knowingthathereallywasstruggling with his guilt. Icould see the grief written allover his face, and I knew hewould never intentionally setouttohurteitherofus.Gavinwas just a kid, and Haileyshould’ve never gone overtherethatnight.

I rested my hand on hisshoulderandsaid,“Iknewshewasupset thenightI left.I’vealways hated myself for notstaying with her and makingsure that she got thehelp sheneeded,”Itoldhim.

“No. It wasn’t your fault,none of it. Hailey’s the onewhogotbehindthewheelthatnight.Shewastired,andneversaw that drunk driver headingin her direction. It was an

accident. You can’t keepblaming yourself for thatnight.”

“Maybe.”“And her addiction was

justthat–hers.Sheknewthatyou loved her and thatshould’vebeenenough.That’sall on her,Maverick.” I knewthere was some truth in thewordsthathewassaying,butIwasn’t willing to let myselftruly accept it. A part of me

wouldalwaysblamemyselfforwhat happened with Hailey.No one would change mymindaboutthat.

“I’mjustsotired.Tiredofit all, and I’m done with it.Done with the lies, the guilt.Nomore,Gavin,” I told him,draggingmyhandsthroughmyhair. Iwas so fucking tiredofbeing angry. Tired of all thebullshit. It was wearing medown,andIhadtoletitgo.At

theendoftheday,Gavinwasmy brother. I knew I’d neverbe able to forgetwhathedid,butIhadtoforgivehim.Ihadtoforgivemyself.

His hand rested on myback as he assured me, “Nomore.”

“I mean it, Gavin. Youfucked up. We’re family, wedon’t keep shit from eachother.Period.”

“You’re right. You have

my word. I’ll never make amistakelikethatagain,”Gavinpromised.

I was just about to leavewhen I realized that I stilldidn’t know what transpiredafter I left the lawyer’s office.“What happened today withJohnWarren?”

“I went down to thehospital, andAna did anotherDNA test. When the resultscome back, I’ll sign the

adoption papers,” Gavinreplied. “Even if I was in aposition to be a father, Iwouldn’tdoanythingdifferent.We both know that JW iswherehebelongs.”

“It’llbehard,but, at least,you’llbeherewithhim.You’llgetthechancetoseehimgrowup and spend time with him.You can be a real part of hislife,andhe’llbe lucky tohaveyou,”Itoldhim.

“Maverick, you shouldknowthatIhadnoideathatIwas John Warren’s fatherwhenIdecidedtocomehere.Ihonestly thought being herewouldhelpyou,makeiteasierforyousomehow.”

“At the time, it did makeme feel better to know thatyou’dbeherewithhim.Ithinkthis place has been good forbothofyou,”Itoldhim.Igotup to grab a beer from the

cooler, but stopped when myphonestarted to ring. Ipulledit from my pocket and sawthatitwasBigMike.

I didn’t have a chance tosay hello before he said,“We’ve got a problem,Maverick. How soon can yougetback?”

“Holdon,”ItoldhimasIwalked outside for someprivacy. The door slammedbehindmewhenIsteppedout

ontothegravelparkinglotandasked,“What’sgoingon?”

“It’s Nitro… They got toNitro,” he said, his voicerattledwithconcern.

“What do you mean theygot toNitro?” I asked,pacingbackandforth.

“Westilldon’tknowallofthe details. Just that he wasshot four to five times at oneofhiswarehouses.Thedoctorsjustgotdoneworkingonhim

afewminutesago.He’sintheICU now. They’re not sure ifhe’llmakeit.”

“Nitro is too fuckingstubborn todie,brother.He’llpullthrough.Anyideawhodidit?”

“You know who fuckingdid it, Maverick. The samefuckers thatwere taking thosepictures at our last delivery.They were looking for ourdistributor. They’re not going

to stop until they shut usdown,”heexplained.

“That’s not going tohappen.Iwon’tletit.”

“We’ve got to find thesefuckers. We just need to getourhandsononeofthem.Justoneofthem,andStitchwilldothe rest. He’ll get what weneed out of them,” heexplained.

“Yeah, one would do it.”Just thinking about the

methods Stitch used to getinformation sent cold chillsdownmy spine.One night intheconfinesofthatroom,andhecouldbreakanyman.Mikewasright.Allwehadtodowasgetourhandsononeoftheseguys,andStitchwouldfindouteverythingweneededtoknow.

“We’ve talked about itbefore.Theyaren’tthetypetoleave any loose ends, andletting Henley slip through

their fingers had to piss themoff. There’s no reason for usnot to use that to ouradvantage.”

“I’vealreadytoldyouoncethat using Henley is not anoption, Mike. I won’t say itagain,” I shouted. I took adeepbreathandsaid,“We’llbeon the road within the hour.We’ll discuss other optionswhenIgetback.”

“Yeah. I’ll see you then,”

hemumbled. I couldhear thefrustration in his voice, but Iknewonewayoranother,we’dfind a way to get these guys.When I turned to go backinside, Henley was standingbehind me with her handsshoveddeepinherpockets.

“Is everything okay?” sheasked as she shifted her feetacross the gravel. I wasn’texactlysure,butIhadafeelingshe’d heard the entire

conversation.“We’vegottoheadback.”“You didn’t answer my

question,” Henley grumbled,moving her hands up to herhips. I loved that she didn’tbackdownfromme.Sheknewwhat she wanted, and shedidn’t have a problem goingafter it.Unfortunately for her,I wasn’t telling her a damnthing.

“Gopack,”Itoldher.She

looked up at me through herlong, dark eyelashes, poutingbecause she knew she wasn’tgoing togetherway. I leaneddown and quickly pressedmylips against hers. Her poutbegan to fade when I said,“Wereallyneedtogetgoing.”

“Okay,”sherepliedwithadefeatedsigh.Shefollowedmeback to the room, and afterpacking our bags, we headedto the bar to tell everyone

goodbye.Gavin was the only one

still around, so I told him,“We’re heading home. I’ll trytogetbacksoon.”Iwantedtobe able to stay for a littlelonger to be there for him,while he got this mess sortedwithJohnWarren,butIdidn’thave a choice. I had to getback.

“MaybeIcanmakeitbackfor a couple of days before

Thanksgiving.Theholidaysarebusy,soIwon’tbeabletostaylong,”Gavinexplained.

“Comewhenever you can.It’dbegoodtoseeyou,”ItoldhimasIgavehimahug.“Letme know how things go withLilyandGoliath.”

“I will. Be careful drivingback,” he said smiling. “AndHenley…trytomakehimstopfrom time to time.He’ll driveall the way through if you let

him.”“I’ll try, but you know he

has a stubborn streak a milelong,”shelaughed.Shehuggedhimquickly beforeweheadedtothecar.

For the first twohours ofthe drive back, Henley neverstopped talking. She asked amillionquestionsaboutBishopand the Devil Chasers, andwouldn’tstopproddinguntilItold her everything I could

about them. She wasdisappointed that she didn’thave a chance to meet themall, but I assured her that wewouldbeback.Whenshehadherfilloftheclub,shestartedtalking about Courtney. Shecouldn’t stop laughing whenshe told me all the funnythings she’d said when theywere out shopping. It wasobviousthatshe’dhadagoodtime with them, and I looked

forwardtobringingherback.Eventually, the day caught

up with her; she yawned andstretched before resting herheadonmythigh.Igentlyranmy fingers through her longbrown hair while she driftedoff to sleep. I took a deepbreath, inhalinghersoftscent,and it helped calm the stormof thoughts that were rushingthrough my head. Even withall the shit that was going

downwiththeclub,havinghernexttomegavemeasenseofpeacethatIcouldn’texplain.Ididn’t know when ithappened… or how ithappened,butthiswomanhadstolen my heart. I knew Icouldn’t fight it any longer,andhonestly,Ididn’twantto.Shewasmine, and Iwouldn’thaveitanyotherway.

Chapter 20Henley

‡

THE CAR WAS quiet as I laidthere withmy head resting inMaverick’s lap. Iwas so tired,butIjustcouldn’tmakemyselffall asleep. My eyes were

closed, and I could feel himplaying with a strand of myhair while he drove. Idesperately wanted to sleep –neededtosleep,butIcouldn’tstopthinkingaboutthatphoneconversation I’d overheardwithMaverickandBigMike.Iknew there was somethinggoingonwith the club, and itwasbad.Itwassomethingthatthreatened to tear them apart,but Maverick refused to tell

mewhatwasgoingon.Iknewthat there would always besecretswith the club… thingsMaverick justcouldn’t tellme,but Iwasn’t expecting tohearhim growl out my name likethat to Big Mike. He waspissedwhenhetoldMikethatI wasn’t an option. Hedemanded that they findanother way. A way to dowhat? I had no idea what hewastalkingabout,butIknewI

hadtofindout.When I finally woke up,

the sun was just beginning toriseoverthehorizon.IlookedovertoMaverick,andhiseyeswere redwith exhaustion, andhis eyelids were heavy anddark. “You need to get somesleep,”Itoldhim.

“We’ll stop in anhour forbreakfast. I’ll get some coffeewhen we get there,” hegrumbled.

“Pull over,” I demanded.“Letmedriveforawhile.”

I expected him to fightme…totellmetopissoff,buthe slowly pulled the car overonto the shoulder of thehighway, letting me take thewheel. I reached in thebackseat and grabbed myjacket, folding it neatly into apillowforhim.Iput itonmylap and waited for him to laydown.Theminutehisheadhit

my make-shift pillow, he wassound asleep. I evenmanagedtoslipthroughadrive-throughwithoutwakinghimup.

The entire time I wasdriving, I was thinking aboutMaverick. He’d been throughso much over the past year,andthingswerefinallycomingtogether for him. If he couldget this mess settled with hisclub, he could have a realchance tobe free, to reallybe

happy. I wanted to dosomethingtohelphim,tohelpthe club catch the guys thatweregivingthemsomuchhell.I needed to talk to BigMike.Hewouldn’thavebroughtmyname up, if there wasn’tsomethingIcoulddotohelp.IknewMaverickwouldn’twantme to get involved, but Ineededtodothis.

It was almost noon whenthe gas tank ran low, forcing

metostop.WhenIturnedoffthe engine, Maverick ran hishands over his face as he satup in his seat. He sat therestaring out the window in adaze,andIhatedthatIhadtowakehimup.

“Hey there, sleepyhead,” Isaidsoftly.

He groaned while hestretched out his arms andsaid,“Whattimeisit?”

“It’s almost twelve.We’ve

made good time, and shouldbehomeinabouteighthours.”

“Thanks for driving. I’llget the gas. You go grab ussomething to eat, real food.Not that junk food shit youliveon,”hesaidsarcastically.

“I’llseewhatthey’vegot,”Isaid,smirkingasIgotoutofthe car. Luckily there was aburger place attached to theconvenience store, so I wasable to get us both a decent

lunch. I also grabbed a fewsnackessentialsjustincasewedidn’tmakeanotherstop.

WhenIcamebackoutside,Maverickwasalreadysittinginthedriver’s seatandendedupdriving the rest of the wayhome.He drovewith a heavyfoot, so we made it in sevenhoursinsteadofeight.Assoonas we’d unpacked the car,Maverick told me that heneededtogohaveawordwith

Cotton. The minute he left, Iset out to find Big Mike. Iworried that thismightbemyonlyopportunitytotalktohimwithoutMaverickknowing.

Whenheopenedhisdoor,he looked surprised to seemestanding there. He cleared histhroatandsaid,“Ididn’tknowthat you had made it back.Where’sMaverick?”

“He went to talk toCotton.Ifyou’vegotaminute,

I’d like to ask you aboutsomething.”

“Okay? Come on in,” hesaid as he stepped out of thedoorway.

“So… Maverick told meabout your idea?” I lied. Iknew he wouldn’t talk to meabout it, otherwise. Hiseyebrows pinched together ashe struggled with whether heshould believeme or not. Hewasstrugglinganddidn’tknow

whattosay.“Well, he didn’t like the

idea,sothere’snopointtalkingaboutit,”hesaid,turningawayfromme.

“Comeon,Mike.Don’tbelike that. I really think thiscould solve everything. We’djust need to figure out howthiswholethingwouldwork,”Iexplained. I stillhadno ideawhatIwastalkingabout,butIcould see the wheels start to

turnbehindhiseyes.“Maverickwill shit abrick

ifhefindsoutI’meventalkingto you about this,” hegrumbled.

“Yeah, well, what else isnew? He has a conniption fitabout everything,” I saidsmiling. I didn’t like keepingthis from Maverick, but Ididn’tknowanyotherway.“Ijust don’t see how it couldwork?”

“It’sastupid idea,Henley.It’s just too dangerous.Maverickwas right, using youjustisn’tanoption.”

“I think you both arewrongaboutthat,”Isnapped.

“Itistoodangerous.Usingyou as bait was a stupid idea,andwhoknows if that trackeron your car is still working?And even if we were therewaiting for them, it is just toorisky.Anythingcouldhappen.”

“That’stheonethingthatIdon’t understand. Why wouldthey still want me? I don’treallyhaveanythingtodowithyourclub.”

“These men are different,Henley. Whoever they are,they aren’t the kind of peoplewho like to leave loose ends.You’re the only one who cantie them to Skidrow’smurder,and theywon’twant to takeachance on you burning them

laterdowntheroad.”It made sense, but I still

found it hard to believe thatthese men would really comeafter me. “What does Cottonthinkaboutyouridea?”

“Ihaven’tsaidanythingtohim.Maverick…”

“I’m not telling you to goagainst Maverick. I know youaren’t in the position to dothat. It would take a lot tochange his mind, but if you

think it’s a good idea, youshouldpushforit.Iamwillingtodowhatevertheclubneedsmetodo.”

“Henley, just let itgo.I’vealready told you. These menaredangerous.Theyaren’t thekindofguysyoumessaroundwith or you could end upgetting yourself killed.Maverick’s right. We’ll findanotherway,”hewarned.

“Okay, maybe you are

right.” I could hear it in hisvoicethathehadnointentionof going against Maverick. Ididn’t blame him. No onewanted to piss him off,especiallyme.

