Page 74 of Suspicious

We all chuckle, peering over our shoulders toward Hayes while he mops in front of the bar, making more of a mess than he’s cleaning up.

Furrowing my brow, I exhale. “Poor guy… at least he is trying…I guess?”

Sadie shrugs, her hand instinctively shifting to her stomach. “You gotta feel sorry for him. He watched you move through the ranks, Mav. And then you, Montana. All his brothers are gaining their patches, and he’s still over there… mopping floors.”

Widening my eyes, I plaster on a bright smile. “He’ll get there.He may not be the typical brother you guys are used to, but I have a good feeling about him… he’ll prove himself. He wouldn’t have stuck it out here for so long if he wasn’t willing to go the extra mile for Defiance.”

Maverick and Montana grin while Sadie and Rhyan giggle.

But it’s Sadie who speaks, “You haven’t been at the club for long. You’ve been an Old Lady for even less. But somehow, you already have the heart of Defiance, Bea. Loki did good choosing you.”

My lips turn up in the widest smile, my stomach fluttering in butterflies as I glance toward his den, knowing he’s inside working away. “I don’t think we had a choice. Our lives have been tangled together since we were born, and no matter how hard the universe tried to keep us apart, we were always going to end up back in each other’s arms...” I let out a small laugh, then continue, “Destiny has a funny way of leading us down different paths. Paths that sometimes we didn’t choose for ourselves, paths we didn’t even want to take, but in the end, those paths brought us right back to where we belong… with each other. It’s like every moment, every struggle, and every heartache was a stepping stone that led us here, to this very moment… to Defiance. And now, I can’t imagine a world where we aren’t together, where our souls don’t recognize each other in a crowded room.” I fight back my smile as my soul soars and my heart thumps rapidly. “He’s my home, my safe haven, and now I’m here. I think this club is going to be my sanctuary, too,” I say honestly, from my heart.

Rhyan and Sadie both slump their shoulders, smiling wide at me. But Montana and Maverick sit back in their chairs, shaking their heads. Montana lets out a feint snort, tilting his head toward me. “That’s too fucking poetic for me. I gotta go drink a beer and find my balls. You coming, Mav?”

Maverick bursts out laughing in reply while Rhyan slaps herOld Man across the chest. “Don’t be an asshole!” Rhyan snaps.

Montana winks at me, and he and Maverick stand. “Oh, Dragonfly, maybe I’m just jealous you don’t talk about me with such devotion,” he teases, his smirk growing.

Rhyan’s eyes widen as she stands from the table in disgust. “Devotion?Are you kidding me?I literally cleaned up a dead body in an apartment suite for you, or have youconvenientlyforgotten about that,huh?”she snaps at him.

I snort out a laugh as Montana clears his throat, jerking his head toward me, but Rhyan waves her hand through the air absentmindedly. “Oh, seriously?You’re worried about Bea hearing what we get up to in our spare time? She’s an Old Lady, Montana. She’s not gonna tell anyone. But you,youare in deep grovel territory now, sir. Or do you want me to go and talk to my father about how you justscrewed up?”

Maverick laughs under his breath, patting his best friend on the back. “I’ll grab that drink with you another time, brother. In the meantime, good luck,” he states, still chuckling under his breath. He gestures a kiss to Sadie and then heads off for the bar.

Montana steps in closer to Rhyan, sliding his arms around her. She pretends to fight him off, but his grip on her is tight. “You wanna go see Amber and Selene at the salon? Get our nails done? Maybe a massage with Sven and Tania, release some of the tension in those sexy muscles of yours?” He narrows his eyes on hers, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Rhyan’s tough façade cracks, and she bursts into a fit of giggles. “You prick. How am I supposed to stay mad at you when you pull that shit on me?”

Montana shrugs, waggling his brows. “That’s why you love me, Dragonfly,” he chimes, then leans in to kiss her.

I smirk, turning back to face Sadie, leaving the two of them to make out behind me, and I whisper to her, “Did he say getournails done… as inbothof them?”

Sadie burst out laughing and nods. “Yeah… it’s a thing. But Montana is a really good guy, and he adores Rhyan. Would literally doanythingfor her, including getting his nails painted to keep her happy.”

Glancing back over my shoulder at the two of them while they head for the exit, I find myself smiling. It’s pretty awesome seeing how these burly bikers are completely committed and loving toward their women.

I know because I feel it from Loki.

Turning back to face Sadie, I smile. “And what about you and Maverick? I saw the way you slid your hand over your stomach just now. Am I missing someexpectantinformation there?”

Sadie beams brightly, her face giving off that maternal glow. “Oh, yeah, you weren’t here when we announced. I’m around two months along now. It’s only brand new.”

Tilting my head, I reach out, my hand gripping hers. “Oh my gosh, Sadie! That’s such wonderful news.”

“Thanks, we’re excited, though not as much as Clover. After everything she and Mav have been through, becoming an aunt is incredibly thrilling for her. Her diabetes can be limiting, and Maverick’s overbearingness doesn’t help. He’s improved, but he’s still incredibly protective. I know it’s because they only had each other for most of their lives, but now they have all of us. He needs to learn to let her live a little, especially as she’s growing into a woman with her own needs. Thelastthing she wants is for him to stifle that.”

I nod, knowing exactly what that’s like. “Trust me, as a younger sister to anextremelyprotective older brother, having him dictate your life canreallyderail it. And the people around it. Just look at what happened to me and Loki as proof. Clover is such a sweet girl, and she has so much going for her with her internship. I hope Maverick will give her the freedom she needs to flourish.”

Sadie sits back in her chair, letting out a long puff of air. “You and me both. We hardly fight about anything anymore, but the only thing that does bring tension between us is Clover. I love that girl like she’s my own sister, and I fight for her every chance I get, which puts me at odds with Mav. It can be hard, especially with a baby on the way. I love him with everything I have, but man, that boy is fucking stubborn when it comes to his baby sister.”

Letting out a laugh, I nod. “Yeah, I know all about it. The thing is, from personal experience, the more he pushes her, the more he denies her, the more she’s going to do exactly what hedoesn’twant. Theo flat-out refused for Loki and me to be together, and by the age of what? I don’t know, I think it was eleven or twelve, we had shared our first kiss. The night of prom, we slept together and then kept doing it any chance we could behind his back.” Sighing, I slump my shoulders. “The night before I left for college, I took a pregnancy test.”

Sadie’s eyes widen in shock, but I put my hands up to placate her.

“No, no, it was negative. But my point is, I did all this behind Theo’s back, and he only just found out a couple of weeks ago in Loki’s den when the punch-up happened. Keeping secrets from him wasnotthe best way, but if Maverick forces Clover into the same pattern I was forced into, you just don’t know what kind of path she could go down.”

Sadie pouts, sitting back in her chair and letting out a long exhale. “Well… shit.”

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