by Faith Gibson
“Daddo!” Major yelled. Maveryck couldn’t help but smile at his son. Both boys were so full of life, but Major ran at full throttle twenty-four seven.
“Morning, Buddy.” Maveryck took the seat next to Natalia. “Y’all been up long?”
“About an hour. The boys were hungry, but since I didn’t want to traumatize them with my cooking, I gave them cereal.”
Maveryck hated the defeat in her voice. “I love cereal. Always have. Especially the kinds with marshmallows. Did you eat?”
Without looking at him, she nodded. “They insisted.”
“Natalia—”
“What time are we expected at the clubhouse?”
“Natalia,” he tried again.
“Don’t, okay?” She finally looked at him. “Last night was wonderful, but let’s concentrate on getting my cousins taken care of, yeah?”
Maveryck didn’t understand. Here he was, hoping to have her in his life, but she obviously had other ideas. Things had been tense after that. Other than talking to the twins, Natalia hadn’t spoken one word. He thought maybe he’d hurt her during sex, but she said it had been wonderful, so he was at a loss as to why she’d basically ghosted him in his own home. Now, they were sitting at the oak table in the clubhouse after dropping the twins off at his parents’, and she still wouldn’t meet his eyes.
After introducing her to the Hounds she hadn’t met, the seven of them sat down to hash out their plan for that night. It was odd having a female sitting in the room where the Hounds held church. Rory often came by, but she was never allowed to sit in on their meetings since she wasn’t technically a member of the MC. Not even Lucy sat in the meetings with them. She called in from her home office and would remotely take over the computer while she was on speakerphone, which she was currently doing.
It took a couple of hours before they all decided on a course of action. Digger had called and let Ryker know the cousins were at the estate, and he was going to stay there to keep watch. Ryker was in charge, but Natalia challenged him on several issues. Maveryck knew they both made good points, and as much as he wanted to side with Natalia, he didn’t know if they had a future. Ryker was not only his brother but also his Pres, and Mav couldn’t challenge his authority for a woman he might not see after tonight. So, he sat quietly while the two of them hashed things out. Several times, Natalia looked to Maveryck for help, but he kept his face turned toward the opposite wall. He could feel her frustration, but there was nothing he could do to help without completely pissing off his older brother.
When they had a solid plan in place and the meeting was adjourned, Lucy told Mav to call her before she disconnected from the conference call. Natalia had excused herself to the restroom, so he stepped outside and called his niece.
“Hey Luce. What’s up?”
“That’s what I want to know. Why didn’t you speak up when Ryker was talking over Natalia? I know you had to have your own opinions about tonight.”
“You know how these things work. Ryker is President.”
“But this isn’t club business. This is personal. How mad is she?”
Mav sighed and ran a hand down his face. “I don’t know. She’s in the bathroom.”
“Oh, she’s pissed then. You need to talk to her and explain why you didn’t argue on her behalf.”
“She’s not going to be around long enough for it to matter.” Gravel crunching behind Maveryck had him turning around. When he did, there was no one there.
“What makes you think that?” Lucy asked.
“Just something Natalia said this morning.” Mav wasn’t going to discuss his sex life with his niece, no matter how old she was. “I don’t think she wants to be with me.”
“Listen, I don’t want to betray Natalia’s trust, but she doesn’t think she’s good enough for you and the boys. You know how she was raised. She doesn’t think she has anything to offer you. So, I don’t know, maybe try to reassure her how you feel. You do want her to stay, right?”
“Yeah, I do. And like I told her, I’ll follow her wherever she goes and bring her home. Listen, I need to go find her and apologize. Thanks, Luce.”
“Good luck.”
Maveryck looked inside first, and when he didn’t see Natalia, he headed out back. When he caught up to her, she was standing with Hayden.
“Natalia,” he said, but she ignored him.
“I need to go shopping, and since I don’t have a car, I’d like for you to take me,” she said to Hayden.