It was well after midnightwhenMaverickfinallycametobed.Thesoundsofhissnoringechoedthroughtheroom,butI didn’t have the heart tonudge him. He’d had such along day, and the deep sleep

would do him good. The airconditionerwassetonhigh,sothe room was absolutelyfreezing.MytoesfeltlikeiceasI snuggled up beside him,enjoying theheat that radiatedoffofhiswarmbody.Once Iwas able to stopmy jaw fromchattering, I closed my eyesand tried to welcome theexhaustionthatwasovertakingmy body. I just wanted tosleep,toforgetallthethoughts

that were racing through myhead.Unfortunately,Icouldn’tstop thinking about what BigMikehadsaid.Therehadtobea way to make his plan workwithoutreallyputtingmyselfindanger.WhenIcouldn’t thinkof a safe plan, one that didn’tinvolve me getting brutallymurdered,Igaveupandfinallywenttosleep.

Sometimeinthemiddleofthe night, I felt Maverick

kissing along my neck. Hecontinued to nip and suckalong my neck and shoulder,whileheeasedmylacepantiesdown my hips. My back waspressed against his chest as Ipushedmyassbackagainsthishard cock. That’s all it took.We spent the next hourmaking love, and the worldaround us disappeared. Therewere no thoughts ofTennesseeoroverheardphone

conversations. Itwas just himand me, and nothing elsemattered. I loved him. Hemademe feel safe and secure,and being wrapped up in hisarms was the only place Iwantedtobe.

Iwasstill inasex-inducedcomawhenMaverickgavemeaswiftslapagainstmyassandsaid,“Hey,Slick.I’llbebackinacoupleofhours.”

He’djustgottenoutofthe

shower, and his tousled wethair fell low across hiseyebrows. His black t-shirthugged across his chest,showing off his broadshoulders, and his faded jeansfell just below his hips. Justseeing him standing therelooking so damn gorgeoussnapped me out of my haze.“Wait!Where are you going?”I tried to rub the sleepoutofmyeyesasIsatupinthebed.

“Heading over to thehospital. I’ve got someone Ineedtosee.”

I didn’t miss the lack ofinformationhe’djustprovided,like who he was going to seeandwhy,soIhesitatedforjusta minute before I asked,“MindifItagalong?”

“Yougoingtobehave?”hesmirked.

“Maverick,Ialwaysbehave.Now,canIgoornot?”Isaid,

giving himmy most innocentsmile.

“Youcancome,butyou’llhave to hang back while I goinside,” he told me, crossinghisarmsacrosshischest.“It’sbusiness, Henley. No fuckingaround.”

“Yes,Boss.I’lldoanythingyoutellmeto.”

“Hmmm… anything?” hegrowled. “I’ll take you up onthat when we get back.” His

lipscrashedagainstmineashepulled me to my feet, kissingmewithsuchpassionandheatthatmykneesbuckledbeneathme. He held me close to hischest, claiming me with hismouth. I was about to meltthere on the spot, when hepulled himself from ourembrace.“Weneedtogo,”hesaid, smacking me on the assagain.

“You’re going to pay for

that mister!” I told him withmy finger pointed towardshim. I shook my head as Iwalkedtothebathroomtogetready to go. “Totally going topay.”

“Bring it on, Slick,” hetaunted before I closed thedoorbehindme.

Once I was dressed, Ifollowed him out to his bike.He held out his hand to me,helpingmegetonbehindhim.

Ifastenedmyhelmetwhilehestarted up the engine, andwithin seconds, we were outon the main road. I lovedriding with him. There wasnothing like being so close tohim as he sped through thetraffic. I’d never felt so alive,andIwasalmostdisappointedwhen he pulled into thehospitalparkinglot.

Just as we were steppingoff the elevator, Maverick

turned to me and said, “Hisroom is down the hall. Youcan just hang out in thewaitingroom.”

“Okay.”“I won’t be long,” he

assuredme.He kissed me quickly on

the lips before he headeddown the hall. When hedisappeared into the hospitalroom, I went to the waitingroomandsatdownintheonly

empty seat. After flippingthrough the pages of threedifferentmagazines,Ibegantoget restless. I tried to bepatient… tried to do what hetoldmeto,butIcouldn’tstopwondering who was lying inthat hospital bed. When Icouldn’t take it any longer, Igot up from my seat, andslowly walked out of thecrowded waiting room. Thehallway seemed so much

longer than it did thirtyminutesago,andIwashavinga hard time rememberingwhere he turned to go intothatroom.Iwasabouttogiveupandgoback to thewaitingroomwhen I heardMaverick.Hisvoicewaslow,butIcouldtellthathewasupset.

When I steppedup to theglasswindow,andpeered intothe room, I sawMaverick tryto console his hurting friend.

I’dneverseenthismanbefore,so I knew he wasn’t one ofMaverick’s brothers. I had noidea what had happened tohim, but itwas obviously bad– very bad. His face wasdeathly pale, and he wascovered in bandages. Helooked like hewas in horriblepain as he laid there listeningto Maverick. Every so often,he would wince when hestruggled to respond to

Maverick.Hecouldbarelytalk,barelymove asMaverick triedto talk to him. My chesttightenedwhen I realized thathe didn’t have cuts orscratches.Therewerenosignsof bruising that might havecome from some sort ofaccident. He’d been shot –moretimesthanIcouldcount.When I looked over toMaverick and saw the look ofanguish on his face, I wanted

to go to him, try to comforthim, but I knew I couldn’t. Ihad togetback to thewaitingroombeforehesawme.

Irushedbacktomyseatinthe waiting room, and triedshaketheimageofwhatIhadseenfrommymind.Icouldn’tstop obsessing over the bulletwoundsthatcoveredtheman’sbody. Who could have donethat to him?Was it the samemen that killed Skidrow? I

wasn’t sure how, but themanlying in that hospital bed hadto have some tie to the club,and it scared me. Thingsweren’tgettinganybetter,andIwishedtherewassomethingIcoulddotohelpthem.

Chapter 21Maverick

‡

NITROWASN’TMUCH help.Hewasstillinalotofpain,anditwashardforhimtotalkaboutit.Hetoldmeitwasdark,andhecouldn’tseewhoitwasthat

shot him. It was bugging theshit out of him that he didn’tknow more. In all the yearsSatan’sFuryhasbeenworkingwith him, this was the firsttime anyone had gotten pasthis long lineof artillery.Nitrowas the kind of man whoalways covered his tracks,never lettinganyonefuckwithhim, and he was pissed thatsomeone managed to catchhim off guard. Considering

howmuchprotectionhehad,Icould only assume that Nitrowas shot by someone using along distance rifle. It was theonlywaythey’deverbeabletoget a decent shot. Seeing himlaid up in that hospital bed,actually made me feel a littlesorry for theguy.He’dalwaysbeen a pain in the ass, but hewas good at his job. After allthis,Iknewhe’dtightenupthereigns, making it even harder

todealwithhim.Overthepastfewdays,the

club had met time and timeagaintryingtofindsomekindof strategy. This shit wasgettingserious,andwehadnoidea what these guys weregoing to do next. Cotton wason edge, and the tensionamong the brothers wasgrowing out of control. Ineeded a fucking break, so Iheaded into the kitchen for

something to eat. When Iwalked into the kitchen, IfoundDustysittingatthetablealone.

“Hey,littlebrother.What’sup?”Iasked,withachinliftasI pulled up a chair and satdown next to him. Hiseyebrows pinched together,makinghimlookagitated.

“Nutin’,”hemumbled.Iwassurprised toseehim

sitting there alone, so I asked,

“Where’syourmom?”“She’s talkin’ to Cotton,”

hetoldmeashetookabiteofhis peanut butter and jellysandwich. Something waswrong.Hedidn’tplowintomewith a hug. Hell, he wouldn’teven lookatme, and that justwasn’tlikehim.

“You want to tell mewhat’sbuggingyou?”Iasked.

“No…”hepouted.“Come on, Dusty. You

knowyoucantalktomeaboutit.Tellmewhat’swrong.”

He letout a littledefeatedsigh before he said, “It was agirl inmyclass.Shewasreallymeantometoday,”hetoldmewith his eyes skirting downtowardshislap.

“Oh yeah… howwas shemean?”

“ShetoldmethatIlookedstupid…thatIwasstupid,”hecried. “She hit me inmy arm

really hard and called meretarded.”

“I’m sorry about that,Dusty.You’reright…thatwasmean.Shedoesn’t seem like avery nice girl to be sayingsomething like that to you,” Itold him. I hated that he hadto deal with such ignorantpeople, but I knew it wouldonlygetworseashegotolder.Dustywasanamazingkid,andifpeoplewouldjustgivehima

chance,they’djustseeaspecialkid.

“Mom said that girl had asmallmind like hermomma,”he said.His eyesdartedup tomine,searchingforsomekindof affirmation that hismotherwasright.

“Your mom’s right. Thatlittle girl is smallminded, so Iguess that makes her the onewho’s not very smart,” I saidtrying my best to smile.

“Fourth grade is tough. Youjustneedtoforgetaboutwhatthat little girl said and just beyourself.Ifshedoesn’twanttobe your friend, then it’s herloss.”

“Okay. Did you get anysprinkles?” he asked with hiseyessparklingwithexcitement.And just like that, he wasmovingon.

“I did. Finish your lunch,and I’ll make you some ice

cream.”Dustywas almost finished

eating his ice cream whenDallaswalked in.Hermascarawasrunningdownhercheeks,and she was carrying a balledup tissue in her hand. Shestopped before Dusty caughtsightofher, and tried toclearthe traces of her tears, but itwasnouse.Shewasamess.

“Dallas?What’swrong?”IaskedasIstoodupandwalked

overtoher.“I’m fine… it’s nothing,”

shesaidasshewipedhernose.“Dallas…”Istarted.“It’s that damn insurance

company. They’re still givingme a hard time, and it’s justwearing me out. We’re nothurtingformoney,atleastnotyet, but Dusty’s behavioraltherapistisexpensive.Hisbillsaddupfast.Danielwantedthekids to have that insurance

money for their future, andthose assholes are trying tokeep it from them,” shesnapped.

“AnythingIcando?”“Thanks, but Cotton is

looking into it. He said hemightbeabletocontactsomeresources.”

“Good. Be sure to let meknowifyouneedanything.Allyouhave to do is ask,” I toldher.

“I know that, Maverick. Ireally appreciate you being sogood to Dusty. He’s had ahard day today, and he lovesbeingwithyou.”

“I like hanging out withhim, too,” I said smiling.“Don’t worry about themoney, Dallas. We’ll work itout.”

“Thanks, Maverick. Ibetter get going. Katie has agame tonight, and she’ll freak

if I’m late,” she said as shereached up and gave me aquick hug. “Come on, buddy.We’vegottohurry.”Shetookhim by the hand and led himoutofthekitchen.

I was opening up therefrigeratorwhenIfeltDusty’sbodyslamacrossmyback.Hislittle arms wrapped tightlyaround my waist as he said,“Bye,Mav-wreck.”Hequicklylet go and ran out the door.

Damn, I loved that kid. Hewas just the distraction that Ineeded.Forthefirsttimesincewe’d got home, I hadsomethingtosmileabout.

After I finishedmy lunch,IwenttomyroomlookingforHenley. She was lying in thebedreadingoneofherbooks,andIwastemptedtolaydownwith her. Unfortunately, Ididn’thavethetime.

“I’ve got some club

businesstoseeabout,soI’llbegone for a few hours,” I toldher.

“Okay,” she said, neverlookingupfromherbook.

“Itshouldn’ttakelong.”“Okay,” she mumbled as

her eyes remained focused onherbook.

“I might get attacked andeaten alive by a pack of wildbeavers.”

“Okay,” she whispered as

her teeth grazed across herbottom lip. Yeah. She wasfuckingwithme.

“Alright, checkya later,” Itold her as I took a steptowards the door. When shestill didn’t look over to me, Ilunged towards her, pouncingrightontopofher,andpinnedherhandstothebed.Hereyeswidened with surprise as herbook went sailing across theroom. “Are you pouting,

HenleyGray?”“Maybe,”shewhisperedas

she gave me her best puppydogeyes.

Ileaneddownandpressedmy lips to hers before I said,“Youmissingme,Henley?”

She rolled her eyes andsaid, “Ummm… nooo. I’mnot.”

“Yeah,you’remissingme,”I teased as I ground my hipsagainsthers.Whenshebucked

againstme,Iasked,“Youmissmymouth,don’tyou,baby?”

“Ummm…maybealittle,”she admitted as she squirmedbeneathme.

“Youwanttofeelmycockdeep insideyou,don’tyou?”Iasked,rockingagainsther.

A deep, frustrated sighvibrated through her chest asshesaid,“Yes!”

“Good,”ItauntedherasIpulled myself up off the bed.

“I like youmissingme.Now,behaveuntilIgetback.”

“Maverick?”shecalledout.“I’ve been thinking…” hervoicetrailedoffasshethoughtabout what she was about tosay. “I know you’ve beenhavingahardtimefindingtheguys that shot Skidrow, and Iimaginetheyhadsomethingtodo with your friend being inthe hospital. I’d like to dosomethingtohelp.”

“Henley, I should tan thatpretty little ass of yours foreventhinkingaboutthis.Trustme. I’ll take care of it,” Iassured her. “Gotta go. LetSmokeyorBoozerknowifyouneedanything.Therestof theguyswillbeout.”

“Okay. Please be careful,”shepleaded.

“Always,” I assuredher asIwalked out of the room. I’dmeantitwhenItoldherthatI

likedhermissingme. Ihadn’thadmuch time to spendwithher over the past couple ofdays, and I liked the thoughtof her thinking about me,longingformetoholdher,tolove on her. Amidst all theturmoil that’d thrownher intomy life, she’dgivenmea lightthatI’dneverknownpossible.I was missing her, too, and Iwaslookingforwardtomakingup for lost time as soon as I

gotbacktonight.

