Chapter 41

Maverick

Six Months Later

My bike cut through the streets of Steel City as I rushed through traffic to get to Grace. She'd sent a text message asking me to come home as soon as I could, and with a quick word to Diesel, I jumped on my bike and sped to my woman.

Even though, logically, I knew the threat from Trent was non-existent, one word from her that even hinted at concern caused me to worry. It didn't matter that she was healed, that all traces of her bruises had disappeared, that she'd woken up screaming fewer and fewer times since leaving the hospital six months ago. She'd settled here with me, enrolling Sophie in school and seeking employment. She was better, I reminded myself constantly because she was. Sure, there was sometimes that faraway look in her eyes that told me she was thinking about that day, but it happened less and less.

I jumped off my bike and rushed inside, where I found Grace sitting on the living room sofa and staring into space, the same way I had shortly after she'd moved in with me. My heart dropped in my belly, and I rushed to her side. "Gracie, baby, what's going on? Did something happen to Sophie?"

She blinked and looked up at me with a half-smile that never failed to make my heart speed up just a bit. "No, Mabel and Mrs. P came by earlier, they're taking Sophie and Leo to watch that new movie. But we need to talk, some things have happened," she whispered softly, and patted the cushion beside her.

"Good things?" I asked and dropped down beside her.

"Some more than others," she answered ominously, and gathered my hands in her much smaller ones. When she brought my hands to her mouth and brushed a kiss across my knuckles, a ball of tension coiled in my belly.

"Grace?" I wasn't a man who scared easily, but her text message and now her actions had me worried.

"The police called again today."

Her stay in the hospital had inevitably brought the police into our lives, but I was more focused on getting her help than anything else. "What did they have to say?"

She shrugged. "Not much. I stuck to our story, that he'd come and assaulted me."

In the moments before the paramedics arrived, my club brothers had gotten rid of Trent's body, and we'd cleaned up as best we could. Mabel had insisted that I tied her to a chair to make it more realistic. "I said he hadn't contacted me at all, probably because he was worried the police would come after him for what he did to me."

"Good girl," I sighed, and stroked the side of her face.

Heat flared in her eyes when I called her that as it always did, but she smiled and shook off the momentary arousal. "They asked why I didn't file for divorce before he came here, and I told them I didn't want him to know where I was, but once he found me there was no point hiding."

We'd gone back and forth about whether filing for divorce was the right thing, and now I was glad she'd eventually agreed with me. Nevada law meant that divorce was possible even if the spouse couldn't be found, it might take a while, but it covered our backs—and should any suspicions arise that the bastard was dead, it took the heat off us. "Any leads or sightings?"

She gave me a look and then rolled her eyes. "Nope. They asked that I let them know if I heard from him." She smiled and kissed my hand again. "Told them if or when he gets the divorce papers he will, unless he left the country."

I pulled her in my arms, happy as fuck that she was mine now. That we were building our life together here in Nevada. "Good. Perfect."

She sank into my embrace, hugging me back tightly. "That's not all," she said against my chest.

"Okay. I'm listening." I tried to listen even though my heart pounded in my chest.

"I received a visit from a lawyer today. The house back in Ohio has fallen into disrepair since Trent vanished on his hunt for Sophie and me, and the housing association wants to buy it." She laughed and shook her head. "I had no idea we even lived under an HOA because he made sure I knew nothing."

"What did the lawyer want?"

"Well, since Trent hasn't responded to them, they reached out to me since we're still legally married. I said yes and he handed me a check for three hundred thousand dollars." She reached for an envelope on the coffee table and laid it in my hands.

I looked down at the envelope that contained enough money to take Grace and Sophie far away from me, but I trusted my woman. "That's your money, babe, do with it whatever you want."

She giggled. "Even if what I want is to buy a house in Henderson?" she asked with a teasing lilt to her voice.

"It'd be a hell of a commute to the clubhouse each day, but if that's what you want." My voice was gruff and she only laughed even harder.

