Page 23 of Maverick

Her face went blank. “W-what?”

Nova’s eyes widened. “Are you fucking serious?”

I nodded grimly. “They said they’d wait until the cops cleared out, then come here tomorrow. I don’t know who they are, maybe tied to that mob boss Diana was yammering about wanting to kill you all. But it sounded legit.”

Lexi swallowed hard, her knuckles white where they gripped the bedspread. “What the hell are you talking about, wanting to kill us?”

“Did she not tell you? She told me someone named Grinder was threatening to kill her and her daughter.”

“No. She didn’t tell me anything of the sort. Said she needed legal advice. The defamation. Remember? You heard her being all cryptic and shit,” Lexi said.

“Listen. Diana has a reputation for not exactly telling the truth. So, I didn’t believe her at first.”

Lexi nodded, like she related to that fact.

“So, once I found out there was actually a daughter, I thought she told you about the hit, when she called you.”

“A hit?” Lexi repeated my words like they were foreign.

“I told Diana to let you know you were in danger. I just figured she did, and supposed that’s why you were desperatelywanting answers last night.” I spoke mostly to myself. “So, you didn’t understand that you two should have stayed with her. Because you didn’t know she was in real danger.”

“Well, you left her in her tent,” Lexi cried out, blaming me, rightfully.

“I came back in the middle of the night, and Diana was fine, breathing. I went to bed, thinking I was right beside her, and the sea of bikers would protect her from the mob. But I should’ve known, the mob would have bikers do their bidding.”

“You mean, you were distracted by some loose woman. What do you call them? Club whores? Sweetbutts? Club Bunnies? Roadhouse Rabbits?” Her voice raised and got high at the same time.

“I’m sorry, Lexi. I put your mom’s life in danger and yours.”

“My life? Are you sure? I—I can’t even process this. Why would they want me dead?”

I gave a rough shrug. “Because your mom might’ve said something. Or they think you know something. Shit, I don’t know. But if they’re serious, you need to get out of here. Tonight.”

Nova made a strangled sound. “We can’t just, leave. The police might have more questions, and Lexi… You can’t trust some random biker.”

“I promise, I’m just trying to help,” I tried, meeting Lexi’s wet eyes.

“She needs to plan her mom’s funeral. Or something,” Nova huffed out.

Lexi let out a shuddering breath, tears brimming again. “She can’t just…be gone.”

Guilt twisted in my gut. I knelt near the bed, forcing Lexi to meet my gaze. Up close, I noticed the faint freckles across her nose, the redness in her eyes, the tremble of her bottom lip. She was so damn beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly, meaning it more than I wanted to admit. “But if these assholes come for you, you might end up just like her. You got any family, friends who can help? Anyone you trust?”

She shook her head, blinking back tears. “My dad’s never been in the picture. I have some extended family in Dallas, but… I don’t know. There’s Mark, my boss from the office, but I’m not sure I want to get work involved.”

“Then I’ll help,” I said, surprising myself with how quickly the words came out. But it was the proper course of action, and I could find a way to placate Kingpin during this. “I can move you two to a safer place, somewhere these guys won’t find you. Then we’ll determine the next steps.”

“Tell me why I should trust you,” Lexi said, putting me on the spot.

“Well, once upon a time I was a good guy...” I started, but that explanation died in my throat. Hell, I didn’t want anything to happen to her for selfish reasons, but I’d gotten her mom killed. I tried a more reasoned approach. “If anything, your mom knew secrets, secrets about a man I work for and he asked me to keep her alive. If you don’t trust me, trust that my boss would want to know why someone wanted Diana dead, and you might be our only lead.”

Lexi puckered sideways, trying to decide.

I looked at her shirt that read, ‘Men are Better in Books’. Tears streaked her pretty face, and it was right, no romance hero would have left her mom unguarded to pork some whore.

“Listen, Princess, I’ll be real honest with you. Come clean, lay it all out. I won’t let anyone hurt you because from the moment I met you, I wanted to haul those glasses off your pretty face and give you a kiss to make you notice me, really notice me. Make your knees weak and land you under me, in my tent, my bed. So, I came looking for you in Diana’s tent. When you weren’t there, I found someone in mine, so I buried my bone in her, wishing she was you. So, don’t go thinking I’m going to let you get killed when I want to fuck you.”

Lexi swallowed hard. She parted her lips but nothing came out.

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