Hayden looked at Maveryck over her shoulder, his eyebrows raised. Mav shook his head, and Hayden gave Natalia one of his flirty smiles. “No can do, Lollipop. I have a couple bikes I need to work on this morning. But my big brother isn’t doing anything right now. I’m sure he would love to take you shopping.” Hayden walked off, but not before scowling at Maveryck. Why was everyone pissed at him?
“Come on, Princess. There’s something I need to talk to you about. We can chat while we’re driving.” Natalia glared at him, but she followed him to the SUV. When he went to help her get in, she ignored his hand. Maveryck sent a prayer to Zeus for patience as well as the right thing to say. “Where are we going?” he asked once he was seated.
“The army surplus store over on Madison.” Natalia was leaning against the door, looking out the window.
“I’m sorry I didn’t back you up in there.”
“Why didn’t you?” she asked, still not looking at him.
“Ryker is my President. When we’re sitting at that table, he’s ultimately in charge. I realize now what we were discussing wasn’t Club business, and I should have offered my opinion. I should have had your back.”
Natalia waved her hand in the air. “It really doesn’t matter. I’m not your mate. I’m just someone who was supposed to kill you, not…” The sadness in her voice said it did matter.
“Not what?”
“Forget it. Like I said, it doesn’t matter.” Her voice was soft. Too soft. He had been around enough women in his life to know she was probably fighting back tears. He couldn’t handle tears, especially if he was the cause of them.
“Did I hurt you last night? Is that why I woke up alone?” Mav hadn’t planned on bringing up sex, but he had to know why she wasn’t cuddled up to him when he woke. Was that something she didn’t like doing?
“What? No, you didn’t hurt me. I already told you it was wonderful. But we didn’t discuss sleeping arrangements, and I didn’t want the boys to walk in on us if that was something you weren’t ready for. After I got dressed, I heard them talking and giggling, so I took them downstairs with me.”
The store where Natalia wanted to shop was close to the clubhouse, so it only took a few minutes to get there. When he put the SUV in park, she said, “I won’t be long.”
Maveryck didn’t let her dismissal sway him from following her inside. She’d been shot at the day before. There was no way he was letting her out of his sight. He fully expected his Princess to take her time. He had been shopping with Jenna, and by the time she’d looked at everything and tried on so many clothes she never bought, he was ready to gouge his eyes out. But Natalia was like a machine. She had obviously been in this store before, because she walked directly to the clothes she wanted and rifled through them to find her size.
Tactical pants, T-shirts, socks, boots, holsters, sheaths, knit caps, and gloves, all in black, found their way into Mav’s arms as she grabbed several of each item except for the boots. When Natalia was finished, she walked to the counter and opened her purse. When she pulled out a roll of cash, Maveryck wanted to grab her hand and shove it back in. “I’ll pay,” he said.
“But it’s my gear,” Natalia countered.
“Yes, but—”
“I’ve got this,” she insisted. Maveryck dropped the items on the counter, deciding it was better to let her pay than make her any madder than she already was. The cashier’s eyes were laughing. If he thought it odd that Natalia, who looked like she should be perusing the racks at a h
igh-end fashion boutique instead of getting geared up for a covert mission, was shopping in this particular store, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t bat an eye when he rang up the two different types of gun holsters or the sheath for Natalia to hide her knife. Or knives. He didn’t know how many she had.
After paying, Natalia picked up two of the bags, leaving the rest for Mav. Before he could walk away, the cashier asked, “Man, does she have a sister?”
Mav grinned. “No, I’m afraid not.”
“You’ve got yourself a good one.”
Mav didn’t correct the man. He just inclined his head and hurried outside, not wanting Natalia to wait outside the car. He hoped the cashier was right. He wanted Natalia to be his. Now, to convince her.
He pressed the unlock button on his key fob and opened the back door. After the packages were secure in the cargo section and they were seated, he asked, “Are you hungry? I’m hungry.”
“I could eat.” Once again, she was staring out the side window.
“Is there anything you’re allergic to or don’t particularly care for?”
“Not really. I mean, I’m not allergic, but I’ll eat just about anything.”
