Page 10 of Maverick

“Yeah, a real job.”

I frowned, unable to really believe the words I heard. “I can’t go with you now. I’m working and I don’t know you.”

His lips pulled into an all too alluring grin. “Smart woman. I understand your hesitation. “Ask the girls about me to ease your mind. I’ll be here for the next thirty to forty-five minutes. Come find me. Or don’t.”

I watched him for a few minutes, trying to see the evil, the mean spirit, the wickedness hidden in his depths. I knew what to look for after years spent in the same room as Trent, but I couldn’t see it or feel it. There were no warning signs, so, eventually, I nodded. “I will do that.”

“Good. Do.” He smiled again and it made my knees wobble.

“Okay.” I pushed away from the table and stood, nodding resolutely as if I knew what the hell was going on. But I kept my shoulders squared and my spine straight as I walked away, ignoring the men who waved cash to get my attention.

At the bar, I found Brandi and Toni, two dancers who have been doing this for a few years and likely knew all the regulars. “Ruby, what magic have you weaved on Maverick?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Toni laughed. “He comes in often, buys his drinks and tips well. Never buys dances, rarely talks to girls but he’s never rude. Always nice and sweet and courteous.”

I nodded at their effusive praise of the big man. “Why does he come here?”

“Who knows,” they said at the same time.

“Probably because he’s a biker and he can relax here without anyone starting any shit,” Toni explained. “Mostly.”

“He even walks us to our cars at the end of the night just to make sure we’re safe. Never makes a move,” she said with a pout. “No matter how much we want him to or tempt him.”

That sounded almost too good to be true, but it also meant he was exactly the kind of guy who might have a legitimate job offer for me. “A biker?”

They both nodded.

“He’s a member of the Steel Demons MC,” Brandi said.

I nodded as if I knew what that meant. These women were more worldly than I was. They knew so much more about everything, and the last thing I wanted was to look even more naïve in front of them. “Okay. Thank you, ladies.”

They flashed identical smiles before going their separate ways, both summoned by different customers in need of some one-on-one attention.

A few more dancers told me pretty much the same thing about Maverick and I knew, deep down, that I couldn’t afford to walk away from this offer without giving it a shot—or at least finding out what he was offering. Even with the money, I hated my job, and I would rather do something else making less money if I could look at myself in the mirror.

“So, what did you find out?”

“The girls all love you, which begs the question why haven’t you asked any of them to do this job.”

“They are all happy or at least content with their lot in life. They don’t tremble in fear at the thought of a private dance. You do, and it’s the right day and time for both of us.”

I crossed my arms, open to hearing him out without promising anything. “Okay. What’s this offer?”

“My grandmother, Mabel. She raised me for most of my life and she’s the only blood family I have in this world. She means everything to me, and, recently, she’s lost a step.”

I gasped. “Stroke or heart attack?”

“Not yet, but I was away on business and when I came back, she was in the hospital. Took her blood pressure medicine twice in one day.”

“Oh no!”

Maverick nodded, but I could see the pain he tried to hide, the worry he masked behind a masculine façade. “She’s not so far gone that she can’t take care of herself, but she needs help around the house. Someone to make sure she takes her meds when she’s supposed to, help her with meals and running errands so she can have a normal life without putting herself in danger.”

It sounded reasonable enough. What was the catch? “You can’t do it yourself?”

“No. I have obligations that sometimes take me out of town for days or weeks at a time. She means everything to me, but to be able to afford her care, I need to work. Her last caregiver fucked off back to Trinidad because her own son became a father.”

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