by L. Wilder
“Good. I’m glad she’s doing better. I hate to admit it, but that girl saved our asses last night. We have our first real lead because of her.”
“Should’ve never happened.”
“True, but it did. That’s on you, Maverick. You’re the Sergeant at Arms for a reason. I expect you to keep this club safe. Make sure it doesn’t happen again. You know I like Henley. I think she’s a good woman and she’s been good for you. But if she pulls a stunt like this again, there will be consequences,” he warned.
“I’ll see that she doesn’t.”
“I hope so. Now, let’s go check on our boy. I want to see what he’s been able to get out of our guest.”
I followed Cotton to the back of the warehouse, where Stitch had created his playroom. The overwhelming stench of death hit me as soon as we walked through the door, making my stomach churn from the smell. Stitch was sitting on an old, wooden stool in the corner of the room, smoking a cigarette, and he didn’t seem to notice we had walked in.
“Stitch?” I called out to him. When he didn’t answer, I walked over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder, and said, “How you making it, brother?”
“Making progress…” he mumbled. I didn’t miss the glazed look in his eyes or his blood-soaked shirt. He was exhausted, but wouldn’t give up until he was certain he had everything he could get out of him.
“What kind of progress?” Cotton asked.
“His name is Victor,” he said, pointing to what was left of the man they’d brought in last night. When I caught sight of his mangled body, my gut tightened in rage, thinking of what he’d just done to Henley. His wrists were bound in thick chains, and he was hanging from a rafter in the ceiling with blood dripping down around his feet. It looked like both of his shoulders were dislocated as his head hung low, his chin resting on his chest. He didn’t look like he was still conscious, but even if he was, I wouldn’t be able to tell from all the swelling on his face. Both of his eyes were completely swollen shut, and his face was covered in blood and bruises.
Stitched tossed his cigarette to the floor and lit another one as he said, “He’s a member of the King Pythons Syndicate. Their club is based out of Anchorage, Alaska, and they have over thirty-five members in their chapter. They’ve developed a new kind of Meth. It’s stronger… more addictive, and just like you thought, they’re looking to expand their distribution,” he confirmed. “They set their sights on Clallam County because of our port access.”
“Did he say why they killed Skid?” I asked.
“He wouldn’t give them information on the club, so they shot him,” he growled.
“You think he’s got anything left in him?” I asked as I looked over to Victor, and I couldn’t tell if he was even breathing.
“I’ll get another couple of hours out of him,” Stitch told me with a sinister smile.
“We’ll leave you to it,” Cotton said as he started for the door. “Just let me know when you’re done, and I’ll get the boys to come help you take out the trash.”
We were just about to walk out the door when I took a bucket of cold water and emptied it over Victor’s head. He groaned as he pulled against the chains, trying to free himself. I reached over to Stitch’s torture table and grabbed the ammonia. “Wake up, sunshine. I’m not done with you yet.”
“Please… I’ve told your man everything I know,” Victor pleaded.
“We’ll see about that.” I replied as I grabbed hold of his head and held it up, ensuring whatever faculties he had left got what I had to say.
“You know this is your end Victor, right?” I screamed so close, speckles of my spit splattered across his face. “But what you don’t know is how it’s going to end. I want you to think of your brothers, your family… every person you have ever loved while you answer Stitch’s questions, Victor. I want you to think about their end. Because right now, their lives are in your hands. Think about the children you left with no father while you’re cooperating with Stitch. Consider this your last chance for redemption, Victor.”
When I finally released him, his head plunged down to his chest. He was defeated, knowing what I said was true, and it was only a matter of time before he told us everything he knew. As I turned to leave, Stitch pulled his stool over next to him. He started talking to him so low that I couldn’t understand what he was saying. The door slammed behind us as we headed back to the clubhouse. We walked in silence as we listened to Victor’s tortuous screams.
When we reached the clubhouse, Cotton turned to me and said, “I’m calling the guys in for church. We need to get Big Mike working on this.”
“I’ll go get him. There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to him about,” I told him as I opened the door to the clubhouse and headed toward Mike’s room.
I knocked on his door and listened as he stalked across the room. It took him a minute to answer, but I was waiting for him when he opened the door. His eyes widened when he saw me standing there, and he opened his mouth to speak. But before he had a chance to say anything, my fist rammed into the side of his face, forcing his head to lurch back. Mike was a big dude. He could have easily fought back and won, but he knew he was in the wrong. He should’ve never spoken to Henley about club shit, and it could’ve cost him a lot more than a blow to his thick head.
He took a minute to collect himself before he said, “I’m sorry, Maverick. I fucked up.”
“If you fuck up like that again, I’ll have your patch,” I warned.
“Understood, brother. It won’t happen again,” he promised.
“Cotton is calling church. We’ve got news,” I told him. “We’re going to need you to gather up all the intel you can find on the King Pythons Syndicate in Anchorage, Alaska.”
“Is that them? Are they the ones who killed Skidrow?”
