by L. Wilder
“Don’t be silly. I basically just spilled my guts to you in the ladies restroom, so I’d say you’re entitled to a question or two. I’m Bishop’s neighbor. My mom used to babysit his son, Myles, so we’re all pretty close. I’d never really call him over something like this, but I know he’d be there for me, if I really needed him,” she explained.
“I’m sure he would. Be sure to let him know, if you keep having problems with this guy. Maybe he can do something to help you sort it.”
“I will. I’d better get back up front before the lunch crowd starts rolling in,” she told me as she started towards the front. She turned back to me and said, “It was really great meeting you. Next time you’re in town, stop by, and I’ll buy you a drink.”
“That would be great, Sunny. I’ll do that,” I replied just before I walked into the restroom. By the time I came back, Maverick had already placed our order and our drinks were sitting on the table.
“Did you get lost?” he asked, putting his phone back in his pocket.
“I was just having a little chat with our waitress, Sunny. She’s having some guy troubles,” I told him.
“Did you get her sorted?” he asked with a mocking grin.
“From what I could tell, she did a pretty good job of sorting it herself,” I explained. I looked back over to Sunny, hoping that I was right. She seemed like a really amazing girl, and I’d hate for anything to happen to her.
When we finished eating, Maverick stood up from the table and said, “We need to get back to the club. I texted Gavin to tell him that we were on our way. I’m not exactly looking forward to it, but it’s time for us to talk.”
I’d almost forgotten the hell that was waiting for Maverick when we got back to the club, but hearing Gavin’s name tossed me right back into reality. Gavin had screwed up big time when he betrayed his brother, and I wondered if Maverick would ever be able to forgive him. I worried that after today, neither of them would ever be the same.
Chapter 19
Maverick
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THE AIR WAS thick with tension when I walked into the empty bar. Gavin was sitting alone, lost in his thoughts while he took a drink from his beer. The stool screeched against the floor as I sat down next to him, and when he turned to face me, I could tell from the expression on his face that he was dreading this conversation almost as much as I was. We were both trying to face the demons from our past; things we wished we hadn’t done, and it wasn’t going to be easy for either of us. But then again, I wasn’t the one who had been lying to my own flesh and blood for all these months, keeping secrets that no brother should’ve kept. Hell, I wanted him to dread it, to feel like the sorry bastard that he was. He’s my fucking brother! He should have said something, and I doubted that I would ever be able to forgive him for keeping this from me. Things between us will never be the same, and he was going to have to live with that regret for the rest of his life.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled with his eyes full of remorse. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m just so fucking sorry.”
“How about you tell me how John Warren ended up being your son, Gavin? Why don’t you tell me when you started fucking Hailey?” I growled. The anger inside of me was burning in my gut, and I wanted to beat the living hell out of him… tell him how he fucked it all up. I wanted to walk out of that bar and never speak to him again, but I needed to know the truth. I had to know what happened between him and Hailey.
“It was only that one night, Logan. I swear it. Hailey loved you. Loved you more than you ever really knew, but that night… she was just,” he said, as he dropped his head into the palms of his hands.
“What night, Gavin?” I asked. When he didn’t answer, I slammed my fist against the counter and shouted, “Tell me. What fucking night?”
He turned to look at me, and anguish rippled across his face as he said, “The night you caught her buying more drugs and walked out on her. I’m not saying it was the wrong thing for you to do, but it broke her. She was just so damn broken.”
“So you fucked her? That was your answer to all her troubles? I was trying to make her see that she needed to get help, that she was going to kill herself if she kept that shit up, and you decide to go and fuck her. You thought that was going to make it all better?” I shouted. “That’s just great, Gavin. You’re the fucking hero.” The sarcasm dripped from my mouth as I glared at him with all the rage that was building inside of me.
“It wasn’t like that, Logan! You know I wouldn’t … The guys and I had been watching the game, and I was already plastered when she got to the house. After they left, Hailey and I had a few drinks – more than a few. She was upset, and we spent the entire night talking about everything that had happened. There was so much pain in her voice. I hated to see her like that, and I wanted to help her.”
He looked up to the ceiling, trying to reign in his emotions. Finally, he cleared his throat and continued, “She wanted to be the Hailey that you loved, but a part of her knew she’d never be that girl again. I’d never seen her so upset. She was just so heartbroken. You know I’ve always had a soft spot for Hailey, and I just wanted to help her, to be there for her.” He took a long tug of his beer and let out a deep breath.
“Why didn’t you just tell me? You knew the hell I was going through, and you never said a goddamn thing! That’s bullshit, Gavin. I should’ve been able to trust you more than anyone, but you lied to me to protect your own sorry ass. There’s no excuse. You should’ve said something!” I told him.
“Maverick, I don’t even remember what happened that night. It was all just a blur. The more we talked, the angrier she got. The angrier she got, the more she drank. We were both completely wasted, and when I woke up the next morning, she was gone. I couldn’t remember a damn thing. I wasn’t even sure that we had actually slept together. I prayed that we didn’t. I hated myself for putting myself in that situation, but you have to know that I would never intentionally hurt you or her.” He looked up to me, glaring at me with hurt in his eyes and said, “I should’ve told you, Maverick. I’m sorry. I really am. It was only one night, and I really thought he was your kid.”
