Chapter 14
14
CADENCE
Y ou and your grandma are coming home with me. I have to be hallucinating, except the large, muscled body pressed up against me, the waves of heat coming off him, and his spectacular glare, feel all too real.
"Mav, back it up," John says quietly. Maverick doesn't move until John's large hand comes to his shoulder and squeezes. Then he seems to snap out of some sort of fog, and steps back. He's still close, but I can breathe again, so yay me.
John stays next to Maverick, hand on his shoulder. Is he holding him back? Why? Why would Maverick care so much that he physically needs to be held back? And why aren't I panicking about having a very large man crowding me?
Because you already trust him, idiot that you are.
"What do you mean we're coming home with you?" I ask, my brow furrowed in confusion. "Mav, you're my boss. I appreciate the concern, but this is inappropriate."
Maverick's jaw clenches, his eyes flashing with determination. "I don't give a damn about being appropriate right now, Cady. You and your grandma are living here for fuck's sake. You can't stay here. It's in the middle of the industrial area. There's all kinds of sketchy shit going down around here at night."
I cross my arms, standing my ground. He's saying everything I've thought, but I'm doing my best, even if my best isn't good enough. "We're fine. We have everything we need here. It's temporary, just until I can save up enough for a new place."
He runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his voice. "And how long will that take? How long have you been living here already?"
Three months. Not that I plan on telling him that. I'm not really in the mood to watch the top of his head pop off.
"Again, it's none of your business. And you don't get to come in here and dictate where we live," I argue, my own frustration rising. "I'm an adult, Mav. I can take care of myself and Nan."
Just then, Nan enters the room, fully dressed and alert, hair tamed into her sleek pixie cut. She used to wear it in a helmet shape, but after she lost all of it during her cancer treatments, she kind of liked the way it grew back. I'm so happy to see her healthy, I don't care how she wears it. "What's going on here? Why are you causing such a ruckus?"
Maverick turns to her, his expression softening slightly. "Ma'am, I just found out you and Cady are living here at the rescue. I want you both to come stay with me until you're back on your feet."
Nan raises an eyebrow, looking between Maverick and me. "And I take it you don't like that idea, kiddo?" I shake my head, and she crosses her arms. "Why does it matter so much to you young man? Why all this fuss?"
His eyebrows wing up, and he clears his throat. "Fuss? Well, I don't think it's particularly safe for either of you to be staying here. This isn't the best area of town."
One finger taps at her arm, over and over. "No, it isn't. But there are plenty of women living in worse areas of town. I don't see you knocking on their doors, trying to get them to move in with you. Unless you're some kind of pervert, looking to build a harem of women." She squints at him. "You have a bunch of women locked up in that apartment of yours?"
Abby and John both wheeze, sucking back their laughter. I'm a little more used to Nan, so it's easier for me to hide my smile. Maverick's face is turning an interesting shade of red.
"Jesus. Fuck. No, I don't have a harem. I care about Cadence and I'm really not okay with her sleeping on a fucking floor. Or you." He pales and clears his throat. "Sorry for the language, ma'am."
Nan hums and taps her fingers on her arm. "I don't really like her sleeping on the fucking floor either. And the cot is killing my damned back." She squints at him. "Where do you live? I'm not sharing a bathroom with you. I was married for fifty two years, I know what men are like. I don't want to see your gaunch all over the floor or sit on a wet seat."
Maverick's mouth drops open. John walks over to a kennel, shoulders shaking. Abby stays right where she is, looking between all of us, giggling. "Cady, I love your Nan." She wipes tears of laughter from her eyes, and pins Maverick with a look. "Mav? You going to leave underwear all around the house? Cause boys are nasty, as we all know."
"I…I — I have two guest rooms, and they share a bathroom. You won't have to share with me."
"Huh. And where do you live, young man?"
"On the lakefront. Thirty-Ninth floor."
Nan's eyebrows wing up. "Well, well, well. Cady's got herself a rich admirer. Nicely done kid. Okay, we'll go with you. I'll go pack my stuff." She's whistling as she walks away. Unbelievable.
"Nan!" I call after her, more than a little frustrated. "We can't just move in with him. He's my boss." She knows this. Why doesn't she seem to care?
She turns, her gaze sharpens, a glint coming into her eye that makes me nervous. "So you're her boss, and you want her to come live with you? That about right?"
Mav shifts uncomfortably and shoves his hands in his pockets. "I'm barely her boss. I mean yeah, I own the club, but I'm not in charge. My manager makes all the hiring and firing decisions. I just pay the bills."
She makes a little humming noise, and keeps him pinned under her fierce look. "So what does that mean for Cady's job?"
His shoulders roll back, and he stands a little taller. "You don't know me, but I can assure you that is not the kind of man I am. I would never fuck with her employment. Her job is hers as long as she wants it." He winces, and gives me an apologetic look. "As long as Trixie's satisfied with your performance. I won't overrule her, but I don't think that would be an issue. From everything she's said, you've been a great fit and we'd be crazy to lose you."
Somehow, that makes me feel better than a blanket assurance that my job is safe. Because yeah, if I start fucking up on the job, you're damned right I should be fired. Trixie has high standards, and I wouldn't want any special treatment.
At least not at work.
Other places? I'd like to be treated very special.
Dammit Cady, stop it!
Nan seems to agree. "Alright, we'll give this a try. Cady, leave the cot and mattress in place. If this guy turns out to be a lunatic, we can come right back."
She's gone before I can open my mouth. Sighing, I study my boss, who looks anything but rich at the moment. His hair is messy, he's got wet spots on his t-shirt, and he generally looks like he's worked hard, which he has.
But it's the look in his eyes that makes me swallow my objections. Yeah, we're okay here. I still believe that. I wouldn't have put Nan or I in a situation I thought was dangerous. Uncomfortable? Yeah. But not dangerous.
But I can't stop myself from asking the big question. "Why? Why does this matter so much to you?"
His gaze is level. "Because you matter, Cadence."
"And if I say no?"
"Then I'll be sleeping in my car outside every night."
He didn't even hesitate. He had that answer ready. God, who is this guy? "You wouldn't do that. That's insane."
His lips tighten into a grim line. "I've been called worse. But I'll do it, without a second's hesitation."
Abby puts a hand on my shoulder. "Cadence, it's fine. These guys have so much money, it's ridiculous. It's okay to ask for help. There's actually an emp?—"
"Abby," Maverick says sharply. She clamps her mouth shut, and the two of them have some sort of silent conversation that ends with Abby grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
"Um, anyway, as I was saying, there's plenty of space. I haven't been in Mav's apartment, but they're all pretty similar, and they’re huge. There's plenty of room for you and your grandma." Biting her lip, she continues, voice softer. "What happened Cady? How did you end up here?"
I should have been expecting the question, but I still stare at her blankly for a minute. The memories of that time still feel raw, like an open wound that refuses to heal. "A couple years ago, Nan was diagnosed with cancer." My voice wavers slightly, and I clear my throat, pushing back the emotion. "She fought hard, and she beat it, but the insurance... it didn't even come close to covering everything." There's so much I would have done differently. So much I wish she hadn't hid from me.
The panic and worry of those days wash over me again, the image of Nan, frail and sick, burned into my mind. All the nights I slept on the floor next to her bed so I could be there for anything she needed. But I don't share that part. I can't. It's too personal, too painful.
"We hung on as long as we could, but the bill collectors were…a lot. Every time the phone rang we both got tense. The stress was just too much. There were so many bills, we needed a big influx of cash to make a real dent in them, and Nan insisted we sell her house to pay most of the debt." I can feel my defenses rising, the need to justify our choices. "We're nearly out from under it. I just need a few more months."
But even as I say it, I can't help the twinge of guilt. I should have been able to keep Nan in her home. There had to have been a way, but I wasn't smart enough to figure it out, and that chafes. "I suggested we get an apartment with some of the money, but our credit wasn't great, and we both just…wanted to be done with all the bills. We've been camping out, but it's not been bad, really. We're warm and dry, we have food, and the dogs are great little alarm systems."
One of his thick, dark brows raise. "They can't be that good. You didn't realize I was here."
"I thought I'd be on my own this morning. I put earplugs in so I could sleep in a bit longer. Ah, yeah, the alarm was on my phone, which is…broken."
Maverick's face darkens. "So anyone could have come in, and you wouldn't know it. You would have been defenseless, Cadence."
I haven't been defenseless since I was a kid, not that he'd know that. "I have my bat."
"I disarmed you in seconds," he says with a bit of a sneer.
This dude! "I was half asleep. And you had the code! You didn't break in. I would have heard the alarms. You're just being dramatic."
"Dramatic?" he says, tone low and dangerous. "You?—"
"That's enough. Cadence, you've done great taking care of your Nan. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing the best you can in a tough situation." Abby steps closer, her hand still on my shoulder, a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "You're just getting a little help over the finish line, that's all."
Just a little help. I could use it, I'm woman enough to admit it. But living with my boss, the hot sexy guy I've been having steamy dreams about?
The cost may be too high. But I'm tired of fighting, while Maverick looks like he could keep going for hours. Would it be so awful to just…give in? Just for right now?
"Fine. We'll come and stay with you, temporarily. And if it doesn't work, we'll leave, and there won't be a peep out of you about it, you hear me?"
He grins, but there's something sharp about it. I don't think he agrees, but all he says is. "I hear you, Cady. Now get your things. I'm taking you home."