Double the Mayhem

by Faith Gibson

  “Natalia, are you—?” Maveryck smiled down at her with his boys asleep on her lap. She smiled back; this time it wasn’t forced. He squatted next to her. “How are you doing, Princess?”

  “Fine.” She wasn’t about to tell him she was ready to run. Ready to get away from the crowd and his mother’s accusing eyes.

  “Do you want me to take them upstairs for their nap?”

  Natalia shook her head, her hands never leaving their hair. “No, please. I...” She looked down at their sleeping forms. “They’re good where they are, if that is okay with you?”

  Maveryck brushed his knuckles down her cheek. It surprised her he was touching her in front of the others. She didn’t mind his touch. In fact, she welcomed it. Natalia had gone most of her life without hugs or affection. Without words of love or adoration. Not since her mother. It was one reason she wanted the boys to remain where they were. They had no idea how much their presence soothed her.

  “It’s more than okay. I have a feeling they need your touch,” Mav whispered.

  Natalia figured he was referring to Jenna. The twins had been with Mav for three days, and they had yet to ask about their mother. Hadn’t mentioned her once. Some women didn’t want kids. Some wanted kids, or thought they did, but then after they were born, the mothers weren’t equipped to handle them. Natalia didn’t know Jenna, but she selfishly was glad the woman had brought the boys back to Maveryck. Even if she was only in their lives for a week or two, she knew she would never be the same for knowing them.

  “Mom, Dad wants to see you outside for a second.” Maveryck stood and waited for his mother to follow him. Rory turned and looked down at the boys before she went out the back door.

  “She can be a little intense,” Kerrigan said, scooting closer to Natalia on the sofa so she could whisper. “She’s a lioness, guarding her cubs. As long as you don’t hurt Mav or the twins, she’ll keep her claws put away.”

  Natalia looked over her shoulder at the pretty redhead. “I would never hurt them. I would protect them with my life. Before I knew who Maveryck was, I gave him a copy of the contract. I just couldn’t let him go about his day without warning him. But now? Now that I know about the twins? I’m ready to find out who put the hit on him and take them out myself.”

  Kerrigan smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear. “You feel it, don’t you? That pull to him.” Kerrigan didn’t give Natalia a chance to answer. “I was kidnapped from my hometown. It was the middle of the night, and I had been beaten badly by my boyfriend. I escaped when he left me to ‘think about what I’d done.’ I was kidnapped and taken to a cult. Have you heard of the Ministry?” Natalia nodded. Everyone knew who those crazies were. “I ended up at one of their compounds. The leader, Gideon Talbert, decided he wanted me for himself. During that time, War retired from teaching, and he and Mav set out on their bikes. They started on the East Coast and were going to ride west. While they were eating one night at the bar I used to work at, my parents came in looking for me. War and Mav decided to get involved. War said he knew the moment he looked at my picture he needed to find me.

  “Long story short, with Lucy’s help, War tracked me down. I was running through the woods being chased by two of Gideon’s men and a dog. War grabbed me right as the dog snapped his jaws down. I passed out, and when I woke, I was in War’s tent. I was scared. I was in so much pain, but I knew. I had left an abusive relationship to fall right into an obsessive one with my kidnapper. I should have sworn off men for the rest of my life, but I felt this deep connection to War. He had been through some shit with his wife, Lucy’s mother. That’s a story for another day, but suffice it to say, he wasn’t looking for a mate either. Didn’t matter. The pull to one another was too great to ignore. And here we are.”

  “You said mate. Why?”

  Kerrigan looked over the sofa toward the back door. “The Hounds think they’re really animals.” Kerrigan smirked like she knew a secret. “Animals have mates, not girlfriends or partners. One day, I’ll be his wife, but until then?” She shrugged. “I don’t mind being his mate.”

  “That sounds... really nice. And I’m happy for you. I don’t know you, but I’m glad your story had a happy ending.”

  “I think your story will have one as well.”

