by Aliyah Burke
“You need to think of marrying her.” Mr. Lonetree
crossed his arms and tried to look commanding.
“That stance and that glare may have worked when I
was younger, but you won’t scare me into doing anything I
don’t want to do. And I don’t want to marry Talli. Forget it.”
“It is your duty,” the older man insisted.
“My duty is to my country, not to marry a girl of your
choosing. This is a pointless conversation and so I am going to
leave. Goodbye, Ate. Tell Ina I said farewell.” Maverick walked
out of the house before he could be drawn into an impending
long and heated argument.
Two
Albuquerque, New Mexico
“Well, take care of yourself, man. Give us a call if you
need anything. Catch ya later.” Click.
Maverick sat on his motorcycle and shut his phone. His
friend Hondo had given him a call to find out where he was
and what he was doing. Ever since the shrink had decided
Maverick needed some down time, his teammates had been
calling him to check up on him.
He loved the members of his SEAL team and he wanted
the okay to go back to work. The therapist had determined he
needed about a month off; in fact all of them got the required
time, but the others had spouses, children, and family to enjoy.
Maverick had no one and now he was alone in Albuquerque.
There was neither rhyme nor reason for him to be here.
All he’d done was climb on his bike and it brought him here.
He hadn’t had a destination in mind when he’d hit the open
road; but now that he’d arrived, the part of his soul that had
told him he needed to find something was telling him he was in
the right place.
Maverick might not want to do as his father wished, but
he did believe in the customs of his people and fully intended
on listening to his inner voice. “First order of business…find a
place to stay.”
It didn’t take him long to find a place, and soon
Maverick was standing at the window of his hotel room. He
had a direct view of the Sandia Mountains. It was beautiful. For
that moment, he was content; but soon the earlier restlessness
came to the fore again. He spent the rest of the day learning the
area he was in. Taking a trip to Old Town, he played the tourist
thing to a tee.
Around nine that night, Maverick hooked up with a
group of single men who were on vacation and went to some
bars. They had a great time drinking and shooting pool.
As they were walking back in the direction of the hotel,
a light hit on the weathered sign that was in front of an olderlooking
building. B’s Quarry, it read. With a glance at the guys
with him, Maverick and the guys headed for the door.
An assortment of vehicles were in the parking lot out
front, everything from motorcycles, to trucks, to cars, and even
fancy SUVs. Maverick wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
They walked through the door, Maverick bringing up
the rear. For a brief moment, he took in the layout of the bar, an
instinctive habit from his career.
There were tables placed throughout the whole place.
The floors were wooden and they shone in the neon light from
alcohol logos. On each side of the establishment were two pool
tables and two dart boards, all being used by the patrons.
Along the right wall was a raised stage and there was a small
open space near it for dancing. A jukebox was next to the stage
and right now it was the only thing offering up music to the
bar.
Against the back wall was a long bar, and as far as he
could see there was only one woman behind it, a beautiful
black woman who didn’t seem to have any trouble handling all
the hollered orders. The restrooms were to the right and left of
the bar.
The place was jumping; for a Tuesday evening he would
have guessed it would be quieter. But then he didn’t even
know the establishment, so who was he to judge? There were
very few tables left and his group grabbed one. A waitress
came by shortly to take their drink orders.
Tempest had been behind the bar, in her usual place,
when the door had swung open. A group of five men had
stood there illuminated by the lights of her business. There was
a man in the back of the group who gave her pause. He was
gorgeous with flawless skin and jet black hair that was
tastefully messy. His face was chiseled and held massive
determination. She immediately identified him as Native
American; but at the same time, a shiver went through her
body, one she couldn’t quite understand.
He’d stood tall, proud, and frozen as his eyes swept the
place. Normally if people did that, she’d assume they were
casing the joint. Not with this man. There was something about
his carriage that made her shudder. After he’d done that, he’d
followed his group to a table and sat down.
When Mili, one of the waitresses she employed, leaned
up on the bar, Tempest sent her a smile. “Wow, that is one hot
group of men,” the Latina said with a grin.
“Most men in here are hot, according to the ‘Bible of
Mili’, so that is nothing new,” Tempest teased her as she
reached for five beers.
“I have a good eye for men. And the tallest of that group
is a man’s man. I mean, Jesus, did you see the size of his arms?
Or his chest?” The young woman was nearly panting. “His legs
or the fact that he could crack a walnut with his ass?”
