Page 64 of The Cleaner

I bite my lip. “Yeah. I’m just scared that he’ll leave if he finds out.”

Her eyes flash with anger. “Trust me, Lisa, if a man can’t handle who you are and what you do, they’re not the man for you. Danny supports me even though I can be slightly deranged at times. We match each other perfectly, and from what I know of Maverick, the two of you match also.”

“He’s protective,” I say. “Like way over the top with it. He’s jealous of Cowboy even though I’ve told him we’re just friends.”

She laughs. “Oh, girl, trust me, Danny’s the exact same way, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They can be protective and supportive. You just have to find the strength and courage to tell him. Once you do, you’ll feel free.”

She’s right, I know she is, but it doesn’t stop the fear of rejection lingering in me.

"Lisa?" Maverick's deep voice cuts through my inner thoughts. “You okay, babe?”

“Yeah,” I reply softly as he slides his arm around my waist. I sink into his embrace. I love that he shows me just how much he cares for me.

"Hey, Maverick," Melissa says as Danny joins us. "We were just talking about you."

"So, how do you two know each other?" Maverick asks, looking between Melissa and me.

"Ah, that would be down to Cowboy,” Melissa says with a smile. “He knows Dad, and when Lisa was looking for her dad, he put her in contact with me.”

Maverick glances down at me. “Are you looking for your dad, babe?”

I freeze, my heart racing. God, why is this happening now? I look up at Maverick, seeing the confusion and concern in his eyes.

"I... yeah," I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to know where he was."

Maverick's arm tightens around me. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “You were angry when he showed up to the house. I knew you’d be pissed that I would be asking. I didn’t know why I wanted the information. I just knew that I wanted it.”

“That fucker doesn’t deserve your kindness,” he snarls low. “He fucked up your life, baby. He doesn’t deserve any of your compassion.”

I nod. “He’s still my dad,” I whisper, hating that I’m so bloody weak when it comes to Ben. He’ll always have this power over me.

Maverick’s arms tighten around me. “Fuck,” he whispers.

“I hate him. He hurt me. I think I just needed to ensure that he wasn’t here in Dublin. I don’t want to see him ever again.”

That’s something I know for sure. I don’t want to see him or talk to him. I just need to make sure he’s away from me and won’t hurt me again.

Maverick's jaw clenches, and I can feel the tension radiating from his body. He takes a deep breath, clearly trying to calm himself. "I understand, baby. I just wish you'd told me. You don't have to face these things alone anymore."

I nod, my throat tight with emotion. "I know. I'm sorry, I just... It's hard for me to open up sometimes."

Melissa and Danny exchange a glance, and Melissa clears her throat. "We'll give you two a moment," she says, gently touching my arm before they walk away.

Once we're alone, Maverick turns me to face him, his hands cupping my face. "Lisa, I need you to understand something. I'm here for you, always. No matter what it is, no matter how difficult or painful, I want to be there for you. I know that it’s going to take time for you to open up fully, but you’ve got to trust me and let me in.”

I look up into Maverick's intense brown eyes, seeing the sincerity and concern there. My heart swells with emotion, and I feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. God, I love this man. I really fucking love him.

"I do trust you, Maverick," I whisper, placing my hands over his. "It's just... I've not had someone that I trust fully in such along time, someone I would trust my life with. I'm not used to having someone to lean on, someone who cares this much."

He leans down, pressing his forehead against mine. "Well, get used to it, baby. Because I'm not going anywhere."

I don’t know what I did to deserve him. I just pray that when the truth comes out, he’ll stay by my side. I can’t lose him. I won’t make it if I do.

Walking into Orna's home,I can see that she's freaking out. The house smells of fresh linen, and I know she's got her favourite candles burning, as she does whenever she has people over. She's meeting Maverick tonight, as I met his family last night. Something that didn't start off too good, but by the end of the night, I had a blast. His mam apologised, and she was actually really lovely. Stephen and Denis told me that Nichola tends to open her mouth without thinking and is just extremely judgemental until she knows you, although Stephen says that doesn't actually change; she's still an asshole. But she apologised and was really sweet afterwards so I'm not holding any grudges.

"Mamaí, we’re here," I call out, pulling Maverick along with me.

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