My anger slowly started to subside as I listened to him talk, knowing that he really was struggling with his guilt. I could see the grief written all over his face, and I knew he would never intentionally set out to hurt either of us. Gavin was just a kid, and Hailey should’ve never gone over there that night.
I rested my hand on his shoulder and said, “I knew she was upset the night I left. I’ve always hated myself for not staying with her and making sure that she got the help she needed,” I told him.
“No. It wasn’t your fault, none of it. Hailey’s the one who got behind the wheel that night. She was tired, and never saw that drunk driver heading in her direction. It was an accident. You can’t keep blaming yourself for that night.”
“Maybe.”
“And her addiction was just that – hers. She knew that you loved her and that should’ve been enough. That’s all on her, Maverick.” I knew there was some truth in the words that he was saying, but I wasn’t willing to let myself truly accept it. A part of me would always blame myself for what happened with Hailey. No one would change my mind about that.
“I’m just so tired. Tired of it all, and I’m done with it. Done with the lies, the guilt. No more, Gavin,” I told him, dragging my hands through my hair. I was so fucking tired of being angry. Tired of all the bullshit. It was wearing me down, and I had to let it go. At the end of the day, Gavin was my brother. I knew I’d never be able to forget what he did, but I had to forgive him. I had to forgive myself.
His hand rested on my back as he assured me, “No more.”
“I mean it, Gavin. You fucked up. We’re family, we don’t keep shit from each other. Period.”
“You’re right. You have my word. I’ll never make a mistake like that again,” Gavin promised.
I was just about to leave when I realized that I still d
idn’t know what transpired after I left the lawyer’s office. “What happened today with John Warren?”
“I went down to the hospital, and Ana did another DNA test. When the results come back, I’ll sign the adoption papers,” Gavin replied. “Even if I was in a position to be a father, I wouldn’t do anything different. We both know that JW is where he belongs.”
“It’ll be hard, but, at least, you’ll be here with him. You’ll get the chance to see him grow up and spend time with him. You can be a real part of his life, and he’ll be lucky to have you,” I told him.
“Maverick, you should know that I had no idea that I was John Warren’s father when I decided to come here. I honestly thought being here would help you, make it easier for you somehow.”
“At the time, it did make me feel better to know that you’d be here with him. I think this place has been good for both of you,” I told him. I got up to grab a beer from the cooler, but stopped when my phone started to ring. I pulled it from my pocket and saw that it was Big Mike.
I didn’t have a chance to say hello before he said, “We’ve got a problem, Maverick. How soon can you get back?”
“Hold on,” I told him as I walked outside for some privacy. The door slammed behind me when I stepped out onto the gravel parking lot and asked, “What’s going on?”
“It’s Nitro… They got to Nitro,” he said, his voice rattled with concern.
“What do you mean they got to Nitro?” I asked, pacing back and forth.
“We still don’t know all of the details. Just that he was shot four to five times at one of his warehouses. The doctors just got done working on him a few minutes ago. He’s in the ICU now. They’re not sure if he’ll make it.”
“Nitro is too fucking stubborn to die, brother. He’ll pull through. Any idea who did it?”
“You know who fucking did it, Maverick. The same fuckers that were taking those pictures at our last delivery. They were looking for our distributor. They’re not going to stop until they shut us down,” he explained.
“That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.”
“We’ve got to find these fuckers. We just need to get our hands on one of them. Just one of them, and Stitch will do the rest. He’ll get what we need out of them,” he explained.
“Yeah, one would do it.” Just thinking about the methods Stitch used to get information sent cold chills down my spine. One night in the confines of that room, and he could break any man. Mike was right. All we had to do was get our hands on one of these guys, and Stitch would find out everything we needed to know.
“We’ve talked about it before. They aren’t the type to leave any loose ends, and letting Henley slip through their fingers had to piss them off. There’s no reason for us not to use that to our advantage.”
“I’ve already told you once that using Henley is not an option, Mike. I won’t say it again,” I shouted. I took a deep breath and said, “We’ll be on the road within the hour. We’ll discuss other options when I get back.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you then,” he mumbled. I could hear the frustration in his voice, but I knew one way or another, we’d find a way to get these guys. When I turned to go back inside, Henley was standing behind me with her hands shoved deep in her pockets.
“Is everything okay?” she asked as she shifted her feet across the gravel. I wasn’t exactly sure, but I had a feeling she’d heard the entire conversation.
“We’ve got to head back.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Henley grumbled, moving her hands up to her hips. I loved that she didn’t back down from me. She knew what she wanted, and she didn’t have a problem going after it. Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t telling her a damn thing.
“Go pack,” I told her. She looked up at me through her long, dark eyelashes, pouting because she knew she wasn’t going to get her way. I leaned down and quickly pressed my lips against hers. Her pout began to fade when I said, “We really need to get going.”
