7. Sophie
7
Sophie
“ Y ou going to tell us why some hotshot club owner wants to speak to you?” Liam wondered aloud before draping his arm around Callie’s shoulders, his hand resting on her shoulder and fiddling with the loose strands of her hair.
I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.” I had a suspicion but wasn’t about to voice it. It was probably all a coincidence.
Callie snorted. “Right. There’s nothing you can think of? How many times have we gone out over the years, Soph? This has never happened. Not once.”
I nonchalantly sipped my drink, then nearly spat it out all over my friends across from me as a familiar figure appeared in the far corner of the room, emerging from the shadows like he was one of them. Callie and Liam both raised their eyebrows.
Having a suspicion about who invited me here was one thing. Being right was a whole other, especially with the way he was stalking toward us.
God, please tell me he isn’t the owner, I prayed, unable to tear my gaze from him. He looked hotter than ever in an all-black suit that probably cost more than three times my rent, with a black button-down shirt left open at the top.
“Wonderful seeing you again, Detective,” he said, bending at the waist, lifting my wrist from the table, and pressing a soft kiss to the inside of it.
Jesus. Christ.
My insides melted at the softness of his mouth mixed with the slight stubble on his jaw, an involuntary shiver tearing through me. I refused to look at my friends, because I could only imagine their reaction.
“Maverick. What are you doing here?” I tried to force the shakiness from my voice, tried to project confidence despite the fact that I was as equally warm all over as I was racked with fear. My racing heart could’ve been a result of either. I mean, the last time I’d seen him, I insulted him. Maybe he’s going to act on his threat.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
I really needed to learn how to shut my damn mouth.
But Maverick just arched a dark brow, as if I should know, which confirmed my suspicion: he was the owner of this luxurious nightclub. I gulped as he turned his attention to my friends. “I’m Maverick Mercer. I own this establishment.” They exchanged pleasantries. Callie had a bright grin on her face while Liam looked skeptical.
“Mercer, huh?” Liam asked with a knowing look. Callie and I shared a confused glance, but neither man pressed the topic. Maverick just gave Liam a cocky smirk before turning to me.
“Miss Reyes, may I speak with you in private for a moment?” His voice was lush, full of threats and promises. I didn’t even know that was possible.
I narrowed my eyes. “What about?” Yes, there was a bite to my tone, which I regretted immediately. Ugh. What the hell was wrong with me?
He tilted his head to the side, and a dark lock tumbled over his forehead. My fingers twitched with the sudden desire to brush it away. “Our mutual friend. Victor. ”
The name had me straightening and muttering an apology to my friends. Whatever Maverick had to say must be important, and who was I to pass up an opportunity to find out more about one of the men who killed my father? Now I just had to appear not so thrilled about being alone with him—I mean, about getting information on Victor.
“I’ll be back in a few,” I said. Liam was still eyeing Maverick while Callie glanced between all of us with a mischievous grin. I wanted to ask her what the look was for, but Maverick held his hand out for me. I glared at it, ignoring him as I rose to my feet and collected my clutch and phone.
Seconds after I left the booth, though, my phone buzzed.
Callie 8:47 PM
OMG. Tell me you’re fucking him.
Sophie 8:47 PM
I wish I could shush you over text.
But no, I’m not. We’ve only met a few times.
Callie 8:48 PM
Ummmm… he was NOT looking at you like you’ve only met a few times.
I frowned at my phone as I followed Maverick through the club.
Sophie 8:48 PM
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Callie 8:48 PM
Then you’re as blind as I was about Liam.
Sophie 8:49 PM
Bitch.
Callie 8:49 PM
Come on. You have to admit he’s HOT. He’d probably have you screaming MAAVVERRICCKK all night long and YOU KNOW IT.
Sophie 8:49 PM
I liked you better before you were getting laid all the time.
Kidding. I love you. But seriously. STFU, he’s RIGHT HERE and looking at me like a psychopath!
Also. You're ENGAGED.
Callie 8:50 PM
I can appreciate when an attractive man is looking at a woman, specifically my best friend, like a GD snack. And that man there wants to eat your kitty cat. Trust me. He does not think you’re crazy.
I didn’t realize we were away from the loud music until silence fell around us.
I rolled my eyes and glanced up as we approached a set of stairs. Maverick just gestured for me to go first, face devoid of emotion. I didn’t miss how his eyes dropped to my hips as I swished past him.
