CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Sadie

The Next Day

As my eyes slowly flutter open, the pain instantly assaults my body. My muscles and skin feel like they have been taken to with a sledgehammer. I roll over in the bed, searching for Maverick, but all I find are empty sheets.

After opening my eyes fully, ever so slowly, I sit up, looking around the bedroom. Maverick's clothes and club cut are not where he left them last night.

Glancing at the clock on the side table, I widen my eyes at how late I have slept in—two in the afternoon. "Shit," I murmur to myself before gingerly sliding out of bed and gripping my side where the bullet wound is located.

Moving to Maverick's wardrobe, I pull out one of his loose-fitting shirts and slide on some baggy sweatpants. I probably look homeless, but I'm going for comfort over style. Opening the door, I make my way out into the clubroom. The sound of people laughing and mingling hits my ears as I walk out of the hall and into the room. When they spot me, the chatter dies down, and Haven cheers. I smirk as the rest of the club follow her in applause, including the brothers from Vegas who are still here.

Letting out a chuckle as a flush crosses my face, I wave my hand through the air. "Stop!" I mumble, but it only forces Haven to cheer louder.

"Yeah! There she is, the hero of the hour." Haven cat calls as everyone continues to clap. Maverick makes his way over, pulls me to his chest, and places a light kiss on my forehead. I wrap my arms around his body as the cheering dies and everyone starts returning to whatever they were doing.

"Good afternoon, cupcake. How you feeling?" Maverick asks.

Letting out a long exhale, I stare into his gorgeous brown eyes. "Like I got hit by a dozen trucks."

He grimaces. "You want me to get you something to eat? I'll bring it to you in bed if you like?"

I take his hand in mine and shake my head. "I love you for wanting to spoil me, but I am an Old Lady now, and we have guests. I want you to introduce me to your Vegas brothers."

He narrows his eyes. "You sure? You need more rest—"

"I'm stronger than you think. And remember what I said I would do if you asked me if I was sure one more time?" I remind him.

"Yeah… yeah, I remember. C'mon, come meet these maniacs." He grins, takes my hand, and walks me over to the table where the five of them sit.

They look up at me as we approach, wearing big smiles.

"Guys, this is my Old Lady, Sadie. Sadie, this is Vegas' VP, Nitro. That's Deek. The tall guy there is Axle. Silver fox over there is Bear…" the guys all laugh as Maverick continues, "… and the skinny one is their prospect, Liam."

They all greet me in their own way, but Nitro is the first to talk. "Heard about what happened in Yuma… sounds like you're a badass."

"I don't know about that. If it weren't for me, the club wouldn't have been put in that position."

Nitro raises his brow. "From my understanding, Sadie, if it weren't for you, LA would be in a deep fucking hole right about now. And because of you and Haven's quick thinking in getting cash from the Serpents as well as the crops, you guys can ride this storm until you can get your farm back up and running. Not to mention your brother stepping up and giving Alpha access to everything the club had. The cash and plants are gonna keep LA's heads above water, and the plants will be replanted somewhere else for now to keep the business thriving. In the meantime, the mess is cleaned up, and everything gets back on track. As I said… badass."

Maverick holds me tighter, a proud smile lighting his face as I let that sink in. I was wondering why Haven asked for the million dollars. I thought it was a delay tactic, but now it's making even more sense. Not only did we steal the Serpents' crops, but it looks like we took their money, ammo, and whatever else we needed to help Defiance.

They're all so fucking smart.

"Well, thank you for saying that. I am sorry the club couldn't visit you guys in Vegas."

Deek snorts out an obnoxious laugh. "Are you kidding? This is sooo much better! Gives us a chance to visit LA? Fuck yeah. Gimmie beach sand over dessert sand any day of the week."

Rip steps up. "I'll take you out to catch a wave, bruh. The bombs are so fucking gnarly out here, dude."

Deek turns to Nitro, raising his brow. "It all good if I go catch a wave or two before we head off, VP?"

Nitro glances at his watch then nods. "We're leaving at three o'clock sharp, so get back before then."

Deek doesn't answer. He spins and takes off with Rip for the surfboard rack on the inside wall of the clubhouse by the front door.

I smile as I turn back to the Vegas guys. "Can I ask? Why is he called Deek?"

