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FORTY

willa

Belle smacks my hand away from my mouth. I’ve been biting my cuticles and it’s driving her nuts.

“He’s fine. He’s already on his way back.”

“I don’t like that he wouldn’t let anyone go with him,” I complain. I know Maverick is an adult and can handle himself, but his dad asking to see him and demanding it be today isn’t sitting right with me.

“Cheese or no cheese?” Harlow asks, popping her head into the kitchen from the back deck where she’s grilling burgers. It’s a random warm New England day in the middle of February, and we happen to be home to enjoy it, so we’re taking advantage.

“Always cheese, Harlow,” Belle says.

“You’re right,” she says to herself and heads back outside.

Declan, Cal, and Kai come barging through the front door. They were playing with chalk on the driveway. Cora is snuggled in Declan’s arms, which would be adorable if it wasn’t for the look of horror on all their faces.

“What? Is it Maverick?” Jo asks, rounding the island and abandoning the salad she was making.

“No? Not exactly. Where’s Harlow? She needs to call her dad,” Kai says. I point to the sliding glass door that leads out back. Cal immediately goes outside to get her. He’s out there for less than ten seconds before they’re both back with a plate of cheeseburgers in Cal’s hand and Harlow on her phone.

“Dad? Yeah, I just heard. When can you get here?” she pauses for his answer. “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on before I lose it?” I ask. Declan comes to me, pulling me into his free side while Cora naps on his shoulder.

“Senator Wolfe is dead. Murdered by his cellmate,” Kai says.

“Where the hell is Maverick?” Jo shouts.

“Here,” Mav says, going to her to give her a hug. I watch the way she clings to him, and I can’t help worrying. I think Jo could be good for Maverick, but if we actually find Ezra and he comes back. . . I look over at Belle to see the worry on her face too. She’s thinking the same thing I am.

Maverick will choose Ezra. He will always choose Ezra.

“Sorry for your loss,” Declan says, but it almost sounds like a question. Maverick looks at him and frowns.

“What loss?”

“Your dad?” Cal says.

“I just saw him. He’s not dead,” Mav says.

“Uh. . .” Kai starts.

“Harlow?”

“In here, Dad!” Harlow calls.

Harrison comes into the kitchen, his laptop in his arms. He sets up at the island without so much as a greeting.

“Is my dad dead?” Maverick asks him.

“I’m afraid so, son,” Harrison answers. “His throat was slit within minutes of your visit and then conveniently leaked to the press immediately.”

All the color drains from Maverick’s face before he hunches over and grabs his knees.

“Breathe, Mav,” Jo says, rubbing his back.

“I’m going to need you to tell me what happened,” Harrison says once Maverick has pulled himself together.

He recounts the short trip and how odd it felt, then pulls a small book from his pocket.

“He slipped me this when the guard’s back was turned and made some comment about having called in his last favor.”

Harrison takes the book from him and flips through the pages. His eyes widen and brows shoot to his hairline. “Have you looked at this?” he asks Maverick.

Mav shakes his head. “No. I got in the car and drove right back here. This is the first time it’s been out of my pocket.”

Harrison hands the book back to him. “I need that back when you’re done with it, but I think you should read it first.”

Mav takes the book and opens it to the first page. His eyes scan the words, but his expression is unreadable. Once he’s finished, he puts it on the counter and turns it to face us. “I think you guys need to read this too.”

I grab it and read it out loud.

My Dearest Son,

I know what you think of me, but all my actions since the moment you were born were to protect you. I didn’t always succeed, but I tried. This journal is all I can leave you. I will detail as much as I can before my expiration date.

I stumbled into a world of violence and blood that promised me power and wealth. While I received those things in spades, they were not worth the price. Everything I have been accused of is true and so much more. Everything except what you have accused me of.

In my line of work, love is weakness, and weakness means death. I couldn’t show you love and affection, for it would make you my weakness. I had hoped over time you would harden your heart, but I should’ve known you could never. You are so much like your mother in that regard. Not Eva. She is no mother to you. You’ll soon find that out once you read this journal.

I need you to know; I loved your mother with everything I was capable of, and I will until my last breath. She was a light in this world, just like you are. And because of that, I couldn’t take your light from you.

Ezra is alive, Maverick. Eva wanted me to kill him, to take what you loved so that you would break and bend to her will. Instead, I staged it to look like he was killed and paid off judges and police officers to have him legally declared as such. I cannot tell you where he is, as I made sure I wasn’t aware of his movements after I got him out of the state.

That being said, I have written a phone number at the end of this journal. Call it when you’re ready to bring him home. Eva must be taken care of before you make that call, Maverick. You will both be in danger if you jump the gun. Ezra saw something he shouldn’t have, something even Eva won’t tell me about, and I believe he has proof to back it up. If she even thinks he’s alive for a moment, she’ll kill him.

