Page 100 of Maverick

A wave of breathless shock rushed through me. “Marry me?” My chest fluttered.

He laughed softly. “Of course. I wanted to marry you a year ago, before everything crashed down. Now you’re free. I want to make us an official family, me, you, and Adam.”

Tears brimmed again, but this time from sheer joy. “Yes,” I whispered. “I want to marry you, too.”

He grinned, relief washing over his face. “Good, because I already asked Nova to watch the baby while we go pick out a ring tomorrow.”

The next morning, Nova happily offered to babysit, eyeing us with a teasing smile. “Go on your little ring-shopping adventure,” she said. “I’ll keep an eye on Adam.”

We hopped on Maverick’s Harley, and my heart soared at the familiar rumble beneath me. I clung to his waist as we sped down the coastal road, gulls calling overhead. It felt like a scene from one of my books, except it was real. We found a quaint jewelry shop in the nearby harbor town. The bell chimed as we entered, a friendly elderly clerk greeting us.

We browsed the glass cases, my eyes lingering on modest rings. I didn’t want anything flashy, or that reminded me of Mark’s extravagance. Finally, I spotted a simple band with a small diamond cluster. Something elegant, not ostentatious. Maverick slipped it onto my finger, and it fit perfectly. Our gazes locked, and I saw so much love in his eyes that my breath caught.

“This is it,” I whispered, smiling up at him.

He pressed a tender kiss to my lips. “We’ll do the wedding in two weeks.”

“Just a small ceremony.”

“The Kings will come, maybe Nova as your maid of honor. That enough time to get a dress?”

I laughed softly. “I’ll find something. I’m sure Nova will be ecstatic to help.”

He paid for the ring in cash, not with the hush money I’d offered him, ironically enough. Maverick always seemed to have enough cash, and I wouldn’t let myself worry where it came from.

We rode back through the winding roads, the wind tangling my hair. I glanced at the ring on my finger, heart brimming with cautious optimism. My life was far from perfect. There was still the looming threat of Mark’s reaction, the final steps to ensure the mob wouldn’t target me, and the bizarre truth of Kingpin being my father.

When we pulled up to our little rental house, the sun was just setting over the pines. Nova stood on the porch, baby in her arms, grinning ear to ear when she saw the ring. She squealed, scolding me for not letting her help pick it out, but hugging me tight anyway.

Maverick hopped off the bike, took the baby from Nova, and cradled him in the crook of his arm. I watched them, my heart bursting. Adam looked so peaceful in his father’s embrace, and I felt that same sense of peace wash over me, too.

Yes, I’d have to face the final storms. My father was a powerful outlaw biker with some hold over the biker I loved, and Mark might lash out. But tonight, in that golden twilight, all I saw was a man and a baby who were mine, and a ring on my finger that symbolized the promise of a new chapter.

I stepped up to them, gently kissing Adam’s forehead, then Maverick’s lips. He smiled against my mouth, murmuring, “You’re mine, princess. For real this time. No one can take that away.”

I leaned my forehead against his, inhaling the scent of leather and the faint baby powder. “Yes,” I whispered. “I’m yours, and you’re mine.”

And as the sun set, I felt a calm I’d never known before. Together, we’d rebuild our lives, a real family, no lies, no blackmail, just love strong enough to face whatever came next.

Chapter 51

The sea air brushed my cheeks as I stepped barefoot onto the warm sands of Maine’s rugged coastline. Two weeks had vanished since Maverick placed that ring on my finger, promising a new life free of the mob’s grip and my old ghosts. Now, I stood here on a secluded beach, dressed in a soft ivory gown that flowed around my ankles, the salty breeze teasing strands of my hair from an updo. The tide lapped at the shore in a rhythmic hush, as if nature itself was blessing this moment.

My heart thudded, excitement and nerves mingling.I’m about to marry Maverick.Just months ago, I’d been trapped in a loveless arrangement with Mark, never imagining I’d be free to choose who held my hand forever. But now, I was no longer Lexi Martin, mob bargaining chip. I was Lexi, soon-to-be Lexi Hart,Maverick’s wife, his ol’ lady, embracing the wild freedom he offered.

Friends drifted across the sand, setting up a small semicircle of chairs. The Kings of Anarchy MC crew had come to celebrate, Solo, their president, Chainsaw, the Vice President, and a handful of members and their women who’d grown fond of us. Nova was there, in a light-blue sundress, cradling our son, Adam, while Chigger hovered around them, fresh off the road from some Road Monster’s run.

I exhaled, smoothing my palm over the soft white satin of my dress. Nova had helped me choose it. Simple, sleeveless, witha gentle lace overlay at the bodice. My postpartum body still felt foreign, but looking at my reflection in Chigger’s bike’s chrome. I felt… serene.

A cough made me turn around. Standing there was Kingpin, towering in a black button-down and jeans that somehow seemed formal for a biker. He had a thick beard, dark hair with streaks of grey, combed back, and two restless toddlers clinging to his legs. My heart leaped.My father.The man who once opposed Maverick, who’d probably never imagined having a grown daughter, show up out of nowhere.

He cleared his throat again, casting a glance at the toddlers. One was fussing, the other picking up shells. Beside him wasEve, his wife, a few years older than me, yet not by much. She wore a flowy floral dress, her long blonde hair tied in a loose braid.

“Lexi,” Kingpin said gruffly, stepping forward. His gaze flicked over me, a hint of awkward pride in his eyes. “You make a beautiful bride.”

I released a nervous breath. “Thanks… it’s nice to finally meet you… in person.” We grinned a little awkwardly, as I recalled the night I got a call from him, and he asked if he could come to the wedding.

He shifted the toddler off his leg, handing her to Eve. The little girl looked at me with wide eyes.Angel.My half-sister,my mind supplied, reeling. I had a brother, too.Named Prince.

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