Chapter 24

Grace

Maverick was right. I couldn't walk straight all day, but I couldn't even find it in myself to be upset about it, or the teasing from Mabel and Mrs. P that followed me around all day.

"Are you sure you ladies don't need anything else?" It was nearly an hour after my normal quitting time, but I wanted to spend more time with Mabel before we left, and more than that, I wanted Sophie to have good memories of people who were like family.

Mabel cocked a brow in my direction as a slow smile spread. "Are you sure you don't need anything? Maybe some aspirin?"

Mrs. P snickered behind her cards, and I rolled my eyes. "We're good, dear."

I sighed and folded my arms, glaring at the stubborn older women. "It's almost dark, Mrs. P. We'll stay with Mabel and Scooter can walk you home." Scooter was the prospect staying tonight, it seemed to be working out quite well. Mabel liked being around younger people and the prospects were always eager to do jobs that would help out the MC or community. This ticked both boxes.

"Honey I've been walking this neighborhood longer than you've been alive, I don't need an escort," she said with a smile. "But if it makes you feel better, Mabel and I will just have a sleepover. We're not nearly done with our game."

"You're too old for a sleepover," Sophie declared with a frown. "Right?"

"Oh, no, girl." Mabel wrapped an arm around Sophie and kissed her forehead. "A woman is never too old for a sleepover. Not ever." She sent me a knowing glance over Sophie's shoulder, a clear message. You included.

"Fine," I answered, knowing when I was out of options. "Sophie, say goodbye to Mabel and Mrs. P."

She dutifully hugged and kissed each woman in farewell and a pang of sadness kicked me in the chest at the idea of Sophie having to leave.

UnlessI stayed. I shook off that crazy idea, staying wasn't an option. It couldn't be. Staying dominated my thoughts as Sophie and I started on the short drive home. Though a stone's throw from Las Vegas, Steel City was a small town and pretty much everywhere was just a quick drive.

I couldn't think about staying and not think about Maverick. I was damn sorry to have to say goodbye to him, which was all the more reason I needed to get a plan together to leave. The longer we stayed, the greater the chance that Trent would find us, which was really too bad because Maverick was the kind of man I could have ended up with if my life—and my luck—was different. It was ironic when you thought about it. From the outside, the whole world would see a man like Trent, clean shaven with two college degrees, as a good man—a husband a woman like me would be lucky to have—without knowing the monster he hid beneath the surface. But they instantly judged a man like Maverick with his biker vest, long hair, and tattoos, and saw a criminal. But he wasn't just the hottest man I'd ever met, he was the kindest and sweetest, so tender with Sophie, that I sometimes caught myself wishing he was her father instead.

Maverick was the passion I didn't know existed within me because no one had ever cared enough to show me.

But I couldn't let that sway me. I couldn't let Trent and his monstrous ways descend upon Maverick and Mabel and their lives here. Besides, I'd already upended my entire life, my whole existence, for a man, and I wasn't eager to do that again.

Not that he's asking me to stay, or that he will.

***

After driving a few more minutes, I turned my attention to my surroundings and spotted a black Mustang. I'd seen it a few times since leaving Mabel's house and I hadn't paid much attention to it, until now. Sure, it could be a complete coincidence, and in a town like Steel City maybe it was. There were cars like that all around, but I'd made this drive plenty of times and I'd never seen one. And today it was on the same path as me.

Don't panic, Grace. You're fine.

"Mommy, can we have pizza for dinner tonight?"

I glanced in the mirror and smiled. "I'll think about it, okay?" She'd kept up a running commentary since we hit the road, which was probably why I hadn't paid it too much attention. Until I couldn't ignore it.

Just make a few turns and you'll see you're being paranoid.

Okay, that was a solid plan and my heart settled. Only a little, but it was enough to allow me to focus on the road. I made a left, drove a few blocks, and then a right, driving a few blocks more. Every turn I made, the Mustang made the same turn, so I kept going until we circled back around to Maverick's house, it was in darkness. It wasn't safe to go back to Mabel's place, and I wasn't sure it was even safe to stop at all.

My hands shook so I gripped the steering wheel tighter and kept driving while I figured out what to do. Where to go. My hands were ice cold and my heart raced so loudly I couldn't hear Sophie's words. "Think," I whispered to myself, because I needed to think.

"I like Maverick, Mommy. Do you like him too?"

"Sure do, honey. He's a nice man." And he was exactly who I needed right now. I yanked my phone from the cupholder and dialed his number. It rang five times, and I was just about to hang up when he answered.

"Grace."

"Maverick," I whispered softly because I didn't want Sophie to hear. "Someone is following us in a black Mustang."

