Page 62 of Healer's Call

I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m not about to let Maverick get in trouble for saving me. “He saved me tonight. I don’t know why you’re giving him such a hard time. But I’d probably be dead if he hadn’t saved me.” I do my best to hold Cade’s stormy gaze, but it’s hard.

“That’s not what this is about,” Cade says, his voice still rough.

I look between the two of them in confusion. “The reason they showed up tonight is because Mav here paid them a visit. And threatened the owner in his private home.” Cade turns to me. “Tonight was payback.”

I stare at him before glancing at Maverick. His face is expressionless, and I can’t get a read on him. “Why?” I ask him simply.

“I needed to find out if they’re the ones pulling the strings or if it’s somebody else,” Mav surprises me by answering. He meets Cade’s eyes. “I got my answer.”

“But at what cost, Mav?” Amber interrupts. “How did that work out for you? They almost got Rose.”

Maverick stiffens. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

“Because you happened to be at the right place at the right time. But what about the next time? Or the time after that?”

I raise my hand. “Can we just back up? You went to the guy’s house, who we had dinner with?” I ask Maverick. Maverick doesn’t look to be in pain, and he’s not struggling against Cade either. “What is going on?”

Cade eases back and releases Maverick. Maverick gives him a look and then stalks over to the front door. When he opens it, Eli comes in. The room suddenly feels extremely small. Then I can’t see anything else because Maverick steps in front of me. “Here.” He hands me something. I realize it’s a sweatshirt—his sweatshirt. I look up at him in surprise. He doesn’t say a word but waits until I put it on—I mean I guess that’s what he’s waiting for. I don’t argue with him because I’m feeling overwhelmed and out of sorts. His sweatshirt is warm and unsurprisingly smells like him. I resist the urge to take a deep breath because he’s still standing there watching me intensely. I’m not going to think about the fact that I recognize his scent and that it gives me comfort. I will dwell on that fact when I’m in my room alone, later. When he doesn’t move, I look up at him. “Are you okay?” he asks in a low voice.

I nod. “Thanks for protecting me.” An expression comes over his face, but it’s gone in an instant. It was too quick for me to read. He turns away from me, and I face Cade, Amber, and Eli.

The door opens and two more guys come in. “We can meet in the meeting room,” Cade says, eyeing me. “We can leave the ladies here.

Panic wells up inside me, and my gaze shoots to Maverick. He’s the closest thing I feel to safety right now. For some reason, the thought of him leaving makes me scared.

He’s already looking at me. “We’ll stay here,” he says without looking at Cade. Relief fills me.

“What happened?” Eli asks. I find a seat because I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night. Maverick’s sweatshirt is long enough on me, it doubles as a blanket when I pull my feet up on the seat.

“Maverick went to the owner’s home and threatened him and his family,” Cade says in a flat voice.

“It needed to be done.” I look over at Maverick as he speaks. He's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “We needed to find out who they’re working with.”

“What’d you find out?” Eli asks, facing him.

“It’s not them,” Mav says. The room is silent a moment. “They’re not the ones pulling the strings.”

“They’re not polluting the water?” Eli asks.

“Oh, they are; but they’re being paid to do it,” Mav says.

I wrinkled my nose in confusion, but Cade beats me to it. “Who is it then?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Mav says.

“You didn’t get any more information out of him?” Amber asks.

Mav smirks. “Well, short of killing him, which I didn’t think you would condone—”

“I wouldn’t,” Cade interrupts.

“I couldn’t get any more out of him.”

“And then they came here and went after Rose,” Amber points out, shifting Paige to her other side. Cade reaches out and takes her from Amber and gently pushes her little head down on his shoulder. But her head pops up; it’s obvious she’s not going back to sleep anytime soon.

“Uncamav.”

I have no idea what Paige mutters, but Cade must because he walks the short distance across the room and shocks me byhanding Paige to Maverick. Mav doesn’t bat an eye as he reaches for her, like he’s used to holding her. She snuggles in against him, and he turns his attention back to the group, completely at ease with the fact that he’s holding a toddler. I, on the other hand, can’t even wrap my head around it. And then he rubs her back with his big hand and mutters something softly to her, and I’m done for. He meets my eyes, and I can’t look away. I stare at him. And before I can stop it, my mind forms a picture—Mav with a little girl in his arms, but one that has dark hair and dark eyes and looks just like him. I blink and the image fades, but I continue to stare at him. He only looks away when Eli asks him something. The voices around me sort of fade out, and I think back through the night. A shiver runs through me when I think about what could have happened if Maverick hadn’t gotten back when he did. I wonder what’s going to happen next.Will they give up or will they return? I think about the Northwoods pack and make a mental note to reach out tomorrow and see if they’re being affected in a similar way or if this is just what the Orlando pack is dealing with. I think about Sam and Wyatt and their pack too and wonder if they’re all safe.

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