The guys laugh, but Bear answers this time, "It's shortened. His full road name is Deekhead."

I giggle. "So now it makes sense why he and Rip get along."

This time, Maverick snorts out a laugh. "Exactly, because they're both lunatics."

"Yeah, but I can tell both clubs wouldn't be the same without them, right?" I add.

"Deek might be a complete idiot, but he makes the clubhouse fun," Axle states.

I glance at Maverick, and he raises his brow. "Same for Rip."

Glancing past Nitro, I spot Wes sitting at a table, eating a meal by himself. My heart floods with joy, smiling when I see him. Even though he looks a mess with all his injuries, I'm ecstatic he made it out of that hellhole alive.

I haven't had a chance to talk to him since we returned from Yuma, and I need to. But before I go talk to my little brother, I must speak with Alpha to ensure Wes can stay.

"I hate to cut this short, but I need to talk to our president about something. I am so glad I got to chat with you all, though."

They all smile.

"Nice to meet you, Sadie, the Savior," Nitro replies.

I snort out a laugh.

Maverick takes my hand, walking with me toward Alpha. He leans into my side and whispers in my ear, that warm breath setting every nerve ending on fire, "Everything okay?"

"I need to talk to Alpha," I reply.

Maverick glances up at the top level. "I think he's upstairs. Let's head up there."

We make our way to the Chapel stairs and slowly ascend. Once at the top, Loki and Alpha are sitting inside the room. They glance up at us as we stand in the doorway.

Alpha waves us in, and Maverick closes the door behind us.

"You're looking much better than yesterday," Alpha offers.

"I feel better. I think the adrenaline got to me. Just needed some rest."

"I get it, especially when there's so much at stake. You did good, Sadie. We got all the plants, some of which have been stored in a separate area of our farm away from the contaminated crops. We have the cartel trucks for safekeeping. We need to repaint them, remove the VIN and plates. With everything gone, we have legitimate trucks for transport. Who knows when they will come in handy?" Alpha grins.

"The cannabis we stole, most of it was ready for harvest. So we do the cultivation on that lot and the rest we use for planting. We have seeds, so we will germinate them on a vacant lot we can lease with the money we got from the Serpents. Growing a new crop will take around eight weeks or so. That means we can meet our obligations and won't lose clientele. It buys us a window of time. It also helps that Wes retrieved all of the Serpents' money, ammo, and guns we can sell off if we need to… or keep."

I nod, following along as he continues, "The thing is, we have options now, not to mention their bikes which we can strip for parts. Because the Rojas Cartel was behind the Serpents, they had a shit ton of stuff. It was like hitting a fucking gold mine."

I can't help but feel grateful it all went down so well. "I'm happy to help. If there is anything else I can do, please let me know. You guys saved me from Grave and that insidious club. I owe you everything."

Alpha scrubs at his beard. "There is one thing."

"Name it!"

"Your brother, Wes. Got no idea what to do with him. Can we trust—"

"You can! You can absolutely trust him. I swear it on my life," I blurt out so quickly it's almost intelligible.

Alpha exhales. "What is it you'd like us to do, Sadie? We could give him some money to get him a life started here in LA so he can stay close?"

I turn to look at Maverick, my eyes pleading with him. He subtly shakes his head, but I ignore him, turning back to Alpha. "Make Wes a prospect. He was one at the Serpents, so he knows exactly what it means. He's a hard worker. He won't argue or fight. Please, Alpha. I need to know he's going to be okay. He did so much for me. Wes sacrificed so much for me by staying in that club."

Alpha grimaces. "I don't know, Sadie."

"He knows a lot about cannabis. We could work together, him and me. You know I'm studying culinary school and love to bake? What if Wes and I set up a side business for the club that sells baked goods using cannabis? Loki, you could set up a website, and we could have direct-to-market orders and ship them out. Clover could work on our social media and marketing. If you want a legitimate business, could this be something? And if it means I get to keep my brother here with me, then I am all for that."

Alpha glances at Loki, and he nods once. "Nycto has a similar thing running with Trixie over in Tampa. We can get some advice, seeing as we helped them start their initial crop setups. Nycto owes us. It's time for him to pay back his debt."

Loki nods in agreement. "Trixie has made their café and baked goods work wonders. I know she'll help however we need her to. We also have Zara from the Serpents. She can help us run the business side of things."