Tempest burst out laughing. “Damn, Mili. You’re
horrid!” Sliding the drinks toward the dark-eyed woman, she
shook her head. “Get back to work.”
With an overly dramatic sigh followed by a shoulder
shrug, the woman did just that, weaving in and out of the
increasing crowd delivering drinks to the patrons.
Maverick had focused his eyes back on the sexy
bartender as she spoke to the woman who’d taken their drink
order. The waitress was nothing to scoff at, but the second
she’d gone next to the bartender, Maverick had lost all interest
in her. His total attention had fallen upon the dark, smooth skin
of the woman flipping drinks.
When her head had tipped back in laughter, his cock
had jerked so intensely in his jeans, it’d made him jump. He’d
groaned as she’d graced the waitress with a full-blown smile
that allowed the white of her teeth to contrast against her dark
skin. Whatever her response was, he’d had no idea; all he could
see was the way her tongue snuck out to trace along her lips.
The overwhelming urge to cross the room and kiss that
woman senseless was mind blowing. Maverick had amazing
eyesight, a trait that enabled him to be a sniper, and he could
see everything she offered. The oval shape of her face,
unbelievably full lips, a small somewhat flat nose, wide darkcolored
eyes.
Her hair was put up in a tight ponytail, allowing
everyone to see her high cheekbones. She wore a black cutoff
shirt that had the Harley Davidson logo on it. He could see the
muscles in her arms moving as she worked.
“You okay, Maverick?” one of the men asked, waving a
hand in front of his face.
Blinking, he nodded. “Fine.”
The waitress appeared at their sides and placed the
beers down in front of each man. “Enjoy,” she purred when
they placed tips on her tray.
He drank as the night went on. The group with him was
getting rowdy. Maverick noticed how two bouncers were
keeping an eye on their table. “Get it under control, guys,” he
muttered. “I don’t want to get kicked out.”
The men nodded without really hearing him. Movement
at the door behind the bar grabbed his attention. He noticed a
young man with dark skin and black hair come out and walk
over to the bartender, slipping his arms around her waist.
Maverick’s eyes narrowed as she served her drink and
spun around with a cheer as her arms encircled the man’s neck.
He growled his displeasure. The man holding her nodded at
something she said, which set her off on another round of
cheers.
Strong arms had slid around her waist. Tempest had
pushed the Jack and Coke across the bar to the man waiting for
it before acknowledging the man behind her.
“I did it!” he blurted before she faced him.
“Dakota!” she exclaimed and turned in his arms. She
looked up at her son who was a few inches over six feet. “I am
so proud of you!”
The early years had been difficult for them. Being such a
young girl and raising her son had posed an immense
challenge, but Tempest succeeded. She’d even finished high
school and had gotten her degree in business management.
When her aunt died, she left everything to the young
girl whom she’d taken in years earlier. So now, Tempest and
her son owned a bar in Albuquerque and he was currently
attending the university, majoring in African-American Studies
and Anthropology.
“So you passed it?” she asked as he let her feet find the
floor.
“I aced it,” he said and nodded.
Tempest hugged him and cheered louder. He’d been
taking his final in The African World. “I will stop now before I
embarrass you anymore.”
He smiled down at his mother. “I love you and I’m
ready to get to work.”
“You just passed a major test; why aren’t you out
celebrating with friends?” Tempest questioned her child as she
heard a drink order being yelled and began to make it.
“I always work on Tuesday.” He moved to the other end
of the bar and started preparing drinks for the patrons at the
other end of the bar.
“I’m taking ten,” she shouted over the music to her son.
He waved her off as he continued to flirt with the
women and serve drinks. About to go into her office for a few
minutes of quiet, Tempest changed directions as she heard a
loud commotion from on the floor.
Instantly, she headed for the table creating the ruckus. It
was the group she’d noticed coming in earlier, with the
handsome man. And he only got hotter the closer she went.
She felt the large presence of one of her bouncers at her back.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” she said, loud enough to get
their attention. Five sets of eyes fixated on her.
“Hey, baby,” one of the men slurred.
Tempest controlled her eye roll. Drunken men were all
the same. These weren’t wasted but definitely on their way.
“Look, I am very glad you came in here but you need to get
control of your emotions. I don’t need you being louder than
everyone else combined.”
Maverick was impressed. She had no fear as she talked
to the loud men, yet at the same time she was very respectful to
them. At the moment, her gaze was not on him but on the
loudest of the group. His eyes roved over the jeans that hugged
her bubble butt to perfection. She had a profile any goddess
would envy.