“Excellent. One of the Hound’s wives owns a little Mexican restaurant. Most of us eat there at least once a week, sometimes twice. Not only are we supporting a fellow Hound, but the food is delicious.” What Maveryck didn’t tell Natalia was the building was secure with bulletproof glass. Maveryck also hadn’t told her they had two Hounds following in an SUV. She would know soon enough, because when he parked right in the front door, Tank pulled in beside them. He and Ripper got out of their vehicle and followed Mav and Natalia. Once they were inside, Mav introduced them.
Tank’s wife, Martina, walked out of the kitchen, and Tank’s face lit up. “Come here, Mamacita.” Martina was eight-months pregnant with their second child, and when she reached the big Hound, he dropped to his knees, cradling her round belly, and spoke softly to the baby inside. It was something he did every single time they came to eat there, and it always made Maveryck smile. Martina was shorter than Natalia, and Tank was a couple inches taller than Mav. She was Latina, and he was a pale-skinned redhead, but somehow, they matched each other perfectly.
“Who do we have here?” Martina asked Mav, looking at Natalia.
“This is Natalia. Natalia, this is Martina, Tank’s better half.”
Martina smacked Tank on the shoulder. “Let me say hello, you big goof.” Martina’s family was originally from South America, but she and her siblings had all been born in Texas, where she met Patrick “Tank” Murphy. People didn’t expect a southern drawl to come out of her mouth when she spoke. When Tank stood, Martina stepped forward and grabbed both of Natalia’s hands. “Well, aren’t you just the prettiest thing? Come, sit down. Tank, go tell Donny to get his butt out here and wait on us. Me and Miss Natalia need to get acquainted.”
Natalia looked over her shoulder at Maveryck, her eyes wide. Mav just shrugged and grinned, because if there was one person in the world who got whatever she wanted, it was Martina Murphy.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Natalia
Natalia had never laughed so much. As she pulled on her new boots getting ready to head toward her old home, she smiled, thinking about Martina and the way she made Natalia feel like they’d been friends forever. Martina’s life hadn’t been an easy one. The young woman had lost her parents when she was seventeen, having to do whatever it took to keep her and her siblings together. She didn’t hesitate to tell Natalia everything, and that included selling her body to buy food. She struggled until she met her Gryphon. Martina had propositioned a handsome cop, not knowing what he was, and instead of tossing her in jail, he took her home with him, fell in love, and married her.
Martina made Natalia forget about what was going on in her own life, and it had felt good. It also gave her a lot to think about. Being around Maveryck and everyone he’d introduced her to had shown her what was missing in her life. Friends. Family. Laughter. Love. It made Natalia’s chest pinch when she thought about leaving all those things behind.
When she woke in the middle of the night being spooned from behind, Natalia had wanted to stay there forever. She’d wanted to roll over and kiss Maveryck awake, begging him to make love to her again. When Natalia remembered the twins were across the hall, she made herself get up and go back to the guest room.
Not being able to cook a good breakfast for the boys hadn’t set well with her, but she assumed if Mav had cereal in the house, it was okay to feed it to them. When he told her he loved cereal, she thought it was his way of telling her it was okay she didn’t cook. He had offered to teach her, and she was more than willing to learn. She wasn’t one to feel sorry for herself. Natalia figured out a long time ago if she wanted to learn something, she could. Like speaking Russian. So why not cooking?
But she’d overheard Mav on the phone saying she wasn’t going to be around long enough for anything to matter, so learning to cook was no longer important. He couldn’t have hurt her worse if he’d used his claws to reach into her chest and pull her heart out.
Natalia did her best to forget about her future, or lack of one, with Maveryck as she adjusted the straps on one of her new holsters before sliding it over her shoulders. Since she didn’t know what they were going to encounter later, she opted for the one which held two guns. She had already wrapped the knife sheaths around her thighs. They were going in after dark, so Natalia didn’t feel the need to hide her blades in her boots or under long sleeves. Plus, having them on her legs gave her quicker access.