Biting down on my bottom lip, I bounce on my toes in excitement. "This sounds amazing. And Wes?" I push.

Alpha exhales, rubbing at his bearded chin. "Because of Wes' club affiliations, his prospect position will be rougher than most to ensure he's vetted and trustworthy. Do you think he'll cope?"

I nod emphatically. "Absolutely! He'll do whatever you tell him to."

"Then devise a business plan with your brother and Zara. Have it to me by the end of the week, and we'll get started," Alpha states.

My eyes shoot open as I let out a slight squeal in excitement. "Oh my God. Are you serious?"

Alpha chuckles. "Welcome to Defiance, Sadie."

Rushing forward, I throw my arms around Alpha, holding him as tight as humanly possible. He is stiff in my arms, shocked by my forwardness, but eventually gives into my embrace, gently tapping me on the back twice. "All right, get out of here. Talk to your brother and tell him he is in if he wants in. But he's on thin fucking ice. We see anything we don't like, and he'll be out on his ass quicker than you can blink. We don't tolerate the shit the Serpents did. Make sure he knows that."

"Got it! And thank you again, Pres."

Turning, I rush down the stairs with a pep in my step, Maverick following closely behind me. He reaches out for my hand, sliding in beside me. "You're an unstoppable force of nature."

I shrug my shoulders. "Thank you… for everything. I know you're worried about Wes, but he's going to prove you all wrong. I just know it. Wes put up with beatings and intolerable pain to keep me safe. He is totally trustworthy."

"Okay, cupcake. If you trust him, I have no hesitations."

"You wanna come meet him officially?" I ask.

Maverick nods. "All right. Let's go meet the family."

Eight Months Later

Graduation

My knee bobs up and down anxiously as I sit in my seat, my anxiety bubbling away under the surface, trying to hide it from Maverick and the others. Clover and I have worked so hard this year, and it has come down to this.

Maverick is to my left, Haven beside him, Alpha beside her. Wes is on my other side, and the rest of the club are standing at the back of the rows of chairs. With my knee still bobbing up and down, Maverick reaches out, taking my sweating palm in his.

Gently, he leans into my side against my ear. "She's going to do fine. You did a great job with her this year."

I weakly smile and shake my head. "She did all the work. I just helped her put it into practice."

"Clover Cadell," the speaker calls out, and I snap my head to the stage, my heart leaping into my throat as Clover stands wearing her black robe and graduation cap.

We all cheer so freaking loud that everyone turns to look at us, but we don't care.

Clover laughs, walks to Principal Bedford, shakes her hand, and is passed her diploma. She then shifts her tassel to the other side of her cap, throwing her hand in the air in celebration.

Haven stands, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Yeah, motherfuckers, that's my sister. Woo-hoo!"

We all laugh when Alpha quickly grabs Haven's arm and yanks her back into her seat. Clover bursts out laughing and gives us all a little wave.

Tears form in my eyes as I watch the young woman Clover has become. At the start of the school year, we weren't even sure she would graduate. Then I came into her life. It was nothing short of a rollercoaster, but we worked hard, and now she is graduating with honors.

At first, she wanted to go into mechanics. After working with Wes and me on the baking business with her social media and marketing skills, she was picked by a local company for an internship in exactly that. So now she is getting paid to learn how to be a professional social media and marketing expert.

I knew we would find her true calling. We just needed to let her come to that conclusion in her own time.

In the past eight months since everything happened with the Steel Serpent MC, it's been an adjustment period for Wes.

The guys have been hard on him.

But he's gotten through it all, and now they're easing up on him a little. He's definitely part of Defiance, though I can tell Maverick still has his eyes on him. However, it's not out of distrust but more because Wes and Clover have been spending a lot of time together due to the baking business.

We all see it.

The spark.

Knowing he's a prospect, Wes hasn't made a move on her.

Personally, I think it's kind of cute.

Maverick, on the other hand, not so much.

The graduation ceremony draws to an end, and Clover makes her way down to the rest of us. She runs with the brightest smile and slams into Maverick, his arms wrapping around her. He picks her up off the floor and swirls her around. "You did it. You fucking did it! I'm so proud of you." She giggles as he places her back down, her cap almost falling off her head while she smirks at Haven and shrugs.