  “I appreciate you telling me your history, but what does that have to do with Rory?”

  “War’s wife, Lucy’s mother, didn’t want their child raised in or around the MC, so he chose Harlow over his family. When she died, he allowed her family to adopt Lucy, and he continued on the path they chose. He became a professor. When War and I got together, he insisted we get to know each other without coming back to his family and the MC immediately. I thought for sure Rory would hate me because of her dislike of Harlow. She didn’t. All she wants for all her children is for them to be happy. If you make Mav happy and you take care of him and the twins, she’ll welcome you with open arms. As it stands now, she doesn’t know you or your intentions.”

  “I can understand that. But Maveryck and I just met. And the circumstances surrounding us? They’re crazy at best. We accepted contracts on each other.”

  “But neither of you plan on fulfilling those contracts. The Hounds are out there working on figuring this mess out. Once that’s taken care of, the two of you can figure out the rest.”

  Natalia glanced down at the twins. She’d dreamed of having a man in her life. Children too. She never thought it was possible because of who she was and the life she lived. Maveryck knew all about her past and what she did now. She couldn’t get her hopes up. Not yet. But he made her feel that – hopeful. And she was already attached to the sweet boys asleep on her lap. If some miracle happened and she was allowed to remain in their lives, Natalia would never walk away from them. Never hand them over for someone else to raise. They would never doubt her love for them. Because love them she did. Fiercely.

  And if she got to love their father too?

  Movement to her left got her attention. Maveryck stood at the entrance to the living room, silently watching her. She didn’t know what he was thinking. Couldn’t tell by his blank expression if it was good or bad. So, she waited, taking the opportunity to admire the man. He was definitely her type as far as looks and build went, but it was what he held inside that drew her to him most. The ink, the piercings, the strong muscles trapped beneath the black T-shirt, those were just icing on the cake. The powerful man exuded strength. He moved gracefully when he walked. No, not walked. He stalked. Like a lion. Kerrigan likened Rory to a lioness with cubs. Mav was one of those cubs, but behind his striking blue eyes she saw the gaze of a predator. She had no doubt he was all alpha. He killed his prey with a sharp blade. Or sharp claws.

  Holy shit. Kerrigan was using metaphor, not speaking literally. Because those things didn’t exist in real life. Shifters were myth. Legend. Major said they called Aurora “Rory” because she roared like a lion.

  Maveryck licked his lips and... Natalia gasped and took a closer look at Maveryck’s mouth. No. No freaking way had she seen sharp fangs. Her mind was playing tricks on her because—

  “Princess? You okay?” Maveryck was kneeling beside her. When had he moved? How had he gotten across the room so quickly?

  Natalia giggled. Laughter bubbled from her throat, waking the boys. She was going mad.

  “Tolly?” Marshall sat up, rubbing his eyes with his little knuckles.

  She ran her fingers through his sleep-flattened hair. Marshall gifted her with the sweetest smile she’d ever seen.

  “Hey. I’m sorry I woke you.”

  Major pushed off Natalia’s lap, yawning. “Hey, Daddo. Lolly makes a good pillow.”

  “And Lolly’s butt is probably asleep. How about we let her stand and stretch her legs?” Maveryck held out a hand, and Natalia took it, letting Mav pull her to her feet.

  “Where is everyone?” Natalia looked toward the back door. Where the house had been full of people and noise earlier, now it was disturbingly quiet. Even Kerr
igan had slipped away at some point. Natalia was used to the silence in her own home. In her own life, but that didn’t fit here in Mav’s home.

  “Most everyone has gone home or back to the clubhouse. Ace and King are guarding the front, and Kyllian and Hayden are out back.” He was still holding her hand, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Being in his home with his sons. Sons who were now curled around each other on the floor, their eyes closed once again.

  Natalia pulled away from Mav’s hold and took pillows from the sofa, placing one under each of their heads. She didn’t know much about kids. Actually, she didn’t know anything about them, but she couldn’t stand them sleeping on the floor like that.