"Silly man, I'm not going anywhere. I promise." She turned my hands over and kissed the center of each palm. "I was thinking that I should take half and set up a trust for Sophie."

"That's a good idea. It's a smart choice."

"And," she began slowly. "Maybe the other half should go into a trust for our baby?"

It took a moment to process her words, but when they penetrated the shock, my eyes widened. We hadn't talked about having kids yet, mostly because I didn't want to rush her. I wanted to have a lot of babies with her, but I wanted to do it the right way because that's what she deserved—depending on how things went with the lawyers, it might be some time before we could legally wed.

"Um, okay," she began in a more hesitant voice. "You're either shocked or upset by this news."

I blinked. "What?"

"You haven't said anything for, like, two whole minutes, so you aren't happy about this news." She slid back, putting some distance between us. "Tell me how you feel about this, Maverick." Gone was her happiness from a moment ago, replaced by wariness.

Now it was time to catch up to the conversation. "Back up, this baby isn't hypothetical?"

She barked out a laugh. "No, it's very real. I'm thirteen weeks along," she said wistfully as one hand rested against her belly. "It was that night we got the all-clear from the doctor. Our first night together after…" She trailed off and that haunted look returned to her eyes, but just briefly.

I smiled. "I remember that night. Fuck me, I'll never forget it." Her bruises had faded but they were still visible, which had only added to my need to have her again, to claim her completely and make sure she knew she was mine. "So we are having a baby?"

"Yes. How do you feel about that?"

I hated the hesitation, the wariness in her voice, but I knew it would take more than a few months to get rid of it completely. She'd spent too many years being wary of Trent flying off the handle at the slightest inconvenience. "Holy fuck." I sighed in disbelief as the truth settled around me. "I'm gonna be a daddy. Again."

Her smile grew. "Yes, Maverick. You are."

Holy shit."You're absolutely sure?"

She nodded. "I had my six-month checkup today to make sure my ribs and my head were all right. I needed to take a pregnancy test before the x-rays, and that turned into another exam which indicated I am thirteen weeks along."

I darted to my feet with a wide smile and scooped Grace up into my arms, holding her close as I spun us around the room. "We're having a baby!" I stopped and stared into gorgeous green eyes I hoped to see even when they were surrounded by wrinkles. "Are you okay with this?"

She smiled brightly and pressed her lips to one cheek and then the other. "Yeah, I'm okay with this, Maverick. I love you and I never wanted Sophie to be an only child. Besides, I think we need another redhead in the family. Don't you?"

I threw my head back and laughed. "I'm not sure if we need another redhead, but I love that my baby is growing in your belly. I wish I could marry you today, Gracie."

She grabbed my face in both hands and kissed me fiercely, that strip of skin between her brows crinkling into a frown. "I don't need marriage, Maverick. I'm yours and you are mine, period. I love you and we're already a family in all the ways that matter, no piece of paper will ever change that. If you want to get married, when the time comes, I'm happy to let you put a ring on it. Otherwise, I consider you my loving husband in all the ways that truly matter."

"I wasn't looking for love when I spotted you up on that stage, I just had the strong urge to protect you. But the more I got to know you, to see that spark that was dim at first, but slowly came to life, you captivated me completely. One day, I will make you my wife, but I'm happy to have you where it matters most. In my heart," I told her, and kissed her slowly. "In our bed," I kissed her again, deeper this time. "And in my life. Forever." I whispered the last word before my mouth crashed down on hers and I carried us upstairs to our room that now held traces of warmth and light. Love.

"And that right there is why I fall a bit more in love with you every single day, Maverick."

"My heart is so full of you and Sophie that it's hard to breathe sometimes."

"I love you, Maverick with my whole heart, my whole being. With everything that I am, and I hope to be in this life. Now please, take me to bed and let's celebrate our growing family!"

And that's exactly what I did, stripped my woman down and made love to her until we couldn't breathe, until our bodies were so sweat-slicked and exhausted that we collapsed on the bed happier than I'd ever felt in my whole damn life.