by Faith Gibson
Sutton followed him to the porch where two small cardboard boxes were sitting next to booster seats. One box was filled with worn-out clothes, and the other contained a few toys. Mav closed his eyes, unable to stop the tears from falling. “How… how is this all they have? Pop? These are my boys. My sons, and this… these two boxes are all they have?”
Sutton pulled Mav to his chest and wrapped his strong arms around his son. “They’re here now. Everything’s going to be okay, I promise you that. Come on. Let’s go make sure they have the best bedroom two little boys have ever seen.”
“I need to call War. He’ll want to know.” Mav wiped his eyes, refusing to look at the sad boxes at his feet.
“All your brothers will, but I don’t think the twins need to be bombarded with all that, do you? Hayden and Kyllian can be a handful.”
“You’re right, but maybe they can be removing the furniture from the boys’ room so we don’t have to do that later.”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s go tell your mom and the boys we’re going shopping, then you can conference call your brothers on the way to the store.”
The boys were sitting huddled together on the sofa in the family room watching cartoons. Mav smiled, because he and War sat the same way when they were little.
Rory grabbed Sutton by the hand and led him into the kitchen. She was whispering, but Mav could tell his mom was itching for a fight. He knew she wasn’t mad at the boys but mad at their situation. He wasn’t happy with Jenna, but he was thrilled that his two little men were where they belonged – with him. He gave his father time to calm Rory down before joining them.
Keeping her voice low, she said, “I’m going to kill her. I’m going to find that bitch and tear her apart with my claws.”
“Mom? What is it?”
“What is it? She kept our babies from us for four years. Four years! She had no right,” Rory seethed.
“No, she didn’t. And you’ll have to get in line with the claws. I’m not satisfied with that note she left. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad she gave them up, but I want to know why now. But right now, I need to go shopping and get furniture and toys and clothes. That’s going to take all afternoon. Then, I’m going to take them home and make sure they are comfortable. While Pop and I do that, I’m going to ask the others to get started removing the stuff in their room so things will go faster.”
“You’re welcome to stay here, you know.” Rory had just returned from seeing two of his sisters and their kids who also had little ones of their own. His female siblings, all six of them, were in their eighties. Since they were Gryphons, they didn’t look much older than Mav. Then again, neither did his parents.
“I do know that, and I appreciate it. But I want them settled at home as quickly as possible. I’m going to need your help in the next few weeks, because kids. I know nothing about them. While I’m gone, please take a look at their medical records and make sure there’s nothing we need to be concerned with immediately.
“I can do that. As soon as you get their room set up, give me a call, and I’ll bring them to you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Mav walked back in the living room and knelt in front of the twins. “Do you want bunk beds or twin beds?”
“Whassa bunk bed?” Marshall asked softly, his pale eyebrows dipping between eyes the same blue as Mav’s.
“It’s where the beds are stacked on top of the other. Here, let me show you.” Mav googled a picture and showed it to them. “There’s those, or…” He showed them a picture of a room with two twin beds. “These. Which ones do you like best?”
“We don’t have to share?” Major asked.
Mav swallowed hard. “No, buddy. You each get your own bed. So, what’s it going to be?” The room across from his was large enough to accommodate either.
The twins looked at each other, but neither one spoke. It was like they were having a silent conversation. Mav knew that was impossible, because they wouldn’t get their Gryphon until they reached puberty, if they got it at all. Even then, they shouldn’t be able to communicate telepathically. Maybe they were just so close they didn’t need words.
Major pointed to the twin beds. “Those ones.”
“You got it. Do you have a favorite color?”
“Blue,” they responded together.
Mav chuckled and tucked his phone away. As he did in the kitchen, he pressed his palms to the sides of their heads, relishing their softness. “Got it. Okay, Pops and I are going shopping. You’ll have a new bedroom before you know it.”
“And pizza?” Major asked.
“And pizza. Be good for your grandmother.”
“Okay,” they said in unison.
Maveryck met his dad outside. Sutton looked up and tucked his phone in his pocket. “I’m going to drive my truck so we can haul more furniture. I figure Halston’s would be the best place since it’s close to the Bed and Bath place.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll meet you there.” Mav got in his SUV, and as soon as he was on the road, he called his own twin.
“Mav? What’s up?”
“You’re not going to believe this shit. Rory called as soon as I got home and told me to haul ass to her house. When I got there, Jenna was waiting.”
“Mav, that’s… I don’t know what it is. Is it good? Bad?”
“It’s twins.”
“Twins? She’s pregnant? Was she coming to rub it in your face or something?”
Mav grinned even though he was still freaking the fuck out. “No, twins as in I have a set, and they’re four. Major and Marshall. War, they’re the sweetest things you’ll ever see in your life. I’m a father. Me. A dad!”
“Congratulations, but I’m curious as to the rest of the story.”
Mav told his twin the gist of what happened. When War finally stopped offering to hunt Jenna down, Mav said, “We’ll discuss that later, because I will be going after her for more answers. Right now, Pops and I are headed to get them some furniture and clothes. I’m calling the brothers to see if they’ll go clear out the bedroom across from mine. I want to get the boys settled as soon as possible.”