Chapter 22Henley

‡

I HATED WATCHING Maverickwalkoutthatdoor.Iwantedtocallhimback,beghimtostaythere with me, but I knew itwas no use. He had somuch

goingonwiththeclubthatI’dbarely seen him over the pastcoupleofdays.Ihadtoomuchtime onmy hands, and I wasgoing insane. I felt useless.Having been around thebrotherssincetheshooting,I’dcometoreallycareforthem.Iwassotiredofseeingtheguysstressed. Their tension waspalpable. Mostly, I missedMaverick. I craved the feelingofknowinghewasalwaysnear

me. I’d never had or wantedsuchundividedattentionfromaman.

I couldn’t stop thinkingabout thatguy in thehospital.Everything was going to shit,andIcouldn’ttakeitanymore.Ihadbeenthinkingaboutthisfor days, and it was time totake a chance. I needed todothisforMaverick.

Ihadnoideawhattimehewould be back, so I didn’t

wasteanytime.Ifmyplanwasgoing to work, I would needCassidy’shelp,soIwenttoseeif she was at the bar.Thankfully, she was therefilling the beer cooler when Iwalkedup.“Hey,Sis!Yougotaminute?”

“What’sup?”“Ireallyneedtotalktoyou

about something,” I told herafteraquickglancearoundtheroom,ensuringwewouldn’tbe

overheard. “You’re not goingto like it, Cass, but I reallyneed your help withsomething.”

She came around the barandsatdownonastoolbesideme.AsIstartedtoexplainmyplan, Cassidy’s body grewtensewithworry.When Iwasalmostdonetalking,shesatupstraightinherchairandleanedforward.Sheglaredatmewithanexpressionoftotaldisbelief,

as she tried to make sense ofwhatIwassaying.

Herfaceflushedredasshespat, “Have you lost yourdamnmind?Do you honestlythinkthatIwouldhelpyougetyourself killed? What kind ofsisterdoyou thinkIam?Hellwill freeze over before I helpyoudothis!”

“Cassidy…I lovehim…Ireally love him. Do youhonestlythinkIwanttogoget

myselfkillednowthatIfinallyfoundtheone?Ifweplaythisthing right, we can help themget theseguys.But, I can’tdoit without you. I need yourhelp with this. It’s the onlyway. I’ve thought it through.Youhavetotrustme.”

“Ijustdon’tknow,Henley.What if something goeswrong? I’ll never be able toforgive myself if somethinghappens to you,” she said.

However, I could tell by thesound of her voice that shewasabouttogivein.

“We’ll get in andwe’ll getout.Justtrustmeonthis.”

“Fine… I’ll help you, butI’mnothappyaboutit.”Filledwith relief that she agreed tohelp me, I jumped up andhuggedhertightly.

“Thanks, Sis. I knew Icould count on you,” Iwhispered. “We need to go

beforeMaverickgetsback.Letme go get my stuff, and I’llmeetyouinyourroominfiveminutes.”

After I grabbedmy purse,I headed down the hall toCassidy’s room. I didn’t taketime to think about what wewereabouttodo.IknewIjusthadtoswallowmynervesandget this thing done. I walkedintoher room.Shewassittingontheedgeofherbed,waiting

with a pained expression onherface.

“Don’t go backing out onmenow,Cass.This is a goodplan.”

“I’m not backing out, LeeBug. I’m just worried, that’sall.Comeon,”shesaidasshestood up and reached for herkeys.“Let’sgetthisthingoverwith.”

Cassidy was quiet whileshe drove me to the campus

parking lot. My car was stillparkedinthefrontrowoftheFineArtsBuilding.Ithadbeensitting there since the dayClutch tookme to the club. Iprayedthatthetrackingdevicewas still there andworking. Itwas theonlyway they’dknowthatIhadreturnedhome.

I putmy things inmy carand sat down in the driver’sseat. I looked up at Cassidyand said, “I’ll park the car in

my usual spot. You pullaround back and wait for methere. I’ll come down the fireescape once I get everythingready.”

“What if someone isalready there waiting for you?This is crazy, Henley. Ishould’ve never agreed to goalongwiththis.”

“No one is going to bethere, at least not yet. Now,stopworrying.”

“That’s easier said thandone.Justmakeitfast,okay?”shesaidwithashakyvoice.

“Promise.I’llcallyouonceIaminside,sowecantalktheentire time I’m in there,” Iassuredher.

My mind was racing as Idrovetomyapartment.Itriedbuilding up my courage byreminding myself that I wasdoing this for Maverick, forthe man that I loved.

Unfortunately, it didn’t helpsettle the nerves that werecausing my hands to trembleagainst the steering wheel. Itook a deep breath, and triedtoconcentrateonallthethingsI needed to do. I tried toconvince myself that therewasn’tmuchtoit.Ijusthadtopark the car in front of theapartment and then, rushinside to get everything ready.I needed to try to make the

place look likeIwasreturninghome.Ineededtoturnonthelights and TV, straighten theplace up a bit, and thenarrange the bed to look like Iwas lying under the covers.Once everything was set up,I’dslipoutthebackdownthefire escape. Cass would bewaiting forme inhercar, andwe’d wait to see if anyoneshowed up. The plan wassimple. The problem was

nothing withme ever seemedtogolikeitwassupposedto.

Severalcarswereparkedinfront of my small apartmentcomplex, but thankfully myspot was still empty. I easedthe car into park and slowlyopened my door, lookingaroundforanythingthatmightseem suspicious. Thestreetlights gave off justenough light tocreateaneeriefeeltotheentireparkinglot.I

really wasn’t sure what Ishouldbelookingfor,butIletmy eyes roam over the area,huntingforanythingoranyonethat might be lurking in thedark. I was still searching thearea, for God knows what,while I walked up the stepsthatleduptothefrontdoor.

Before I walked inside, Ilooked back to make sureCassidy was pulling her cararound back. After I saw her

taillights heading down thebackalley, I steppedanxiouslythrough thedoor.My legs feltheavy as Iwalked over to themain elevator. I tried to pushback my terror as the doorsclosed behind me. There wasno time to letmy fears get intheway. I had no idea if thattrackingdeviceonmycarwasactually even working, but Ididn’t want to take anychances. If these guys think

I’m back home, who knowshow long itwill take for themtocomelookingforme.

When the elevator doorsopened,Isteppedoutintotheempty hallway and crept overto my door. I didn’t knowwhat to expect, but I neverthoughtitwouldbelikethis.Ifeltlikeanintruderinmyownhome as I unlockedmy door.The familiar smell of lavenderandfabricsoftenersurrounded

me as the door creaked open,but being there didn’t feelfamiliar.Iwasscared.Ifeltsooutofplace,andIhatedthatIfeltsuchfearinaplacethatI’dalwayslovedtobe.

As promised, I took outmyphone, andcalledCassidy.“I’mhere.”

“Pleasehurry,Henley,”shepleaded.

“I’vegottostraightenupabit.Justholdtight,”Itoldher

as I looked around the room.Several of my school paperswerescatteredalongthefloor,along with several overturnedlamps and chairs. I quicklystarted cleaning up the mess,trying tomake it resemble theplace I’d called home for thepastthreeyears.

Once I had everythingpickedup, I turnedonseveralmorelightsandtheTV,settingthevolumeloudenoughfor it

tobeheardoutinthehallway.Myadrenalinewasinoverdriveas I raced to my room, andstuffed several pillows underthe comforter. I triedmybesttomakeitlooklikeabodywaslying thereunder thecovers. Ihappened to remember a wigCassidy bought the year wedecided to be twins forHalloween,soIpulledtheoldcostume box out from underthe bed, hoping the wig was

still there. Luckily, I found itburied at the bottom of thebox. I quickly grabbed it andkickedtheboxbackunderthebed.Iplacedthewigatthetopof the pillows, spreading outthehairinhopesit’dhelp,butI wasn’t sure anyone wouldtruly believe it was me. Iglanced around my smallapartment.Everythingwasset.

Ipickedbackupmyphoneandsaid,“Cass…youthere?”

“Yes! Are you done?” sheasked.

“Yeah, I’m on my waydown.”

“Keepyourphoneonuntilyou get in the car,” sheordered.“Andbecareful.”

“Okay. I’m coming now,”I told her as I eased thewindow up leading to the fireescape. Holding tightly to theledge, I stepped out onto therailing.

The stairs clattered andshookasIrandownthesteps,and I thought I had made itfree and clear, until I saw amanstandingintheshadows.Ifroze. Panic surged throughmy body when I realized thathewasstaringrightatme.Mybreathingbecame rapid, and IthoughtImightpassoutfromfear,butItookadeepbreath,forcing myself to stay calm.TherewasstillachancethatI

could make it to the carwithouthimcatchingme,soItook another step down thestairs. When I did, he beganwalking towards me… “Holyshit! Cass! Someone’s here!” Iwhisperedintomyphone.

“Get your ass to the car!Now!”shecried.

“I can’t! He’s coming thisway! Call Maverick. Call him,now!”Iwasintrouble.Hewasone of them. I’d run out of

time, and there was no oneheretohelpme.

Chapter 23Maverick

‡

HENLEY WAS NOWHERE to befound, and I was gettingpissed. I told Smokey to keepan eye on her, but he had noideawhere she’d run off to. I

would have to deal with himlater. I figured she must besomewhere with Cassidy, so Iheaded to Big Mike’s room.He’dbe able to traceher in amatterofseconds.Ihad liftedmyhandtoknockonthedoorwhenmycellphonerang.

Before I could answer,Cassidy started screaming,“You’ve got to get over here!Now! He’s going to get her!He’s so close. Oh my god,

Maverick!”“Slow down! Tell me

what’sgoingon!”Idemanded.Hearingthepanicinhervoicemademy heart pound againstmychest.

“There’s no time! He’sabout to get Henley. She’strying to get down the fireescape, and he’s about to gether!” she cried hysterically.The sound of Henley’s namemademyheartstopbeatingin

mychest.Ineededaminutetothink, to focus on what shewassaying.

“Whatfireescape?”“The one at our

apartment. She was trying tohelpyou,and…”

“I’m on my way,” Isnapped. Without knocking, Iopened Big Mike’s door andshouted, “Get your ass up.Now!”

He turned from his

computer and asked, “Whatthehell,man?”

“Gather up the guys!Henleyisintrouble.We’vegotto get over to her place!NOW!” I shouted. I couldn’thear his response over theloudbeatingofmyheart, as Iwent along the hall, poundingon all thedoorsuntil I got toCotton’sroom.IknockedasIopened the door, not evengiving him a chance to

acknowledgemypresence andsaid,“Wegottrouble.”

“And?” he questioned ashestooduptofaceme.

“Henley…Cassjustcalled.They are at their apartment,and they’ve got company.We’vegottogetoverthere,”Itold him as my voice rattledwith nerves. None of thismadeanyfuckingsense!Why?Whywouldshedothis?Justafewhoursagoshewaslyingin

thebedkissingme,andnowImightloseher.Imightfuckingloseher!

“Don’t… don’t gothinkingtheworst…We’llgether,”heassuredme.

“I won’t lose her,” I toldhim as I headed for my bike.Thiswasmyfault.Ishould’vetalked to her, explained howthings worked in the club. Iwastoofuckingstubborn,andnowitmightbetoolate.

With my brothersfollowingclosebehind,Iracedover to Henley’s apartment.Theroadblurredbeforemeasmy imagination ran wildthinking about whatmight behappeningtoher.Ipushedthethrottleforward,increasingmyspeedtoadangerouslevel,butI didn’t give a fuck. I had toget to her. It was the onlythingthatmattered.

The loud rumble of our

engines had to draw theattention of everyone in thatapartment complex, but therewas no time to go in quiet.Everysecondcounted,andwewere running out of time.Whenwe parked our bikes infront of her apartment, therewasnooneinsight.IinstantlyspottedHenley’scar,buttherewas no sign of Cassidyanywhere. I turned back toClutch and said, “Cassidy…

findher.”“Cooter and I will check

around back,” he told me asthey walked towards the backalleyleadingtothebackofthebuilding.

“Let’smove it,”Iordered,andmy brothers followedmeinto the apartment building.While Cotton and I took theelevator, Guardrail led theothers up the stairwell. I onlyhad one thought onmymind

as I waited for the doors toopen…gettoHenley.IprayedthatIwasn’ttoolate.

Chapter 24Henley

‡

I WAS SO close… just a fewstepsaway from thecarwhenhis hand reached out andgrabbed me. I tried to jerkfree,pullingashardasIcould,

but it was no use. I expectedhimtokillmerightthere,endthisthingonceandforall.Butseconds later, my feet weredraggingagainstthepavement.He reeked of sweat andcigarettes as he pulled mecloser to him. My shoesclanked loudly against themetal steps as he yanked metowards the top of the fireescape. I didn’t make it easyforhim.Ikicked.Iscreamed.I

tried to claw myself from hisarms, but it was no use… Icouldn’t get away. When hefinallymanagedtogetmebackinside my apartment, Ipanicked.Iknewmytimewasrunningout.

My back was pressedfirmly against his chest withhis arms wrapped tightlyaround my waist. I couldn’tbreathe. He was so muchstronger thanIwas,and there

was little I could do to keephim from squeezing the lifeout of me. I kept trying tofight him, doing anything Icould to work myself free. Icouldfeelmybloodpulsinginmy temples. My eyes wereblurred with tears as hetightened his grip around mychest. I tried to call out forhelp, but nothing came. Icouldn’t get enough air intomy lungs to even make a

sound…notacry…notevenawhimper.IknewIhadtodosomething. I had to try to getaway from him before it wastoo late, so using everything Ihad, I reared my elbow back,slamming it into his lowerabdomen. The heat of hisbreath blew against my neckand with a loud grunt, heloosenedhishold.Iwasfinallyable to get away from him.Tears streameddownmy face

as I gasped and coughed,tryingtofillmylungswithair.

“She’s a feisty, little thing,isn’t she?” a man snickeredfrombehindme.Ididn’thaveto turn around to know whothe man was. I would neverforgetthesoundofthatvoice.Still panting for breath, Iturned to face him. His armswere crossed over his chest,and I instantly recognized thepython tattoo that wrapped

around his arm. It was him.ThemanthatkilledSkidrow.

“Youbitch,”themannextto me growled as hestraightened his stance. “Youlittle, fucking bitch. You’regoingtopayforthatshit.”Heglared at me with such anger,such hate that it made mybloodruncold.Hewantedmedead.Plainandsimple.

