CHAPTER 8
Maverick
As soon as we walk through the kitchen door, all eyes come to us. I keep my head down and move straight ahead to the table where the food is set out, pulling Kaya along with me. Jessica enters and glances around the room. Lexi points to the food with a smile, inviting Jessica to eat.
After being at every chapter of Carnage, at least for a little while, I think Lexi should go on a tour and teach the other chapters how to cook.
I don’t think I can go back to eating the garbage we do at the other clubhouses after spending time here.
The spread consists of baked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, salad, baked beans, corn, and rolls. Everything smells so good.
A memory creeps in of a similar smell at my grandma’s house years earlier. She was a good woman. She used to watch me a lot when I was young. Too bad she passed when I was seven. I shut the thoughts down.
Kaya takes forever to situate her plate, carefully dropping scoops of food while making sure nothing is touching. When she finishes, she looks up and gives me a small smile before heading over to the table where Gretchen, Sophia, and the rest of Sophia’s crew are.
She plops down next to Gretchen. “I’m starving,” she groans.
“What were you planning on eating at home? We haven’t been to the store in over a week.”
Kaya shrugs. “Beef ravioli.”
“I don’t know how you eat that stuff.” Sophia says.
“What? It’s good.” Kaya replies while shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.
Gretchen points her fork at Kaya. “It tastes like dogfood in red sauce.”
“How would you know? Do you eat dogfood on a regular?” Kaya asks.
Emily’s little nose scrunches. “You eat dog food?” she asks Gretchen.
“I. Uh. Well, no.” Gretchen stutters.
“Dog food is yucky,” Em says before picking up a piece of corn and squishing it between her fingers.
Kaya grins and shovels in another spoonful of food. Girl must have been starving. She’s eating faster than I am.
Just then Jessica approaches and takes the open seat next to me. My spine stiffens. I honestly don’t want her anywhere near me. My lip curls as I glance over at her. She ignores me.
The air completely changes around us as soon as she sits. The girls stop talking immediately. The kids don’t.
“What’s your name?” Joey asks.
She smiles wide. “I’m Jessica.”
Joey waves at her with his spoon. “I’m Joey.” He points to himself with the spoon, getting gravy on his shirt.
“Well, hello Joey. Is that your sister?”
“Uh huh. Her name is Emily. We’re three years old.” He drops his spoon to hold up three fingers.
Emily nods quickly in agreement. “And when we have another birthday, we will be four.” She holds up four fingers.
Jessica looks back and forth between Sophia and Grayson, who are sitting on either side of the twins, across from us. “Which one is older?”
Grayson tips his chin toward Joey. “He is. By six minutes.”
Jessica faces Sophia. “They are so cute.”
“They sure are!” She proudly grin down at them, the way a mom should look at their kids. And they aren’t even really hers, but the love is there. There’s no denying that. It’s way more than I ever saw from my own mother.
Kaya glances at me and rolls her eyes. I have to hold back a smile.
I hope she can see that this is all a front.
Jessica is here for a reason and she is going to put her best foot forward to make an impression.
That’s why she’s so dangerous. I know it.
I’ve seen it before. She will act so sweet around people that they can hardly believe she is capable of doing the things she has.
“I’m going to have to leave after dinner.” Kaya says to me. “I have work early tomorrow and nothing to wear. Need to do laundry.”
“Later.” I growl. I haven’t gotten to spend much time with her today.
I know if she leaves too soon, I won’t see her for another week.
Every time I think I might be making progress with her, she pushes me away.
It’s weird for me. I’ve never wanted a woman to stick around, but with her, I can’t seem to keep her close enough.
Her brows furrow. “I need to do laundry.”
Gretchen bumps her shoulder with Kaya’s. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll throw a load in when I get home. You, take your time.” The smile that crosses Gretchen’s lips is sweet and knowing.
“Thanks.” Kaya drawls through gritted teeth.
Sophia sucks her lips between her teeth, trying to stifle a grin. She then suddenly jumps in her seat and glares at Kaya who is directly across from her. I can only assume that Kaya kicked her by the satisfied glint in my girl’s eyes.
Cipher sits down next to Grayson with his plate. “Hey Kaya. Dom said you wanted to talk to me?”
Kaya grins. “Yeah. Mind if we chat when we’re done here?”
Cipher shrugs and then meets my eyes as if he’s asking my permission.
I raise a brow. I don’t like it. I don’t want her near any other man, and I don’t know the guys in this chapter well enough to know if I can trust them or not.
Sure, they’re my brothers and I can count on them to have my back on the road or in a fight, but with my woman? No.
