Maverick

“Son, wha—” The color drained from his face as Gentry and Mom stepped into the room behind me. They were here, supporting me, but I wanted to be the one to deliver the final blow. 

“I thought you should have this.” I thrust the letter at him and watched with satisfaction as his eyes pored over the words. 

“What is this? I don’t understand.” 

“That, is my ticket to freedom. I’m done. With you and your fucked up mind games. You don’t control me anymore.”

Surprise was the first emotion I saw flash in his inky depths—the eyes I inherited from him. But it soon melted away replaced with something much darker. Anger. Humiliation.

Betrayal.

He rolled back his shoulders, a cold mask slamming down over his face. “Think carefully about this, Maverick.”

Not son.

Maverick.

As if I didn’t deserve the title any longer. As if he no longer considered me his son, his heir.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Dad,” I emphasized his name. The one I would never say again after today.

Because I meant it—I was done. 

Free of his games and rules and his toxic expectations and demands.

“Rebecca,” he finally addressed the other two people in the room. “For the love of God, talk some sense into him.”

“No, Alec,” Mom’s voice was shaky, and I knew how hard this had to be for her. But it was long overdue. “This has gone on long enough. It ends today.”

“Rebecca—” he started, anger rippling from him, but Gentry stepped forward, moving around me until I was shielded behind him. Mom stepped up beside me, reaching for my hand and clasping it in hers.

“My lawyer will be contacting you later, but in the name of common courtesy,”—Gentry handed him the thick manilla envelope—“if you ever come near my wife or my son again, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.” He turned and stormed out of the room, Mom’s cracked sobs echoing off the wall.

“Come on, Maverick,” she urged.

But I slipped out of her hold and said, “Go. I’ll be right there.”

She hurried out of the room after Gentry as if she couldn’t stand another second breathing the same air as the man who had abused and manipulated her. Ran after the man who had called me his son. Who had been more of a father to me than I ever realized. It was something I would need time to accept, time to fix, but I’d try.

After this was done, I’d really try. Because Gentry deserved it, unlike the man standing before me.

“Well played, Maverick, well played indeed. It would appear we are more alike than I ever gave you credit for.” Alec leaned casually on his desk as if this was just another day’s business. But I saw the cracks. The flash of concern in his eyes, the way he’d clutched at his tie as he read my acceptance letter to Steinbeck University. 

“I learned from the best,” was my reply. “It’s over, Alec. I’m going to walk out of that door and never look back.”

He raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. But that’s who he was to me now. 

No one.

And it was more than he deserved. 

I turned to leave. To get back to Lo and the rest of our lives. Fuck, that felt good.

Our lives.

Together.

But as I reached the door, his voice stopped me in my tracks. “I’ll never forget this, Maverick.” Icy cold and emotionless, it sent a chill down my spine. But he no longer held the power.

I looked back at him one last time and said, “Neither will I.”

~

“Congratulations, Prince.” Kyle clapped me on the back pulling me in for a guy hug. It wasn’t my style, but I let him. It was the least I could do after the last few months. If it wasn’t for him and Laurie, I doubted Lo would still be here. By my side.  

“Thanks, for everything.” I said out of earshot of the rest of my family.

“Photos, I need photos,” Mom ushered us into a group, and I wrapped my arm around Lo, pulling her close while Kyle, Macey and Summer arranged themselves around us.

“Smile on three. One, two, three.” The flash blinded me for a second but then Lo was there grounding me, brushing her lips over mine.

“Seriously, you guys,” Macey grumbled. “You can’t even wait until we leave?”

“Sorry,” Lo chuckled against my mouth finally breaking free when her dad cleared his throat.

“Congratulations, Maverick. We’re all very proud of you.” He held out his hand and smiled. 

“Thanks, Uncle Rob.” I shook his hand, keeping one arm firmly around Lo. He still wasn’t sold on the idea of us together but after everything—after the truth came out—he’d given us his blessing.

“Thanks for coming, Dad.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Stella said offering Lo a meek smile. While Lo and her dad had found solid ground again, things were still strained with Stella, but my girl was trying. Finally opening her heart up the idea of a new family.

And from the conversations I’d overheard between Gentry and Uncle Rob, that was about to happen sooner rather than later. But I’d be there to pick up the pieces. To hold her up the way she’d held me.

“Prince, get your sorry ass over here,” Coach Callahan boomed across the field and everyone laughed. It was a strange feeling. Having them all here, for me. For my graduation. 

After everything, it felt right. And, although there was still healing to do, it felt a lot like a fresh start. 

“I’ll be back,” I said to Lo. “See you guys at home later?” 

My family nodded eagerly, Mom dabbing at the moisture in her eyes. 

“Go, I’ll wait.” Lo wriggled out of my hold but I leaned down capturing one more kiss before I slipped into the crowd. 

As I cut across the field and around the back of the bleachers to the gym, I shed the gown. Graduation was done. I’d got accepted to Steinbeck. Not because of my name or who my father was, or a huge check signed by his hand, but because I’d earned it. And that was something no one could take away from me.

And it felt fucking good.