He stalked towards mewithhishandraisedintoafist,

andIsawitcoming,butIwastoo dazed to react. The blowto the side ofmy facewas sopowerful, that I momentarilylostmy vision. Iwas reachingout for something to grabonto, when he came at meagain.Iknewitwascoming…Icouldhearthesoundsofhisfeet shuffling towardsme,butthere was nothing I could doabout it. I felt suspended intime,everythingbecameablur.

Hehitmewithsuchforcethatmyheadjerkedback,andIlostmy footing. With my armsflailing in the air, I fell backand my head collided againstthe kitchen counter. Lightsflashed across my eyes as Idropped to the groundwith aloud thud. Nausea instantlywashedoverme,andIthoughtIwasgoingtobesick.Icouldhear them both laughing, as Itried to roll tomy side, but I

couldn’tmove.Icouldn’teventhink.Mymindwas in such afog that I thought I’d heardMaverick’svoicecallingouttome, but I couldn’t see him. Icouldn’t feel him. Everythingwasjustblackandthedarknessconsumedme.

Chapter 25Maverick

‡

“SHOOT THE BITCH, and let’sgetthehelloutofhere,”amanshouted from Henley’sapartment.

“I thinkwe shouldhave a

little fun with her first,” theother one laughed, and myblood rancold.Their laughterfueled my rage, and I don’teven remember kicking downher door. Henley was behindit,andIhadtogettoher.Mymind was on auto pilot. Ididn’t even think before Ikicked the door down,splinteringitonitshinges.

Adrenaline soared throughmybodyasIcharged intothe

room with my brothersfollowing close behind me. Istopped dead in my trackswhen I saw Henley sprawledout on the floor with bloodpooling around her head. Myeyesshottothemanwhowasstanding over Henley, andwithouthesitation,Iaimedmygun at him. Our unexpectedinvasioncaughthimoffguard,andhehad little timetoreact.His eyes darted towards my

gun, and panic washed overhimashewatchedmesqueezethe trigger. The imminentdread he felt caused his bodyto tense as the bullet hit himdirectly between the eyes.Satisfactionwashedovermeashis lifeless body dropped totheground.

I rushed over to Henley’sside, dropping down to myknees,andIplacedmyfingerson her neck, praying that I

couldfindapulse.Itwasfaint,butIcouldfeelherheartbeatlightly thumping against thetips of my fingers. Reliefsurged through me when Irealizedthatshewasstillalive.MyheartachedasIstudiedthebruisescoveringherface,andIwanted to beat that fuckerwithmybarehandsandshoothimalloveragain.

I tried to pull my shittogetherasIturnedtoCotton

andsaid,“She’salive,butshe’slost a lot of blood.We’ve gottogethertoahospital.”

“I’ll call the ambulance,”Cottonsnappedashegrabbedhis phone from his pocket.ThenheturnedtoSmokeyandsaid, “You boys get thismesscleaned up before they gethere.”

“On it,” Smokey told himastheyquicklybegandisposingofthebody.

Guardrail hadmanaged towrestle the other man to theground,andquicklyboundhishandsbehindhisbackwithzipties. When he was finished,Guardrail grabbed his arm,tugging him upright. Helooked over to Cotton andsaid, “I’ll get this one over tothe club. Stitch is alreadygettingthingspreparedforourguest.” The guy could barelyseeasGuardrailledhimoutof

theapartment,andIknewhisnight of hell had just begun.Stitchwouldhavehimwishinghe was dead in a matter ofminutes.

I took a cloth from thecounter and gently pressed itagainstHenley’shead.Shewasso still, almost lifeless. I waswatching her slip away, and Icouldn’t stand the thought oflosingher.

“Henley… baby, wake

up,” I pleaded, but I got noresponse. She didn’t open hereyes. She didn’t give me anysignthatshewasstillwithme.“I need you to wake up,Henley. You’ve got to wakeup!”

Cottonwalkedover tomeand placed his hand on myshoulder. “Maverick, you’vegot to keep it together,brother. She’s going to needyouwhenshecomesaround,”

heexplained.“Why did she do this?

Why would she risk her lifelikethis?Itdoesn’tmakinganysense,” I asked as I took herhandinmine.

“Youknowwhyshedidit.Shediditforyou,brother.Shedid it for the Club. And shewas able to accomplishsomethingwehaven’t.Becauseof her, we might finally getsome answers. She’s one hell

of a girl,” Cotton said as helookedover toHenley.“She’llbealright,Maverick.She’salotstrongerthanyouthink.”

Therewas a knockon thefront door, and the room fellsilent. Cotton glanced aroundone final time, before he letthe medics in. They rushedover to Henley and one ofthem asked, “Can you tell uswhathappened?”

“Therewasabreak-in.We

don’t know much more thanthat,” Cotton explained. “Wewalked in and found her likethis.”

After checking all of herstats, they carefully lifted herupontothegurney.Theywereabouttotakeherdowntotheambulance when I asked, “Isshegoingtobeokay?”

“It’s hard to say. She’ssuffered a blunt force traumato the head. We won’t know

how serious it is until we gether over to the hospital.” Hecontinuedtotalkashepushedhertowardstheelevator.“ThedoctorswillprobablydoaCTScanandmaybeanMRI.Thatwill tell them how severe theinjuryreallyis.”

“I’m riding with her,” Itoldhim.

“Are you a relative?” heasked.

“Yes,”Ilied,buttherewas

no way that I was going toleaveherside.

“Okay, we’ve got room.”Theambulancewaswaitingforusatthefrontdoor,andoncetheyhadher loadedup in theback, I crawled in behindthem. When the doorsslammed shut and the sirensroared aboveme, I had neverbeen so terrified in my life.LookingatHenleysohurtandhelpless, I felt lost. I felt

powerless.IhadnocontrolasIwatchedthemedicscontinueto work on her. Nothingbeforehadeverfrightenedmelikethis.MyheartachedwhenI thought about losing her. Iloved her. I couldn’t imaginemylifewithouther.Hersmile,the sound of her voice, thewayshefeltwhenIheldherinmy arms. I couldn’t do it. Icouldn’tloseher.

When things finally settled

down in the back of theambulance, I asked again, “Isshe going to be okay? You’vegottogivemesomething.”

“Her vitals are improving,but I still don’t know abouther head injury. It could be asimple concussion, orsomething much moreinvolved. We really won’tknowanythinguntilwegettheresultsfromthatCTscan,”heexplained.

While they carried Henleyupstairs for testing, a nurseescorted me to the mainwaiting room. My brotherswerealreadytherewaitingwithCassidywhenIwalkedin.Shecamerunningtowardsmewithtearsstreamingdownherface.When she reached me, shewrapped her arms aroundmyneck,huggingmetightly.

“I’msosorry,Maverick.Itwasn’t supposed to happen

likethis.Henleypromisedthatwe’d have time to get away!”shecriedhysterically.

“What the hell were youthinking, Cass? Henley’s backthere fighting for her life,” Isnapped.

“She was just sodetermined.Shethoughtifsheused herself as bait, you’d beable to catch the men thatkilled Skidrow,” she explainedas she wiped the tears from

her face. Her story soundedtoofuckingfamiliar.

“Where did she get theidea?Had she been talking toanyone?”Iasked.

“I’m not sure. Big Mike,maybe?ButyouknowHenley.She’s always coming up withthesecrazyideas,butIthoughtthisonemightreallywork.Shewasjusttryingtohelp.”

Fuck. I couldn’t believewhat I was hearing. Henley

would’venevergottenintothismess, if Mike had kept hisgoddamn mouth shut.Clenchingmy fists atmy side,Iglaredathim, trying to fightthe urge to kick his ass righthere in the middle of thefucking waiting room. Theblood drained from his facewhenhenoticedmeglaringathim. He took a step towardsme, but I raised my hand,signaling him to stop. I had

everyintentionofhavingitoutwithhim,butthiswasnottheplace.He’djusthavetowait.

I spent the next threehoursfeelinglikeIwascomingapart at the seams while IwaitedtohearsomethingfromHenley’s doctor. The wallswereclosinginonme.Ipacedback and forth, and my heartstopped beating every time adoctorornursewalkedby thedoorway.ItwasobviousthatI

was on edge, so my brotherssteeredclear,givingmetimetopull my shit together. I hatedthewaiting,notknowingwhatwas going on with her. Myimagination kept jumping tothe worst-case scenarios, andtheyweredrivingmeinsane.

Iwasabouttolosethelastofmy patience, when a nursecalled out, “I need to speakwith someone from MissHenleyGray’sfamily.”

Cassidy and I anxiouslylookedateachotherbeforewewalkedtowardsthedoor.Timestood still as I waited for thenursestarttalking.

“I justwanted to give youan update on Henley,” thenurse started. “They just gotthe results back from the CTscan, andHenley does have aconcussionandalacerationonthebackofherhead.They’vemoved her to a room at the

endofthehall.”“How’s she doing? Is she

awake?” Cassidy asked withtears streaming down hercheeks.

“She’s a little groggy, andshe’sgoingtohaveonehellofa headache. But she’ll be justfine.”

“Whencanweseeher?”Iasked. Iwas relieved to knowthat she was okay, but Ineeded to see it for myself. I

had to know that she reallywasokay.

“She’s been asking forsomeone named Maverick? Itake it that’s you,” she saidwithawarmingsmile.

“Yes ma’am. I’mMaverick,”Itoldher.

“Whydon’tyoucomewithme?Istillneedtosortouthermedication, but you can sitwithherwhile Iget itworkedout,”shesaidasshestartedup

thehall.I started to follow her

whenCassidygrabbedmyarmand said, “Tell her that I’msorry,” she wailed unable tocontrolhertears.

Iputmyarmsaroundher,pulling her close to me andsaid,“I’llcomebacktogetyouassoonasIcan.Justholdtightuntilthen.”Shenodded,andIgaveheranothertightsqueezebefore I let her go. She stood

atthedoorway,watchinguntilIwalkedintoHenley’sroom.

Iwassoanxioustoseeherthat I didn’t think before Irushed intoherroom.Ididn’ttake the time to prepare forseeingherlyinginthathospitalbed. She was so fucking pale,making the bruises along herface seem even darker. Therewas a small bandage aroundher head, but even at herworst, she was beautiful. I

couldn’t stop staring at her.She was alive and lying just afewstepsfromme.Myprayershad been answered. Her lipscurvedintoasmallsmilewhenshenoticedmestandingattheendofherbed.

“Hey,”shewhispered.“How are you feeling,” I

asked.“I’ve been better,” she

confessed.I nodded, crossed my

arms,andcontinuedtolookather as I thought aboutwhat Iwasgoingtodonext.Iwantedto hold her, to tell her thateverything was going to beokay, but I couldn’t. Not yet.She wouldn’t be in thishospital bed if she’d just usedherdamnhead.

“Aren’t you going to saysomething? Yell… scream…fuss at me? Something?” sheasked.

“Do you want me to tellyou how a part of me diedwhen I saw you lying on thatfloor,orhowharditwastositout there for the past threefucking hours not knowing ifyouweregoingtoliveordie?”Iasked.

“Maverick… I’m sorry. IknowIscrewed itallup,”sheexplained.

“I thought I made itclear…ItoldyouthatIwould

tanyourassifyoueventhoughtabout getting involved in clubbusiness. Do you rememberthat, Henley? I hope you do,because I am going to enjoyspanking that pretty little assof yourswhen you get out ofthishospital.”

“What is it with you andmy ass?” she asked with agiggle. “You need to stopteasingme.I’minjured.”

“What can I say? I like

your ass. Enough said. You’llgetbetter,andI’llbewaiting,”I smirked. It was impossiblefor me to be angry with herrightnow.Ihadherback,andI wasn’t about to waste oneminute on bullshit that justdidn’t matter. She was out ofdanger, and she was going tobeokay.Besides,Iknewshe’dlearned her lesson. Aftertonight, there’s no way she’dever do something like this

again.

Chapter 26Henley

‡

“OH MY GOD… Cassidy! Isshe okay?” I asked frantically.My mind had been in such afog,I’dforgottenthatIhadn’tseen her since that man

grabbed me and dragged meupthefireescape.

“She’s a little shaken up,but she’s fine,” Maverickexplained.

“Thankgod.Iwouldn’tbeable to live with myself ifanythinghadhappened toherbecause of my hair brainedidea.”

“I’mpretty sure shewon’tbe so quick to go along withyou next time,” he said

smiling. Iwas relieved thathewasn’t furious with me. Thislittle exploit of mine puteveryone in danger, and Iwouldn’tblamehimforhatingme right now. I couldn’t helpbutwonderifI’ddoneitallfornothing.

“Can I ask yousomething?” I askedapprehensively.

“You can ask, but thatdoesn’t mean I’ll answer,”

Mavericksnickered.“Did you get them? Did

you get the guy that killedSkidrow? He was there,” Istarted. Just thinking aboutthat man brought chills downmyspine.

“Youmeanyourecognizedoneofthem?”

“Yes. He was there thatnight… I remembered hisvoice,” I told him unable tostopmyownfromtrembling.

“Areyousureitwashim?”heasked.

“There’s no doubt in mymind. I’ll never be able toforget that man,” I admitted.WhenIclosedmyeyesIcouldstill see that largesnake tattootauntingme.“Pleasetellme…did you get him?” I askedagain.

Hewalkedovertomeandreached for my hand, kissingthe tips of my knuckles.

“Yeah,baby.Wegothim.”“Did he tell you who he

was? Why they killedSkidrow?”Iprodded.

“Don’t worry about allthat,Henley.We’llgetwhatweneed out of him. You justconcentrateongettingyourselfoutofthishospital,”hesaidashesatdownontheedgeofthebed.

“Thank you. Thank youfor coming tonight… for

saving my life,” I whispered,unabletofightbackmytears.

