Page 2 of Lawless

I swallow nervously, worried that Mav is going to expect me to somehow climb over that without being ripped to shreds.

“It’s okay,” he says softly. “I have the access code.”

My eyes dart to his, narrowing in suspicion.

“Babe, don’t give me that look. You know I’m more than just a pretty face.”

Shaking my head at his smug grin, I stand by his side as he punches the code in, and only a second later, the locks in the pedestrian gate disengage and it swings open.

Mav takes a step forward, but my feet don’t move.

It wasn’t so long ago that the only thing I could think about was getting away from this house and the men inside and back to Mav.

But now, as I stand on the threshold of freedom, I’m second-guessing myself.

Back in that manor house, despite Reid’s cruel intentions, I was safe, protected. Victor, Razor, my father… none of them could hurt me while I was under Reid’s roof. It gave me a sense of freedom I’m not sure I’ve ever felt. Especially in the last few days after Mav joined us.

Reid might not like me very much but something tells me that he’d fight just as hard as Mav and JD if someone came for me, or even threatened to do so.

“Doll?” Mav whispers when he gets a few feet ahead and realizes that I’m not with him.

I hold his eyes for a beat before turning and looking back over my shoulder.

His heat burns down my side when he steps up to me.

Threading his fingers through the hair at the base of my neck, he gives me little choice but to turn my attention back to him.

His eyes bounce between mine as he reads my thoughts.

I hate that he knows exactly why I’m lingering, and I hate even more that it puts a darkness in his own eyes.

He wants to be the only one for me.

He’s my husband. He should be my one and only.

I mean, he is. Ultimately, he is the one I want. The one who owns my heart.

But there’s another man in that house who has made my heart beat a little faster over the past two weeks.

I knew it wasn’t anything serious. I knew that it was just a bit of fun between captive and captor. It was nothing but Stockholm Syndrome. But that doesn’t stop me from grieving the connection we found.

It was fucked up.

But… it was us.

I let out a sigh, my warm breath racing over Mav’s face. His brow wrinkles as he waits for me to pull myself together.

Sliding my hands up his chest, I stretch up on my tiptoes and give him the truth.

“I trust you, Maverick. And more than that, I love you. I want to be wherever you are. Whatever this is, I’m with you one hundred percent.”

Releasing my hair, his hand slides down until he’s cupping my jaw.

For the briefest moment, he rests his brow against mine and closes his eyes.

“You know that I’d lay down my life to protect you, right?” he asks before his lids lift again, leaving his dark eyes boring into my lighter ones.

“Mav.” I sigh.

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