Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Maverick

N ova glares from her spot near the kitchen. I made her lie down in the small breakfast nook because it has hardwood flooring. I figured it would help her cool off.

I already went digging for a mixing bowl to give her a drink, but my mutt is not pleased. She's antsy and wants to check on Brooklyn and Libby.

What a coincidence.

I do too.

It's driving my instincts insane.

Having already texted Gunner to get his ass over here, I pace the area by the barstools and kitchen island bare. I need someone to brainstorm this with me.

Brooklyn is pregnant with Barrett's second child, and I'm having trouble wrapping my head around it.

Fate has a jacked-up sense of humor, that's for damn sure.

After I texted Gunner, I touched base with Bless to explain that someone purposely tried to run over Brooklyn. If there's more going on here, then it's time Bless comes clean, because all I can think about is how close today came to ending in disaster.

Gunner explained the grocery store situation with Libby, in detail, the night it happened and specifically mentioned that it was a black car.

The vehicle today was a blacked-out SUV.

I didn't have time to get a visual on how many individuals were inside, the plates, or anything important.

Luckily, we're in the middle of New York City, and this place has cameras every fucking where. I don't know who runs tech for Bless and her team or if they even have someone who does, but I trust Merrick.

He's been the tech specialist for Assurance Security for years, and he's a longtime friend.

Gunner assured me he would pass along the information, and Merrick will do everything he can to track the vehicle and get us more information.

Fuck.

My head shakes.

If I'd been three seconds later, she would have been hit. At the very least, the stroller would have, and with how she was holding on to it…

My fists clench at my sides.

The SUV was parked.

It pulled out and sped up purposely toward her.

No part of what I witnessed seemed like an accident.

That. Shit. Was. Intentional.

Brooklyn comes out of the bathroom, and I'm in motion before I can stop myself.

It's not just the near miss.

Avan popping up was a crazy coincidence.

At the very least, it's suspicious.

The tip of Brooklyn's nose is red, and maybe that's what pushes me forward.

I don't stop until I'm standing right in front of her. She's not short for a woman. I'd say she's probably five-seven or somewhere around there, but she's tiny compared to my six-foot-four frame.

"Can I hug you? I really need a fucking hug."

Her lower lip wobbles, but she gives a shaky nod that's all the permission I need.

She lost the sweater as soon as we made it inside the apartment. The soft skin of her forearms brushes mine as I pull her to my chest. Her hands dig into my chest, and the next thing I know, I'm lifting her and walking us over to the couch.

She buries her nose in my throat, breathing me in as I kick off my tennis shoes.

I fall against the cushions, bringing her to sit on my lap. She cuddles closer, and her tart apple pie scent hits my nose. It's acrid from her stress pheromones.

It sets my impulses on edge to a level I haven't experienced before. My system screams to find the problem, so I can obliterate it and make my omega feel better.

"Are you doing okay?" I ask, even though I get the feeling she's really not.

"It's just…" She huffs, and her warm breath fans over my neck. "He showed up here to command me to do what he wanted. Why? Just to make his life easier? I don't even believe that. It doesn't make any sense."

"I think your instincts are spot on about that entire situation," I tell her, running my hands down her spine.

"I'm so anxious," she whispers. "Him seeing us together… God, it's going to be so bad."

I frown, willing myself to purr.

Comforting omegas is literally why we have that particular ability. I haven't tried in years, but I take a few deep breaths and focus on the sourness that isn't normally present in her scent.

"Avan doesn't get to control your life anymore." Tilting my head, I brush my lips over her temple. "He never should have in the first place. That's not how a healthy relationship works."

She shudders out a warm breath that fans over the skin of my throat. "I know."

"Do you?" I ask.

Damn.

I hope that didn't make me sound like a dick.

"Yeah, it's just hard." She shrugs, running her fingers over my clavicle. "But that is ultimately why I left."

My chest rattles with a ragged, underused purr that startles both of us.

Her fingers slide down, brushing over the vibration.

"Maverick, that's…" There's almost no space separating us, and she manages to snuggle deeper. "That's so comforting."

