Page 71 of Maverick

“Ladies.”

Peyton smiled up at him. “Maverick.”

He grinned and shook his head before turning to me. “You okay?”

I shrugged. “I’m good. You, however, looked worried.”

He raked a hand through his thick red hair and sighed. “We have a lead on Trent, so we’re going to check it out.”

My brows shot up. “All of you?”

“Yeah. Better safe than sorry, ya know?” He looked more than a little concerned, which didn’t make a whole lot of sense. It was just Trent.

“Be safe. Please.” I reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“You worried about me, Gracie?”

“You know I am.”

He leaned forward and tilted my chin up towards him before his lips met mine. The kiss was over too soon but it was hot, and I felt it all over my body. “I’ll be careful, I promise. And tonight we’ll talk, yeah?”

Talking was the last thing I wanted to do, but I nodded because I remembered what he said earlier about focusing on the task at hand. “Yeah. Tonight.”

He smiled sweetly and kissed me again before he and his brothers filed out of the clubhouse, leaving just the women, the children, and the prospects.

“Well,” Peyton sighed, and flashed me a knowing smile.

Before I could even enjoy the moment, the club bunny—whore—Simone sauntered over with a wicked smile on her face. “Enjoy your time with Maverick, because I’ve had him before, and I will have him again.”

“Go get me a beer, Simone,” Peyton demanded.

Simone glared at her, but she didn’t talk back because that was reserved for me. “He’s having fun playing white knight to you and your brat, but he is going to be mine.”

I was damn sick and tired of bullies. Simone wasn’t Trent, but they were cut from the same cloth, and I wasn’t afraid of her. “Then why come over here to let me know if he’s already yours? Seems to me like you’re trying to prove something to yourself.”

“Enjoy him while you can. I know I enjoyed him last week.”

“And everybody else,” Peyton mumbled under breath. “Still waiting on that beer, whore.”

Simone stiffened and a very small part of me felt bad for her, but it was too small to matter at this point. “I can give him more than you can, and I don’t come with a brat.”

“Good for you, being proud of being passed around.” I pushed away from the table and stood up, glaring at the pretty young blonde until she took a step back. “Talk about my kid again and I’ll rip every bleached strand from your skull.” I pushed past her with a disgusted grunt, needing to get the hell out of the clubhouse before I said or did something I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—take back.

“Grace, wait up!” Ellie’s voice hit my back, but I didn’t stop moving because I was too angry. “Grace,” she called again when she caught up to me. “You know she was lying, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know that.” I may not have as much experience as most women my age, but I was sure Maverick wasn’t faking his emotions.

“Then why are you so pissed and rushing out of here like your ass is on fire?”

“Because I’m angry and jealous and I want to pound her stupid face into the ground.”

“I’ll hold her down if you want me to,” she offered with a teasing grin. “Seriously, don’t let a word she says get to you. She’s made it clear to Maverick and every other single guy in the MC that she’s ready and willing.”

“It’s not her, it’s just that there’ll always be someone like her making me doubt myself, and us, won’t there?”

“Only if you let it. Then again, if you don’t trust him, then maybe there’s nothing there after all.”

Trust. It didn’t come easy to me, not anymore. Sure, I trusted Maverick to keep Sophie and me safe. I trusted him with my body and my pleasure. But with my heart? My future? I wasn’t sure. “I need some fresh air.”

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