CHAPTER 7
Kaya
My anxiety is climbing through the roof as Gretchen and I exit her car. I was not ready to come back here and face all of this right now. I had just resigned myself to eating a can of beef ravioli, when I was shuttled right back to where I started.
“I could kill you right now,” I mumble to Gretchen as we get closer to the door.
“Sorry, I’m making you act like a grown-up,” she scoffs.
That almost makes me outwardly cringe. If she only knew what else I wasn’t being a grown up about. I’m sure she would kill me if she knew I was ignoring a potential fetus situation by refusing to pee on a stick.
I take a deep breath before entering the clubhouse.
To my surprise it’s mostly quiet and the common room is completely empty except for one person sitting on the leather sofa closest to the door.
Fuck my life. She lowers her phone as we make our way further inside.
The look on her face when she sees us is reminiscent of someone who unexpectedly smells dog shit.
“Aww, club whores. It’s just like being at home.” Jessica says in her southern drawl.
Gretchen grips my arm tightly and pushes me forward toward the kitchen. “Ignore her,” she says under her breath.
Before we reach the door, the loud low tenor voices of the brothers enter the room. Church must have just let out because all of the guys descend on us.
“You girls didn’t eat yet?” Deuce asks.
Gretchen shakes her head. “We just got here.”
Leo chuckles. “Didn’t you already take off Kai?”
“Uh yeah, I had to run home for something.” I lie.
“Well, I’m starving,” Tank groans as he pushes through to the kitchen.
Leo, Rebel, Riker, Deuce, and Flip follow. Dom seems to sense the tension and he hangs back. Gretchen, the traitor, follows the guys into the kitchen.
“Where’s Cipher?” I ask Dom.
“He’s probably in the control room. He’s been working his ass off with the…” he glances over to Jessica, who’s watching us intently. He lowers his voice. “The business with a certain someone’s dad and the other escapee.”
I nod. “I’ve actually been meaning to talk to him about that. I know he has a lot on his plate with all of the security and people he’s trying to track down. I can probably give him a hand if your dad doesn’t mind.”
Dom raises a thick brow. “What do you mean?”
I smile. “I work in IT. I spend my days putting out fires with cybersecurity.” I lean in close to whisper in Dom’s ear. “And I’m a pretty damn good hacker.”
“What the fuck is this?” Maverick’s voice cuts through the room.
Dom takes three steps back as Maverick rushes toward us.
“Whoa there, big guy.” I say as I step in front of Mav and place my hands on his chest. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”
Maverick is heaving in anger. His chest seems to rise higher and higher with each breath as he glares daggers at Dom.
I keep my hands in place against his t-shirt and start soothingly moving each finger, gently massaging his pectoral muscles.
I can feel his chest hair under the fabric, and suddenly wish I was running my bare fingers over them.
I look up at him, but his face is still pointed at Dom.
I know he always acted possessive, but I never thought he would have this sort of reaction to me talking to someone closely.
I can’t even imagine what would happen if he walked in on me kissing or doing something else with another man, not that I would. The thought makes my stomach flip.
I slide my hand up his chest to his beard and tug on it gently, guiding him to look down at me. His dark blue eyes finally meet mine. I stroke his beard with one hand while the other continues to massage his chest in tender circles. “Are you good?”
He doesn’t answer, just studies my eyes.
I speak slow and calm, like I’m trying to tame a wild animal. “I was talking to him about Cipher and we were keeping it quiet so certain people couldn’t overhear.”
“Damn, brother. Nobody is trying to mess with your girl.” Dom shakes his head. I’m going to eat,” he says as he walks past us into the kitchen.
With the tension waning a bit I glance over to Jessica who is still sitting on the sofa, staring at us, her face marred in disgust. It’s petty, but I have the urge to grin at her. For someone that doesn’t want a relationship, I sure do enjoy knowing I have Maverick’s attention more than she does.
“You left,” he grumbles.
“I did. But when I got home, I realized we really didn’t have anything to eat there and since the ham smelled so good I decided to come back.”
His lip tips on one side. “Is that right?”
I nod and then realize I’m still running my fingers through his beard. I can’t seem to stop myself. I’m also still rubbing his chest and he’s just standing here, letting me. “I’m starving.” I whisper.
“Me too.”
He leans down and drops another soft kiss to my forehead.
That’s two today. He usually kisses me roughly, with so much force, it’s like he’s trying to prove to everyone around him that he’s a caveman that has conquered a woman.
This was sweet and we don’t do sweet. I take a step back, feeling my fight or flight instincts coming alive.
Sophia pushes the kitchen door open, her eyes quickly scanning Maverick and I. “Gretchen said you were back. Let’s go. We’re eating.”
I move away from him toward the kitchen door. Finally. My insides are literally going to start eating themselves if I don’t get some food in there.
Maverick turns his head to Jessica. “Move it,” he commands.
She pushes herself up with attitude and rolls her eyes. I watch her as she flings her blonde hair to the side, before approaching us.
“Never saw you get so possessive over a whore before,” she says with a sneer.
Before I can stop him, he has Jessica by the arm, gripping her bicep.
He pins her to the wall by the kitchen door.
She gasps. He leans in to within an inch of her face.
He’s practically spitting venom, “you’re lucky I don’t throw you the fuck out of here right now.
Let me make myself perfectly clear, little girl.
You say another word about her and you can walk your scrawny ass back to Tennessee. ”
He moves away from her just as fast as he had moved in. He takes my hand and guides me into the kitchen, without once looking back at her. This girl is going to be a nightmare.