There was a moment of silence before he said another word. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure, yeah. I took a bunch of turns and they did the same, so now I'm just driving around, at least until I run out of gas, I've just gone past your house but there were no lights on." My gaze slid to the fuel gauge, and I let out a shaky sigh. Just over half a tank, which meant I had time. "What should I do?"

"Come to me."

"What? Where are you?" My heart pounded and my jaw clenched tight, but I nodded and listened carefully to the instructions he gave. His voice was even and calm, the low tenor holding a hint of anger, or maybe it was fear. "Okay. We're almost there."

"I'll be waiting for you. Be careful." The words sounded final, but the call never ended, and my heart squeezed at the thoughtful gesture.

I spotted the sign for the gun range and store first and made the right past those buildings like he said. The Mustang turned too, and I squeezed the wheel so tight my nails dug into my palms as I drove to my destination. But then I looked up and there was Maverick, tall and broad with his red hair glowing like a devil's halo around him. His arms were crossed, and he was surrounded by his friends, his brothers, a wall of protection in denim and leather.

The squeal of tires took my attention away from the intimidating group of men. The black Mustang slammed on the brakes and backed up so quickly the tires spun. The driver must have realized his—or her, because there was no guarantee it was Trent, I told myself—mistake, because they hauled ass right back out of the parking lot of the Steel Demons clubhouse.

I stared until the black car was out of sight, hoping for a glimpse of anyone, anything, but the windows were too dark to see anything other than what I thought was the brim of a ball cap. Two of Maverick's club brothers tore off in hot pursuit of the vehicle, on their motorcycles. I shook my head and slammed my eyes shut, leaning into the delusion that it was someone else, maybe a jealous ex of Maverick's, anyone but Trent.

Maybe it was just a road rager that I'd accidentally cut off.

"Mommy, that car is going too fast." I heard the disapproval in Sophie's voice, and it put a smile on my face, because she was my light. My life. My everything.

"I know, honey. I'm sure the police will give him a ticket." I hoped so anyway, because then maybe Slate would be able to locate him, though with any luck one of the Steel Demons who were hot on his tail would get to him first. I unlocked the doors and lay against the headrest with a heavy sigh.

"You okay, Mommy?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, honey. Are you?"

"Yep! Where are we? Oh, there's Mr. Maverick!"

She was getting too attached. It was time, no it was beyond time for us to leave Steel City.

A knock sounded on the passenger window, startling a yelp out of me even though I knew it was Maverick. His gaze met mine, he wore a gravely serious expression on his handsome face.

I stepped from the car, and he opened the back door, gathering Sophie in his arms, checking to make sure she was all right. Our gazes locked again over the car. "You okay?"

I nodded and shrugged at the same time. "Shaken up, but okay. Did you see anything?"

He shook his head and motioned for me to follow him inside, before he turned his attention to Sophie, which was incredibly sweet. Trent had never once been so attentive or worried about our daughter, and she soaked up Maverick's attention.

It really is too bad we can't stay? I shook off that errant thought and followed Maverick and Sophie, along with a dozen other men, inside the biker headquarters. I looked around and sighed. "The infamous clubhouse?"

He stopped and turned to me with a smile. "Yep. Welcome."

"Leo!" Sophie spotted the boy across the room playing with a large, but lazy-looking bulldog. "Hi, Leo!" She waved and squirmed out of Maverick's hold, eager to see her new friend.

"Women are so fickle," he joked.

A reluctant laugh escaped as Sophie greeted Leo with a hug. A woman I assumed was Leo's mother laughed as Sophie hugged the dog, and probably introduced herself.

"At first, I thought I was just being paranoid, you know? I mean, it's a possibility, but it just felt all wrong, and then…" My words trailed off as I thought about what could have happened. "Sophie said that she liked you, and that's what made me think to call you."

"Glad one of you likes me." His tone was full of humor and a hint of sarcasm.

"I think I've made it quite clear that I like you too, Maverick. Even if I shouldn't."

"You did the right thing, calling me. Whoever that was, they now know that they can't fuck with you. That you have protection."

"At least for the next few days."

His stare burned the side of my face, and I avoided his gaze with the willpower of a monk.

"We need to talk about that," he began, but Slate walked towards us with a serious expression on his face. "What's up?" Maverick asked.

"I think I might have something. I want to confirm it first, but I wanted to give you the heads-up not to leave yet." His gaze met mine and he flashed a small smile before he darted away again.

"That was fast." Maybe that meant it wasn't Trent, but if it wasn't, it begged the question who was it?

"Slate is damn good at what he does. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone."