Chapter 21
Maverick
Nitro wasn’t much help. He was still in a lot of pain, and it was hard for him to talk about it. He told me it was dark, and he couldn’t see who it was that shot him. It was bugging the shit out of him that he didn’t know more. In all the years Satan’s Fury has been working with him, this was the first time anyone had gotten past his long line of artillery. Nitro was the kind of man who always covered his tracks, never letting anyone fuck with him, and he was pissed that someone managed to catch him off-guard. Considering how much protection he had, I could only assume that Nitro was shot by someone using a long distance rifle. It was the only way they’d ever be able to get a decent shot. Seeing him laid up in that hospital bed actually made me feel a little sorry for the guy. He’d always been a pain in the ass, but he was good at his job. After all this, I knew he’d tighten up the reins, making it even harder to deal with him.
Over the past few days, the club had met time and time again trying to find some kind of strategy. This shit was getting serious, and we had no idea what these guys were going to do next. Cotton was on edge, and the tension among the brothers was growing out of control. I needed a fucking break, so I headed into the kitchen for something to eat. When I walked into the kitchen, I found Dusty sitting at the table, alone.
“Hey, little brother. What’s up?” I asked with a chin lift as I pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. His eyebrows pinched together, making him look agitated.
“Nutin’,” he mumbled.
I was surprised to see him sitting there alone, so I asked, “Where’s your mom?”
“She’s talkin’ to Cotton,” he told me as he took a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something was wrong. He didn’t plow into me with a hug. Hell, he wouldn’t even look at me, and that just wasn’t like him.
“You want to tell me what’s bugging you?” I asked.
“No…” he pouted.
“Come on, Dusty. You know you can talk to me about it. Tell me what’s wrong.”
He let out a little defeated sigh before he said, “It was a girl in my class. She was really mean to me today,” he told me with his eyes skirting down toward his lap.
“Oh, yeah… how was she mean?”
“She told me that I looked stupid… that I was stupid,” he cried. “She hit me in my arm really hard and called me retarded.”
“I’m sorry about that, Dusty. You’re right… that was mean. She doesn’t seem like a very nice girl to be saying something like that to you,” I told him. I hated that he had to deal with such ignorant people, but I knew it would only get worse as he got older. Dusty was an amazing kid, and if people would just give him a chance, they’d see how special he was.
“Mom said that girl had a small mind like her momma,” he said. His eyes darted up to mine, searching for some kind of affirmation that his mother was right.
“Your mom’s right. That little girl is small-minded, so I guess that makes her the one who’s not very smart,” I said, trying my best to smile. “Fourth grade is tough. You just need to forget about what that little girl said and just be yourself. If she doesn’t want to be your friend, then it’s her loss.”
“Okay. Did you get any sprinkles?” he asked with his eyes sparkling with excitement. And just like that, he was moving on.
“I did. Finish your lunch and I’ll fix you a bowl of ice cream.”
Dusty was almost finished eating his ice cream when Dallas walked in. Her mascara was running down her cheeks, and she was carrying a balled-up tissue in her hand. She stopped before Dusty caught sight of her and tried to clear the traces of her tears, but it was no use. She was a mess.
“Dallas? What’s wrong?” I asked as I stood up and walked over to her.
“I’m fine… it’s nothing,” she said as she wiped her nose.
“Dallas…” I started.
“It’s that damn insurance company. They’re still giving me a hard time, and it’s just wearing me out. We’re not hurting for money, at least not yet, but Dusty’s behavioral therapist is expensive. His bills add up fast. Daniel wanted the kids to have that insurance money for their future, and those assholes are trying to keep it from them,” she snapped.
“Anything I can do?”
“Thanks, but Cotton is looking into it. He said he might be able to contact some resources.”
“Good. Be sure to let me know if you need anything. All you have to do is ask,” I told her.
“I know that, Maverick. I really appreciate you being so good to Dusty. He’s had a hard day today, and he loves being with you.”
“I like hanging out with him too,” I said, smiling. “Don’t worry about the money, Dallas. We’ll work it out.”
“Thanks, Maverick. I better get going. Katie has a game tonight and she’ll freak if I’m late,” she said as she reached up and gave me a quick hug. “Come on, buddy. We’ve got to hurry.” She took him by the hand and led him out of the kitchen.
I was opening up the refrigerator when I felt Dusty’s body slam across my back. His little arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he said, “Bye, Mav-wreck.” He quickly let go and ran out the door. Damn, I loved that kid. He was just the distraction I needed. For the first time since we got home, I had something to smile about.
After I finished my lunch, I went to my room, looking for Henley. She was lying on the bed reading one of her books, and I was tempted to lie down with her. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time.
“I’ve got some club business to see about, so I’ll be gone for a few hours,” I told her.
“Okay,” she said, never looking up from her book.
“It shouldn’t take long.”
“Okay,” she mumbled as her eyes remained focused on her book.
“I might get attacked and eaten alive by a pack of wild beavers.”
“Okay,” she whispered as her teeth grazed across her bottom lip. Yeah. She was fucking with me.
“Alright, check ya later,” I told her as I took a step toward the door. When she still didn’t look over to me, I lunged toward her, pouncing right on top of her, and pinned her hands to the bed. Her eyes widened with surprise as her book went sailing across the room. “Are you pouting, Henley Gray?”
“Maybe,” she whispered as she gave me her best puppy dog eyes.
I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers before I said, “You missing me, Henley?”
She rolled her eyes and said, “Ummm… nooo. I’m not.”
“Yeah, you’re missing me,” I teased as I ground my hips against hers. When she bucked against me, I asked, “You miss my mouth, don’t you, baby?”
“Ummm… maybe a little,” she admitted as she squirmed beneath me.
“You want to feel my cock deep inside you, don’t you?” I asked, rocking against her.
A deep, frustrated sigh vibrated through her chest as she said, “Yes!”
“Good,” I taunted her as I pulled myself up off the bed. “I like you missing me. Now, behave until I get back.”
“Maverick?” she called out. “I’ve been thinking…” her voice trailed off as she thought about what she was about to say. “I know you’ve been having a hard time finding the guys that shot Skidrow, and I imagine they had something to do with your friend being in the hospital. I’d like to do something to help.”
“Henley, I should tan that pretty little ass of yours for even thinking about this. Trust me. I’ll take care of it,” I assured her. “Gotta go. Let Smokey or Boozer know if you need anything. The rest of the guys will be out.”
“Okay. Please be careful,” she pleaded.
“Always,” I assured her as I walked out of the room. I’d meant it when I told her that I liked her missing me. I hadn’t had much time to spend with her over the past couple of days, and I liked the thought of her thinking about me, longing for me to hold her, to love on her. Amidst all the turmoil that’d thrown her into my life, she’d given me a light I’d never known possible. I was missing her, too, and I was looking forward to making up for lost time as soon as I got back tonight.