Page 22 of Maverick

A low voice answered, “Maverick.”

My heart stumbled in my chest. That damn biker. Part of me wanted to slam the door in his face. Another part felt a surge of relief. He’d helped me before, maybe he knew something I didn’t.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “Can I come in?”

Nova peeked over my shoulder, her protective posture obvious. But she stepped aside. “Sure.”

Inside, he closed the door and raked a hand through his hair. Maverick stood there, looking grim and tense. His dark hair fell around his forehead, and the vest withRoad Monsters MCwas dusty from the rally. There was something about his brown eyes that tugged at me, like a magnetic pull I couldn’t explain.Stop it,I told myself.He’s trouble.

“Look, I, uh… I’m sorry about your mom. And I hate to pile on more shit, but you need to know that you’re in danger.”

A jolt of fear sparked in my stomach. “Danger?” I repeated.

Chapter 13

Maverick

I backed off, letting the cops do their job. They didn’t zero in on me immediately. Hopefully, they had no clue who the fuck I was yet, which was good. I kept my head down, drifting around the periphery. The paramedics eventually brought Diana’s body out on a stretcher, covering her with a sheet. Lexi and Nova watched, tears streaking their faces. My gut twisted at the sight.

I was about to slip away to check in with Kingpin when I caught a snippet of conversation behind a row of bikes. Two men, wearing brain buckets and dark shades, were speaking in hushed voices.

“That’s the old bat’s gone,” one said. “But the daughter’s still a problem.”

The other spat on the ground. “Yeah, well, we wait until the cops clear out. We know where she’s staying, some flea-bitten motel near the main road. We’ll finish the job tomorrow.”

Adrenaline spiked in my veins.They’re planning to kill Lexi.Must be connected to this Grinder shit, or maybe some other angle. Either way, they were talking murder, plain and simple. I tensed, stepping forward, but one of them must’ve sensed my presence. They both jumped on their bikes, engines roaring to life. I barely got a glimpse of a patch, couldn’t tell which MC or group. Then they sped off in a cloud of dust.

Fuck, I swore under my breath. Chasing them now would be useless. They had too big a head start, and I had no idea which direction they’d go once they hit the highway.Fuck.But I had to warn Lexi. If these assholes came after her, she was screwed, especially if she was naïve enough to trust random guys. Random bikers like me.

By then, they’d had loaded Diana into an ambulance, presumably to take her to the morgue. I hovered at a distance, noticing that more cops were swarming. Some of the bikers had already started scattering, not wanting to risk a random search or warrant. It wouldn’t be long before tensions rose even more.

I saw Kingpin lurking near a lineup of black Harleys, scowling at the scene. Our eyes met, and he jerked his head. A silent command to vanish. He didn’t want me around when the cops were asking questions, no sense exposing ourselves further. That was fine by me. I slipped through the crowd, found my bike, and kicked the engine into gear.

I had one destination in mind, Lexi’s motel. If those assholes really planned to come for her, I had to warn her first, maybe get her out of town. I told myself it was just because Kingpin would want the daughter alive, that she might have secrets or could unravel something bigger if she died. But deep down, I knew there was something else. I couldn’t let some scumbags off her just when she’d lost her mother. A mother I’d failed to protect, even if I hadn’t truly wanted to.

It took me about half an hour to locate the motel I’d heard them mention, hell, it wasn’t like Anarchy was brimming with five-star resorts. The sign blinked in neon:Anarchy Inn. Perfect. The lot was half-empty, a row of shitty vehicles and a couple bikes on the far side.

I parked, scanning the area. No sign of the men I’d overheard. I went into the lobby where the aroma was stale coffee and mildew. An elderly clerk raised an eyebrow at me.

“I’m looking for Lexi,” I said curtly, giving her last name if I remembered it from that quick mention… Shit, I realized I didn’t actually know her last name. “She’s with a friend named Nova,” I tried. “They got here recently.”

He shrugged, flipping through a binder. “We got a couple women who checked in from out of state. Brown-haired and blonde, right?”

“That’s them.”

He gave me a suspicious once-over. “Room 214. But don’t cause trouble here.”

I ignored that last part and headed upstairs, the hallway reeking of old carpet and cigarettes. Door 214 was at the end. I knocked, then realized how this might look, me showing up out of nowhere after her mother died. But there wasn’t time for niceties if these scumbags were coming.

The door cracked open a sliver. Nova’s face appeared, eyes rimmed with red from crying. She saw me and gasped, “Maverick?”

Flattening my lips, I gave her a solemn look. “Let me in. It’s important.”

She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. Then she unlatched the chain. I stepped inside to find Lexi perched on the edge of one of the beds, hugging her arms around her middle, eyes bloodshot behind her glasses. She looked up, and her expression hardened.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded, voice raw. “You have the nerve…”

I raised both hands in a placating gesture. “Look, I know you’re pissed at me, but you and your friend are in danger. I overheard some guys talking after your mom’s body was taken away. They want to come after you next. They know you’re here.”

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