Chapter Twenty
Maverick
The warehouse was located on the outskirts of a tiny town two hours south of Gillette. It was the closest to home Maverick had been in days, but that only made him more impatient, not less.
They weren’t the first to arrive, and the sound of their approaching motorcycles signaled the men inside to open the expansive doors, allowing Maverick to steer his cruiser right over the threshold. Viper and Flank rode in behind him, Wrangler taking up the rear. They’d been riding for hours, barely stopping for anything other than fuel, and Maverick was more than ready for the chance to stretch his legs.
There were five Harley Davidsons parked along the back of the vacant space. Bull, Bronco, and Twister were standing, waiting in the middle. Mustang and another brother from Cheyenne manually closed the garage style door behind the newcomers, shutting out the late afternoon sun. With the door closed, they were left blanketed in the dim, florescent lights that hung from the ceiling. It was after Maverick killed the engine and dismounted his hog that he noticed the last man in the room.
Ryan—the Stallions' ink master.
“Cuttin’ it close,” stated Bull.
Maverick wasn’t in the mood. He knew how close they were to the cartel’s deadline. If things had gone the way he wanted, they would have been back days go—but Viper, the snake that he was, hadn’t made their hunt easy. He’d covered his tracks well. They’d eventually discovered him in St. George, at the southern tip of Utah. Once they found him, they had to convince him Bull merely wanted a word, not his head.
It was mostly true.
“We’re here now. Would appreciate if we could get this show on the road. Yours is not the face I wanna see,” he muttered in reply.
A knowing smirk lifted one side of the man’s curled mustache as he reached up and tugged at the length of his salt-and-pepper beard. “No doubt.”
“Someone plan on tellin’ me what he’s doing here?” asked Viper, nodding toward Ryan.
He was sitting casually on a low stool, a table and portable workstation setup beside him. His hands were already covered in a pair of black, latex gloves.
Wrangler and Flank were both at Viper’s back, Mustang and the other Stallion still near the closest exit.
“Wasted my breath on you once. Not doin’ it again,” declared Bull.
He then jerked his chin, and Wrangler reached for the VP’s kutte. To Maverick’s astonishment, Viper didn’t fight it. When he’d stripped it off, Wrangler tossed it to Bull, who caught it before extracting a knife from his hip. He snapped it open, and they all watched as the president of the Wild Stallions removed the club’s emblem from the vest.
The sound of torn leather made even Maverick flinch.
“You’re not blackin’ out my arm,” sneered Viper. “Not sittin’ in that fuckin’ chair.”
Bull threw the divested kutte to the ground and looked at Viper with the coldest blue eyes.
“You’re not one of us. Not anymore.”
“The fuck I’m not. I’ve been a Stallion almost as long as you. More than two decades I—”
“Brothers come first,” roared Bull, pointing the tip of his knife in Viper’s direction. “Loyalty over everything. You shit on all of us when you disobeyed my orders. You got one of us killed —hardly even a man—and for what? Some pocket change?”
“Fuck you!” spat Viper. “Don’t talk to me about loyalty! The Stallions had power , and you went and pissed it all away. Our rightful leader is in prison because you put him there. He’s out-thinkin’ you even now, and you’re so busy bein’ everyone’s daddy you’re blind to the game we could be winning.
“You think your dick is bigger than his because he’s behind bars? You didn’t even have the balls to put a bullet in his head when you took his thrown. He gets out, he won’t be a little bitch about it. He’ll reclaim his title, I’ll get back my patch, and we’ll see who’s holdin’ the knife then. I’m not lettin’ you black out my ink.”
Bull shifted his eyes, and that was all the command needed. Wrangler and Flank each took one of Vipers arms, pinning them behind his back. He struggled, but the two of them together managed to get him to the chair that awaited him.
More struggling ensued when he refused to sit, and a different, aggressive approach was taken. After a few strategically thrown punches from the two enforcers, and the threat of a broken arm, Viper finally sat, and Ryan got to work.
Satisfied, Bull shifted his attention in Maverick’s direction. Maverick watched as his president approached, his knife put away, and his arms folded casually across his chest.
“Noticed you haven’t been hangin’ around the clubhouse as much lately. Guessin’ it’s on account of your woman.”
The mention of Jenna only ignited his impatience to see her.
“What’s your point, prez?”
“Happy for you. I mean that. But you should think about bringin’ her around.”
Maverick raised an eyebrow, the sound of the buzzing tattoo gun a reminder of where they were and the world they inhabited. He’d warned Jenna about the nature of a Stallion and what he was capable of, and she’d accepted him anyway. As the weeks went by, the two of them cocooned in their own bubble, he’d started to think that could be enough. He didn’t want to mar his foxy lady.
“Not exactly her scene,” he replied.
“I know,” Bull said with a dip of his chin. “But if you’ve got plans of makin’ her your ol’ lady, I guarantee you, in the long run, works better if you bring her into the fold. Not sayin’ she needs to know about any of this,” he explained, looking around the warehouse. “Trust you know how much she can handle. But don’t underestimate her. And if she feels about you the way you do about her, don’t leave her to fend for herself.
“You take off on a job? You get in deep? She’s gonna need more than Tess at her back. Not to mention, her in her world, you in and out of it, you’ll be livin’ a double life.”
Maverick stared at Bull, and he couldn’t deny the wisdom of the graying man. There were only ten years between them, but he wasn’t just the club’s president. He was a husband and a father, too. His knowledge had been earned, and Maverick respected that.
He knew when he left on his mission, he was leaving Jenna all alone. Outside of whatever shit she was dealing with at work, he’d left her safe in her little world, with Tess close by. But what he hadn’t thought about was how little his brothers knew her—brothers who would take her back and check in on her when he couldn’t. Outside of Mustang, she’d barely met any of them.
He didn’t think the clubhouse on a truly wild night would ever be Jenna’s thing. Neither could he imagine her in a place like Sturgis, at the biggest biker rally in the world, even if her best friend was there having the time of her life. Hell, he could still feel her anxiety every time she climbed on the back of his hog and held on for dear life.
Didn’t make him want her any less.
Hair as soft as silk.
Mouth like a fuckin’ goddess.
Sassy as she was smart.
Sweet when she wanted to be.
And so damn gorgeous, with those adorable freckles.
Different as they were, he felt the truth of Bull’s advice. He didn’t want to live a double life. His family consisted of more than Gran, and he wasn’t protecting his lady by keeping her away from his brothers. She wasn’t ashamed of him, and he didn’t want anyone thinking he was ashamed of her or didn’t think she was strong enough to handle life as his ol’ lady.
“I hear you,” he finally replied.
“You want to take it slow, bring her around the house. Mustang, Wrangler, their clans—we’ll cookout or some shit. Winnie would love it.”
Maverick nodded. “Think she’d like that.”
He didn’t need a reminder of why Bull was such a great leader, but he’d just been given one.
Both men looked toward the commotion when the buzzing of the ink gun stopped and the sound of knuckles connecting with flesh captured their attention. Viper swore, blood spewing from his mouth as he did, and Flank hit him again, Wrangler twisting his opposite arm in an unnatural position.
He stopped moving, the gun started buzzing again, and Ryan got back to work.
An hour later, Bull got a text alert. He extracted his phone, checked the screen, then hollered for Mustang to open the large garage door. Wrangler and Flank released Viper just as three, black Escalades rolled in.
“I need to be here for this?”
Viper and Alvarez were now in the same room. As far as he was concerned, Maverick had done his part.
Bull shook his head, but he couldn’t hide the glint of amusement in his eyes. “Get out of here. But you better reach out to my ol’ lady, make those plans.”
“Yes, sir.”
Maverick took one last look at Viper, certain he’d never see him again; then he was on his hog, riding solo, headed north.
He hadn’t showered in three days.
He couldn’t remember the last thing he ate.
But he had only one destination in mind.
His lady needed him.
She hadn’t said it outright, but she didn’t have to.