  When she faced Maveryck, he was staring at her again. Natalia blinked, and then she was in his arms with his mouth against hers. This kiss was different than the ones in her house. This was full of need. Want. Desperation. Maveryck owned her with his lips and tongue. His hands restrained her tightly, one on her ass and one threading her hair.

  Need raced through her core. Maveryck’s erection was hard against her stomach. Knowing she was the reason stole the air from her lungs. If it weren’t for the twins at their feet, Natalia would beg Maveryck to take her to his room. Take her body and make it his. Take her heart and keep it safe. The last time Natalia begged for anything was when her mother was taken from her. She begged God to bring her mommy back. He hadn’t listened then, so she didn’t pray to that god now. Now, she prayed to any deity who would listen that Maveryck felt the same connection she did. If not, she was going to be on the losing end once again.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Maveryck

  Maveryck had to stop before he couldn’t. Breaking the kiss was close to impossible. He wanted more, so much more, but they needed to talk. “Oh, Princess. What are you doing to me?” he whispered against her mouth.

  “I...” Natalia huffed out a little laugh. “You make me breathless.”

  “Same. But we need to talk.”

  “Those words never end well.”

  “I hope these will. There is something I need to tell you.” Rory had warned Maveryck against telling Natalia the truth. His mother didn’t trust his Princess, but that was on her. When she compared Natalia to Jenna, Maveryck had come close to telling his mother off. He had never raised his voice to the woman. Never felt less than unconditional love for her. She could spout all the hatred against Jenna she wanted, but he wouldn’t stand for her saying one bad thing about Natalia. It was in that moment he knew why Jenna hadn’t worked out. She wasn’t the one he was supposed to spend forever with. Natalia was.

  “Let’s go outside.” Maveryck took her hand and led her to the patio. Instead of putting her on his lap like he wanted, he sat next to her on the low sofa. Turning toward her, he did take her hands in his.

  “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”

  “Ryker found out something. Mikael is the one who put the hit out on your father.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. The family business is ruthless. It’s not like, say, a pack of wolves where the alpha is taken out by another, stronger wolf. Like Anatoly, Mikael will never get his hands dirty. That’s what I was for. What a hired assassin is for. If he knew where to find me, I have no doubt he’d put a hit out on me.”

  Maveryck sighed, and Natalia gasped. “Mikael was behind my contract? But how? I have a new identity.”

  “And who got you that new identity? Nexus. Or, someone at Nexus. We don’t know how many handlers they have or how their organization is run. You and I were both given contracts on the same pedophile. Who’s to say that wasn’t so we’d take each other out? It would seem your new identity has been compromised. What we don’t know is if it’s your handler or a different one.”

  “You knew that was me outside the mark’s apartment?”

  “Not until yesterday when I saw the photos of you in various disguises. Marshall was the one who figured that out, by the way. He saw the pictures and pointed out you have a twin. I should have known, though. When I passed you on the sidewalk that day, I should have known who you were.”

  “How?”

  “By your smell.”

  “My what? No, I meant how did you get pictures of me in disguise?”

  “Lucy. She’s an expert with a computer. I went back to your family’s estate to look for you. While I was there, she was searching for you via the web. When you put my contract in the mailbox, she started searching for anyone lurking around. She caught your pictures from when you were sitting across the street from the clubhouse. Then Marshall noticed ‘your twin,’ and Lucy found footage of you getting in your car at the grocery store. You never swapped vehicles, so she was able to trace your new information to your house.”

  “Some assassin I am,” Natalia muttered.

  “Don’t say that, Princess. I have no doubt you are excellent at your job. It’s just that Lucy is that good with the computer. I’m glad she found you, or else we never would have met like this, and we wouldn’t know the truth.” Mav rubbed his thumbs across her knuckles. “If something were to happen to Mikael, who would be in charge?”

