“Just a second… I’ve almost got him,” I shouted with my eyes still glued to the screen. When the last guy dropped to the ground, Gavin and Levi reached out and gave me a high five.
“Did you see that? We just beat our high score,” Gavin said proudly.
“Conner is going to be pissed that he missed that!” Levi said laughing.
As soon as my feet hit the floor, Maverick took hold of my hand and led me out into the hall, closing the door behind us. Before I had a chance to ask him if something was wrong, my back was against the wall, and he was kissing me. It was no gentle kiss. There was nothing soft or sweet about it. It was demanding and intense, and I loved every minute of it. His body ground against mine, and we were both lost in the heat of the moment when Gavin stepped out in the hall. Maverick pulled back, releasing me from our embrace and growled. Yes… growled – like a mad dog hovering over his precious bone.
Gavin sighed and said, “Well, damn. I thought I’d found the one.” He winked at me as he patted Maverick on the shoulder. “Let’s go, big brother. Dinner is getting cold.”
Chapter 17
Maverick
?
When I saw Gavin looking at Henley like she was the star on top of the fucking Christmas tree, I lost it. Enough said.
“Are you going to tell me what that was all about?” Henley whispered as we walked down the hall towards the kitchen.
“No.”
“Really? You’re not going to say …” she started.
“No,” I told her firmly.
“Alrighty then,” she said sarcastically. “Just so you know, I think Gavin is really nice, and it was fun hanging out with him.”
“Good to know.”
“I’m sure you’ve missed him. I mean… it has to be hard being so far away from him, but I can tell he’s happy here. The guys seem to like him.”
I didn’t respond. There was nothing to say. Yes, I missed my brother, and yes, he seemed to be doing great here. It was a good move for him to prospect here, but I had no intention of talking about it. I had other things on my mind.
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways. Henley helped the girls finish cleaning up the kitchen and then, headed back to the room. I hadn’t had much time to talk to Gavin alone, so I went to the bar to have a few beers with him.
“Things seem to be going pretty well for you,” I told him.
“Yeah, it’s been good, really good. The guys are great, and I love working in the garage. You should see some of the bikes and cars they pull through here. They’ve really made a name for themselves,” he explained. His eyes gleamed with pride while he talked about his work in the garage, and it meant a lot to me. When mom died, we both took it hard, but it was different for Gavin. He was just a kid and still needed his mother’s guidance. I tried to be there for him, but he was just too young and na?ve. He had to figure things out for himself. I always thought he’d just follow in my footsteps and join Satan’s Fury, but seeing him now… I knew he’d made the right decision. He’d found his way, and he’d done it on his own.
“I’m glad you’re a part of it. It’s good to see you happy.”
“What about you?” he asked hesitantly. “Are you sure about signing off on the adoption tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
“You know, I’d understand if you were having second thoughts or something, but John Warren…”
“I’m not having any doubts, Gavin. I know he’s where he needs to be,” I clipped.
“You’re right. I know that, now. I’ve never told you this, but back then, I thought you were wrong. I thought it was a shitty thing for you to give him up. I really did, but when I saw him here with them, I understood. I understood why you did it. You did the right thing.”
As soon as those words came out of his mouth something shifted inside of me. Just knowing that he actually got why I did it, made the weight I had been carrying around seem lighter.
“Thanks for telling me that, Gavin. It means a lot.”
“So what’s the story with the girl?” he prodded.
“Nothing to tell. I’m keeping an eye on her until we find the guys that killed Skidrow. End of story.”
“Nah. There’s more to it than that, and you know it. I saw the way you were looking at her, and the way you had her pinned against the wall. She means something to you.”
“Maybe so, but it doesn’t matter.”
“It matters. Everybody needs someone that they can care about Maverick, even you,” he told me as he took a drink of his beer.
It was after three in the morning by the time Gavin and I left the bar. I figured that Henley would be pissed that I was coming in so late, but when I crawled into bed, she didn’t hesitate curling up next to me. With her head resting on my shoulder and her arm draped across my chest, she whispered, “Everything okay?”
“It is now,” I told her as I kissed her on top of her head. “It’s late, go back to sleep.”