Page 54 of Maverick

“Yeah, I don’t believe in coincidences.”

Lexi shrugged. “Well, I do. Circumstantial evidence means little.”

“But I was asked by Kingpin to talk to Diana and find out what she knows about him. I’m not sure how Kingpin ties into this. He might be dealing with them, or maybe he’s trying to sabotage them and using me. Hard to say. It’s a big fucking mess.”

She frowned. “Kingpin is your old… friend? Enemy?”

“Both,” I admitted. “He runs the Royal Bastards MC in Nashville, but he also has his claws elsewhere. He’s the reason I ended up in the Road Monsters in the first place. And we have a nasty history involving my first fiancée, Eve.” I paused, my throat tightening. “Anyway, I got someone on the inside who might feed me info soon.”

She searched my face. “So now what? We just wait?”

I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “We keep you here, keep you safe. Meanwhile, I’ll wait for word. The second I know who’s pulling the trigger, I’ll put an end to it. One way or another.”

Her gaze flicked over my mouth, then up to my eyes. “I hate being helpless.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.” I ran a thumb over her bottom lip, my chest aching with the need to comfort her. “Believe me, Iwant to fix this more than anything. I can’t stand the idea of you living in fear.”

She sighed, leaning into my touch. “You’re too good to me, Maverick.”

I shook my head, a wry laugh escaping. “Not really. I’m a mean outlaw who doesn’t give a shit about anything except saving your ass. And claiming you,” I added, voice turning husky.

Her cheeks warmed, but she didn’t look away. “Are you going to keep me locked up in this room until then?”

I smirked. “Not locked up, but… yeah, maybe. I don’t trust half these assholes not to say something stupid. The Road Monsters abide by the property patch, but some might get ideas. Tread carefully.”

She nodded, chewing her lip. “Fine. But you better visit often, or I’ll go crazy.”

I laughed, the sound surprising even me. “Oh, I’ll visit. Don’t you worry.”

After that, I took a moment to shower off the road grime in the tiny adjoining bathroom. The hot water beat down on my muscles, each drop reminding me of the countless miles I’d traveled in the past forty-eight hours. And yet, I felt… renewed. Like the future held some sliver of hope, all because Lexi was in it. Christ, I’m turning into a fucking romantic. But maybe that was okay.

When I emerged, wearing only my jeans, I found Lexi rummaging through a bag of takeout she must’ve gotten from the clubhouse kitchen. The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air. My stomach growled.

She looked up, eyes skating over my bare chest. A faint flush crept over her face, but she forced a playful smile. “Hungry?”

“Starving,” I said, my voice rough. But my hunger was for more than just food. The way she stood there, half-smiling, made me want to drag her onto the bed. Focus, asshole. She’s not ready, and you’re both exhausted from stress.

She handed me a paper plate loaded with chicken, mashed potatoes, and some sort of gravy. “Eat before it gets cold,” she advised, taking a bite of her own portion.

I settled on the edge of the bed, devouring the meal in grateful silence. She ate too, though she looked lost in thought, occasionally glancing at me as if to ensure I wasn’t about to vanish again. After we finished, she yawned, the tension easing from her shoulders.

“You look beat,” I said, setting my plate aside.

She shrugged. “I haven’t been sleeping great. Worrying about you… about everything.”

A pang of guilt speared me. “Then let’s get some rest.” I hesitated, unsure how to phrase my next question. We’ve got one bed, I thought. Usually, I’d just assume she’d share it with me. But given the seriousness of the situation, I wanted to be sure. “Do you, uh, want me to sleep next to you? Or do you need space?”

Her eyes flicked to the bed, then to me. A small, trembling smile touched her lips. “Stay. Please.”

My heart thumped. “All right, princess.”

We crawled onto the bed, me in my jeans, her in her tank and shorts. The overhead light switched off. The darknesspressed around us, but the faint glow of a single lamp in the corner kept it from being pitch black. She nestled in close, her back against my chest, letting me wrap an arm around her waist. My fingers brushed over the bandage on her stomach, reminding me of the fresh ink beneath. My mark, I thought, a savage satisfaction stirring deep inside. She’s mine, for better or worse.

She whispered, “Thank you for coming back.”

I buried my nose in her hair. “I’ll always come back. I promise.”

And in that moment, I felt redeemed, like some part of my soul that had been stained by all the betrayals, Eve, Sky, Kingpin, the miscarriages, the broken illusions, was finally washing clean. If I can save Lexi, if I can keep her alive, maybe I can start over. Maybe the open highway didn’t have to be my only home. Maybe I could build something real, something lasting.

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