  Natalia looked out into the backyard. “Hmm, I guess Ivan would take over, because Viktor isn’t a leader even though he’s older. But neither one has what it takes to keep the business running smoothly.” She turned her gaze to Mav. “Is something going to happen to Mikael? Because if it is, I want in. He doesn’t get to take a contract out on me with no retaliation.”

  Mav's first instinct was to say “hell, no,” but this was Tatiana Volkova sitting next to him. The successful Russian mafia hit woman who knew where the bodies were buried. The anger-infused determination in her eyes was as sexy as it was scary. His dick twitched. Who knew talking about murdering someone could be foreplay?

  “Relax, Princess. I would never take this away from you. My question is, do we need to include the brothers in the hit, or will they implode themselves without Mikael leading them? Is there someone else to come behind them and take over?”

  “Anatoly kept all his proverbial eggs in one basket. He had me take out anyone strong enough to step into his place. Other than me, Mikael is the only one who knows everything about the family business. If we take him out, Ivan and Viktor will make a mess of things. They don’t know who Anatoly’s contacts were, and I doubt Mikael is stupid enough to share with them, brothers or not.”

  “So, we let them live and implode? What if they come after you too? We don’t know what Mikael has or hasn’t shared with them. I’m not good with that. I want you safe, Princess.” Mav didn’t realize he had grabbed Natalia’s arm until she looked down at his hand. “Sorry,” he said, releasing his grip.

  “It’s been a long time since someone was concerned about my well-being.” The sheen of wetness covering her lower eyelids had Mav's heart stuttering.

  “Think you could get used to it? Because your well-being is important to me. You are important to me.” Mav placed his hand on Natalia’s cheek, brushing his thumb back and forth.

  “Why?” she asked, blinking the tears away.

  Maveryck wanted to tell Natalia what he was feeling even if he didn’t understand why, but the twins came barreling out the back door. “Daddo?” Major called.

  “We’re over here,” Mav responded.

  Major marched up to them with Marshall following, leaning against Natalia’s legs. She ran her hand through his sleep-rumpled hair.

  “Can we have cake now?” Major asked.

  Mav and Natalia needed to finish their conversation, but the boys needed their attention more. “We need to eat lunch first. What do you say, Princess? Would you like some cake?”

  “I would. I’ve never had birthday cake before.”

  Maveryck mentally shook his head. Natalia’s life had been so different from his. He wanted to know what else she’d never been allowed to have and give it to her. “Then you should have the biggest piece.” Major did a little dance, and Marshall took Natalia’s hand, lea
ding her back into the house.

  Lunch consisted of sandwiches and chips. While Mav was fixing them, Natalia admitted she couldn’t cook. “It wasn’t in the requirements for my job,” she said. “Whenever I asked Marta to teach me, she would shoo me out of the kitchen. I’ve only recently been learning via online videos. You really can find anything on the internet.”

  “I’ll be more than happy to teach you,” Mav told her. “Mom is an excellent cook, and she made sure all us boys knew how so whenever we moved out, we wouldn’t live on pizza and takeout. As a matter of fact, we can cook supper together. What kind of food do you like?”

  “Anything without beets in it. Marta only ever cooked Russian dishes, but while I was out on jobs, I made sure to try something new each time. I like steak and fried chicken. Spicy pasta dishes. Hmm, let’s see. I ate a fried bologna sandwich once, and I liked it so much, I ordered a second one. I like tacos and lasagna. Any kind of pasta, really.”

  Mav got the boys settled at the table with their food. His mom had bought new booster seats to replace the worn-out ones Jenna had left for them. He still had a lot to learn about what his twins needed. He had a lot to learn about what his Princess needed too. “What have you learned to cook from your videos?”

  “So far, just spaghetti, stir fry, tacos, and chicken alfredo. I can’t get the hang of fried chicken.”

  “It’s one of my specialties. How about we cook that for supper?” Maveryck wanted Natalia in his kitchen. Jenna hadn’t been a great cook, so she’d usually left that duty to Maveryck. He didn’t miss Jenna, and he hadn’t for a long time, but he did miss the domesticity of having a woman to do things with.