"Good." My chest puffs up with alpha pride. It's an indescribable feeling to be able to help settle her anxiety. "You're safe." Nova grunts and lets out a reminder whine that I told her she couldn't leave her spot. "I had Nova stick in the dining room because of the wood flooring, but she's dying to come check on you."

"I don't think I'm supposed to have pets in my apartment, but at this point, I just don't care." She loops her arms under mine and holds on to my shoulders from behind.

"Come on," I call, slapping the side of my thigh.

Nova's harness rattles as she runs off to check where Libby is.

"Listen, I know it's a lot, but you're not alone." I bend, nuzzling my beard to the side of her head. "You have every right to be concerned, but you don't need to be terrified anymore. Living in fear is over for you. I'm going to make sure of it."

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"Sweetheart." I shake my head, and my hat bumps the back of the couch, so I tug it off and toss it aside. "Gunner and I go up against assholes like your ex on a regular basis. The company we work for is known for taking contracts no other firm will touch…"

I frown.

We never talked about exactly what Gunner and I do.

Not that night at the bar, anyway.

She clearly knows we do private security, but I'm also not sure the general public understands exactly the kind of contracts mercenaries take.

"I don't know what that means," she whispers.

"Okay, so, we do private security contracts, but we also do other types of jobs. If someone high profile gets kidnapped for ransom, and the family wants to keep it off the evening news…" I barely hold back from saying the full truth of the matter. A lot of clients want a team outside of law enforcement because they have rules they're legally obligated to follow, where we do not. "They can hire the company we work for. We fly under the radar and retrieve the target."

"So, you kill people."

"Sometimes," I hedge. "But anyone with a military background has been in the same boat. The guys we take out aren't good people." I sigh, wondering if I should have kept my mouth shut. "Maybe if I tell you about my last job, it'll help you feel better. A woman was kidnapped trying to get into her apartment after a night at work. They took her because they thought she was her sister, but that's not the point. The point is, she was completely innocent. She didn't even know why she'd been taken. The Andrettis were a mob family out of Boston, and they were responsible for her kidnapping. They held her for days, interrogated her, and we went in to get her back."

Her hold tightens on my shoulders, and it actually helps me feel better. She's not pushing me away or telling me to get the hell out of her apartment. "Was she okay?"

I nod. "Yeah, she ended up falling in love with my boss. They bonded within like a week of knowing each other…" I laugh. "Which, if you knew Ranger, you'd fully understand how fucking wild that is."

"You're a mercenary?"

"Yeah," I admit, grimacing. "Kinda. I mean, not all of our jobs are straight-up kill contracts, but some are. We took out that mafia family in Boston and wiped the majority of their men off the map in one night, but they deserved what they got. Anyone who is willing to traffic human beings is someone the world can live without."

She nods. "I agree. If you're here now…" She exhales heavily, and her entire body trembles. "Does that mean Avan and his family do the same thing?"

Nova barrels into the room, jumping onto the couch and trying to nose her face between me and Brooklyn.

It mostly fails because of how Brooklyn has her arms wrapped under mine, so Nova lies her head on the omega's shoulder.

"Nova was bred for companionship," I say to distract from her question. "She also has boundary issues."

Basically, she's a codependent mess.

And heavy as hell when she lies right on top of you. Giving her a gentle shove, I try to nudge her off Brooklyn.

"That's okay." Brooklyn laughs, pulls her arm from under mine, and moves to scratch Nova's head. "She works with you?"

"Yeah," I agree. "She and Haze—that's Gunner's dog—are part of our team. They do search and rescue and, occasionally, subdue targets."

"Wow, do you earn a paycheck too?" She laughs. "Or do they pay you in treats?"

Nova tilts her head.

The chubby ass.

She knows exactly what that word means.

Someone bangs on the front door, and my stomach drops.

Dammit.

I was just helping Brooklyn calm down.

Not to mention, I'm really fucking fond of having her body this close to mine.

Brooklyn moves to climb off me, but I lift her and set her on the cushion next to mine.

"Let me get it, just to be safe." I nuzzle my cheek against hers and move to stand up.