Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
MAVERICK
“Mom, Dad,” Nevaeh’s whispers, and I note the tremble in her voice. One I’ve never heard other than when she’s asleep and having a nightmare.
“The fuck,” I mutter, glancing at my brothers then back to the older man with his arm around a woman who looks like an older vision of Nevaeh.
Behind them, three other men. I can only take a wild guess that they’re Nevaeh’s brothers.
Looking back to my brothers, I wrap my arm tight around my woman, feeling her body starting to shake.
“Someone want to explain what they’re all doing here? ”
“We’re here because my sister is here.” One of the brothers steps around his parents.
I notice he’s wearing a cut and on it shows he’s the President and his name’s Banshee.
I take him in as I move in front of Nevaeh.
He’s my height and has roughly fifty pounds of muscle on me, but I could still take him if need be.
“Doesn’t tell me shit,” I grunt and look back to my brothers. “You call them, Pirate?”
“Fuck no, Maverick,” Pirate grumbles, arms crossed over his chest, Gizmo curling around Pirate’s legs, mewling. The two of them seem to have bonded somewhat, meaning the fucker’s bribed the cat with treats.
“Nevaeh,” the woman speaks up, and I turn my attention back to Nevaeh’s family. I watch as the woman starts to take a step forward, but her husband stops her.
“Careful, Brynne,” Daghda says, eyeing me as I keep Nevaeh behind me.
“Maverick,” Nevaeh whimpers, her fingers pressing against my back, and I realize we’re both not dressed for this shit.
I reach behind me and take Nevaeh’s hand in mine.
I pull her to my side and hold her close.
“This shit’s gonna be put on pause for a few minutes,” I declare and guide Nevaeh toward our room.
No one speaks, but I sense her brothers’ eyes on me, or more to the point they’re directed at my woman. “Sabotage, figure out dinner.”
“Already on it, brother. Wrath ordered Chinese,” Sabotage says as I pass him. “We’d already decided to order everything on the menu, so there’s plenty for everyone.”
“Right.” I nod, without another word. Right now, I don’t want to think of food, but I know Nevaeh still needs to eat, though I’m sure she doesn’t want to, and she’ll try to say she’s not hungry.
I guide her into the room, close the door, and lock us inside, away from the others. Spinning Nevaeh toward me, I cup either side of her face. “You okay?” I murmur, looking between her eyes, assessing what’s behind the fear that shimmers in her gaze.
“How did they find me?” her voice waivers, and I wish I could take the pain I’m sure she’s feeling away.
“Don’t know, Sweets, but I intend to find out,” I promise, stroking my thumb against her cheek. “I won’t let them or anyone take you from me.”
Nevaeh shakes her head, her body visibly trembling.
“If they’re here, he . . . he . . . he could be here.
He could take me away again. I trusted him.
They do trust him,” she whispers, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Her eyes close, and she shakes her head.
I’m sure in order to shake off the memories.
“Who, baby? Who are you talking about?” I ask, swiping the tears with one hand and brushing her hair from her face with the other.
“Told you, you’re safe with me, and I won’t let anything happen to you.
None of my brothers will let you go through what you’ve been through ever again.
We’ve got you. Remember, you’re safe. You are safe with me especially.
I’m not about to let anyone touch my woman. Never again.”
Slowly, Nevaeh opens her eyes, her breath hitching, and she leans against my chest, arms wrapping around me tightly.
“Talk to me, Nevaeh,” I murmur and press a kiss to the top of her head.
“It was my birthday when I was taken. I told you,” she whispers, keeping her head on my chest, “I was having a good time. The party was at the clubhouse. It was getting late, my friends were all heading out, and I knew it was time for me to go up to the house. My parents live within walking distance of the clubhouse.” Lifting her head, she steps back, wraps her arms around herself, and I watch as she turns away from me.
“I was heading to the house, my parents and brothers were still at the clubhouse, the party switching to a typical weekend party with the clubsluts showing. Anyway, that was when he . . . he came. I wasn’t scared of him.
He’d been around the whole day to celebrate with us for my birthday.
Then just as we made it to the house, he stuck me with a needle in the neck and dragged me to his truck. ”
My anger starts to consume me the more she tells me, and I want nothing more than to go out there and find the fucker. First, I have to know who he is. I go to ask just that, but Nevaeh keeps going.
“I woke up in some dump, I can still remember the smell of it. It was horrible. I remember choking on my own vomit because of the tape covering my mouth. He made sure to humiliate me before he gave me over to ‘Master’. He explained he was sick of Daghda having everything. The perfect family. The club. Everything. While he was nothing but a simple member and nothing more.”
“Who is the motherfucker?” I demand, barely containing the rage inside me.
Nevaeh brings her gaze to mine, that bottom lip of hers trembling, eyes filled with tears, and when she speaks again, she breaks my heart.
“He took my virginity when he raped me that night while ‘Master’ watched. I endured him hurting me, taking me, bruising me, and then leaving me beaten at the ‘Master’s’ feet. ”
“Tell me who the fuck he is, Nevaeh,” I demand once again, rage flowing through my veins.
I know I’ll do anything to find the motherfucker and make him pay for what he did to my woman when she was still a kid.
It might have been her eighteenth birthday, but that doesn’t matter. She was still too damn young.
Nevaeh’s breath hitches as she meets my gaze and answers me. “My uncle. Dad’s brother.”