Better than good; life was finally great. SU campus was only twenty miles away and while I would move into dorms, it was close enough for Lo to come and spend the weekend and I could drive home whenever I needed. And they had been more than accommodating when I’d come clean about my learning disability. Finally, it was my time to shine.

To step out from the shadows and live in the light.

Arriving at Coach’s office, I knocked on the door and entered. “Maverick, son, take a seat,” he said.

I sat down, raking a hand through my hair and Coach Callahan smiled wide. “I’m proud of you, Prince, real damn proud. I trust it all went well?”

Lips pressed together, I gave him a small nod. He knew the deal, well, most of it. 

“Well it’s a good day to celebrate, son.”

“Thanks, Sir, for everything.” My eyes went to the trophy sitting proud on his shelf. We might have won it, but it was Coach who got us there. His belief in the team, in me.

He waved his hand through the air. “It was nothing. You did all the hard work. I have some news, though. It’s why I called you in here.”

“Okay.” I shuffled forward wondering what he could be about to say.

“I ran into Coach Baxter over the weekend. He’s excited to have you starting at Steinbeck in the fall. What do you know about Zac Lowell?”

“He captains the Scorpions, right?” I’d done my homework. As soon my acceptance letter came, I’d dug up everything I could on Steinbeck and their basketball team. They had some good players, names I recognized. But from what I could tell they were lacking something. Last year, under his captaincy, they’d missed out on progressing to the elite eight because of—according to press reports—his screw up.

“He’s good. But he plays games. Thinks he’s bigger than the team. If you ask me, he should’ve been benched a long time ago. But Lowell has connections.” Coach rubbed a hand over his face. “Be careful, Maverick. You’re good. One of the best. Not everyone will appreciate that.” His narrowed eyes bore into mine and I got the message. Zac Lowell was a problem. But I’d dealt with worse. 

“I just want to play ball, Sir.” 

“I know and like I told Coach Baxter you could go all the way. Keep your head down, work hard, and don’t get pulled into any bullshit, you hear me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, now get out of here. I’ve had enough looking at your pretty face to last me a lifetime.” He smirked and stood to hold out his hand. I slid my palm against his. “Thank you, Coach, for everything.”

“Ahh shit, Maverick, get out of here before you make this old man tear up.” 

Our laughter filled the room and then I was gone.

To find my girl and start looking forward to my future. 

~

“Are you sure you don’t want to go out? Kyle is sulking.”

I rolled us, caging Lo to the bed, my face hovering millimeters from hers. “This is exactly where I want to be.”

“But—”

“No buts. Just let me have this. We can go party later.” My lips brushed over hers. Once. Twice. Like a direct line to my blood, heat flashed through my body and I rolled my hips against her soft curves.

Lo’s hand slid up my chest twisting into my t-shirt. “I can’t believe it’s over. You did it, Maverick. I’m so proud of you.”

I eased away, staring down at her. “We did it. No one’s ever believed in me like you, Lo. I love you.”

“I love you too, so much sometimes I think my heart’s going to explode.”

Hearing those three words would never get old. When she’d said them to me the night at The Coastal, I felt like I was the motherfucking king. And I knew I could do anything, be anything. With Lo by my side, everything would work out. 

“What’s the matter?” 

“Nothing, why?” Lo said but her eyes gave her away and I knew she was lying.

“London...”

She let out a soft sigh. “It’s just things are going to change again. You’re going to leave and I—”

“Hey, hey.” I nudged her cheek with my nose, running it along her neck and kissing the soft skin there. “It’s a few miles. We’ll see each other all the time. I thought this was what you wanted?” Pulling back, I searched her eyes for the truth. 

“I do.” Lo’s lips curved a fraction. “You deserve this, Maverick, you deserve this so much. I just... It doesn’t matter. Forget it,” she said around a strained smile. “Did I tell you how proud I am of you?”

“You might have mentioned it once or twice.” I smirked but when I saw the hesitation in her eyes, I rocked back onto my haunches. Lo pushed up on her elbows with a frown.

“Nothing will come between us again, Lo. I know I’m leaving. I know I won’t see you every day, but nothing will change. I promise.” But as I said the words, my mind worked overtime. Everything was finally great. We’d come out of this thing with my father, in one piece. The worst was over. Only I wasn’t naïve enough to think that was it, that the road ahead would be smooth.

Lo was right, I was leaving, and we would have to find a new routine, adapt to me being in Steinbeck and her being in Wicked Bay. Then there was the stuff with Stella. That would rock Lo’s world again and I wouldn’t be here to comfort her. But Kyle was ready to step into the hole I left, and after the last few months, he’d earned my trust. And finally, Coach’s warning. He hadn’t brought up Zac Lowell for nothing. He thought he was going to be a problem. And maybe he would. But distance… Stella… Zac Lowell, we’d survived worse.

Lived worse.

And I meant every word I said—nothing would come between us again.

Nothing.

 

 

The next book in the Wicked Bay series, Wicked Lies, releases March 29th 2018

Pre-order

And don’t forget to join Wicked Bay’s spoiler group

 

… and if you enjoyed Wicked Rules keep reading for an excerpt of Liar Liar