Page 30 of Maverick

I rummaged in the kitchen and found instant coffee packets, water, and an old drip coffee machine. Soon, the rich aroma of coffee filled the cabin. I was pouring myself a cup when Lexi shuffled out, hair tussled, eyes squinting.

“Smells good,” she murmured. “Gimme.”

I handed her a mug. “Morning, princess.”

She sipped, sighing in delight as the caffeine hit her system. Then her expression sobered. “Why do you call me that?”

“You’re not like anyone in the circles I run in now, lawyer girl.”

“I’m just a girl who finished school and passed the bar. I’m no one special.”

“In my eyes you are,” I said, thinking about all the women in my world I could have with a snap of my fingers. Lexi looked like she at least had some standards. “And I bet a girl like you wouldn’t give a biker like me the time of day.”

Lexi made a face. “Men don’t give me the time of day, usually.”

“They’re intimidated. You’re confident, smart, sexy. Probably have a good job. Men want someone to rescue.”

“Like you’re rescuing me?” Her eyes darted to the floor as she shook her head. She was changing the subject. “Did you find out anything from last night?”

Leaning against the counter, I came out with it. “There’s a mob boss named Grinder, runs shit around Texas. That’s where you live, right?”

Leix nodded.

“Possibly your mom messed with him somehow. Also heard rumors of a biker from the SOS MC in San Diego, some old guy your mom might’ve been with, who could be your father. Maybe that guy had a beef with Grinder. We don’t know yet.”

She blinked. “That’s… a lot to process. A father I never knew, and a mob boss who might want me dead.”

I took a long drink of coffee. “Anything your mom left behind that you can think of? Documents, a box of stuff, maybe a computer file? Sometimes blackmail or secrets get stashed.”

She frowned. “She never let me near her personal things. But a few times she dumped some crap at my apartment in Dallas, then left without explanation. I didn’t dig through it. It’s mostly old clothes, random junk. But maybe there’s something hidden in there.”

I set my mug down. “Then that’s our next stop. We need to see what the hell your mom left. If she has anything incriminating, that’d explain why people want you gone.”

“You’re right.” Then she paused. “So… about this possible father? If that’s even true, I don’t know if I want to meet him.”

Lifting my shoulder, I understood. “Maybe you never have to. Kingpin’s info is sketchy. Could just be gossip. But if it’s real, it might tie into the bigger picture.”

Her features hardened. “Kingpin? Your old president?”

“How do you know that?” I asked in a rush, my mind whirling.

“Chigger said the name. He told us about your past.”

“Fuck,” I said automatically. Chigger and I would be having a talk. I was fuming.

“He said the man used to be your president. That’s all. Nova and I grilled him last night. Don’t be upset.”

Fighting to temper my anger, I focused on our next moves. “To Dallas then?”

“Fine. Let’s go. I just want answers.”

By the time Chigger and Nova woke up, we’d finished half the pot of coffee. We filled them in on our plan to drive to Dallas. They agreed without question. Therefore, we packed up the minimal gear we had to shove into Lexi’s trunk, and stepped outside…

…only to find her car’s front tires slashed.

Lexi stood there, jaw slack. “Are you fucking kidding me?” She nudged one of the tires with her foot, rubber torn to shreds. “Why the hell would they slash my tires and not just kill us in our sleep?”

Nova crossed her arms, looking around nervously. “Perhaps they only wished to frighten us? Slow us down? Who knows?”

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