“Henley, you’re mine. Iknow I haven’t been clearabout that. I’ve been too bullheaded to admit it out loud,but I’ve known it since thenight youwere trying to leavethe club wearing nothing butthat damn t-shirt. I couldn’tstand the thought of youwalkingoutthatdoor.Noonehasbeenabletogettomethe

way you do – no one. I loveyou, Henley,” he said as heleaned over me, kissing mesoftly on my lips. In thatmoment, I knew I lovedMaverick with every fiber ofmy being. He wasn’t a manthat gave awayhis love freely,andIwasoverwhelmedbythethoughtthathehadgivenittome.

“I love you, too, Logan.Nowandforever,”Itoldhim.

Ileanedintokisshim,andthemomenthismouthmetmine,I was lost.Hewas everythingI’deverwantedandmore,andnowhewasmine.

WewerestillkissingwhenCassidy eased into the roomand said, “Sorry, I couldn’thold out any longer. I justneeded to see for myself thatyou were okay.” She was amess. Her eyes were swollenfrom crying and mascara was

runningdownhercheeks.“It’sokay,Cass.Really,I’m

fine,” I said trying to reassureher.

“Well, you look like shit,”shesaidwithasoftlaugh.

“You look a hot messyourself,” I told her as Ireachedoutmyarmsandgaveher a hug. She started to cryagain,soIheldherclosetomychest until she pulled herselftogether.

“I don’t know why I letyou talk me into doing thesecrazy things with you. Youcould have gotten yourselfkilledtonight.Iwassoscared,LeeBug. I thought I had lostyou,”shewhimpered.

“You know, I blame youfor all of this,” I told hersmiling. “You’re supposed tobe the smart one. Youshould’vetalkedmeoutofit.”

“Don’t you start that shit

with me! You know I didn’tthink we should do it,” shesaid,her face turning redwithfrustration.

“They got him,” Iwhispered.

“You mean it actuallyworked?”

I lookedover toMaverickwhile I said, “Itwas stupidofus to get involved like that,andwewillneverdoanythinglike that again, but yeah. It

worked.” I couldn’t stop mymouth from curling into ahugegrin.

“I’m still going to kickyour ass for scaring me likethat,”Cassidysnickered.

“I can’t say that I blameyou.”

“We need to let her getsome rest,” Maverickinterrupted.

“I can stay with hertonight…helpkeepaneyeon

things,”sheoffered.“I’mstaying.Gohomeand

get some sleep. I’ll call you inthe morning to let you knowhowshe’sdoing.”

Cassidy hugged me oncemore and said, “I’ll comecheckonyoutomorrow.Iloveyou,Sis.”

“I love you, too.” Cassidywas an amazing sister. SheneverfailedtobetherewhenIneededher, and I knew Iwas

luckytohaveher.“I’m going to head out.

Trytobehave.”

Chapter 27Maverick

‡

AFTERIGOTHenleysettledinour room, I set out to findStitch. No one had seen himsincelastnightwhenGuardrailbrought in the motherfucker

thatkilledSkidrow.He’dbeenworking on him in thewarehouseforthepasttwenty-fourhours,whichletmeknowthatStitchwas takinghis timeworking this guy over. Therewas no telling what hell he’dput that man through, but Iknewwhen itwasall saidanddone, he’d have all theinformation we needed to gettheseguysonceandforall.

“Have you been by to

check on Stitch?” I askedCotton.Hewas busyworkingin his office, and seemedsurprisedtoseeme.

“Ithoughtyouwerestillatthe hospital. How’s Henley?”heasked.

“She’s doing better. Theyreleasedher thismorning,andnow she’s resting in myroom,” I explained. Until thismorning,Ihadn’treallymissednothavingaplaceofmyown,

butnowIwas thinking itwastime to start looking for ahouse. I wanted Henley tohaveahomethatshecouldbeproudof,onethatwasclosetoherschool,soshecouldfinishupherclassesandgraduate.

“Good. I’m glad she’sdoingbetter.Ihatetoadmitit,butthegirlsavedourasseslastnight. We have our first realleadbecauseofher.”

“Should’ve never

happened.”“True,butitdid.That’son

you, Maverick. You’re theSergeantofArmsforareason.I expect you tokeep this clubsafe. Make sure it doesn’thappenagain.YouknowIlikeHenley. I think she’s a goodwoman and she’s been goodforyou.Butifshepullsastuntlike this again, there will beconsequences,”hewarned.

“I’llseethatshedoesn’t.”

“I hope so. Now, let’s gocheck on our boy. I want toseewhathe’sbeenable togetoutofourguest.”

I followed Cotton to theback of the warehouse whereStitch had created hisplayroom. The overwhelmingstenchofdeathhitmeassoonas we walked through thedoor, making my stomachchurn from the smell. Stitchwassittingonanold,wooden

stoolinthecorneroftheroomsmoking a cigarette, and hedidn’t seem to notice that wehadwalkedin.

“Stitch?” I called out tohim.Whenhedidn’tanswer,Iwalked over to him, placingmy hand on his shoulder andsaid, “How you making it,brother?”

“Making progress…” hemumbled. I didn’t miss theglazed look in his eyes or his

blood soaked shirt. He wasexhausted, but wouldn’t giveupuntilhewascertainthathehad everything he could getoutofhim.

“What kind of progress?”Cottonasked.

“His name is Victor,” hesaid,pointing towhatwas leftofthemantheybroughtinlastnight.When I caught sight ofhis mangled body, my guttightened in rage thinking of

whathe’djustdonetoHenley.Hiswristswereboundinthickchains, and he was hangingfromarafterintheceilingwithblood dripping down aroundhisfeet.Itlookedlikebothhisshoulders were dislocated ashis head was hung low, hischin resting on his chest. Hedidn’t look like he was stillconscious,but even ifhewas,Iwouldn’tbeabletotellfromall the swelling on his face.

Both of his eyes werecompletely swollen shut, andhis facewas covered in bloodandbruises.

Stitched tossed hiscigarette to the floor and litanotheroneashesaid,“He’samemberof theKingPythons’Syndicate. Their club is basedoutofAnchorage,Alaska,andthey have over thirty-fivemembers in their charter.They’vedevelopedanewkind

ofMeth. It’s stronger…moreaddictive, and just like youthought, they’re looking toexpand their distribution,” heconfirmed. “They set theirsights on Clallam Countybecauseofourportaccess.”

“Did he say why theykilledSkid?”Iasked.

“He wouldn’t give theminformation on the club, sotheyshothim,”hegrowled.

“You think he’s got

anything left in him?” I askedasIlookedovertoVictor,andI couldn’t tell if he was evenbreathing.

“I’ll get another couple ofhoursoutofhim,”Stitch toldmewithasinistersmile.

“We’ll leave you to it,”Cotton said as he started forthe door. “Just let me knowwhen you’redone, and I’ll gettheboystocomehelpyoutakeoutthetrash.”

Wewerejustabouttowalkout the door, when I took abucket of cold water andemptied it over Victor’s head.He groaned as he pulledagainst the chains, trying tofreehimself.IreachedovertoStitch’s torture table andgrabbed the ammonia. “Wakeup, sunshine. I’m not donewithyouyet.”

“Please… I’ve told yourman everything I know,”

Victorpleaded.“We’ll see about that.” I

replied, as I grabbed hold ofhis head and held it up,ensuringwhatever faculties hehadleft,gotwhatIhadtosay.

“You know this is yourendVictor,right?”Iscreamedso close, speckles of my spitsplatteredacrosshisface.“Butwhat you don’t know is howit’sgoingtoend.Iwantyoutothink of your brothers, your

family… every person youhave ever loved while youanswer Stitch’s questions,Victor. I want you to thinkabout their end.Because rightnow, their lives are in yourhands. Think about thechildrenyouleftwithnofatherwhile you’re cooperating withStitch. Consider this your lastchance for redemption,Victor.”

When I finally released

him,hisheadplungeddowntohis chest. He was defeated,knowingwhat I saidwas true,and it was only a matter oftime before he told useverything he knew. As Iturned to leave, Stitch pulledhisstoolovernexttohim.Hestarted talking to him so lowthat I couldn’t understandwhathewas saying.Thedoorslammed behind us as weheadedbacktotheclubhouse.

We walked in silence as welistened to Victor’s tortuousscreams.

When we reached theclubhouse, Cotton turned tome and said, “I’m calling theguysinforchurch.WeneedtogetBigMikeworkingonthis.”

“I’ll go get him. There’ssomething I’ve been meaningto talk to him about,” I toldhim as I opened the door tothe clubhouse and headed

towardsMike’sroom.Iknockedonhisdoorand

listened as he stalked acrossthe room. It took him aminute to answer, but I waswaiting for him when heopened the door. His eyeswidened when he saw mestanding there,andheopenedhismouthtospeak.Butbeforehe had a chance to sayanything,myfist rammed intothesideofhisface,forcinghis

headtolurchback.Mikewasabigdude.Hecouldhaveeasilyfought back and won, but heknewhewasinthewrong.Heshould’ve never spoken toHenley about club shit, and itcould’ve have cost him a lotmore than ablow tohis thickhead.

He took a minute tocollect himself before he said,“I’msorry,Maverick.Ifuckedup.”

“If you fuck up like thatagain, I’ll have your patch,” Iwarned.

“Understood, brother. Itwon’t happen again,” hepromised.

“Cotton is calling church.We’ve got news,” I told him.“We’re going to need you togatherupall the intel youcanfind on the King PythonsSyndicate in Anchorage,Alaska.”

“Isthatthem?AretheytheonesthatkilledSkidrow?”

“Yeah, but Cotton hasmore. We need to get overtherebefore theystart,” I toldhimasIturnedtoleave.

Bythetimeweshowedup,everyonehadfoundtheirplaceat the meeting table. Cottontold them everything Stitchhad uncovered, and wediscussed our next move. Itwould take some time, but if

weplayedourcards right, thiswhole mess could be oversoon.

Chapter 28Henley

‡

IT’SBEENALMOSTaweeksinceIgotoutofthehospital,andIwasabouttogoinsane.Atfirstit was so endearing andromantic to have the man I

loved looking after me. Itmeant so much that he puteverything else aside to bethere with me. It wasabsolutely wonderful… forabout two days. Then, itstarted to drive me crazy. Hewas so attentive… tooattentive.Iwasfeelingbetter–so much better, and I didn’treallyneedhimundermy feetevery stinking second. Myheaddidn’tevenhurtanymore,

and the bruises on my facewerealmostgone.Iwasbeingan ass. He was there for mewhen I needed him, and itwasn’trightformetofindhimso… annoying. I just wantedhim to get back to beingMaverick, my Maverick. Icouldn’t even fix a cup ofcoffee without him comingovertoscoldmeforbeingoutof bed. It’s drivingmeup thefreakingwall.Ifhedidn’tstop

all this nonsense, I was goingto have to hurt him…seriouslyhurthim!

Ontopofallofhisdoting,he had a new obsession. Hewas determined to find us ahouse,anditwasexciting…atfirst. I couldn’t wait to find aplace for us to start our livestogether, but he’d becometotally neurotic about it. He’sconstantly on my computersearching for new listings,

looking for the perfect placeforustolive.Ihonestlydidn’tcare what house we chose. Ijust wanted to be with him,andnothingelsereallymatters.

“WhataboutthatplaceonGlenwood Drive? You thinkfour bedrooms will be bigenough?”Maverickasked.

“Four bedrooms is plenty.There’s only two of us, youknow.”

“For now,” he said as he

walked over and sat on theedgeofthebed.

“Yeah, well, for now, it’splentybig,”IsnappedathimasI put my book down besideme and started to get off thebed.

“Whereareyougoing?”I let out an exasperated

sighandsaid,“I’mgoingtogetsome lunch. And, no. I don’tneedanyhelp.”

“Soyou’re feelingbetter?”

he asked as he closed thelaptop.

“Yes. I’m fine,Maverick,”I said as I stood in front ofhim with my arms crossed.“I’m not sore. I don’t have aheadache.Most ofmy bruisesaregone. I think I’mgoing tolive, so please just chill out,” Itoldhimsarcastically.

“So you’re all better,” hesnickered.

“Yes!” I spouted off, but

the minute I caught sight ofthe sexy smirk on his face, IknewIwasintrouble.

“Is that right? I’ve beenwaiting to hear that,” hemocked.

“Maverick…”Iwarned.Mischiefdancedinhiseyes

ashetookholdofmyarmandpulledmedownacrosshislap.“Do you know how hard it’sbeenwaitingonyouhandandfoot? You are not a good

patient,” he taunted as hishandwhipped through the airandlandedonmyass.

I squirmed in his lap,tryingtowiggleoutofhisholdas I screeched, “Maverick! Ican’tbelieveyoujustdidthat!”

“Baby, I’m just gettingstarted,” he said as he gentlyranhishandovermybackside.“I wondered how long youwere going tomilk thiswholething. I never thought of you

assuchafaker,”heteased.“Milking it? Are you

kidding me?” I shouteddefensively, turning back tofacehim.

Hiseyessparkledwithlustas his hand lifted and thenpoppedagainstmyass for thesecondtime.“Faker!”

“Have you lost yourmind?! Stop! That hurt!” Iscreamed, but my laughterdidn’t make me sound very

convincing.Heknewhewasn’treally hurting me. His handgently grazed over my butt,and I knew he was about tostrike again. While his handwas in the air, I managed totwirlmyselfaround,straddlingmy legs around his waist. Islipped my hands around hisneck as I said, “You can stopnow.Considermypunishmentreceived.”

“I don’t know about that.

I’m not sure that you’velearned your lesson,” he saidsmiling. Damn, I loved thatsexy smile. I dropped myhands down to his shouldersas I slowly rocked my hipsagainst the growing bulge inhisjeans.

“It’s been a week,” Ipleaded.

Seconds later, Maverickhadmepinnedtothebedwithmy back against the mattress

and his knees atmy sides.Ashe hovered over me, anintense look crossed his face.It was there, plain to see, hisfeelings for me written acrosshis face. He stared at me insilence for just a momentbefore he said, “I love you,HenleyGray.”

There’s nothing betterthan having the one personthat you love most in theworld look at you theway he

was looking at me and sayingthosewordsoutloud.Itmademyworldstandstill…holdingme in that moment, makingmewanttostaytherelockedinhis arms forever. I neverthought I’d find a love likethis, and now that I have, I’llneverletitgo.

