Page 5 of Maverick's Code

She studies me for a long moment as if trying to solve a puzzle. Finally, her shoulders drop slightly.

"Sadie," she says quietly. "My name is Sadie."

I nod, fighting back a smile at this small victory. "Well, Sadie, how do you like your eggs?"

She blinks, clearly thrown by the mundane question after all that tension. "I... what?"

"Eggs. You know, those things that come out of chickens? I can do scrambled, over easy, or if you're feeling fancy, I make a mean omelet."

A surprised laugh escapes her before she can catch it, and for a split second, I see the girl she might have been before all this - happy, beautiful, unguarded. Then the walls come back up, but maybe not quite as high as before.

"Scrambled," she says cautiously, like she's waiting for the catch. "But I'm not staying long."

"Never said you had to." I step back, giving her space. "Bathroom's through there if you want to clean up. There's afresh towel and some clothes my sister left last time she crashed here. It might be a bit big, but it's better than that dress.”

She glances down at the white fabric, clearly still suspicious. "Yeah. Thanks."

I turn to leave but pause at the doorway.

"Sadie?" She looks up, guard instantly back in place. "Whatever happened, whoever did this... they're not going to find you here. You've got my word on that."

Something flickers in her eyes - doubt, hope, fear, maybe all three. But she gives a small nod.

As I head to the kitchen, I hear the bathroom door close, and the shower starts running. My phone buzzes in my pocket - another message from Butcher asking for updates. I ignore it. Right now, I've got eggs to scramble and a wounded Outlaw princess in my shower.

I crack eggs into a bowl, mind racing as I try to figure out my next move. Butcher isn't just my VP; he's one of my best friends, and lying to him feels wrong. But something tells me there's more to Sadie's story than just club politics, and bringing Iron & Blood into this too soon could get her killed.

The shower's still running as I start making coffee to replace what ended up on my floor. My phone buzzes again. Third message in ten minutes. Yeah, time's running out.

"Checking perimeter. Found nothing. Will update later."

I type out the message, hoping it'll buy me a few hours. It's not exactly a lie - I did check the perimeter last night before bringing her in.

The shower stops, and a few minutes later, I hear soft footsteps. I turn to see Sadie standing in the kitchen doorway, wearing my sister's old sweats and oversized hoodie. With the makeupwashed off, I can see the full extent of the bruising on her face, and something hot and angry coils in my gut.

"Feeling better?" I ask, sliding a plate of eggs across the counter.

She approaches cautiously, like she's still expecting a trap.

"Yeah." Her voice is rougher now, more vulnerable without the defensive anger. "Listen, about the bat..."

"Already forgotten," I say, pouring her coffee. "Milk? Sugar?"

"Black," she mumbles, then takes a bite of eggs. "These are good."

I lean against the counter, giving her space while she eats.

"Sadie," I say carefully, "I meant what I said about protecting you. But I need to know what I'm protecting you from. My club's going to come looking soon, and I need to know what to tell them."

She freezes mid-bite, fear flashing across her face before she can hide it.

"Your club can't know I'm here."

"Then help me understand why."

She sets her fork down, staring into her coffee like it holds all the answers. The silence stretches between us, broken only by the distant sound of traffic outside.

"Jake," she finally says, his name coming out like poison. "He's one of the two who escaped when you hit our leadership last month. He's trying to take control of what's left of the Outlaws, and he thought..." she shudders slightly. "He thought making me his old lady would cement his position."

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