"What? I'm proud of you too."

Clover turns to me and lets out a long exhale. "None of this would be possible without you, Sadie. Thank you. So much."

She pulls me to her in a tight embrace, and I squeeze her back with everything I have. "You're family. I adore you, girl. You worked so hard for this. Now, you're gonna go out into the world with this internship and break the world apart. I believe in you."

Clover pulls back, her eyes shifting to Wes briefly, and he smiles at her with a quick wink. She grins, then turns back to Alpha. "So, I heard there's going to be a party?" She waggles her brows.

"And because you're Defiance, you're turning up in style. I have the helo waiting on the track out the back."

Clover's eyes widen. "You brought the club's helo and landed it on the football field?"

"Honestly, why are you surprised by this?" Haven chuckles.

Clover shrugs and nods. "True, okay, let's go to this party. Oh my God, the kids in my class will flip when they see me arrive."

Maverick reaches out, grabbing her hands. "Be safe. If anything goes wrong, call me. I don't care what time. And if you're going to drink, be fucking cautious. And don't leave it unattended. And if you're going to have sex—"

"Jesus, Mav. Can we not have the sex talk in front of the entire club, please?" Clover blurts out, and he huffs.

"Just don't have sex. Simple."

Clover nods. "Deal!" she says shaking his hand, then passes her diploma to him. "Take care of this for me?"

"I'll keep it safe. Have a good night."

"Oh, I will. I'm arriving in a freaking helicopter, bitches! Oh, Alpha, can you take us to the 153 days concert next week in the helo too?" She laughs.

We all roll our eyes as Alpha groans. "We've created a monster. We can talk about that on the way to your party. C'mon, let's go."

Clover bounces on her toes, letting out a little squeal when she starts walking off with Alpha and Haven.

I grab Maverick's hand and hold it tight as he watches his baby sister walk away and begin to become the woman she is meant to be. Leaning in, I place a tender kiss on his cheek.

He turns to me and shakes his head. "Why is this so damn hard?"

Reaching up, I run my fingers through his hair. "Because you spent so long taking care of her. You two have a bond that people will never understand. And now she is spreading her wings and flying, and in a way, leaving you behind. There's nothing you can do but sit back and watch her fly off. And you have to, Mav. You have to let her go, even though it's hard as hell."

He holds his emotion in as he scrubs at his face. "Well, thank fuck I have you."

"And I'm not going anywhere."

"Except back to the clubhouse and our bedroom. Clover can't have sex, but we sure as hell can."

I burst out laughing as Wes groans. "Still here, guys."

We turn to face him while he's shaking his head at us. I nudge into his side and tilt my head. "C'mon, let's go home."

Wes smiles, then stands next to Maverick before we walk toward the rest of the club.

"Hey, Mav, when we get back, you wanna show me a little more about adjusting the air intake."

Mav smiles genuinely at Wes and nods. "Yeah, brother. I'll teach you whatever you wanna learn."

I can't wipe the smile from my face as Maverick and Wes strike up one of their typical Harley conversations. I have no clue what half the words mean, but it makes me so freaking happy just listening to them getting along so well.

Who would have known all those months ago that we would be one big happy family when this all started?

I had to overcome so much fear and trauma to let myself feel safe in the arms of Defiance. The moment I realized they weren't anything like the horrendous place I grew up, I think that's when everything in my life started to make sense.

Everything led me to this.

Led me to him.

To Maverick.

He is my life, and I can't imagine a world without him. We may have started as enemies, but we ended up as lovers, and that love only grows stronger every single day.

Life with Mav is beautiful.

It's a life I would never have had if I stayed at the Serpents.

Grave was malicious.

He was vicious.

He was pure evil.

His venom seeped into my pores, killing every bit of my soul until I was a tiny shell of my former self, begging to find a way out of the hell he had created for me.

Maverick is my antidote.

He saved me.

He rescued me from purgatory.

And there is no doubt I was going to be a casualty of the Steel Serpent MC.

Grave was a monster.

But the thing about monsters is they always die in the end.

Now Grave is in his purgatory, and I am finally free to live my life with the family I never knew I could have, but the family I choose to have.

The family I deserve to have.

Not just Maverick, Clover, and Haven, but the entire club.

Defiance is my family now, and I wouldn't want it any other way.