Page 401 of Lodestar

I grinned at him then, when I saw a bunch of women clustered around Star, asked, “They giving her shit?”

“Yup,” he said placidly. “They’re our Old Ladies. She cut and run without warning them and they’re not happy about it.”

“I’m glad she’s got people who care about her.”

“She thinks she doesn’t, but she does.”

We were definitely on the same page aboutthat.

Maverick chuckled. “Just wait until Rex and the rest of the council get a hold of her.”

“They’re pissed at her too?”

“Wicked pissed.” His grin was lightning-fast and malevolent with it. “I’m surprised she came today, to be honest. Shit’s still fresh.”

“She mentioned something about ripping off a Band-Aid quickly…”

“Yeah, she never let nerves hold her back. I’d be impressed if I weren’t pissed at her myself.” He cut me a look I didn’t spotbecause I was watching Kat do some cartwheels next to a table loaded with?—

Well, it was loaded with drinksbefore.

The table tipped as she kicked it with her toes. Somehow, she landed neatly on her feet, but that didn’t mean the room survived unscathed.

“They’re only cans. We learned at her first barbecue not to have glass bottles out when she’s around,” Maverick assured me as the women stopped haranguing Star and clucked around Kat, checking on her, while some other bikers, Sin being the only one I recognized, started gathering the cans and restocking them on the table they’d just laid out again.

“Bet you don’t miss her knocking everything over,” I joked.

He smirked his agreement. “Anyway, you don’t want to stick around with me. I’ll have to go in for a fucking nap soon.”

I frowned. “You’re feeling ill?”

“No. But sleep keeps the migraines at bay, and it makes me feel fucking ancient to say it but it’ll make tomorrow less miserable.”

“I’m okay with sticking around until you need to go in?” I asked hesitantly, knowing that Star had loved this man at one time and that she still cared for him as a friend.

“Yeah?” He shot me a sheepish grin. “I thought I’d give you an out. Alessa told me to play nice and I figured Star did the same thing…”

“Oh, she did,” I retorted, “but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a lot in common.”

Maverick shrugged. “Guess we do, at that.” He held out his can. When I stared at it, he made a show of tapping his against mine. “You can call me Maverick.”

“I’m Conor.”

“Pleased to meet you, Conor.”

“Pleased to meet you too, Maverick.”

He chuckled. “There, we appeased the women.”

“For the moment.”

“True dat.” He arched a brow at me. “Is what I’ve been hearing about you and the NSA real or bullshit?”

I pulled a face. “Why does she keep telling people about that?”

“It’s impressive. Very niche.”

“Niche isn’t good. I’d have preferred the fucking Feds. My da was close friends with the director.”

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