“If anyone could manage to get a place like that, it’d be you,” Maverick said, pulling me from my thoughts.
I wondered about that remark. It seemed like a real compliment, but I didn’t respond. Instead, I sat there in silence, looking out the window wishing we’d hurry up and pass the Tennessee state line. When the minutes rolled into an hour, I finally just closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
I woke up when Maverick nudged me with his elbow and said, “We’re almost there. It’s late, so we’re just going to stay at the club tonight.”
“Okay,” I yawned with a deep breath, trying to pull myself awake. I was too tired to get nervous about meeting a bunch of new people, but I did have enough sense to know that I needed to brush out my hair and fix the mascara smudges from under my eyes. Just as I finished making myself look half-way presentable, he pulled through a small gate and stopped in front of the Devil Chaser’s clubhouse. It was much smaller than Maverick’s club, but even in the dark, I could tell that it was a really cool place. It had a rustic feel to it, and I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like inside.
“Most of the guys aren’t here, so it should be a pretty quiet night.”
When I opened my car door and finally stood up and stretched wide, the muscles in my legs cried out in relief. “At this point, I don’t care if Satan himself is in there. I’m just glad to be out of that damn car.”
Chapter 15
Maverick
?
I wasn’t in the mood to search for another hotel room, so I was relieved when Bishop gave me the okay to stay at the club tonight. He was already expecting me, but wasn’t aware that Henley had come along. After asking a hundred damn questions, he finally agreed to let us both stay. I didn’t blame him for being concerned. Bishop’s the president of the club, and he’d worked hard to protect his brothers and their families. Having Henley with me made him apprehensive, but I assured him that we’d be gone as soon as I signed the adoption papers.
When I opened the door for Henley, I was surprised to see Courtney and Bobby sitting at the bar. I put my arm around Henley’s waist, nudging her forward. I hadn’t really had time to prepare her for Court, but I had a feeling that she could hold her own.
“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Serious himself,” Courtney called out as we walked over to them. “It’s good to see you, stranger. Lily told us you were coming in tonight, but she didn’t say that you were bringing your girlfriend.”
“It’s good to see you, Courtney. Been awhile. Have you been keeping yourself out of trouble?” I said laughing.
“Always!” she replied, trying to sound defensive. She motioned her head over in my direction and said, “He’s a great guy. You know, once you get past all that broody moody stuff.” She extended her hand out to Henley and said, “I’m Courtney, and this is my fiancé, Bobby.”
Henley looked over to me, waiting for me to correct Courtney’s girlfriend comment from earlier, and when I didn’t, she said, “I’m Henley. It’s nice to meet you both, and I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one that calls him out on his grim disposition.”
“Tell me about it. It takes an act of Congress just to get the man to smile,” Courtney laughed.
“Well, some things never change. Crack Nut, get your woman to behave,” I teased. “Mind if I grab a beer?”
“Brother, it looks like you could use more than one. Grab us both a couple,” he said smiling.
I reached in the cooler, grabbing us each a beer, and then sat down next to Bobby. “Bishop still around?”
“He had to go check on Tessa. She’s had some trouble with the pregnancy, and they put her on bedrest for a couple of weeks. But before he left, he said for y’all to take one of the empty rooms. There’s one down the hall. Second door on your right.”
“Appreciate it,” I told him, before Courtney started rambling on. She talked nonstop about school, the wedding, and me. She hadn’t changed a bit since the last time I was here. When I had to lay low, the Devil Chasers opened their doors to me, on the condition that I helped them out with Courtney. They’d had some trouble with a rival MC gang that was trying to come into their territory, and they’d needed me to keep an eye on her. It gave me a chance to get to know them all, and I got to spend some extra time with John Warren. When everything went to hell back at home with Tony and his thugs, I had to return. Fortunately, things with the DC’s were resolved shortly after I left.