“Okay,” she replied with a defeated sigh. She followed me back to the room, and after packing our bags, we headed to the bar to tell everyone goodbye.
Gavin was the only one still around, so I told him, “We’re heading home. I’ll try to get back soon.” I wanted to be able to stay for a little longer to be there for him, while he got this mess sorted with John Warren, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to get back.
“Maybe I can make it back for a couple of days before Thanksgiving. The holidays are busy, so I won’t be able to stay long,” Gavin explained.
“Come whenever you can. It’d be good to see you,” I told him as I gave him a hug. “Let me know how things go with Lily and Goliath.”
“I will. Be careful driving back,” he said smiling. “And Henley… try to make him stop from time to time. He’ll drive all the way through if you let him.”
“I’ll try, but you know he has a stubborn streak a mile long,” she laughed. She hugged him quickly before we headed to the car.
For the first two hours of the drive back, Henley never stopped talking. She asked a million questions about Bishop and the Devil Chasers, and wouldn’t stop prodding until I told her everything I could about them. She was disappointed that she didn’t have a chance to meet them all, but I assured her that we would be back. When she had her fill of the club, she started talking about Courtney. She couldn’t stop laughing when she told me all the funny things she’d said when they were out shopping. It was obvious that she’d had a good time with them, and I looked forward to bringing her back.
Eventually, the day caught up with her; she yawned and stretched before resting her head on my thigh. I gently ran my fingers through her long brown hair while she drifted off to sleep. I took a deep breath, inhaling her soft scent, and it helped calm the storm of thoughts that were rushing through my head. Even with all the shit that was going down with the club, having her next to me gave me a sense of peace that I couldn’t explain. I didn’t know when it happened… or how it happened, but this woman had stolen my heart. I knew I couldn’t fight it any longer, and honestly, I didn’t want to. She was mine, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Chapter 20
Henley
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THE CAR WAS quiet as I laid there with my head resting in Maverick’s lap. I was so tired, but I just couldn’t make myself fall asleep. My eyes were closed, and I could feel him playing with a strand of my hair while he drove. I desperately wanted to sleep – needed to sleep, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that phone conversation I’d overheard with Maverick and Big Mike. I knew there was something going on with the club, and it was bad. It was something that threatened to tear them apart, but Maverick refused to tell me what was going on. I knew that there would always be secrets with the club… things Maverick just couldn’t tell me, but I wasn’t expecting to hear him growl out my name like that to Big Mike. He was pissed when he told Mike that I wasn’t an option. He demanded that they find another way. A way to do what? I had no idea what he was talking about, but I knew I had to find out.
When I finally woke up, the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. I looked over to Maverick, and his eyes were red with exhaustion, and his eyelids were heavy and dark. “You need to get some sleep,” I told him.
“We’ll stop in an hour for breakfast. I’ll get some coffee when we get there,” he grumbled.
“Pull over,” I demanded. “Let me drive for a while.”
I expected him to fight me… to tell me to piss off, but he slowly pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the highway, letting me take the wheel. I reached in the backseat and grabbed my jacket, folding it neatly into a pillow for him. I put it on my lap and waited for him to lay down. The minute his head hit my make-shift pillow, he was sound asleep. I even managed to slip through a drive-through without waking him up.
The entire time I was driving, I was thinking about Maverick. He’d been through so much over the past year, and things were finally coming togeth
er for him. If he could get this mess settled with his club, he could have a real chance to be free, to really be happy. I wanted to do something to help him, to help the club catch the guys that were giving them so much hell. I needed to talk to Big Mike. He wouldn’t have brought my name up, if there wasn’t something I could do to help. I knew Maverick wouldn’t want me to get involved, but I needed to do this.
It was almost noon when the gas tank ran low, forcing me to stop. When I turned off the engine, Maverick ran his hands over his face as he sat up in his seat. He sat there staring out the window in a daze, and I hated that I had to wake him up.
“Hey there, sleepyhead,” I said softly.
He groaned while he stretched out his arms and said, “What time is it?”
“It’s almost twelve. We’ve made good time, and should be home in about eight hours.”
“Thanks for driving. I’ll get the gas. You go grab us something to eat, real food. Not that junk food shit you live on,” he said sarcastically.
“I’ll see what they’ve got,” I said, smirking as I got out of the car. Luckily there was a burger place attached to the convenience store, so I was able to get us both a decent lunch. I also grabbed a few snack essentials just in case we didn’t make another stop.
When I came back outside, Maverick was already sitting in the driver’s seat and ended up driving the rest of the way home. He drove with a heavy foot, so we made it in seven hours instead of eight. As soon as we’d unpacked the car, Maverick told me that he needed to go have a word with Cotton. The minute he left, I set out to find Big Mike. I worried that this might be my only opportunity to talk to him without Maverick knowing.
When he opened his door, he looked surprised to see me standing there. He cleared his throat and said, “I didn’t know that you had made it back. Where’s Maverick?”