The sun was setting by the time Maverick turned into Jenna’s neighborhood. Before he could even pull into her driveway, he spotted her as she swung open her front door. But it was after he’d parked and paused long enough to get a good look at her that it hit him—right in the middle of his chest.
He was in love with Jenna Hayes.
He moved to get off his hog, and she stepped out onto her front stoop in her bare feet. She didn’t stop there but came racing toward him. He barely had a chance to brace before she leapt into his arms, squealing in excitement. He caught her against his chest, chuckling as she kicked her legs up and around his hips.
“Hi, honey. You okay?” she asked, her cheek pressed against his, covered in a week’s worth of stubble.
“Need a shower, some food, and your warm pussy ‘round my dick—not necessarily in that order—but yeah, foxy. I’m okay.”
She laughed and moved to press her forehead against his. “Not gonna lie, baby. Missed you like crazy. Not ready to let you go. But you are pretty ripe.”
“Smart-ass,” he muttered with a grin as he began to carry her back inside.
Amusement still laced in her tone, she added, “You also caught me in the middle of making dinner, so we might as well eat before you take me to bed. I don’t work tomorrow, we haven’t seen each other in six and a half days, and we have lots of lost time to make up for. We’ll need the fuel. And, just saying, if you weren’t already planning on calling into work tomorrow, I hope you don’t need convincing.”
He stepped into her entryway, closing the door with his foot.
“Good with all that, babe, but you forgot one thing. Need to address that text you sent me yesterday.”
He watched as her smile fell before she drew in a deep breath and let it out in a huff. She then hugged him close, bringing her lips to his ear as she whispered, “If I tell you the whole story, you won’t stay all night. I know you won’t. But I want you all night, honey. It can wait until morning.”
“Don’t like the sound of that. You sure you’re okay?”
She turned her head, and he felt her breath against his cheek as she murmured, “I will be once you kiss me already.”
He immediately sought her mouth with his own.
When he found it, he didn’t hold back.
She whimpered as he plunged his tongue between her lips, her limbs tightening around him as she reciprocated hungrily.
He’d missed that. The sounds she made. The taste and feel of her kiss.
He propped her against the wall, allowing himself the freedom to touch her.
He squeezed her thigh with one hand, the other feeling its way up and around one of her breasts. She arched her back, pressing into him even as she tangled her tongue with his, and he was suddenly annoyed by the jeans, the tank top, and the bra she was wearing.
He was impatient for total access to his woman—the hard-on that pressed against the confines of his own zipper his proof.
Maverick broke their kiss and inquired, “What’s for dinner?”
“Enchilada casserole,” she panted.
“In the oven?”
“Just came out.”
He readjusted his grip, turned toward the stairs, and began his climb.
“We’ll microwave it.”
His lady needed no further explanation.
Forty minutes later, fresh from a shower and temporarily sated, they ate naked in the kitchen. After Maverick consumed half of Jenna’s enchilada casserole, he laid her across the counter and had her for dessert.
Jenna was still trying to catch her breath when he carried her to the bedroom to make love to her. She came twice more, her greedy pussy getting the best of him the second time around.
“Fuck, I missed you,” he sighed, his face buried in her neck as he worked to draw in breath.
Her sex clenched reflexively around his dick, and he barely held back a groan as she whispered, “I missed you so much, honey.”
Fuck , but he missed that, too.
He was slow to get up. When he did, he made quick work of cleaning between his woman’s legs before he returned to bed. His head on her pillow and her warm body draped down his side, he finally surrendered to his exhaustion.
And he’d never slept better.
Jenna
I woke the next morning to find Kade still sleeping beside me. I was so happy to see him there, I couldn’t help but to stare. I watched him for a good ten minutes, and then I started to feel a little creepy. I wasn’t sure where he’d been or what kind of week he’d had, but I didn’t want to disturb him.
My bladder beckoned me to get up, so I snuck out of bed, wrapped myself in my robe, and made a quick trip to the bathroom. Once I’d handled my business, I went to the kitchen to make myself some coffee. When I returned to the bedroom, mug in hand, Kade was on his back, rubbing his hands down his face.
I didn’t know it until he looked over at me, but I was really hoping I’d come back to find him awake.