Good. I wasn’t the only one feeling this attraction, then.
His gaze felt like a searing trail of fire on my skin, and I was acutely aware of his presence. I waited on the landing as he unlocked the door at the top of the stairs. As he ushered me inside, I was surprised to find us entering a security room.
I made note of the cameras, the computer setup, and the long, tinted window that overlooked the club.
Bet that’s where he saw me and beckoned me to the VIP area.
The room felt smaller as the heavy metal door clicked shut, closing us off from the rest of the world. It was entirely too intimate for comfort, so I whirled and pinned him with a glare. Maybe if I put some hostility between us again, I could ignore the slight ache presenting itself between my thighs at the thought of being alone in here. With him.
“What the fuck is your deal? Couldn’t you leave me alone for one goddamn night?”
His eyebrows raised. “Didn’t I already warn you about speaking to me that way?”
I snapped my mouth shut, the room feeling a hundred degrees hotter suddenly. I wasn’t sure what he’d do about my smart mouth, but my arousal only grew at the thought of a punishment for it. Suddenly the few feet between us felt like mere inches. “You did.” It came out all wrong, breathy and pitchy in an embarrassing way.
A smirk ghosted his full lips, and the silence in the room made it so fucking obvious how hard I was breathing. “Are you always this stubborn?”
I crossed my arms. “When I want to be, yes.”
“So why are you wanting to be difficult now?”
Rolling my eyes and trying to not focus on the way he tilted his chin to look at me through his lashes, or his visibly growing erection, I felt myself flush from my face to my ears. “You’ve been harassing me for weeks, and I want to know why. I gave you an answer the last time we ran into each other, and now tonight you interrupt my time with my friends by summoning me? Then you throw out Victor’s name. What do you want?”
His eyes searched my face intently, dipping to my mouth for a brief second. I stopped breathing as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, a single finger tracing my jaw and tipping my chin up. “I want you to listen to me.”
Listen.
He said that like it was easy. I wasn’t very good at doing that, and I was certain he knew it. I also knew that if he were into some kinky punishment shit in bed, that he would enjoy doing that to me. And fuck, there was that deranged part of me again, rearing its head and making me squeeze my thighs together. I didn’t even know this man, and my body was acting like it had never been touched before.
I swallowed thickly as he walked to one of the desks, lifting a file off its smooth surface.
“Sit.” His voice was a seductive purr. I could feel the heat building between my legs. My body responded to his dominance, and I couldn’t help but obey. Maverick’s strong jawline feathered as he dropped the file on the coffee table in front of me, his eyes burning into mine. “Good girl,” he purred again, sending shivers down my spine.
I tried to fight it, the feminist inside me screaming against the objectification. But as I sat there, feeling his intense gaze on me, all coherent thoughts fled my mind. I was under his spell, a willing participant in this forbidden game.
As if sensing my surrender, Maverick’s grinned wickedly. His cock was visible through the fabric of his pants, enticing and unapologetic. He stood before me, confident and powerful with his hands resting on his hips as though daring me to deny him.
This meeting was no longer just business. It was pleasure too, and oh how I craved it.
“Jesus fucking Christ, woman, stop looking at me like that or I’ll fuck your mouth before I send you back out to your friends. Understand? Contrary to what you think, I do have a reason for bringing you in here.”
A soft whimper escaped me before I rolled my lips together and nodded. He gave me a pained look. “Yes. I understand,” I told him before facetiously adding, “ sir.” Just because I could, and it would get a reaction out of him, like it did last time.
Oh God.
I came in here prepared to be an angry bitch, and that version of me was nowhere to be seen. In fact, I was pretty sure she was locked away in a cage while the submissive, horny me ran the show.
Maverick’s thumb brushed against his lower lip, a deliberate and contemplative gesture that hinted at a deeper, primal need. His eyes briefly closed, as if silently praying for patience, before he settled at the far end of the couch. Despite the short distance between us, a rich blend of cedar and cloves that encircled me like a seductive mist. This scent wasn’t just a fragrance—it was a heady combination that awakened primal instincts within me. I shifted in a desperate attempt for friction.
“Just look in the goddamn folder. Please ,” he pleaded, and I was quite pleased with myself for unraveling this cold-hearted, attractive near-stranger.