Last, she grabbed one of the knit caps and pulled it down over her hair. She didn’t bother looking in the mirror. Natalia already knew what she looked like decked out to blend in with the darkness. She wasn’t looking forward to the four-hour drive, but she was ready to get the night over with. Mikael had underestimated her, and tonight, she was going to show him he screwed with the wrong Volkov.
Natalia bypassed the twins’ room without looking in as she made her way downstairs. When she walked into the living room, several sets of eyes stared at her. Most of the Hounds gawked at her appearance, seemingly surprised, because Ace muttered, “Holy shit,” and Hayden said, “Bad. Ass.” But one set – Mav’s – gave her goosebumps while setting her on fire. If they had been alone, she had a feeling he would have removed every stitch of black from her body and taken her back upstairs. She shivered at his intense gaze, and when Ryker cleared his throat, Natalia found her feet. Instead of saying anything, she strode out to the garage to her weapons cabinet.
She grabbed the rifle case and set it aside, then she chose two 9mm Sig Sauers and slid them into the holster. She had several knives to choose from, but she picked up her favorites, spinning them in her hands before sliding them home in the sheaths on her thighs. The double-edged Shaitans were larger than most of the other knives in her arsenal, but these were the best-balanced for throwing. She opened the drawer at the bottom of the cabinet and loaded her black duffel with more ammo than she would need, but Natalia liked to be prepared.
She closed the cabinet, making sure it locked, then picked up her case and duffel. When she turned around, those same six sets of eyes were staring at her again. “Where are your weapons?” she asked.
“Lolly, we are the weapons,” Hayden crowed, grinning.
Maveryck shoved his brother. “They’re already loaded. Here, let me take those.” He added her things to whatever they had in the vehicle. Since there were seven of them, Maveryck and Natalia slid into the back seat of his SUV with Hayden driving and Rev riding shotgun. Ace, King, and Ryker got into the other vehicle. Natalia didn’t see who was driving. She figured it would be Ryker, since he liked to be in charge of everything.
“You nervous, Lollipop?” Hayden asked after they got on the road.
“Yes,” she admitted. Sitting beside Maveryck in the dark back seat was both exhilarating and heartbreaking. She was confused as to why he could say she wo
uldn’t be sticking around then look at her like she was his favorite dessert he wanted to devour. So, yes, she was nervous, and it had everything to do with the male sitting next to her with his powerful thigh pressed to her smaller one. His arm was spread across the back of the seat, and she had to remind herself not to lean her head back and use it as a cushion.
“Really? I thought a badass like you would be all calm and collected.”
“Usually I am, but I’m used to working alone. I don’t have to worry about anyone other than myself. I know my job. I get in, get out. Tonight, I’m going to be worried about all of you getting hurt.”
Mav reached over and took her hand in his. “You do realize this is what we do for a living, right? You’re not the only one who knows how to get in and out without getting hurt.”
“I didn’t say my nervousness was logical; I merely spoke the truth.”
“What’s your ritual, you know, to get in the zone? Do you have a playlist to get you pumped?” Hayden asked. The younger Lazlo, Natalia found, rarely stopped talking. It was a blessing in that she didn’t have to come up with something to talk about, but he asked questions she didn’t always want to answer. This one, she didn’t mind.
“No playlist. I’m more of a Zen person before a job. I sit somewhere quiet and find my center, going over what I’m about to do in my mind. I try to see every possible outcome and prepare for it.”
“Huh. I might need to try that. Ryker says I talk too much.”
“No, not you,” Rev joked.
“What about you?” Natalia turned and looked up at Mav. “Do you have a pre-slash ritual?”
“Pre-slash?” Mav smirked, letting his hand drop down to her shoulder. He rubbed circles against the cotton of her T-shirt. “I take my bike to a lot of jobs, so I guess the ride is my ritual. The rumble of the motor beneath me teamed with the wind in my face; that’s my Zen.”
Rev nodded in the front seat. “Same here, Brother. Nothing better than the open road other than shifting and soaring above the trees.”