“Sorry,” the slurred word came. “We are on our last
vacation before Matt here gets married.” The man slung his
arm around his friend. “You know, kind of like a last fling.
Sending him off with a bang…so to speak.”
“Well,” she said with a smile. Maverick noticed how the
bouncer slipped away. “In that case, let me get you a
round…on the house. Just don’t get into a shouting match.”
Determined to get her beautiful face on him, Maverick spoke
up. “That is so kind of you; thank you.”
That tone, that voice, sent shivers through her body.
Tempest turned to face him. The second their eyes met, that
shiver changed to dread and then downright rage. It was a
huge struggle to remain calm.
Maverick noticed her eyes looked panicked before they
were reined in under control. He watched her run russet gaze
over his seated frame. His body hardened from her close
proximity to him.
It was, however, when she spoke again, that he flashed
back up to her face. He knew she was trying valiantly to be
nice, but he could hear the strain in her voice. “Well, I aim to
please.” She waved to the same waitress who’d been attending
them very well. “Mili, give a round of drinks to these men; they
are celebrating.”
One last hard stare at the tall man and Tempest was
gone. Heading through the crowd, she slipped into her office
and shut the door. Moments later, she was crumpled on the
floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Tears formed and began
pouring down her dark cheeks.
As Tempest closed the front door of the house behind
her, the question came. “Are you okay, Mom?”
Without turning she merely nodded. “I’m fine, Dak,
don’t worry. Just a bit tired.” Tempest continued on to the
kitchen. She lived in the same house that she’d since she
arrived here. It was left to her when Aunt Bertha died.
“I will let you get some sleep, then,” he spoke from
behind her. “I have some more work to do before I crash. See
you in the morning.” Dakota kissed her on the cheek and
strode out of the kitchen and off to his room with his long legs.
“Love you,” he tossed back at her from the hall.
“I love you too,” Tempest hollered back as the tears
threatened to begin again.
She also left the kitchen for her room. Closing the door
behind her, she walked to her bathroom, dropping clothes
along the way. Turning on the shower to as hot as she could
handle it, she stepped in, stood under the spray, and let the
tears win.
Looking into those eyes had nearly killed her this
evening. What the hell was he doing here? It didn’t look like he
knew who she was, but maybe he was biding his time. “Not
like twenty-one years isn’t long enough,” she hissed to her
shower wall.
Tempest pounded on the speckled tiles that lined her
stall until her hands went numb.
She cried and cursed
Maverick as her fists couldn’t take anymore. Turning off the
water, Tempest walked nude back into her bedroom and stood
in the middle of her room, letting the dry desert air suck the
remaining moisture from her skin.
Her body moved over to the tri-fold full-length mirror
that was in a corner of her room. Positioning her body so she
could see the lower part of her back, Tempest placed her eyes
on the tattoo that rested just above her tailbone.
It was a bed of thorns that squeezed a word and there
were drops of blood visible. In and out of each letter the thorns
wove. The word: Maverick.
“This tattoo hurt like hell,” she whispered as her heart
hardened. “But it was a reminder of you and what you put me
through.” Tempest dried her hair, lotioned her body, and
climbed into bed.
Sleep was a long time in coming, for she was haunted by
memories she’d believed long buried. And beyond them was a
pair of black eyes that seemed to penetrate her soul.
Dakota frowned as he heard his mother crying. It was so
unlike her. His mother was the strongest woman he knew.
She’d been the rock at Bertha’s funeral. His mom worked her
ass off to give him everything she could.
He knew the cost of her being a single mom. For a while,
he’d wanted to know his father, until she’d said he didn’t want
them. And she didn’t try to stop his anger at being abandoned
by his unknown father, allowing him to vent and get it out of
his system.
But unlike many kids at school who couldn’t care less
about the strain it put on the single parent, he always did his
best to help her out. She would thank him and send him on his
way to play sports or do homework. No matter how busy she
was, she always made sure she was there during anything he
was participating in, school or otherwise.
He’d spent many nights in her office at work while,
prohibited from coming out to the front. His mom would come
back there to check on his homework and him. He’d learned
how to mix drinks at a young age, but she’d refused to let him
serve any until he was twenty-one. So this year, he’d begun to
serve in the bar, even getting his certificate and it was all legal.
Dakota worked hard in school, determined to excel and
make his mother proud of him. He would be able to provide
for her and let her relax. For a while, he’d encouraged her to