I relented, grabbing the folder. I flicked it open and froze, instantly recognizing the man in the pictures inside. “Maverick, what the hell is this?”
“Victor Chavez. He’s a suspect in your dad’s case, right?” Sucking in a breath, I forced a nod. “I know him, and let’s just say he’s… crossed me recently.”
“Okay…” my voice trailed off, not knowing where he was going with this.
Maverick leaned forward until our faces were a few inches apart. And damn, I really wanted to kiss him. “Do you know why I’m telling you this?” I shook my head. “Because I see something in you, Detective. Something I possess myself. Like calls to like and all that shit.”
“And what would that be?” I breathed.
“A certain kind of darkness that allows us to exact revenge on those who’ve wronged us.”
I went still as we stared at each other, letting his words settle between us. A certain kind of darkness. The kind that turned me murderous at times, that made me feel no remorse when I killed people in the field because they deserved it. The same darkness that Dean could never love because I never loved that part of myself—and he was too good, too innocent to be into that.
This was the first time I felt… seen.
“Let’s say I know what you’re referring to,” I said, voice hoarse. “What would happen?”
He sat back, settling into his side of the couch and draping one arm over the back. In this position, he looked more intense than usual. Cool, calm. Collected. “Your profession prevents you from taking unconventional methods of interrogating suspects, plus Queens is outside your jurisdiction. My methods… well, let’s just say I go with a more off-the-book tactic.”
I stared at him expectantly, still not certain where he was going with this.
“Seeing as I have a working relationship with Chavez, I can extract information for you.”
I scowled. “And why would you do that?”
“If I found out he killed your dad and if anyone else was involved, would that make you want to take matters into your own hands?”
I lifted my chin. “Probably. I almost did the night we met.”
Maverick chuckled, his eyes flashing with amusement. Oh Jesus, how did I get here from one late-night, near-death interaction with this man? At least he wasn’t holding a gun to my head this time. “Yes, I’m aware. I’m saying I can get you answers, if you’ll take care of him for me when I’m done. I’m offering you a deal.”
My eyebrows raised. It was tempting, but… “Couldn’t you take care of him yourself?”
He shrugged. “I could, but having someone not in my inner circle handle it will cause less issues all around. I’m not really into rocking the boat.”
This opportunity seemed almost too perfect. I get answers, closure, and the chance to avenge my father’s death while Maverick benefits from someone else offing this guy? Not like I was priding myself on being a cold-blooded murderer, but I could do it. And I was confident Maverick could help me get away with it, too.
“Can I—can I think about it?” I asked hesitantly.
His gaze lingered on the folder in my hands. “If you leave here without taking the deal, it’s off the table.”
I bristled. “What? Why?”
“Because I have a narrow window of opportunity to handle these matters. If I miss it, I have to wait until he fucks up again. God knows how long that’ll be.”
“I just—” I shook my head. “I can’t give you an answer right now. I mean, it’s a big ask, Maverick. I’d have to literally get away with murder, which isn’t exactly my area of expertise, and that’s if I even go through with it. Cop or not—you said it yourself—it’s not my jurisdiction, which takes the ease of him being a threat to me on the job out of the equation. There’s no guarantee that I won’t get caught or face consequences.”
His unwavering eye contact made my blood heat. On one hand, he was offering a chance to take down a dangerous criminal. But on the other hand, he was asking me to become a killer and betray everything I was supposed to stand for as a cop. Corruption. And yet, despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. To this opportunity. He had an uncanny ability to see through me. Part of me wanted to walk away, but another part couldn’t resist the temptation.
“You’re right. It’s not the right time.” He grabbed the folder and set it on the end table next to him. “That is all, Detective.”
His sudden dismissal stung, and whatever I may have felt when we entered the room disappeared like a vapor in the wind. I didn’t want our conversation to be over. Part of me liked talking to him. Liked how he saw a different side of me without trying to change me, how he challenged me and gave me attention. Maybe liked that little bit of praise he'd given me earlier.
I rose to my feet, but my heel caught on the edge of the rug under the coffee table. I toppled sideways… right onto him.
It all happened so fast—one second, my shaky legs gave out, and the next, I was tumbling forward. Maverick’s hands shot out, catching me just as I lost my balance, but the force sent me crashing into him. A sharp inhale. A shift. Suddenly, I was in his lap, my knees bracketing his thighs as his grip tightened around my arms. My hands splayed over his shoulders, my breath stalling as I reared back, wide-eyed, heat licking up my spine.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to,” I muttered, moving to let go of him—only to freeze when that same pained look from earlier flickered across his face. His grip twitched, his eyes flickering downward, lingering. A breeze skimmed over my skin, cool against the heat flooding my face. Something felt… off.
