CHAPTER FOUR

Maverick

Goddamn, it's hot today!

Shrugging out of my cut, I place it on the seat of my ride. Then, lifting my shirt over my head, I swipe the sweat off my brow with the material. The sun pelts overhead in its unrelenting fervor, making this one of the hottest days this summer. I could do with a cold beer, but this bike isn't going to fix itself, and with Alpha angry at me and the guys, going out for a ride to feel the wind on our faces to cool off is simply not an option.

Honestly, I'm still sore from our run-in with the cartel. Glancing down at the butterfly stitches holding the wound on my stomach together, I grimace before I pull down on the wrench, my mind drifting to my impure thoughts in the shower. Grumbling under my breath, I yank harder on the wrench, and with the sweat on my palm, the wrench slips in my fingers, making my hand slam into the engine. "Motherfucker!" I blurt out, sliding my now bleeding finger into my mouth.

I glance over my shoulder at Clover, who is racing toward me with the brightest smile. The anger and frustration I felt seconds ago instantly vanishes and is replaced with joy at seeing my baby sister so happy.

Even though we now have Haven in our lives, Clover has been the one person I would do anything for, anything to protect. It's been the two of us against the world for as long as I can remember, and seeing that bright smile lighting her face instantly causes the same thing to happen to me.

She rushes up to me excitedly, practically bouncing like a little puppy. Her enthusiasm is contagious. "Mav, I've had the absolute best afternoon with Sadie."

My smile falters a little upon hearing Satan's name as she makes her way up to us, carrying what looks like a tray of cupcakes. Sadie looks me up and down, a strange expression on her face while she stares at my bare chest, her eyes probably focusing on my wound.

My expression turns into a complete scowl, and I stand, throwing my hands in the air in frustration aimed directly at Sadie. "Clover can't eat cupcakes. Jesus Christ, are you trying to put her in a diabetic coma?"

Clover rolls her eyes and grabs a cupcake, peeling back the foil wrapper. "It's fine, Mav. Sadie made sure it was a diabetic-friendly recipe. I made them myself, and she taught me fractions while baking them. She even compared baking to mechanics. She knows shit about bikes." Clover takes a big bite of her cupcake, and I can't help but huff before folding my arms over my bare, sweaty chest.

She exaggerates an "mmm" for my benefit as she gobbles it down. "Delicious. You should have one, Mav," she chimes with her mouth full.

"Think I'll pass. Sadie probably put poison in mine."

"Don't be so dramatic, you big idiot… oh, hey, Mav, did you ever think about becoming a fireman?" Clover asks out of nowhere.

I jerk my head back as Sadie practically chokes on thin air, her eyes avoiding looking at me as she fights back her smile. Turning to Clover, I shrug. "No… so random, Clo?" I reply, furrowing my brow back at her in confusion.

She grins at me, her eyes shifting to Sadie as she takes another bite of her cupcake. "You really should try the cupcakes, big bro. I made them mostly. Sadie helped me with the math. She's gonna help me become a mechanic like you."

I quickly glance at Sadie, who raises a brow. "You wanna be a mechanic?" I question.

"I wanna work with you at the club, and I think I'd be good on the tools. Plus, I know a bit about the bikes from being here and at the club in NOLA. You can teach me things before I go and study a real course."

My face falls, and I reach out, gripping Clover's shoulder. "Clo, I love you, but mechanics isn't for you."

Sadie's eyes widen in annoyance while Clover's sag in despair. "But I'm learning math, I'm applying myself, Mav. I can do this."

My stomach churns, and I shake my head. "Clover, you're not studying mechanics. Pick something else. Anything else but that—"

"Mav!"

"End of discussion, Clo."

Her eyes well with tears, the sight breaking my heart. She throws the rest of her half-eaten cupcake to the ground, then storms off inside.

Letting out a heavy exhale, I run my fingers through my hair.

Sadie turns to me. "What was that?" she grumbles.

"What?" I snap.

"You've just made her feel unimportant like her opinion isn't valid. It's the exact same problem she is suffering from at school. It's the entire reason she is suffering from bad grades, Maverick. And after a couple of hours where she finally felt like she was making progress, the one person she wanted to tell most in the world, the one person she was excited to talk to about it, shot her down in record time. It's no wonder she has such a fucking confidence problem."

My nostrils flair, and I step into her personal space.

Fuck, she smells good—focus, Mav.

