Chapter Four
MAVERICK
As the sun sets on the clubhouse mere hours before we go to war with Javier and the Cartel, my rage over Phoenix’s inability to protect my sister only ignites further.
The fact that they will be arriving as a married couple?
I can’t even begin to wrap my head around that one.
I know I won’t be able to control my temper when that little prick walks through those clubhouse doors.
I’ve been pacing the main room for the past three and a half hours, wearing a path in the concrete floor while Sadie watches me with concerned eyes from her perch on the sofa.
“Mav, you need to sit down before you give yourself a heart attack,” she says softly, but I hear the worry threading through her voice.
I stop mid-stride and face her, running both hands through my hair. “My baby sister is married, Sadie. Married! To an incompetent fool I sent to protect her, and I didn’t even fucking know they were together until literally a day ago.”
Her lips purse, and a stern expression crosses her face.
“Hey, careful. That incompetent fool is my brother. And from what I heard, he did everything he could to get Clover back safely. He went to Vegas Defiance. He got help, the right help, the closest help to him, and he got her back.” She pats the cushion beside her.
“I know you’re angry at them. I am too. They did this all wrong.
But wearing a hole in the floor isn’t going to change anything. ”
The truth is, the pacing is the only thing keeping me from losing my goddamn mind completely.
Every time I stop moving, my brain starts churning through everything Phoenix told me during that disastrous phone call.
The marriage revelation hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest, but underneath the shock and anger, there’s something else eating at me.
Fear.
Pure, gut-wrenching terror that I’ve failed to protect one of the most important people in my world.
“Sorry, Cupcake. I know he’s your brother, but she was high as a fucking kite when she told me,” I mutter, dropping onto the sofa beside Sadie and pulling her against my side.
“The truth serum or whatever they gave her when they took her, made her blurt out that they got married by Elvis and that Phoenix is…” I pause, my jaw clenching.
“I don’t need those particular details about my sister’s sex life.
” Sadie tries to hide her smile, but I catch it anyway. “It’s not funny, Sadie!”
She can’t fight back her giggle this time. “It’s a little funny,” she admits. “The poor girl was drugged out of her mind and accidentally dropped the biggest bombshell of her life—”
“And Phoenix just let her fucking talk.”
“Phoenix was probably too shocked to stop her. I can assure you, my brother would have been shit scared to tell you they’re married.
The guy is terrified of you, Mav, and besides, you would have found out eventually.
Better to know now than walk in on them doing something that would permanently scar you.
” The grin crossing her face somehow lightens my mood.
I close my eyes, leaning my head back against the sofa. The image of my nineteen-year-old sister married to one of my brothers keeps replaying in my mind, and each time it does, my protective instincts war with my trust in Phoenix as a man.
Because that’s the thing that’s really fucking with my head.
I do trust Phoenix.
I have trusted him since the day he earned his cut.
He’s proven himself over and over, shown his loyalty to this club and to me.
But Clover isn’t just any woman.
She’s my responsibility, my blood, and the thought of anyone hurting her makes me want to burn the world down.
“Look, they’ll be home soon,” Sadie says quietly, checking her phone. “Clover texted twenty minutes ago. They’re about half an hour out.”
“So, my sister is texting you, rather than me?”
Sadie shrugs. “You’re super grumpy, Mav.
They’re both scared of you and your reaction at the moment.
And honestly, they have every right to be with how you’re acting right now.
Everyone at the club could see that Phoenix and Clover had something.
You were the only one pushing them apart.
I love you. God, I love you. But baby, you’re your own worst enemy when it comes to Clover. You gotta loosen those reins, honey.”
I go to reply, but the sound of a pickup truck rumbling into the compound draws my attention to the windows. But it’s not Phoenix and Clover, it’s a red pickup I don’t recognize or the two people inside.
“Who the fuck is that?” I mutter, standing up and moving toward the door.
Sadie follows me outside, where Alpha and Haven are already greeting the newcomers.
The driver is tall and lean with dark hair and the kind of easy smile that probably gets him in trouble.
His impeccable tailored suit also tells me he definitely does not belong in a place like this.
The second is a woman with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes who scans the compound like she’s cataloging every possible exit.
Suddenly, Rip comes flying past us, running toward the two. The dark-haired man’s eyes light up as Rip slams into him, full bro hug style.