Then I felt it—the loose strap of my dress, already sliding down my shoulder when I fell, had slipped completely, the soft fabric pooling against my ribs. My breath hitched as I followed his gaze and—sweet fuck—my left tit was fully out. Nipple tight enough to cut diamonds, my black heart piercing glittering under the light above like a goddamn spotlight.
Mortification hit me like a freight train.
I half gasped, half shrieked, but before I could yank my dress back into position, Maverick’s hand slid up my arm and gently placed the thin strap back on my shoulder. His touch was gentle, even with calloused fingertips, as if he was trying to avoid too much contact.
Ever the fucking gentleman.
He cleared his throat before meeting my eyes again. “No problem.”
We stayed like that, neither of us in a rush to break the moment, no matter how uncomfortable it was. I felt his erection harden beneath me, and suddenly I was extremely aware of the fact that I was sitting in a very attractive man’s lap.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. My body was on fire, my hands instinctively sliding over his broad shoulders.
“Leave before I make a mistake I can’t take back,” he growled, his voice rough.
“Why would you want to take it back?” I breathed, teasing the hair at the nape of his neck with my fingertips, my hips rolling over his cock.
Maverick’s eyes darkened with desire and irritation, his own breath hitching. “My family could end your life if they found out we were involved with each other.”
Fear and lust intertwined in my chest, and I couldn’t resist pressing myself against him even harder. “You’re fucking kidding me,” I groaned.
He shook his head, his large hands gripping my waist possessively. Butterflies erupted in my stomach in response. “Partly.”
“And the other part?”
“I need to know if you’re dangerous.”
This bullshit again? Frustration swirled inside me as my hand reached for the small paring knife strapped to my thigh under my dress. With a swift motion, I pressed it against his throat, watching his lips curve with amusement.
“You keep saying that,” I snarled through gritted teeth. “But you never explain why.”
He observed me with curiosity as my hand tightened around the blade. His heartbeat pounded against the knife, and I could feel the tension in his muscles as he held himself away from me.
“It’s not some crazy conspiracy,” Maverick muttered. “It’s just that I’ve had to be careful with the people I deal with. It’s a dangerous world out there, and I can’t afford to let my guard down.”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his cryptic response, faint laughter escaping me. “You always have to be in control, don’t you?”
He hummed. “I’ve never been good at sitting on the sidelines.”
I found myself leaning in close, our faces mere inches apart. His eyes were dark and stormy, full of need and desire, and I could feel his heart pounding against my chest. The tension between us was palpable, the air thick with everything we were fighting.
I reached up, my fingers lightly brushing against his cheek, feeling the roughness of his stubble beneath my touch, the sound gentle in the otherwise quiet room. A wildfire burned deep within me, and the rumble in his chest stole the breath from my lungs. “You’re right. This can’t happen,” I whispered, barely audible.
My pulse pounded in my ears, every nerve in my body tightening as he leaned in, slow and deliberate, as if he was giving me the chance to stop him—knowing damn well I wouldn’t.
His lips brushed against mine, barely a whisper of contact, a cruel tease that sent a shiver cascading down my spine. My fingers curled tighter around the hilt of my blade, my other hand fisting in the fabric of his shirt, torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away.
A low sound rumbled from his chest, vibrating through me, a challenge wrapped in temptation. I took it.
I caught his bottom lip between my teeth, sinking down just hard enough to make him hiss—a sharp intake of breath against my mouth. He tensed, his hands flexing at my waist, and then he growled, the sound deep and wicked, fueling the fire licking through my veins.
The moment burned between us, fire and fury colliding, raw and untamed. The air around us crackled, electric, both of us breathless by the time I pulled back, my blade still steady at his throat, my control slipping, my body screaming for more.
Except now a thin thread of blood welled on his skin where my sharp-as-sin blade pressed against his throat.
Scrambling off his lap, I let a flurry of Spanish curse words fly free before I slipped my blade back into its sheath. With one final look at him sitting with a mixture of shock and desire on his face, I turned my back, leaving both the file he’d prepared and his offer behind.