I stare at him longer than I need to but imagining her spending time with this little piss ant causes me to clench my fist under the table.
Kaya snaps her fingers between Cipher and I. “Don’t do that. I don’t need his permission to talk to anyone.”
Cipher breaks his gaze with me and focuses on Kaya. “Why don’t we go to the Iron Petal when we finish dinner?”
“Excuse me?” I snap.
Cipher puts his hands up in surrender. “I meant all three of us, Mav. Chill the hell out. I have a few things to do over there with the security system. I figured since it’s closed tonight, it would be a good time to get some work done.”
“Calm down, caveman.” Kaya mutters. The aggravation in her voice is obvious to anyone listening and I don’t give a shit. She’s mine and everyone is going to know it.
“Can I come?” Jessica asks.
“No.” I fire back.
Lexi speaks up from the table behind us. “Jessica, I figured I would get your room ready after dinner, so you can get settled in.”
Jessica glares at me and then turns to face Lexi with a smile plastered on her lips. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
I shake my head. I can hardly believe this is the same blonde-haired little girl that cried against my chest after Tatum died.
That little girl was sweet, broken, and had a heart of gold.
I hate to think that the loss of my sister is what caused the shift in her, but I do.
It’s why I protected her for as long as I did.
But who knows, maybe this is who she was always going to turn out to be.
The rest of the meal went by without any more drama. The girls chatted while I sat back quietly and observed, which is my normal MO. Simone, Tink, and Jana clean up, because apparently Nora has off. I didn’t even know days off for club bunnies was a thing, but what do I know?
Kaya told me she had to use the bathroom, so I’m waiting outside by my bike. I’m brushing some dirt off the saddlebags when I hear the door open. Only when I turn to see who’s coming, it’s not the brunette little spitfire I’m hoping to see. It’s Jessica.
I stand up straight as she approaches. Her hips move back and forth with purpose.
I know she’s doing it to get a rise out of me.
It won’t work. Her attitude and our history make her completely unattractive to me.
She smiles a sweet, seductive grin and raises her hand to touch my chest when she reaches me. I instantly grab her wrist.
“You can’t be serious,” I scoff.
“Mav! Why are you being like this?” That bottom lip pouts out again and I want to rip it from her face.
“What did you think was going to happen? That you would show up here uninvited and we would fall in bed together?”
She grins. Fucking grins! I let go of her wrist, pushing her back.
“Stay the fuck away from me. I’m giving you three days and your ass is out of here.”
She sighs. Her bravado falling a bit. “I have nowhere to go. Phoenix told me not to come back to the clubhouse.”
“Go home to your family.”
She rolls her eyes. “I can’t. My mom sold the trailer and moved to Texas with my aunt.”
I cross my arms in front of my chest. “Where’s your pop?”
“Moved in with his girlfriend and before you ask my brother moved to Louisiana two years ago and I haven’t heard from him since.” That didn’t surprise me. Her brother Matt could hardly stand the sight of her. They have different moms and never really got along.
“Sorry to hear that, but it’s not my problem. You’re a grown ass woman and it’s about time you start taking responsibility for yourself. It’s not my fucking job to take care of you.”
Jessica’s blonde hair blows back from the breeze and I can see tears welling in her eyes. “You’re the only person I could ever count on,” she whispers.
The clubhouse door opens and Kaya walks out. As soon as she notices Jessica, she stops for a second before continuing toward us.
Jessica follows my gaze to Kaya and rolls her eyes. “So, is that your woman or something?”
“She’s none of your business.” I lean toward her, “and you better stay the fuck away from her.”
Jessica huffs and turns on her heels, storming away from me. She passes Kaya, but doesn’t even glance in her direction. Good. I swallow down my anger and grab my helmet from my handlebars and hold it out for Kaya. When she reaches me, she takes it, hesitantly.
“What did she want?” Kaya asks, holding the helmet in front of her.
I shrug. “She thinks it’s my job to solve her problems.”
“I don’t get it. You said you haven’t seen her in years.”
“I haven’t.” I throw my leg over my bike.
Kaya stands still for a moment, before finally putting the helmet on and climbing on behind me.
When her arms wrap around me, I instantly calm.
Just having this woman’s hands on my body is enough to ease the rage inside me.
It causes my breath to catch for a second.
She notices and responds by moving her hands up and down on my abs in gentle strokes.
I cover her hand with mine and give it a gentle squeeze before starting the bike.
We head through the gate and down the street. I always feel free when I’m on the open road, but nothing compares to having her here with me. The wind. The vibrations and rumbling engine. This girl. All of it together brings me a peace I never knew could exist.