Trust in the family you’ve built. They’ve protected you so far and will continue to do so. Ask Harrison for help. Make Eva pay when I failed to. Bring Ezra home to you.

I’m so proud of you, Maverick. You chased your dreams and fought hard for them. You love even harder and have a loyalty that runs deep. You are everything I hoped you could be and everything I wish I was. I love you, and I’m sorry.

Always,

Dad

I look up and see tears in Maverick’s eyes and confusion in everyone else’s.

“So Eva isn’t your mom,” Cal says. “But you look like her.”

“Where’s the number?” Kai interrupts, grabbing for the journal, but Maverick snatches it to his chest.

“We can’t, Kai.”

“Give it to me, Maverick.” Kai’s voice is low and scarier than I’ve ever heard it.

“Malikai,” Belle says, grabbing him and forcing him to face her. “I know you want your brother, but if bringing him home means his death, we can’t.” Her eyes plead with him to understand, and I watch as his resolve waivers.

“We can hide him. Protect him,” Kai says, but the uncertainty in his voice gives him away.

“We can’t. You know we can’t,” Belle tells him, her voice soft.

“I want him back more than I want my next breath,” Mav says. “But we have to make sure it’s safe.”

My eyes flick to Jo’s just in time to see her quickly wipe a tear from her cheek before going back to rubbing Maverick’s back.

I clear my throat and turn my attention to Harrison. “So what’s with the Eva thing?”

“I don’t know for sure, and I’m hoping James’s journal has more answers, but it looks like there’s evidence showing she’s at least connected to the Bratva. So far, it seems like she got in with them when she was young. Probably a classic case of dealing drugs to survive. Her family was dirt poor.”

“The Russian mafia? We’re dealing with the Mafia?” Cal screeches out the last word.

“At least the arranged marriages make sense now,” I say.

“How?” Belle asks.

“If Eva was trying to make herself more powerful, she’d need to form connections. Mav’s probably valuable as an asset in that way.”

“I’m not an asset. I’m a fucking person,” Maverick says, looking appalled.

“Eva had an older sister,” Harrison says. “Her name was Abigail. I think it would make sense you were her son, considering you do look like Eva, as Cal pointed out.”

“Wolfe kept referring to her in past tense. Is it safe to assume she’s dead?” Harlow asks.

“She died twenty-five years ago. It was ruled as a suicide. Maverick would’ve been one at the time,” Harrison says. “I’m hoping the journal gives us more insight into that. Let me show you what I’ve been working on since James’s arrest.”

We all gather around Harrison as he pulls up notes and pictures on his computer. “The feds already have a case against her. It’s enough to arrest her, but not enough to keep her behind bars or to threaten her with to get her to out her accomplices.”

The file Harrison has is extensive. He explains that Eva is the contact point for drugs coming into ports in Maine. She runs the drugs in all of New England, not just Maine, like we thought. Recently, she’s been dipping her toes into weapons, but the Irish have a problem with that. So she’s trying to force Maverick to marry one of the Irish mafia princesses to smooth it over. His files are reading like a mafia novel and if it were anyone else other than Harrison, I would think he made it up to mess with us.

“To summarize,” Harlow says when we get to the end of the files. “Eva married James because she saw the potential to have a political pawn, claimed her nephew as her son, and is trying to use him to form an alliance with the Irish Mob. Ezra saw something that could be her demise, but we can’t get in contact with him because if she even smells him near us, she’ll kill him.”

“I’m not great at this super detective stuff,” Declan says, “but we’re not talking about taking on the mafia right?”

“No,” Harrison says immediately. “I think whatever Ezra saw pertains only to Eva. Which means we only need to take on Eva. I’m going to continue working with the feds on this and hopefully they’ll do it for us. The DEA is obviously involved, but I don’t have contacts there. Probably Homeland too.”

“Take this,” Maverick says, holding the journal out to Harrison.

“You should read that before I do.”

Maverick shakes his head. “I’ll read it, but I can’t right now. Knowing that number is there will be too tempting.” Harrison nods and takes it from him.

Harrison packs up, promising to get the journal back to Maverick as soon as he can.

“The burgers are cold,” Harlow says.

“I’ll order pizza.” Cal grabs his phone and calls our usual order in.

I snuggle into Declan. We’re back on the road tomorrow for the final two weeks of the tour, and I can’t find it in me to want to do it right now. I just want to stay in the warmth my husband’s arms offer me. With Declan, I feel safe.

But it seems like Maverick isn’t safe. I catch Jo’s eye, and I immediately know she’s thinking the same thing I am.

Will he ever be safe?