“Want one?” I asked, holding up my mug.
“Want you in this bed more.”
Happy to oblige, I took a slow sip of coffee then set it aside on my nightstand before crawling into bed. Rather than lie down, I straddled his hips and made myself comfortable on his lap.
He had no objections. At least, he took no issue with my proximity. My robe, on the other hand, he was quick to untie.
As he revealed my nakedness, he looked me in the eye and said, “It’s mornin’, babe. Waited as long as I’m goin’ to.”
“I don’t—um,” I stumbled over my words as he fondled one of my breasts, causing my nipples to pebble. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“What happened when I was gone, foxy? Why’d you send that text?”
I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Kade was being Kade—always looking out for me.
Still, I murmured, “Oh…” before I took his hand in mine and lowered it.
He might have been perfectly capable of having this conversation whilst turning me on, but I couldn’t do both. Logan was certainly the last person I wanted on my mind when my man was touching me.
I then took a deep breath, aware that I’d gotten away with keeping quite a bit from him—something I wasn’t going to be able to do anymore. He hadn’t said it outright, but I assumed his return meant whatever the Stallions were dealing with, it was handled. Or, at least, it wasn’t at the top of his priority list anymore. That spot was reserved for my thing, which meant I couldn’t hide the details of what I’d been dealing with behind his thing.
Suddenly, straddling his lap felt like an act of unforeseen genius.
“So, a little context…” I began.
I told him about how I’d spoken with Heather and our plan to find someone from another hospital to talk. I filled him in on exactly how Logan had threatened me the first time, and how that only incentivized me more. I mentioned Kaleigh and how close I felt to something solid, and then slowed down when I’d arrived at the point in the story just before I’d sent him that text.
All the while, I watched Kade’s eyes get colder and darker, his brow furrowed in anger. It was when I told him Logan pulled me into a closet that he moved.
He sat up so fast, I had to grab hold of his shoulders to keep myself from falling backwards.
“He put his hands on you?” he all but growled.
“He didn’t hurt me,” I assured him, moving to take hold of his stubble covered face. “He’s just a bully, baby. An awful monster of a bully. And I tried—I tried so hard to get the upper hand, but I don’t have enough. Even with my recording, it’s not enough for more than a slap on the wrist. There could be an investigation, but I have zero hard evidence and Abbie won’t talk.”
I slid my hands down to his chest and propped my forehead against his. “I know we made a compromise. I know it’s your turn to handle it—but, Kade, if you and a couple of Stallions go and beat him up, who’s to say he won’t just heal and move away to another town, another hospital, and do it all over again?”
“Babe, we’re not one trick ponies.”
Lifting my head so I could see into his eyes, I asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kade reached up and sank his fingers in my hair. He held me for a moment, his eyes taking in my face, and I swear I saw it the moment he made up his mind. I wasn’t sure what it was he was thinking or planning, but the instant he decided, I watched the anger melt out of his features.
“Leave it to me, alright?”
“But what are you going to do?”
“Just leave it to me,” he semi-repeated before he brought his mouth to mine. He kissed me once, then once more before he said, “Don’t think we’ve made up for all six and a half days yet.”
For a second, I debated whether or not I was ready to let it go—Logan and the mess that came with him.
I’d sent Kade that text because I wanted him to come home. I wanted to be relieved of the burden I was carrying. Now that he’d taken it, I wasn’t sure if giving it up was the right thing to do.
But then he kissed me again, and I was reminded I could leave it to him. Not merely because we’d agreed to a compromise, but because I’d given him my heart and I trusted him with it. He was the kind of man who would show up for me when I needed him and how I needed him. He’d done it before, and if I was going to call myself his, I needed to let him do it again.
That’s what it meant to be Kade’s woman—to be Maverick’s lady.
When I felt his fingers at my sex, I smiled against his mouth and, half giggling, said, “At this rate, I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”
“You want me to stop?” he asked, sliding inside of me.
I circled my arms around his shoulders and breathed, “ Never ,” before I swept my tongue between his lips, my coffee completely forgotten.