“What do you need me to do? Hang on.” War told Kerrigan the short version of the story.
“Put it on speaker,” she told War. “Mav? What can we do to help? Do you need us to go shopping or go babyproof your house or something?”
Maveryck’s heart warmed. War was blessed with such a thoughtful mate. “Since they’re four, I don’t think babyproofing is necessary.”
“War said you’re getting furniture. What about clothes or toys? We can do that for you.”
“If you want to get them some clothes, that’d save me time, and I’ll pay you back as soon as we get to my house.”
“Just let me know what sizes, and we’ll take care of it.”
Mav rattled off the sizes he’d noticed on the clothes in the box. “You might want to get some the next size larger too. What little Jenna left wasn’t in good shape, and I don’t even know if they fit properly. Shit, they need shoes too. War, please call Rory. They’re with her right now, and she can look at what they’re wearing to give you the size. And jackets. And gloves and beanies, and—”
“Breathe, Brother. Kerrigan and I have this. You just worry about the furniture.”
“Thanks. I… Zeus almighty. I don’t know anything about kids, War.”
“No, but our mother does, and so do King, Ace, and the Rev. Plus, you’ve got the rest of us. These two boys have more uncles than they’ll know what to do with.”
“And they have me and Lucy,” Kerrigan added.
War murmured his agreement to his mate then continued, “Now, go do what you have to, and we’ll meet you at your house later. I love you, Mav. It’s going to be okay.”
“I love you too. And thanks. Both of you.”
Mav was still in shock, but War was right. He and his boys were going to be just fine.
Chapter Eight
Natalia
<
br /> Natalia was glad to be home. She had been torn between taking a vacation and looking for the biker. The vacation finally won out, and Natalia spent the next week traveling to Fiji. She had rented a private bure situated over crystal-clear waters. While it offered her a modicum of privacy, she hadn’t realized that traveling alone would be so lonely. All around were couples enjoying the sun and water of the Pacific. Her cabana boys in skimpy swimsuits turned out to be island boys in dress shirts and khaki shorts. They were nice enough to look at, if you went for the college-aged surfer type. She didn’t. She compared them to Blue Eyes with his broad chest, biceps that stretched the arms of his T-shirt, and jeans that molded to thighs as big as her waist.
Eating dinner alone at home was the norm, but eating solo in a fancy restaurant had been miserable. All around was laughter. Dancing. Soft touches. Light kisses. Love. She would have been better off getting a remote cabin in the woods. Natalia tried to make the best of her situation. She sunned on the beach. Went snorkeling. Browsed the cute shops. Joined in the local dance and storytelling night. All-in-all, it was worth the money to see such beautiful waters surrounded by lush greenery. When she stopped feeling sorry for herself, she welcomed the island experience and found the locals a pleasure to talk to.
Now she was home and feeling a bit adrift. She gave herself a day to reacclimate to the time difference by lounging on the sofa and staring at photos of a certain biker. What was it that was so compelling about him? Was it the fact that she’d been sent the pictures anonymously? Maybe it was the mystery surrounding his identity. Or the fact that he could possibly be her father’s killer. Whatever it was, it was driving Natalia crazy.
When she finally logged onto her computer, she had several emails from Nix, all contracts. She also had another email in her Nexus account, but the sender’s identity was blank. She figured there had been a glitch in the system, and Nix’s codename had somehow been left off. Regardless, she opened the message and when she saw who the mark was, her breath caught. Natalia stood so fast she almost dropped her computer.
Why would someone want to take him out? What had he done that warranted his life snuffed out? She couldn’t do it. But if she didn’t accept the contract, someone else would, and she couldn’t let that happen. Could she? She didn’t know this man. Didn’t know one thing about him, except now she knew his name – Maveryck Lazlo, a.k.a. Mayhem. Natalia placed her laptop on the table before detouring to the kitchen for a glass of wine. She needed alcohol.
She declined the other contracts Nix sent and focused on this one. Natalia took a gulp of merlot, needing the wine to hit her system quickly. She wasn’t a nervous person. Natalia prided herself on being calm in all situations. But this… this was something she knew – one way or another – would change her life. Why? That she didn’t know, but she felt it in her gut. Women’s intuition was a real thing. She had relied on it over the years when taking out her opponent, and it never let her down. She clicked the accept button then got busy reading what little information had been included.
One thing that shocked her was how close to her he lived. The address noted was less than twenty minutes from her home. She opened a new browser and entered his address. When it populated, she clicked on the street view. The house was a surprise. Natalia hadn’t imagined a biker living in such a nice place. Then again, she knew nothing about him, like what he did for a living. According to her research, motorcycle clubs tended to deal in drugs and guns, much like her father had. Did this one follow suit? Or were they in the minority the way some clubs touted doing good for the community? If he had a contract on him, the man had obviously done something to warrant taking a look at.
Natalia was excited. Normally, when she took a contract, she was anxious to get the job done. With this one? She couldn’t wait to do surveillance. To follow the gorgeous man and see what his life was about. Maybe she would get close to him and find out firsthand the type of man he truly was. How else was she going to determine whether or not he deserved a bullet?
