I hated watching Maverick walk out that door. I wanted to call him back, beg him to stay there with me, but I knew it was no use. He had so much going on with the club that I’d barely seen him over the past couple of days. I had too much time on my hands, and I was going insane. I felt useless. Having been around the brothers since the shooting, I’d come to really care for them. I was so tired of seeing the guys stressed. Their tension was palpable. Mostly, I missed Maverick. I craved the feeling of knowing he was always near me. I’d never had or wanted such undivided attention from a man.
I couldn’t stop thinking about that guy in the hospital. Everything was going to shit, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had been thinking about this for days, and it was time to take a chance. I needed to do this for Maverick.
I had no idea what time he would be back, so I didn’t waste any time. If my plan was going to work, I would need Cassidy’s help, so I went to see if she was at the bar. Thankfully, she was there filling the beer cooler when I walked up. “Hey, Sis! You got a minute?”
“What’s up?”
“I really need to talk to you about something,” I told her after a quick glance around the room, ensuring we wouldn’t be overheard. “You’re not going to like it, Cass, but I really need your help with something.”
She came around the bar and sat down on a stool beside me. As I started to explain my plan, Cassidy’s body grew tense with worry. When I was almost done talking, she sat up straight in her chair and leaned forward. She glared at me with an expression of total disbelief, as she tried to make sense of what I was saying.
Her face flushed red as she spat, “Have you lost your damn mind? Do you honestly think that I would help you get yourself killed? What kind of sister do you think I am? Hell will freeze over before I help you do this!”
“Cassidy… I love him… I really love him. Do you honestly think I want to go get myself killed now that I finally found the one? If we play this thing right, we can help them get these guys. But, I can’t do it without you. I need your help with this. It’s the only way. I’ve thought it through. You have to trust me.”
“I just don’t know, Henley. What if something goes wrong? I’ll never be able to forgive myself if something happens to you,” she said. However, I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was about to give in.
“We’ll get in and we’ll get out. Just trust me on this.”
“Fine… I’ll help you, but I’m not happy about it.” Filled with relief that she agreed to help me, I jumped up and hugged her tightly.
“Thanks, Sis. I knew I could count on you,” I whispered. “We need to go before Maverick gets back. Let me go get my stuff, and I’ll meet you in your room in five minutes.”
After I grabbed my purse, I headed down the hall to Cassidy’s room. I didn’t take time to think about what we were about to do. I knew I just had to swallow my nerves and get this thing done. I walked into her room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, waiting with a pained expression on her face.
“Don’t go backing out on me now, Cass. This is a good plan.”
“I’m not backing out, Lee Bug. I’m just worried, that’s all. Come on,” she said as she stood up and reached for her keys. “Let’s get this thing over with.”
Cassidy was quiet while she drove me to the campus parking lot. My car was still parked in the front row of the Fine Arts Building. It had been sitting there since the day Clutch took me to the club. I prayed that the tracking device was still there and working. It was the only way they’d know that I had returned home.
I put my things in my car and sat down in the driver’s seat. I looked up at Cassidy and said, “I’ll park the car in my usual spot. You pull around back and wait for me there. I’ll come down the fire escape once I get everything ready.”
“What if someone is already there waiting for you? This is crazy, Henley. I should’ve never agreed to go along with this.”
“No one is going to be there, at least not yet. Now, stop worrying.”
“That’s easier said than done. Just make it fast, okay?” she said with a shaky voice.