"Of course, Clover's opinion is valid. Don't you fucking dare come at me telling me I made her feel unimportant. Clover is the most important thing in my life. Everything I do, I do for a damn good reason, lady. And you coming in here for a couple of hours, throwing your fucking weight around like you think you know how I should be running things, does not give you the right to have an opinion on how to raise my sister. So… back the fuck off!"

Sadie takes a small step away from me, putting some space between us. She lets out a long breath and shakes her head. "If you didn't want Clover to be a mechanic, there are other ways to say it. Tell her the fucking truth. Whatever that is. But don't let her think it's because she isn't good enough. That's a shitty thing to do."

"She is good enough. Of course, she is. But a gorgeous girl like her in a mechanic course? I know what guys are like. They'll eat her alive. Plus, she's only doing this to stay close to me. I can read between the lines. I fucking love that kid more than life itself. I'd love nothing more than to have her by my side every day, working on these bikes. But that's not a life for her. She's capable of so much more."

A slow smile crosses Sadie's face, and she shrugs. "That's what you should have told her. Now all you have done is light a fire up her ass and managed to make her more intent on proving you wrong. She's seventeen, Mav." Her eyes widen, instantly shaking her head. "I mean, Maverick." I smirk at her casual name slip, but she continues, "She's a stubborn teenager, and she's going to want to try things her way. Unless we get creative with subtle suggestions, she won't change her mind. She will go down this path to spite you, even though it is because she wants to be beside you."

Clenching my eyes shut, I inhale deeply, feeling like I'm failing at this big brother shit. "Fuck," I mumble, then slowly open my eyes to see Sadie offering me a cupcake.

"Here. Chocolate always makes me feel better."

I let out a small laugh. "I'm only taking this because I'm hungry. It's definitely not a peace offering."

Sadie smiles. "Wouldn't dream of it. You should put a shirt on. Skin cancer is a real thing, you know."

Rolling my eyes, I turn back, squatting at the bike's engine. "I didn't know riding my ass was part of Clover's tutoring service."

She chuckles. "I don't want anything to do with your ass, Maverick. I just want what's best for Clover. That is my tutoring service."

I glance over my shoulder and watch her grab a cupcake and take a bite like she's proud of herself. "I think I'll keep my judgment open on whether that stands to be the case or not. You find a different career for Clover, then I might think you're worthy of your big head."

"You know, Haven thought you'd be all for Clover working alongside you here. She thought your bond was so strong that you'd want Clover beside you no matter what. Guess you're going to surprise her too."

My eyes meet hers, and I furrow my brow. "What do you mean surprise her too?"

Sadie shrugs. "Clover is willing to put her life aside and train in the same thing you did just to be by your side. And you could let her so you guys remain together. But you're actually doing the right thing by Clover, making her do something else and living her own life. It must hurt for you to let her go. That's why you were so mean to her about it, right?"

I stand again, glaring at this woman in front of me. "I thought you were studying food at culinary school, not to be a fucking psych major. Who the fuck are you to come into my clubhouse and Sigmund Freud me?"

"It's not Psych 101, Maverick. I'm simply being observant. You were deflecting your pain of pushing her away onto her, whether you even knew you were doing it or not—"

"Okay, I've had about enough of this fucking shit conversation. You're here to help Clover. I don't need you coming in here with your cute little outfits and fruity perfume messing with my head. If you're done with Clover's session, you can get the fuck out of here." I shove the cupcake back onto her tray. "And take your damn peace offering with you." Turning back to the bike, I squat and pick up my stupid fucking wrench, getting back to work.

Sadie huffs obnoxiously. "Fucking bikers," she mumbles before she turns, storming off.

"I heard that," I call out over my shoulder, my anger bubbling away under the surface. Throwing the wrench down onto the cement, I rock back onto my ass, letting out a heavy exhale and wrapping my arms around my knees. I sit, hanging my chin to my sweaty chest, and sigh. "Dammit!" I mumble as I hear a car start in the parking lot. I turn my head to Sadie's shitbox while she pulls out of the parking lot, then drives out of the clubhouse, leaving a trail of fucking destruction in her wake.

Clover is pissed at me.

Haven and I are clearly not on the same wavelength.

I have an ache in my chest the size of Texas at the thought that at the end of the school year, Clover might go off somewhere to college or start a job in another state. Or leave the clubhouse and begin a life where she no longer needs me.

And that fucking thought is undeniably, unequivocally, and utterly terrifying.