Chapter 8
Henley
What was it about those green eyes that captivated me? It just didn’t make any sense. Of course, he was absurdly good-looking, with his shaggy brown hair and perfect body, but it was more than that. When I looked at him, I saw something I just couldn’t explain, and it made me want to know more about him. I wanted to know the demons he was fighting… why there was such hurt hidden behind those beautiful, emerald eyes.
“Would you like a beer or something?” Boozer asked me, being a gentleman as always.
“No thanks. I’m good.”
“How about a game of pool?”
“Trust me… you don’t want to play pool with me. I’m beyond terrible. It would be like Chinese torture to play against me. Besides, it’s been a really long day. I think I’m just going to go crash for the night.” I could see the disappointment cross his handsome face when I turned him down. I would’ve suggested playing a game of darts, but I was exhausted. I just wanted to crawl into bed and forget this day ever happened.
“Maybe some other time, then,” he said with a kind smile. “Just let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Boozer. I really appreciate it.” I patted him on the arm and headed over to tell Cassidy that I was going to bed. She was clearing the empty bottles off the countertop as she talked to a couple of the guys sitting at the bar.
“How’s it going, Lee Bug? Haven’t seen much of you tonight. You making out okay?” she asked as she busied herself behind the bar.
“Yep. Hanging in.”
“Good. Sorry I haven’t been able to spend more time with you. I’ve been swamped over here. Ellie couldn’t make it in tonight, so it’s just been me all night.”
“Cass, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me,” I assured her.
“Can’t help myself. You’ve been through a lot today,” she said with concern. “I still can’t get it out of my head. Those guys could have…”
“Don’t. Nothing happened. Nothing is going to happen to me. I think it’s silly that I am even here. I should be home, waiting on my final grades to come in, not hanging out here with the Hell’s Angels.”
“Henley, don’t say shit like that! You know better than to disrespect these men, especially in their own damn clubhouse. You need them right now. They’re the only ones who can keep you safe, and you need to appreciate their…”
I held up my hands in surrender and said, “You’re right. You’re right. I’m a jerk. I’m sorry. I’m just tired. It’s been a hell of a day, and I just need to get some sleep.”
“Cotton had a couple of the prospects bring your stuff over from the apartment. I gave them the list of things you wanted, and they set up everything in your room.”
“Wow. Well, that was nice of them. I’ll be sure to thank them tomorrow,” I promised.
“And you should know…” she started, but paused to look around the bar before she continued. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but someone broke into our apartment. When the guys got there, the entire place had been ransacked.”
“What the hell? Who would have done something like that?” I knew the answer before the question ever left my lips.
“They didn’t say for sure, but I’m positive it was the guys that broke into your car.”
“What were they expecting to find in our apartment?” I asked as my heart began to pound nervously against my chest.
“You… or at least something that could lead them to you. Whoever these guys are, they seem pretty intent on finding you, so that’s why Cotton put Maverick in charge of watching over you.”
It was hard enough being here like this, but I definitely didn’t need Mr. Green Eyes watching my every move. He was always so damn serious with his blank stare and grim expression. It was like someone had just killed his dog or something. I don’t think I’d ever even seen the man smile, and now he was going to be watching over me. Crap on a cracker. Just being in the same room with him made me feel all awkward and nervous, and it made my palms sweaty just thinking about it.
“It’s his job, Henley. He’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” she replied.
“I will do what they tell me to do. But I don’t need a freaking babysitter, Cassidy. Especially not him.”
“Maverick will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. That’s all that matters. Even if you don’t like it, you’re going to have to make this thing work. It’s not going to be easy for either of you. You’re just going to have to make the best of it,” she said as she started restocking the bar’s coolers.
“Damn it all to hell,” I told her as I rolled my eyes. “Why did I ever leave the house? I should’ve just gone to bed and none of this would have ever happened. I wouldn’t have to deal with Mr. Grouch.”
“Henley, just do what he says. He takes club business very seriously, and it’ll only piss him off if you don’t do what he tells you,” she warned.
“Yeah… well, I’ll do what I can to not piss him off. Alright?” I said sarcastically. “I’m going to bed, mom. I’ll see you in the morning.”
As I started to walk out of the bar, I looked over at Maverick. He was sitting alone, drinking another shot of whiskey. His elbows were stretched across the countertop as he stared into the empty shot glass. A part of me wanted to go to him… ask him what was bothering him, but I couldn’t get the courage to do it, so I just left.
I still didn’t know my way around the entire clubhouse. When Cassidy told me where my room was, I thought I knew exactly where she was talking about. I was wrong. This place was like a maze with all the doors and hallways, but after asking three different guys for help, I finally managed to find my room. When I opened the door, I was pleased to see that Cassidy was right. The guys managed to get everything I asked for and more. One of them even brought my favorite blanket from my bedroom. I took off my clothes and put on my favorite Game of Thrones t-shirt. When I crawled into bed, I was relieved to see that they even remembered to get the pillows off of my bed. I’m a little obsessed with them and knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep without them.
“Henley?” a man’s voice called with a pounding knock on my door.
“Hold on,” I answered as I got up from the bed and walked toward the door. When I opened it, Maverick was standing there with his overpowering presence and his beautiful, green eyes glaring straight at me. He didn’t say a word as his eyes dropped down, reading the words on my t-shirt or possibly checking out my boobs. I really couldn’t tell.
I cleared my throat, trying to draw his attention back to my face, and asked, “Did you need something?”
His eyes slowly meandered down my body, roaming over my bare legs. My feet shifted nervously as he continued to stand there, blatantly staring at me. His intense gaze burned against my flesh, making me pull at the hem of my long t-shirt. With a deep sigh, he ran his fingers roughly through his hair, and my eyes instantly zoned in on his waist. His faded blue jeans dropped low around his hips and with his arm lifted, it gave me a peek of his abdomen. My eyes widened when I noticed he had a very pronounced, very sexy V. Damn, I did not need to see that.
His head was still facing down, and I assumed he was checking out my dark purple toenail polish when he asked, “You got everything you need?”
“Yep. All good here,” I told him as I turned back and looked around the room. My clothes were all hanging in the closet, my make-up was on the small dresser, and my bed was made up with fresh sheets. The guys had done everything they could to make the room as nice as possible. When I turned back to face Maverick, he was still staring at me with a peculiar look on his face. “The guys really did an amazing job here. It was really sweet of them. Did you need something?”
“Good,” Maverick said with a nod. “It’s late. I just wanted to make sure you were settled. I’ll be back in the morning. We have a few things to discuss.” Without another word, he turned around and left.
I stood there, staring at the empty doorway, wondering what the hell we had to talk about. Something told me he wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to keep an eye on me, but the way he just looked at me? Yeah, that was hot. This man had me all kinds of confused. I was tempted to just pack up my stuff and get the hell out of here. I told Cotton everything I knew, so there was really no point in me staying.