Page 76 of Maverick

It wasn’t over, and I knew I wouldn’t win this fight, no matter how hard I fought back. Trent was bigger and angrier, and he had the confidence of a man too used to getting his way. My death was all but inevitable, but even knowing that, I couldn’t stop fighting back. At least this way there would be evidence left, my blood and his skin under my fingernails—and maybe if I couldn’t stop him, the police would. That it would take my murder for this to happen was a price I would have to pay in order for my daughter to be safe.

Trent got on top of me, his knees on either side while he rained punches down on me, striking me in the face, the head, and the chest with a wicked smile that might be the last thing I ever saw. “You took my daughter,” he shouted, and landed a blow on the side of my face. “Fucked another man,” he screamed, and hit me so hard in the chest it knocked the wind out of me. “You. Left. Me.” Each word was punctuated by a blow, and every hit made me feel weaker. The fight was harder to find with each hit, and when his hands wrapped around my neck, I let my thoughts turn to Sophie.

My sweet little girl. She had such a good heart despite all the violence she’d seen and heard during her short life. She was the best thing I ever did and knowing that I freed her from this monster was my crowning achievement. As darkness crept in around the edges of my vision, I hoped and prayed that Maverick would keep his promise, that he would give my little girl the life she deserved. That she would grow into a woman surrounded by people who loved her and would let her shine.

I was losing the battle, I felt it as my limbs grew weaker and the fight from earlier seeped out of me.

“I hate you!” Trent shouted and squeezed tighter.

Unconsciousness toyed with me. Don’t go out like this, Grace. Don’t give this bastard the satisfaction. I couldn’t and I wouldn’t. “Hate. You. Too.” I dug my nails into his hands and wrists. “Ruined. My. Life.”

Still gripping my throat, Trent lifted me and slammed my head against the floor. “I gave you everything and you left me. You ran away!”

I bucked my hips in an effort to get him off of me, but it didn’t work, and panic—real and true panic—settled into my bones. “You are a monster,” I choked out.

“And now you have to pay.” He tightened his grip. “Pay with your life.” The crazed look in his eyes was the last thing I would ever see. “You are nothing but a whore and I’ll make sure Sophie turns out nothing like you!”

No, not Sophie! I turned my head away from him, not just because I refused to look at him, but because the thought of him getting his hands on my little girl was too much to bear. His arm was right there, and I strained my sore neck and sank my teeth deep into his wrist.

“Stupid fucking bitch!” He shouted, but his grip didn’t loosen. If anything, it clamped harder around my throat until I started to drift in and out of consciousness.

I smiled as the black edges grew and dimmed everything else, I thought I heard the roar of motorcycles approaching and a vision of Maverick flooded my mind. I wanted him and my daughter to be my last thoughts before I died.

I gasped and struggled for breaths that never came. Scratching him did nothing and my struggles only seemed to fuel his anger, his determination to hurt me. To kill me.

His eyes, the ones I once thought were kind and loving, were cold and dead, devoid of any emotion other than hatred.

Suddenly, a loud thud sounded and Trent froze, his dead eyes went blank, and he fell on top of me slowly, crushing me under his weight. He didn’t move, didn’t grunt or shout or curse. He was dead weight on top of me.

“You all right, girl?” Mabel’s voice, gritty and low, was as welcome as the sunrise.

I nodded because it’s the only part of my body I could move. “I’m alive if that’s what you’re asking.” The familiar warmth of blood poured down my cheek and into my right eye, only it wasn’t mine. It fell from Trent’s head as I tried in vain to push his weight off me. He was too big. Too heavy. “No,” I moaned, and gave up as the heavy footsteps sounded in the distance.

I knew it was all in my head, the footsteps were some unconscious reminder that my time here was up. My gaze settled on Mabel, who stared down at me with tears in her eyes. “Take care of Sophie, please. Don’t let her forget me,” I whispered before everything went black.

Chapter 39

Maverick

Fucking Las Vegas traffic was making my life a living fucking hell right now. There was a goddamn parade clogging up the city streets because some damn hockey team won another championship. Good for them, but right now, I needed to get to Grace and Mabel. Like a fucking sports trophy meant anything when my woman was in trouble. She needed me and I wouldn’t fail her, not even if I had to run over the whole damn team. I would come through for her. I had to.

And once she was safe and Trent was dealt with, I would tell her how much she meant to me and then I would get down on my knees and beg her to stay with me. To let me and her and Sophie become a family.

A real fucking family.

My family.

To love and protect.

It took twenty minutes just to get back to Steel City and it felt like a lifetime had passed before I brought my bike to a halt in front of Mabel’s house. I parked right behind Grace’s little sedan and rushed up the stairs without waiting for my brothers because I’d already waited too fucking long.

If I’d been thinking clearly at the moment I would’ve entered quietly and with more regard for my own fucking safety, but the only thing on my mind was finding Grace. And making her asshole of a husband pay. Luckily, Mabel stood there at the front door with that aluminum bat in her hand, a smudge of blood on one end. “Grandma,” I sighed. You’re all right.”

“Yep. Started keepin’ it in my room once Grace left,” she said, and lifted the bat by way of an explanation. “Cleaned his clock good.”

Her words penetrated my brain. Cleaned his clock. “Where is he? Where is Grace?”

“Come on,” she said with a heavy sigh, which caused my heart to do Muay Thai kicks against my chest.

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