There was no time like the present to get started. Natalia sent the information to her private email and shut down her computer. Since she was doing recon, she opted for one of her casual disguises, which included a long, brown wig and frumpy clothes, much like the way she used to dress at home when her father was alive. She chose to wear green contact lenses. Not that she planned to get close enough for the man to see her eyes.
Her car was nondescript, so she didn’t worry about it being recognized or remembered. As she drove by the house, her stomach fluttered thinking about the man moving about inside. Did he have a wife or girlfriend in there with him? The information she’d received didn’t mention either, but that didn’t mean he lived alone. Natalia couldn’t imagine a man as virile as him going without companionship for very long. Would he consider having someone like her in his bed? She had never had a problem finding one-night stands, and they had always commented how pretty she was. But those men weren’t Blue Eyes. They weren’t Maveryck, the hot-as-sin biker.
With his house being in a neighborhood, there wasn’t anywhere Natalia could park without being conspicuous. She drove around, looking for realtor signs, hoping to find an empty house she could use, but she didn’t find any. She was going to have to figure out another way to get close to him. Now that Natalia knew the name of the motorcycle club and the address of the clubhouse, she drove there next.
When the GPS indicated she had arrived at her destination, Natalia looked around. She had been expecting something different than the large, brick building with its paved parking lot. Bikes lined up in a neat row was the only indication she had the right place. Natalia drove past and made a U-turn before pulling into the parking lot across the street. The business, a lawyer’s office, was open; therefore, she couldn’t sit there long. At least not during their hours of operation. She searched for security cameras. Not seeing any, she turned her attention to the building across the street.
Farther back in the lot was a large garage. The doors were open, and there was a man working on a motorcycle. Natalia pulled out her binoculars to get a better look. He was squatting with his back to her, but from what she could tell, he was built much like Maveryck. His hair was covered by a bandana, but he wore the black leather kutte with the MC’s rocker and colors on the back. Look at you, using the lingo. Natalia rolled her eyes at herself. When he stood and turned around, Natalia gasped. It was the same man who had winked at her when she followed the group of bikers after getting her hair done. What if her mark had been in that group? Damnit, she might have been close to Blue Eyes and didn’t know it.
The side door to the brick building opened, and two bikers walked out on either side of a woman. One of the men had his arm around the woman. At first glance, the couple appeared to be in their late forties, maybe early fifties, while the other man looked to be a little younger. The older biker walked the woman to her car, and the younger straddled one of the Harleys. The woman didn’t look like a skanky broad. She looked… normal. She had on jeans and a button-up blouse. The only indication she was an “old lady” was the black riding boots on her feet.
Natalia was pretty sure this woman was not a random chick, but more likely the biker’s wife by the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He tenderly kissed the woman before setting his forehead to hers, smiling as he said something. She smiled back and placed her hand on his cheek. Wow. He kissed her again before putting her in the car. The man watched her pull out of the parking lot, remaining there until she and the biker following her were out of sight.
A car door slammed, and Natalia jerked the binoculars away from her eyes. She searched for the owner of the car to find a man in a suit walking into the lawyer’s office. He glanced back over his shoulder to where she was sitting before going inside. Time was up.
Reluctantly, Natalia left the area and drove around, thinking. She knew looks could be deceiving. But that couple appeared so in love. Maybe the biker was a criminal and his woman didn’t know it.
Maybe they were both criminals. There wasn’t a rule that said bad people couldn’t fall in love. Hell, if she thought about it, most people would consider her a criminal. That’s because you are. Just because she got paid to take out the trash didn’t mean it wasn’t illegal. What right did she have to take the life of another? None really. Didn’t make it right just because that’s how she’d been raised. But it was all she’d ever known. All she knew how to do. She couldn’t very well go get a desk job with her current resume, not that she would want one. She did what she was good at. It paid well, and so far, her conscience had been clear. At least since the jobs she had taken for Nix. She didn’t want to think about the men she’d killed when her father first trained her.
Was she a bad person?
Natalia didn’t think so. She didn’t hurt good people. She had the capacity to love, although she hadn’t loved anyone since her mother died. Not Marta. Not her father. Especially not her cousins. That was a sad realization. Maybe one day she would find someone who would be able to accept her for who she was. Love her in spite of the things she’d done. Maybe someone like—
That sound she was becoming familiar with echoed from somewhere close by. Natalia put on her blinker and pulled over into the nearest parking lot and waited. Six bikers motored past, and Natalia pulled out behind them. This time, the men had on their vests – kuttes – with the colors of a skull with a Gryphon on either side. She couldn’t tell if Maveryck was among the group. She didn’t crowd them, keeping a few cars between her and them.
Natalia followed them for twenty minutes, until they pulled over at a quaint Mexican restaurant. She turned into the strip center next door and parked where she could keep an eye on them. Six of the sexiest men she’d ever seen pulled off their helmets and strode into the building as a unit. All of them were built, some more than others, and there was no denying they were confident in their skin. While nice to look at, they weren’t the man she was after. Where are you?