“Guys, come meet Chase and Lyric. Dude, it is so freaking gnarly to see you again, man,” Rip states, continuing to slap Chase on the back.
I approach cautiously, my protective instincts still on high alert from everything that’s been happening, especially with how close we are to launching our counterattack on the Cartel.
The woman, Lyric, looks completely out of place, her eyes wide as she takes in the clubhouse, our cuts, the general atmosphere of organized chaos.
She’s clutching Chase’s arm like she’s not sure she should be here.
“This is… wow,” she murmurs, staring at the Defiance logo painted on the building.
“I had no idea places like this actually existed. I thought it was all show for movies and television shows, but this is… wow,” she repeats.
Chase chuckles, clearly amused by her reaction. “Different world, isn’t it?”
“Chase,” Alpha offers, extending his hand.
“Heard a lot about you,” Chase replies, gripping Alpha’s hand firmly. “Rip’s told me some stories.”
I raise my brow, my gaze flipping between Chase and Rip. “How do you know Rip?”
Chase glances at Lyric, then at Rip, something unspoken being said between them.
But it’s Rip who answers, “We used to be surfing bros back in the day. Chasing gnarly waves and the babes, am I right?” Rip waggles his brows with a chuckle.
Chase fights back his grin. “Ahh… something like that,” he states, glancing at Lyric, who smirks back at him.
“Hey, I’ve only known you for a hot minute, Chase, don’t hold back your manwhoring ways because of me,” Lyric teases.
Rip pulls Chase to him, chuckling loudly. “Oh no, Lyric. You got my man all wrong. Chase ain’t like that now. He’s all cool and calm like a soft breeze. He’s not about the babes now. Right, bro?”
Chase exhales, shaking his head with a smile. “I’m not sure you’re helping, Rip. But, thanks for trying.”
“Yeah, bro, I’m down to help anytime! Anyway, you said you wanted to bring me something on the phone?” Rip states.
Chase tilts his head, moving to the rear of his truck.
“Ahh, yeah. I think you guys have been missing something?” He drops the flatbed of the truck to reveal an array of flowers scattered through the flatbed.
We all peer through the debris as a tiny head pokes out from the back, chomping down on a bunch of roses, letting out his familiar bleating sound.
Baaa.
“Holy shit,” Rip shouts, running toward the truck. “Doughnut!”
Sure enough, our missing goat is in the back of the pickup, looking completely unbothered by his adventure.
“Where the fuck did you find him?” Alpha asks, incredulously.
Lyric steps forward, still overwhelmed but eager to explain. “He just… showed up at my flower shop three days ago. Scared the hell out of me when I opened the rear of my truck and found a goat eating my inventory.”
Alpha furrows his brows. “He wasn’t dropped off? You didn’t see anyone with him?”
Lyric shakes her head with a shrug. “I was at my usual supplier doing a pickup, and from what I can tell, he hopped into the back of my truck to get a good feed. How he got to the supplier, I’m not sure. Sorry, I’m not much help.”
Rip shakes his head. “How the hell did you get involved, bro?” he asks Chase.
“I was buying flowers for my mother from Lyric’s shop, and I saw her with the goat. With all the pictures Rip sends me of Doughnut, and the one time he brought him to our catch-up lunch, I was sure he was Doughnut. Then Lyric confirmed as much when she said she checked his name tag.”
Rip beams with excitement as he climbs into the truck bed to check on Doughnut. “Dude, we were totally worried about you. How the fuck did you get so far away?” The goat bleats in response, and Rip laughs. “Yeah, I missed you, too, buddy.”
“So, you two drove all the way here just to return our goat?” I ask, though I am grateful as hell to have Doughnut back.
Lyric nods enthusiastically. “Chase insisted we had to bring him back personally. Said it was the right thing to do.”
“Plus…” Chase adds, his expression growing serious, “I figured I owed Rip more than just a phone call. And when he mentioned you guys thought he was taken, well, I definitely wanted to get him back to you. I didn’t want him to think I was holding him against his will…
” Chase narrows his eyes on Alpha, “… like he was in prison or anything,” Chase says, clearly a message in his tone.
Alpha glances at me, and I get the hint instantly.
Whoever this Chase guy is, he knows something.
But Lyric, the woman with him, bursts out laughing at Chase, slapping his arm. “We spoiled that goat rotten, Chase. Why would he think he was in prison?” she chimes, completely oblivious.