“I love you, Logan. Morethan you know,” I whispered.He lowered his mouth tomine,andkissedme,slowand

gentle, showing me just howmuch he really meant thewordshe’dsaidtome.

He releasedmyhands justlongenoughtoeasemyt-shirtover my head, then slowlybegan nipping and suckingalongthelengthofmyneckasI tried to unbuckle his jeans.HeliftedhishipsasIslidthemdown his thighs. When theyreached his ankles, he kickedthem to the side of the bed.

His fingers slipped into thesidesofmycottonshorts,andquickly tugged themdownmylegs.Hehoveredoverme, thewarmthofhisbodyfuelingmyneed for him, and I could seethat he wanted this just asmuchasIdid.Unabletowaitaminute longer, I reacheddown,gentlytakinghiscockinmy hand, and guided himinside of me. A low groanvibrated through his chest as

he thrust deeply inside me,fillingmecompletelyasIcriedoutinpleasure.

I rocked my hips againsthis, enjoying the feeling ofhavinghiminsideofmeagain,asIdraggedmynailsacrosshisback.Hewithdrewalittle,andthen thrust back inside againand again, harder and fasterwitheachstroke.Igaspedwitheach retreat, eagerly awaitinghis next invasion. The sounds

of our bodies colliding filledthe room as he quickened hispace.

“Oh god, Logan, you feelso good,” I gasped as hisrelentless rhythm ignited adesireinsideofmethatwouldnevergoaway.I liftedmyass,meeting every thrust of hiships, as the muscles in myabdomenbegantotighten.Myorgasm was slowly building,making my body quiver

beneathhim.He lowered his face to

mineandwhispered,“That’sit,baby.Don’tholdback,”beforehis lips crashed down againstmine.My fingers dug into hiships as my climax took over,makingitimpossibleformetomove. He continued to grindhis hips against me as Iclamped down around himforcing him to chase his ownrelease. A deep growl shook

through his chest, and withonefinalthrust,hecameinsideme.With a cocky grin on hisface,heheldhimselfoverme,hovering between my legs ashe stayed planted deep insideme.

Hiswarmhandsslidacrossmyshoulders,soothingmeasItried to catch my breath. Iinhaled deeply as a satisfiedsmile slowly crept across myface. I looked up to him and

said, “Youcanpunishme likethatanytime.”

Chapter 29Maverick

‡

Threemonthslater

I PULLED MY bike behindCotton and waited for DallastogetDusty’shelmeton.The

loud rumble of motorcycleengines surrounded me as Ilooked around the townsquare. I was amazed at thecrowd that showedup for theevent. There were over sixhundred people lining thestreets and another twohundred on bikes. I neverexpected to have such a hugeturn out when I suggestedhaving a charity run forchildren with Down’s

syndrome. I had gotten theidea when Dallas startedhaving issues with herinsurance company andmentioned how quicklyDusty’s medical bills wereadding up. I thought thismight be a way to help her,and other families withchildrenlikeDusty,butIneverimagined it would turn intosomethingthisbig.

The run would last about

six hours, and I planned totake Dusty along with me. Iknew he wouldn’t be able tomake the entire trip, but Iwantedhimtohavethechancetoseesomeofthisforhimself.He was the main reason wedecided to do this, so heshould be here to enjoy it.Dallasfinallyhadhimreadytogo, and he was busting withexcitement. His little eyessparkled with eagerness as he

looked around at all thepeople, but Dallas wasdetermined to get all of herrules in before she releasedhimtome.Shewasgoingoverallofherlastminutewarningswhen I noticed Henleystandinginthecrowd.Shewasnowwearingmynameonherback, and she stood theresmilingasherhandsrestedonher small round belly. Icouldn’t take my eyes off of

her.Shewaseverything tomeand in that moment,everything became clear tome… it was right there allalong. I got off my bike andshe smiled at me as I walkedovertoher.

“Ifinallyseeit.”“What?”sheasked.I laid my hand on her

pregnant belly and said, “Ifinallyseemysilverlining.”

The EndExcerpt of Summer Storm after

Acknowledgements

Dustywasjustacharacterinabook, but the struggles hefaces are real. There are somany excellent programsavailabletochildrenandadultswithDown’s syndrome, but Iwanted to letyouknowabouta wonderful center that islocated in my area. CSPatterson Training Centerprovides services for childrenand adults with a variety of

challenges, and helps familieslearn to cope with theobstacles they may face. TheCS Patterson Training Centerprovides access to grouphomes and employmentopportunities for adults andearly interventionforchildren.They work hard to providetheir clients with a sense ofindependence, and people inthe community have beengreat to support them.

Unfortunately, each year thestatehastheirtypicalcutbacks,andthecenterhasfacedsomefinancialstruggles.Theydosomuchtohelp,anditwouldbeawesome if you would checkout their webpage. Thanks somuch.

CSPattersonTrainingCenter:www.pattersontrainingcenter.com

AcknowledgementsFollowed by an excerpt of

Summer Storm

Iwould first like to thankmymotherforallofherhelpandsupport with my writing. Iwouldn’thavebeenabletodoanyofthiswithouther.Thankyou for being such anawesomemom.

Iwould also like togive aspecial thank you to my newPA, Amanda Faulkner. I’veheardauthorsbragabouttheirPA’s, but I really had no ideawhatIwasmissinguntilImetAmanda.She’salwaysonestepaheadofme,andIdon’tknowhow I ever made it withouther. Posts, teasers, blogs…. Itnever ends. Thank you somuch,Amanda!!

MarciPonceisawesome!I

truly wouldn’t know what todowithouther.Shecontinuesto push me as a writer andaccepts nothing but the bestwith each and every book.Thankyousomuchforalwaysbeing there and sharing yourtalent with me. You are trulyanMCguru!

DanielleDeraneyPalumbois a true life saver. There arejustnowordstodescribehowthankful I am that you agreed

to take the time to help mewith Maverick’s book. Witheverythingthatyouhavegoingon, you still managed to findthe time to help me. Thankyou so much. You areamazing!

I would also like to thankallofmyreaders.Ihavelovedall of your comments andposts.IamflooredeverytimeI see one of your commentsabout liking my books. You

have all been so supportive,and your comments alwaysleave a smile on my face.Whenmylifegetsalittlecrazy,your kind words have givenme the encouragement I’veneededtocontinueon.

MyWilder’sWomenStreetTeam is amazing! Thank youall for your support. Itmeansso much to me that youcontinue to help me withreviews and posting all ofmy

teasers. Elizabeth Thiele,Neringa Neringiukas, DawnBryant,MaryOrr,andRosettaWagersaresuchahugehelptome. I am always amazed eachtimeIseeoneofmyteasersormylinksthattheyhaveshared.Thank you for taking yourtime to help me. It meansmorethanyouwilleverknow.

Ihavebeenveryblessedtohave so much support fromsuchagreatgroupofwomen.

Sue Banner, ErinOsborn,Patricia Ann Blevins, SherriCrowder, RBHilliard,KeeanaPorter, Terra Oenning,Danielle Palumbo, KimberelyBeale, Michelle Modesitte,CoraBrent,TrishHash,PaulaRae, Jennifer Davidson,Michele Presley, StephaniePageSager,LisaMennSiegler,Race Crespin, and BrandyKennedy, you guys never failto make me smile with your

amazing reviews and kindwords!! Thanks so much fortaking the time to read mybooks. Your reviews andcomments mean so much tome!!

I want to give a specialthank you to Monica LangleyHolloway for all your helpwith creating my teasers andbanners. You are so creative,and I truly appreciate youtakingthetimetohelpme.

Jordan Marie, you’re anamazing author and friend.Thank you for all of yourencouragement! You’re alwaystherewiththatextralittlepushthat I needed to see methrough. If you haven’t had achance to check out her newbook, Claiming Crusher, thenyou are missing out. Go grabit!

AnaRosso,mydearfriend,I hope you have enjoyed this

book. Even though you arehundreds of miles away, youare like my personalcheerleader. I hope Mavericklived up to all of yourexpectations. You are such awonderful friend!!! Keep onrockingchickeroo!!

SummerStorm

A Satan’s Fury MCRomance Series

SummerStorm

ASatan’sFuryMCRomanceSeries

Copyright©2015LWilderAllrights

reserved.Withoutlimitingtherights

undercopyrightreservedabove,nopart

ofthispublicationoranypartofthis

seriesmaybereproducedwithoutthe

priorwrittenpermissionofboththe

copyrightownerandtheabovepublisher

ofthisbook.

Thisbook is aworkof fiction.Someof

theplacesnamed in thebook are actual

places found in Paris, TN. The names,

characters, brands, and incidents are

either the product of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously. The

author acknowledges the trademarked

status and owners of various products

and locations referenced in thisworkof

fiction, which have been used without

permission. The publication or use of

these trademarks is not authorized,

associated with, or sponsored by the

trademarkowners.

Thise-bookislicensedforyourpersonal

enjoymentonly.Thise-bookmaynotbe

re-sold or given away to other people.

Warning: This book is intended for

readers 18 years or older due to bad

language, violence, and explicit sex

scenes.

Coverby:Carrieatcheekycovers.com

MaverickThere are things that happenin our lives that mark usforever. That change us inways that we don’t evenunderstand. One chancemeeting and fate casts herirrevocable spell. They saywhat doesn’t kill you onlymakes you stronger, and thatGod doesn’t give you morethan you can handle.

Unfortunately, those are justwords, and they don’t changeshit.

IthoughtIhadagoodlife,one I could be proud to callmy own. My club meant theworld tome,andIwasproudto have them as my family. Iknew I could depend on mybrothers, and honestly theywere really all I’d everneeded…. until I met Hailey.She was beautiful, smart, and

sexy as hell. The womancaptivated me…. Then sheripped my beating heart frommychest.

The hurt she caused cutmetothecore.Herweboflieshad had a catastrophic effectonmy lifeandeveryoneelse’sshehadcome incontactwith,butshewasn’taroundtoseeit.Shewasn’t around to seehowher choices had affected somany people. No… she was

gone. Gone from all of ourlives forever, leaving me andmine and everyone that lovedherinherwake,pickingupthepiecesofherbetrayal.

This is my brotherGuardrail’s story. As VP, hewas the one chosen to rectifythe damage Hailey and herdeceithadcausedtheclub.Hethought it would be simple –find theculpritsanddealwiththem accordingly. He wasn’t

prepared for the storm thatensued…noneofuswere.

*

Chapter 1Allison

‡

“PARKER, ANY LEADS on acontractor yet?” My bossasked gruffly as he leanedagainst the doorway of myoffice.

I jumped in surprise, tornfrom my wayward thoughtsand flustered by the suddenunwelcomeintrusion.

“IhaveseveralI’mlookinginto now, actually,” I repliedwith feigned confidence. Itwasn’tentirelytrue;Ihadreallyonlyfocusedonone.

“Well… let’s get a moveon it. The plans should’vebeen finalized weeks ago,” hesaidwithaheavysigh.Icould

tellhewasguardinghiswordsto hide his frustration.Normally it drove me nutswhenNeilmicromanagedme,but this time even I had toadmithehadgoodreason.Hehad finally agreed to let metake the lead on a majorproject, and I had lost myfocus. It was so unlike me. Inormallygot totally lost inmyassignments. It was always soliberating. I loved putting my

all into a worthy cause, and Ihad finally gotten the perfectopportunitytodojustthat.

“I need to have a fullproposal with your chosencontractor by the end of theweek,” he asserted. He wasdonebeingpolite, and IknewI’dbe inhotwater if itwasn’tdoneontime.

“It will be ready, Mr.Yates. You know I wouldn’tletthekidsdown.”

“I know. I know. I’m justready to get things started.Thanksforeverythingyoudo,Ms. Parker,” he said as hewalked out of my office. Mymind started reeling as realityset in. The project was mychance to make a realdifference. I needed to stopacting like a foolish teenagerand pull my shit together. Icouldn’taffordtoscrewitup.

I knew firsthand how

difficult being raised in thefoster system could be. Aftermy parents died when I wassix, my older brother and Iwere put into foster care.Unfortunately, we wereseparated, and our fosterfamilies couldn’t have beenmore different. Tony wasplaced with a family thatalready included four otherfoster kids, and theirbackgroundswerenothinglike

ours. He was surrounded bytroubled teens and rebellionduring his most formativeyears.Sadly,itbecamedifficultforustokeepincontactastheturmoil took its toll andengulfedhishomelife.

My foster lifewasn’t filledwith chaos and anarchy,though. Mine was… lonely. Iwasplacedwithakindcouplenamed Tom andWendy whohadn’t been able to have

children of their own. Theywerenice,butnotniceenoughto take onmy brother. In thebeginning, after relentlesspleading, they let him visit onseveral occasions, giving mevague hopes we could bereunited. When that didn’thappen, I pulled away fromtheir love.Ididn’twantanewfamily. I had a family, and Iwantedthemback.

Iwasn’twillingtojustgive

up on beingwithmy brother.He was too important to me.Through the years, I’d doneeverything in my power tokeep in touch with him, butthings changed and he startedpulling away. He was alwayskeeping secrets fromme, anditworriedme. I could see theangst in his eyes, but hewouldn’ttalkaboutit.WhenIaskedhimwhyhewaspushingmeaway,hetoldmeitwasfor

my own protection. I tried tounderstandwhy hewas doingit, but it still hurt. There wasnothing I could do to helphim, but there was no way Iwas going to lose himcompletely.EvenifIdidn’tgetto seehimveryoften, Imadesure tokeep in touch throughemails and phone calls,reminding him every chance Igot that I would always bethereforhim.

Being without him, Iretreatedintomyselfandspentmost of my time alonegrowing up. It wasn’t until Istarted visiting the localcommunitycenterthatIfinallystartedcomingoutofmyshell.Imetsomeoftheotherfosterkids in town, and we createdour very own sanctuary there.We would meet to hang outand play basketball or talkthroughthings ifwewereina

tough spot. It was a placewhere we felt safe.We didn’tfeel judged or inadequate.Weweren’t outsiders there. Webelonged.