“Yeah, but Cotton has more. We need to get over there before they start,” I told him as I turned to leave.
By the time we showed up, everyone had found their place at the meeting table. Cotton told them everything Stitch had uncovered, and we discussed our next move. It would take some time, but if we played our cards right, this whole mess could be over soon.
Chapter 28
Henley
It’s been almost a week since I got out of the hospital, and I was about to go insane. At first, it was so endearing and romantic to have the man I loved looking after me. It meant so much that he put everything else aside to be there with me. It was absolutely wonderful… for about two days. Then, it started to drive me crazy. He was so attentive… too attentive. I was feeling better—so much better—and I didn’t really need him under my feet every stinking second. My head didn’t even hurt anymore, and the bruises on my face were almost gone. I was being an ass. He was there for me when I needed him, and it wasn’t right for me to find him so… annoying. I just wanted him to get back to being Maverick, my Maverick. I couldn’t even fix a cup of coffee without him coming over to scold me for being out of bed. It was driving me up the freaking wall. If he didn’t stop all this nonsense, I was going to have to hurt him… seriously hurt him!
On top of all of his doting, he had a new obsession. He was determined to find us a house, and it was exciting… at first. I couldn’t wait to find a place for us to start our lives together, but he’d become totally neurotic about it. He was constantly on my computer, searching for new listings, looking for the perfect place for us to live. I honestly didn’t care what house we chose. I just wanted to be with him, and nothing else really mattered.
“What about that place on Glenwood Drive? You think four bedrooms will be big enough?” Maverick asked.
“Four bedrooms is plenty. There’s only two of us, you know.”
“For now,” he said as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Yeah, well, for now, it’s plenty big,” I snapped at him as I put my book down beside me and started to get off the bed.
“Where are you going?”
I let out an exasperat
ed sigh and said, “I’m going to get some lunch. And no. I don’t need any help.”
“So you’re feeling better?” he asked as he closed the laptop.
“Yes. I’m fine, Maverick,” I said as I stood in front of him with my arms crossed. “I’m not sore. I don’t have a headache. Most of my bruises are gone. I think I’m going to live, so please just chill out,” I told him sarcastically.
“So you’re all better,” he snickered.
“Yes!” I spouted off, but the minute I caught sight of the sexy smirk on his face, I knew I was in trouble.
“Is that right? I’ve been waiting to hear that,” he mocked.
“Maverick…” I warned.
Mischief danced in his eyes as he took hold of my arm and pulled me down across his lap. “Do you know how hard it’s been waiting on you hand and foot? You are not a good patient,” he taunted as his hand whipped through the air and landed on my ass.
I squirmed in his lap, trying to wiggle out of his hold as I screeched, “Maverick! I can’t believe you just did that!”
“Baby, I’m just getting started,” he said as he gently ran his hand over my backside. “I wondered how long you were going to milk this whole thing. I never thought of you as such a faker,” he teased.
“Milking it? Are you kidding me?” I shouted defensively, turning back to face him.
His eyes sparkled with lust as his hand lifted and then popped against my ass for the second time. “Faker!”
“Have you lost your mind? Stop! That hurt!” I screamed, but my laughter didn’t make me sound very convincing. He knew he wasn’t really hurting me. His hand gently grazed over my butt, and I knew he was about to strike again. While his hand was in the air, I managed to twirl myself around, straddling my legs around his waist. I slipped my hands around his neck as I said, “You can stop now. Consider my punishment received.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m not sure you’ve learned your lesson,” he said, smiling. Damn, I loved that sexy smile. I dropped my hands down to his shoulders as I slowly rocked my hips against the growing bulge in his jeans.
“It’s been a week,” I pleaded.
Seconds later, Maverick had me pinned to the bed with my back against the mattress and his knees at my sides. As he hovered over me, an intense look crossed his face. It was there, plain to see, his feelings for me written across his face. He stared at me in silence for just a moment before he said, “I love you, Henley Gray.”
There’s nothing better than having the one person you love most in the world look at you the way he was looking at me and saying those words out loud. It made my world stand still… holding me in that moment, making me want to stay there, locked in his arms forever. I never thought I’d find a love like this, and now that I had, I would never let it go.
“I love you, Logan. More than you know,” I whispered. He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me, slow and gentle, showing me just how much he really meant the words he’d said to me.
He released my hands just long enough to ease my t-shirt over my head, then slowly began nipping and sucking along the length of my neck as I tried to unbuckle his jeans. He lifted his hips as I slid them down his thighs. When they reached his ankles, he kicked them to the side of the bed. His fingers slipped into the sides of my cotton shorts and quickly tugged them down my legs. He hovered over me, the warmth of his body fueling my need for him, and I could see that he wanted this just as much as I did. Unable to wait a minute longer, I reached down, gently taking his cock in my hand, and guided him inside of me. A low groan vibrated through his chest as he thrust deeply, filling me completely as I cried out in pleasure.