That community centerhelped me learn how to dealwith my anger and pain andturnitintosomethingpositive.Watching the older kidsmentor the younger childrenhelped me realize what Iwanted todowithmy life. I’d

been working with the fostercare system for the past eightyears, and I’d devotedmy lifeto making things better forthose kids.Ever since I couldremember,I’dwantedtofindaway tomakeadifference, andI thought building a YouthCenterwouldbeagreatwaytohelp. I knew how much thecommunitycenterwhereIhadgrownuphadaffectedme,andit was important to me to

makesurethattheselocalkidshadthatsupport,too.

Thecenterhad toprovidea stimulating environment forkids of all ages. I knew itneededtohaveawiderangeofprograms, activities, camps,andspecialeventsforthekidsthroughout the year. Theyneeded tohaveaplace to feelsafeandspendtimewiththeirfriends. It had taken a lot ofwork and fundraising, but I’d

finallygottenitapproved.OurDowntown Youth Centerwould have classrooms, afitness center, a largeauditorium, and a gymnasiumwith basketball courts. Wewould be able to offeractivities and classes for thekids and their foster parents.I’d worked hard to make thisproject a possibility, and Iwantedittobeperfect.

Once I had completed all

thedetails,Iplacedseveraladswith all of our specs andprojectedbudget.Iencouragedany contractors that might beinterestedtocontactmeaboutsubmitting their bids, and theinquiries quickly began to fillmy inbox. After readingthrough several offers, one inparticularcaughtmyattention.I wasn’t sure what made hisemailstandout,butsomethingpulledmetoaskhimformore

information.He and I spent the next

few hours emailing back andforth. At first, the emailsprimarily consisted ofcontractor inquires andreferences,but then theygrewincreasingly more personal. Ieven found myself wonderingif he was flirting with me alittle. He was charming andfunny,andIadmit,Ilovedtheattention. My imagination ran

wildwith possibilities ofwhatthe rugged, charismaticconstruction worker mighthave looked like. With everyemail, mymind tried to piecetogethermy fantasyman.Ourlittleonlineroutineprogressedjustlikethatforseveraldays.Istillcontinuedtolookintotheother offers, but his remainedatthetopofmylist.Afterall,he had great references, andhis proposal was below the

budget.And…okay,therewassomething about seeing hisname inmy inbox that alwaysmade my heart skip a beat. Ijustcouldn’tresist.

I had gotten completelywrappedupinthefantasy,andI just didn’t knowwhat Iwasthinking. The Youth Centerhad been my dream for solong, but suddenly thecharming stranger had takenovermyeverythought.Hewas

like a drug, each messageleaving me craving more. Ifound myself compulsivelychecking my inbox, lookingformyfix.Hehadmehooked.Over the next week, thenumberofmessages increasedas the conversations becamemore addictive. I knew Ishould’ve stopped messaginghim. He was a potentialemployee, and no good couldcome from it. But I couldn’t

stopmyself.Thetruthwas…Ididn’twantto.

It was easy to get lost inthe fascination of somemysterious man, but it wasmorethanthat.IfeltlikeIwasgetting to know him throughhis emails. His interest… hishobbies… even what hewanted in the future. ThisKane Blackwood was nosimpleman.Hewaspassionateabout his work, and he was

proudof the successhe’dhadat SFConstruction.Kanewasnotafraidofhardwork.ItwasoneofthethingsIfoundmostendearingabouthim.Whenhetoldmethathewasamemberof a motorcycle club, I wasimmediately intrigued. Therewas something about thatsecret world that I foundappealing. As crazy as itsounded, the idea of having agroup of brothers that had

your back, of having a familythat you could always turn to,mademe envy him.When hefirstmentionedhismotorcycle,I found myself fantasizingaboutwhat itwouldbeliketoride with him. I had neverbeen on one before, but thethought of it excited me,giving me goosebumps allover. Everything about himexcitedme,andtruthfully,thatscaredmealittle.Themorewe

talked themore he seemed tobe genuinely interested inme.That made me feel… well…wanted.

Honestly, the whole thingwas the ideal situationforme.I’d always kept men at anarm’s length, even if I reallyliked them. It was anunfortunate side effect frommysolitarychildhood.Ididn’tlet my guard down easily, soromantic relationships had

always been a struggle. Mylittleonlineinfatuationwastheperfect mix of intimacy andself-preservation. I got theaffection I cravedwithout thedanger of having to be trulyvulnerable. The anonymity ofbeing online gave me thesafety net I needed to beconfident and flirty… brazeneven.Iallowedmyselftoopenupforthefirsttimeinforeverandengage in a littleharmless

fun.Hehadawaywithwords,anditwashot.Ididn’twantittoend.

We continued down thatpath for almost two weeks,messaging back and forthevery chance we got. As Neilstarted to remind me of ourdeadlines, though, I began toget nervous. I was going tohave to actually meet Kanesoonandgettheballrollingonthe Youth Center. No more

hidingbehindmy computer. Ihad to show him the locationof the building site, and Ineeded to discuss theblueprintswithhim.

Neil had started prowlingaround just outside of myoffice,glancinginmydirectionlike he knew something wasgoingon.Ishookmyheadandtried to focus on the task athand. I pulled up my email,and after explaining Neil’s

demands, I asked Kane if hecould meet me at the site onThursday. I had to get thingsstartedandfast.Timewasup.AssoonasIhitsend,myheartstarted to race.What if I hadbeenwrong about everything?What if he was some kind ofserial killer? Or a fat, baldingold man with a boner foryounger women? I had beenso stupid, but there was noturningback.IhadnoplanB.

Whenhisresponsepoppedupon my computer screen,however,allmydoubtsquicklydisappeared.

May 1, 20152:45 p.m.Kane BlackwoodSF Construction

Morning All-Star,

So Thursday’s my luckyday, huh? Just tell me

where and when, and I’min. Don’t worry aboutyour presentation. I’llmake sure I’m ready; youjust make sure you’reready. I’m going to needyou all day to get thisdone right.

*

BUTTERFLIES AND FEAR racedthrough me as I read his

words. I smiled to myselfwhenIsawthenewnicknamehe had for me. I still don’tknow what had possessedmeto tell him that silly story. I’dnearly died of embarrassmentthe day I tried my hand atbaseball. I never forgot theexpressiononthecoach’sfaceasmyballcrashedthroughthefrontwindshieldofhiscar.Hewas furious. It didn’t matterthat I had actually hit the ball

for the first time; he was toobusy freaking out about hiscar.Ineverwasabletohittheball like that again, andeventually I gave it upaltogether.Sportswerejustnotmything.

*

Chapter 2Guardrail

‡

“HOW’S OUR LITTLE projectgoing? Have you found outanything we can use?”Maverickasked.

“I know she isn’t

frightenedof the club life likeshe should be, if that’s anyindication of how much shetalks to her brother,” I toldhim as I took a drink of mybeer.

“You think she has anyideawhathe’sbeenupto?”heasked.

“No. Nothing has comeup on any of the feeds. Hehasn’t been to her house, andthere hasn’t been any

communication between themthrough her phone or email.Theprospectsarestillrotatingshifts, andnoneof themhaveseenanysignofhim.”

As Vice President ofSatan’s Fury, it was up tometo find Tony, the lowlifemotherfucker that stole a fiftythousanddollarshipmentfromthe club. Because he’d been along-standing leaderofoneofthe street gangs in town, he’d

gottenaunanimousvoteatthetableforthedrugdistribution.He was a professional, but intheend,he’ddecidedhecouldfuck us on our money.Surprisingly, the assholeactually thought he’d be abletogetawaywithit.

He’dforgottenthatSatan’sFury owned the whole damntown. Because drugs were anunavoidablerealityintheoutereast and west side of our

territory, we negotiated whichgangs could run product andwhere.Itwasthebestwayforus to keep control of whatdrugs were sold in our area.We’d allowed Tony and hisminions to distribute ourproduct, same as the otherlittle set on thewest side.Weused them out of necessity.Ourproductkeptusincontrolof the territory. They did thedistribution, and we took our

cut…alargecut.Nobody in the clubhouse

talked to anyone aboutanything, so we were caughtoffguardwhenTonymanagedto manipulate Maverick’s girl,Hailey, to get informationabout the club. It cut deep.MaverickhaditbadforHailey,andnomatterhowmanytimesshe’d come and gone, he wasalways there for her. Hell, hedidn’tevenrealizeshe’dgotten

hooked on junk until it gotbad,andevenafterthatittookanoverdose forhim to finallybe able to cut her off.Although we all knew hewould never share clubbusiness, the whole situationhadusallonedge.

The last time she calledMaverick begging for money,he’d tried putting her off bytelling her he was going on arunandwouldn’tbebackfora

week. Unfortunately, Hailey’sdecisiontogiveTonythatlittletidbitofinformationhadgivenhim a five-day jump thatnobodysawcoming,andithadcost us… big. We’d comehome early only to find thatTony and his crew had takenoff with our money, andHailey was nowhere to befound. It was a shit ton offuckery.

Theyhadtobefound…all

of them. We knew Tony washiding, and we had eyeseverywhere. It was only amatter of time before wefound him. We started withtheir families. Unfortunately,noneof themkept any strongfamily ties that we could pullintel from.They had kids likekittens, and too many baby’smamas to count. Since wedecided that cutting the headoff the snake was our best

option,Maverick,ourSergeantof Arms, and I have spentweeks searching forinformation on Tony’swhereabouts. When we cameacross the name of his sister,we both agreed she was ourbestlead.

“Has she said anythingaboutTony?Doyouthinksheknowswhereheis?”Maverickasked.

“Nothing yet, but she’s

openingupmoreeveryday.Ifshedoesknowanythingorhecontacts her, I’ll get her totalk,”I toldhimconfidently.Icouldtellshewasbeginningtotrust me. A part of me feltguilty about misleading her,butintheend,IknewIdidn’thaveachoice.

“You’ll find him. Onceyou put your mind tosomething,there’snostoppingyou,”Maverick toldme ashis

handslappedagainstmyback.“That’s why the Pres put youonthis.”

“I’lldowhateverittakestofind him, and he’ll pay forfucking with the club,” I toldhim as I slammed my emptybeer bottle down on thecounter. “Hewill slip up, andI’ll be there waiting when hedoes.”

From what I could tell,Alliehadn’tspentalotoftime

with her brother recently.They’dbothbeeninthefostercaresystem,butgrowingupinseparate homes had madethem completely differentpeople. She’d made a life forherself, while Tony fell deepinto drugs, alcohol, and ganglife. I’d been able to retrieveseveral emails he’d sent heroverthepastfewyears.ItwasobviousthatTonydidwhathecould to keep his sister from

his lifestyle, but whenever hegotdownonhisluck,shewasalwaysthefirstonehe’dreachout to. She always remainedloyal to him. Even when sheknewhis lifewasspinningoutofcontrol,shewastherewhenhe tried to contact her. Herlove for her brother neverwavered, and I respected herforthat.

He’droyallyfuckedupthistime,andsomethinginmygut

toldmethathe’dtrytocontacther. Just like he always had,he’d come running to herwhen the shit hit the fan. Ineeded to get in contact withher, so when I saw the ad inthepaper,IknewIhadmyin.I’dknownthatsheworkedforChild Services, but I didn’trealizethatshewassoinvestedin making things better forthose kids. I had to admit, Ilikedthatabouther.Itwasone

thingtoworkwiththemeveryday,butthiswasmorethananordinary house visit. Thiswouldhelp a lot of kids all atonce,andshe’dcomeupwiththeentireplanherself.

“If she knows something,you’ll get it out of her,”Maverick told me withconfidence.“Justbepatient.”

“Yeah, but it may beharderthanIthought.”

“Why’sthat?”

“It’s…Idon’tknow,man.She’s just not what Iexpected,” I confessed. “Hell,I don’t know how to explainit.”

“Igetit,brother.I’veseenher picture. She’s a hot ass. Ican see why you might get alittledistracted,”hesnickered.

“It’s not that. She’s just…different,” I told him. “Ithoughtshe’dbesomekindofstuck up bitch. Hell, you’ve

seen her… all dressed up inthat fancy shit, business suitsand high heels. I wasn’texpecting her to be so…whatever. It doesn’tmatter. Ifshe knows something aboutTony,I’llgetitoutofher.”

“Ha, wait a minute…sounds like she’s getting toyou, brother,” Maverickprodded.

“Maybe,but it’s justa job.Finding out where that

dickheadranofftoismyonlyfocus,”Itoldhim,butIknewit wasn’t that easy. I was aselfishbastard,andIwanteditall.Ultimately,IknewIhadtodeal with Tony, but Alliedefinitely had me thinking. Ifoundmyself in an impossiblesituation,andIhadnoideaifIcouldmakeitwork.

“Whatever you say, man.Just be careful with all that.Remember, her brother is

walking dead… nothing isgoing to change that. If youneed any help, you knowwhere to find me,” Maverickoffered.

Maverickwasagoodman,one you could depend on.Unfortunately, he had a hardtimebelievingthat.Hewasstillcarrying around a lot of guiltfromtheshitthat’dgonedownoverthepastfewmonths,butheneverletthatgetintheway

of the club.Hewas a brotherthat you could always dependon.

“Thanks, man,” Iresponded.

“Hey, you never know…maybe this thingwithherwillwork out. I’ve seen crazierthingshappen.”

“Good things like herdon’thappen tome,brother,”I told him, shaking my head.He patted my back as he

turned to leave. As I watchedhim walk out of the bar, mymind drifted back to Allie. Ifound myself wondering ifMaverick could be right. Wasthere a way that I couldactually have her? Withoutthinking, I pulled out myphone to see if she hadresponded to my last email. Icouldn’t stop the smile thatspread acrossmy facewhen Isawhername.

May 1, 20153:15Allison ParkerDepartment of Children’sServices

All-Star?? Really? You’regoing to pay for that one,mister. :) Lookingforward to Thursday. I’llbring the coffee.

*

THEGIRLWAS getting tome. Iknewthatshewasbecomingareal distraction, and I neededto focus on her lowlifebrother. There was oneproblem though… I couldn’tstopmyfingerfromhittingthereplybutton.

May 1, 20153:30Kane BlackwoodSF Construction

I’ll take mine howeveryou like yours, All-Star.

See you Thursday.

*

May 1, 20154:25Allison ParkerDepartment of Children’sServices

How do you do that? You

give me a crazynickname, and I’m sittinghere smiling like a goof. Ithink you’re getting tome.

BTW, thanks for the“coffee order.” :)

*

Chapter 3Allie

‡

WHEN I WALKED into theoffice, everyone was standingaround grumbling as theydrank their morning cup ofcoffee. I smiled and tried not

to act too eager about gettingbacktomyoffice.Iwantedtocheckmyemail. Ihadn’tbeenonline since yesterdayafternoon, and I was curiousto see if Kane had messagedmeback.

As soon as I sat down atmy desk, I saw that I had amessage in my inbox. Ianxiouslyclickedthebuttontoopenmyemails,andhisnamewas the first one that caught

myattention.

May 2, 20159:45 p.m.Kane BlackwoodSF Construction

Like that I’m getting toyou, babe.

Night.

*

May 3, 20159:08 a.m.Allison ParkerDepartment of Children’sServicesMorning, :)

Hope you’re having agood day. I’ve beenthinking about you.Wondering if you’re asgood with your hands asyou say you are….

*

JUSTASIwasabouttoclickthesend button,Neil walked intomy office, interrupting mytrain of thought. “Daniel sentover the changes to theblueprints thismorning.Haveyouhadachancetolookthemover?”

“I was just about to askyou about that. Do we reallyhave to take out the meetingroom?”Iaskedwithasadsigh.

“Allie, it’s just not in the

budget. If you can find awayto fund it, then you can havehim put it back in the plan,”Neil said as he leaned againstmydoorframe.His armswerecrossed and resting on hisprotrudingbelly.Ihadtofighttheurgetorollmyeyesathim.

“Maybe we could reducethe sizeof the fitnesscenter,”Isuggested.

“We’ve already made thatdeal with Health and Fitness

Retro. We can’t risk losingtheirsponsorship.”

“You’reright.Ijusthatetosee things get taken away.We’veworkedsohard.Iwanteverythingtobeperfect.”

“Focus on finalizing thebids. Iwant to have it onmydesk by Friday afternoon. Ineed tocheckeverythingoverbefore the board sees it onMonday,”Neiltoldme.

“I’m meeting the

contractoronThursday.”“Be ready to present any

newideastothemonMonday.They’re eager to hear whatyou’vebeenworkingon.”

“I’ll have everythingready,”Ipromised.

He nodded and steppedinto the hall. “Lookingforwardtoit,”hecalledback.

I turned back to mycomputerandstartedtogathermyfiles.

May 3, 201512:25 p.m.Kane BlackwoodSF Construction

Are you questioning myabilities, All-Star?

*

May 3, 20151:10 p.m.Allison ParkerDepartment of Children’s

Services I know betterthan that.

*

May 3, 20151:15 p.m.Allison ParkerDepartment of Children’sServices Anyway, Mr.Confident,

I am actually lookingforward to seeing you

live up to this reputationof yours. :)*

May 3, 20151:35 p.m.Kane BlackwoodSF Construction

Ms. Curiosity,

I will. Don’t you worryabout that, sweetheart.

*

IWASTRYINGtothinkofaflirtyresponse to Kane’s last emailwhena textmessage frommybrother popped up on myphone. My heart dropped. Ihadn’t heard from him inweeks and seeing a phonenumber I didn’t recognizereallymademestart toworry.There had to be somethingwrong. There was a time thatI’dthoughtTonywasthebestbrother in the world. I’d

lookeduptohimandthoughthe would always be there toprotect me. In his defense, Ithinkhetried.Iknewapartofhimworriedaboutme,buthislife had taken a different turnthanmine.Hedidn’twantmeinvolved in the things he wasdealingwith,sohepulledawayfrom me… only sending textmessages or emails to keep intouch. I hated it. He was theonly family I had left, and he

chose drugs and money overme.Ithurt.

Need to talk to you. It’simportant.

T

*

WELL,SHIT.THATdidn’tsoundgood. I had to wonder if hewas in some kind of trouble.The last time we talked, I

could tell that he was upsetaboutsomething.Hewouldn’ttellmewhatwasgoingon,butI could see the concern inhiseyes.Ididn’tthinktwiceaboutconfirming that I would bethere.HewastheonlyfamilyIhad left. I had to help him ifheneededit.

*

Chapter 4Guardrail

‡

“NEED TO KNOW where weare with Tony,” Cotton toldme.Asclubpresident,heruledwith an iron fist. When hegave an order, he expected

results… immediate results,and I had nothing. He wasdependingonme todealwithTony, and I could tell hewasgettingrestless.

“Meetingthesistertoday,”Itoldhimassertively.“I’vegotthis,Pres.”

“We’ve got to make anexampleofhim,Kane.Noonefuckswiththeclub…noone.”The deep crow’s feet aroundhisdarkeyescrinkledasanger

creptoverhisface.“He’llslipup,andwhenhe

does, I’ll be there. You cancount on that,” I told him,tryingtoreassurehim.

He tugged thoughtfully atthe ends of his long whitegoateeashesaid,“WhataboutthisYouthCenter?You reallygoing to try for that witheverythingthat’sgoingon?”

When Cotton came upwith the club starting its own

construction company, I wasintrigued. He wanted a coverfor the money we werebringing in from earlydistribution, and we bothagreedthatacompanylikethiswould be the perfect front. Ihadno idea ifwe’dbeable topullitoff,butIwantedtogiveit a try. I’d always had apassion for building things,and Iwas good at it. At first,webuiltsmallhouses,tryingto

build a name for ourselves. Itdidn’t take long for us tobecome one of the bestcompanies in the city. Ourwork was good, and wesubmitted the best bids toensure our growth. Everyonecame to us, and we wereconstantly expanding. It trulywas a perfect cover.Not onlydid it launder money for theclub,itprovidedallthepatchesworking there viable proof of

incomeaswell.“It’s one of the biggest

projects we’ve had in a while.Iftheyacceptthebid,itcouldbearealgoodopportunityforus…openingdoorsdown theroad,”Itoldhim.

“I get that, but thiswholethingcouldgetmessy.It’snotabout getting the job. Shecould find out that you’relooking for her brother, andthatwouldhaveconsequences.

Justplayitsafe,”heordered.I nodded and walked out

of his office. There was nopoint in arguing with him. Iknewhewasright.Thiswasn’tabout some fuckingconstruction project. It wasabout finding Tony. I had tomakemyselfrememberthat.

Iheadeddownthehallwayto my room. I wanted to getchangedbefore ImetupwithAllie.Ithrewonapairofjeans

andaplaidbutton-downshirt,trying to play the part of thecontractor she would beexpecting.BeforeIleft,Iwentby the office to pick upeverythingImightneedformymeetingwithher. Iwanted togettothesiteearly,soIcouldlookover thingsone last timetocheckmyfigures. Iknew itwascrazy,butIwantedtogetthe bid for my own selfishreasons. I’d pretty much left

her fucked with no time forother options, and truthfully,nowIwantedmore timewithher regardless of if it got usTony.

I was leaning against mytruckwhenshepulledintotheparking lot. I patiently waitedas she fumbled around insidethe car. Then, she finallyopened the door and steppedout.Assoonasherhighheelshit the pavement, my eyes

followed the line of her long,slender legs up to her thighswhereherskirthadhikedupalittle during her drive. Thecurls of her long, brown hairflowed down around hershoulders, concealing her faceas she looked down to adjusther short, gray skirt. Damn.Thatsexyassskirthuggedhercurves in all the right places,bringingmy cock to life rightinthefuckingparking lot.She

quickly pulled her hair to theside and looked over to me.Herbeautiful,poutylipsslowlycurvedintoasexysmileasherdark brown eyes met withmine.At thatmoment, allmythoughts of Tony wereinstantlyforgotten.Hebecameadistantmemoryasmyentiremind was devoured by thebeautystandingbeforeme.

“Hey there, handsome,”shesaid.Justthesoundofher

voice made the world stopturning on its axis. I couldn’texplain it. It was like she hadcast a spell onme, and I wasunable to resist it. I wantedher. Hell, just seeing herstanding theremademe thinkabout the future. I’m not thatkind of man… I had neverthoughtaboutmyfuture…notwithanyone,butnowsuddenlyIwasenvisioningbike rides,awhitepicketfence…evenrug-

rats running around. It didn’tmake any fucking sense. Iwatchedasshestartedwalkingtowards me, her hips casuallyswayingfromsidetoside.Hergorgeous smile never waveredas she approached me.Perfect… she was fuckingperfect.

“Looking good, All-Star.”A light blush of red crossedher cheeks as she tucked herhairbehindherear.Beautiful.

“Alwaysthecharmer,”shesaidasshehandedmeacupofcoffee. “You definitely knowhowtomakeagirlsmile.”

“I can thinkofmore thana fewways I’d like to bring asmile to thatbeautiful face,” Itold her and grinned as I sawthecuriosityflickerinhereyes.I stepped closer, and herbreath stopped, onlyconfirming what I alreadyknew. She was into me. The

sexual energy was ragingbetween us immediately. Ifuckinglovedit.

“You’requitetheflirt,Mr.Blackwood.”

I leaneddown, just inchesfrom her ear, and whispered,“Just stating the facts,sweetheart.” She shifted herfeet and awkwardly fumbledwiththelidonhercoffeecup.I loved watching her try tohideherbody’sreactiontome,

but itwas useless. I could tellthatIwasgettingtoher.“AndcallmeKane.”

“Okay… Kane,” she saidwith a bashful smile, lookingdownathercoffeecup.

“Don’tgetshyonmenow,darling,”ItoldherasIinchedcloser to her. We had sharedso much over the past fewweeks in our messages, I feltlikeItrulyknewher.

She tilted her head as she

lookeduptomewithwonder.She slowly lifted her hand uptomyfaceandplacedthepalmofherhandonmycheek.“Areyou really here? Is this reallyhappening?”

“Yeah, Allie. It is,” I toldher.

“IthoughtIhadmadeitallupinmyhead,”shesaidwithalightchuckle.

“Allie.”“I was worried that you

might be some kind ofcreeper.”

“No one said that Iwasn’t,”Isaid,laughing.

“Orbald.”I couldn’t hold back my

laugh,“No…I’mnotbald.”“I can’t believe it. I never

thought I could get to knowsomeone… to have feelingsfor someone without actuallymeeting them first. I feellike….”

“I know, Allie. I knowexactly what you mean.” Ileaned down and pressed mylips against hers, immediatelyfeelingmybodycomealive inawayitneverhadbefore.Hertouch set me on fire. Theintensitywasalmosttoomuch,but I couldn’t pull away. Ineeded more. My handsreached for her hips, pullingher body into mine as sheopened her mouth to me…

warm andwet. Fuck. Shewasevery man’s fantasy… myfantasy. Mine. A light moanvibrated through her chest,urging me on as I deepenedthe kiss, claiming her mouthwithmine.Herfingerstangledinmy hair, forcing a growl toescape through my lips. Iwanted her… all of her. Athousand thoughts racedthrough my mind as I stoodthereholdingherclosetome.

She was everything…everythingIcouldneverhave.Suddenly, my heart felt like itwas clamped in a vise. Whatthe fuck was I thinking? Ourclub was going to kill herbrother. He was the onlyfamily she had left, and wewere going to take him fromher.Damn.Iknewbetterthanthis. I knew she’d never beable to forgive me. We weredestined to be destroyed. I

pulled back and looked downather.Herlipswerefull,damnnearbruisedfromourkissandbegging to be kissed again. Itookadeepbreathanddidmybesttoreininmyneedforher.I couldn’t let it happen. Notthen…notlikethat.

“Kane?” she asked. Herface was marked withconfusionas she lookedupatme.“Issomethingwrong?”

“No,Allie,”ItoldherasI

stepped away from her. Ashard as it was, I knew that Ihadtostop.Icouldn’tleadherto believe that there could besomethingbetweenus,whenIknewwhattheendwouldbe.Ididn’t want to hurt her, buttherewasn’tanywayaroundit.“We… um, we just need totalkaboutthespecs.”

“I…. Sure. I wasn’tthinking,”shesaidasshetookastepback.

“I’ve already hadmy guyssurvey thearea, so I justneedtoknowiftherehavebeenanychanges since we talked lastnight,” I told her, trying tosoundprofessional.

“No, everything is all set.Neilwants to review the finalquote before we present it totheboardonMonday.Doyouthink you could give it tomeby tomorrow?” she askednervously.

“Allie…do you trustme?”Her face filled with anxiety,anditguttedme.“I’llhaveit.Itold you not to worry. I’vealreadydonemostofthework.I’mprettyclosetowrappingitup.”

“Really? Are you sure?”sheaskedexcitedly.

“I’m sure. I’ll send it overtoyoutonight,”Itoldher.Shewas just about to saysomething else when her

phone rang. She reached intohersidepocketandpulledouther phone. I could see theworry inhereyesthemomentthatshereadthemessage.Herhandstrembledasshestaredatherphone.

“Allie? What is it? What’swrong?”Iasked.

“It’s nothing. It’s just mybrother. He needs to see meabout something,” she said,soundingalittlenervous.

“You look upset. Are youokay?”IaskedasIreachedoutand ran my hand down herquivering arm, trying tocomforther.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.Hejustwantstomeetup,”shesaid as she fiddled with thebuttonsonherphone.

“When? Do you need toleavenow?”

“No,no.We’remeetingatLancaster’s on Sunday at

7:00,” she said with a heavysigh. “I’m just worried thathe’s gotten himself into somekind of trouble again,” shemumbled,thinkingoutloud.

“Don’tworryabout it. It’snotabigdeal.Everythingwillbe fine,” she continued, but Icould see the apprehension inher eyes. Ididn’t like it…notone damn bit. I’d known hewould contact her, but asmuch as we needed to find

him, I’d hoped that hewouldn’tpullher intohisshit.There was no reason for himtoputherindanger.Icouldn’tbelievethatsonofabitchwasplanning on dragging her tothat dump Lancaster’s, butnow that he was, I would dowhatever it took to keep hersafe.

*