I rocked my hips against his, enjoying the feeling of having him inside of me again, as I dragged my nails across his back. He withdrew a little, and then thrust back inside again and again, harder and faster with each stroke. I gasped with each retreat, eagerly awaiting his next invasion. The sounds of our bodies colliding filled the room as he quickened his pace.
“Oh God, Logan, you feel so good,” I gasped as his relentless rhythm ignited a desire inside of me that would never go away. I lifted my ass, meeting every thrust of his hips, as the muscles in my abdomen began to tighten. My orgasm was slowly building, making my body quiver beneath him.
He lowered his face to mine and whispered, “That’s it, baby. Don’t hold back,” before his lips crashed down against mine. My fingers dug into his hips as my climax took over, making it impossible for me to move. He continued to grind his hips against me as I clamped down around him, forcing him to chase his own release. A deep growl shook through his chest, and with one final thrust, he came inside me. With a cocky grin on his face, he held himself over me, hovering between my legs as he stayed planted deep inside me.
His warm hands slid across my shoulders, soothing me as I tried to catch my breath. I inhaled deeply as a satisfied smile slowly crept across my face. I looked up to him and said, “You can punish me like that anytime.”
Chapter 29
Maverick
Three months later
I pulled my bike in behind Cotton and waited for Dallas to get Dusty’s helmet on. The loud rumble of motorcycle engines surrounded me as I looked around the town square. I was amazed at the crowd that showed up for the event. There were over six hundred people lining the streets and another two hundred on bikes. I never expected to have such a huge turnout when I suggested having a charity run for children with Down’s syndrome. I had gotten the idea when Dallas started having issues with her insurance company and mentioned how quickly Dusty’s medical bills were adding up. I thought this might be a way to help her, and other families with children like Dusty, but I never imagined it would turn into something this big.
The run would last about six hours, and I planned to take Dusty along with me. I knew he wouldn’t be able to make the entire trip, but I wanted him to have the chance to see some of this for himself. He was the main reason we decided to do this, so he should be here to enjoy it. Dallas finally had him ready to go, and he was busting with excitement. His little eyes sparkled with eagerness as he looked around at all the people, but Dallas was determined to get all of her rules in before she released him to me. She was going over all of her last-minute warnings when I noticed Henley standing in the crowd. She was now wearing my name on her back, and she stood there, smiling, as her hands rested on her small, round belly. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She was everything to me, and in that moment, everything became clear to me… it was right there all along. I got off my bike, and she smiled at me as I walked over to her.
“I finally see it.”
“What?” she asked.
I laid my hand on her pregnant belly and said, “I finally see my silver lining.”
The End
Dusty was just a character in a book, but the struggles he faces are real. There are so many excellent programs available to children and adults with Down’s syndrome, but I wanted to let you know about a wonderful center that is located in my area. CS Patterson Training Center provides services for children and adults with a variety of challenges, and helps families learn to cope with the obstacles they may face. The CS Patterson Training Center provides access to group homes and employment opportunities for adults and early intervention for children. They work hard to provide their clients with a sense of independence, and people in the community have been great to support them. Unfortunately, each year the state has their typical cutbacks, and the center has faced some financial struggles. They do so much to help, and it would be awesome if you would check out their webpage. Thanks so much.
CS Patterson Training Center:
www.pattersontrainingcenter.com
Acknowledgements
I would first like to thank my mother for all of her help and support with my writing. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without her. Thank you for being such an awesome mom.
I would also like to give a special thank you to my new PA, Amanda Faulkner. I’ve h
eard authors brag about their PAs, but I really had no idea what I was missing until I met Amanda. She’s always one step ahead of me, and I don’t know how I ever made it without her. Posts, teasers, blogs…. It never ends. Thank you so much, Amanda!!
Marci Ponce is awesome! I truly wouldn’t know what to do without her. She continues to push me as a writer and accepts nothing but the best with each and every book. Thank you so much for always being there and sharing your talent with me. You are truly an MC guru!
Danielle Deraney Palumbo is a true lifesaver. There are just no words to describe how thankful I am that you agreed to take the time to help me with Maverick’s book. With everything you have going on, you still managed to find the time to help me. Thank you so much. You are amazing!
I would also like to thank all of my readers. I have loved all of your comments and posts. I am floored every time I see one of your comments about liking my books. You have all been so supportive, and your comments always leave a smile on my face. When my life gets a little crazy, your kind words have given me the encouragement I’ve needed to continue on.
My Wilder’s Women Street Team is amazing! Thank you all for your support. It means so much to me that you continue to help me with reviews and posting all of my teasers. Elizabeth Thiele, Neringa Neringiukas, Dawn Bryant, Mary Orr, and Rosetta Wagers are such a huge help to me. I am always amazed each time I see one of my teasers or my links they have shared. Thank you for taking your time to help me. It means more than you will ever know.
I have been very blessed to have so much support from such a great group of women.
